Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy Tab A9+ | Apple - iPad (11th gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 64 GB | 128 GB |
| Refresh rate | 90 Hz | 60 Hz |
| RAM | 4 GB | 6 GB |
| Weight | 491 g | 477 g |
| Peak brightness | 480 nits | 500 nits |
| Stylus support | false | true |
Between the Galaxy Tab A9+ and iPad (11th gen), the Galaxy Tab A9+ comes out ahead in refresh rate, while the iPad (11th gen) wins on storage / ram. Overall, the Galaxy Tab A9+ scores 55.4 and the iPad (11th gen) scores 55.8 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (55.4 vs 55.8). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the Galaxy Tab A9+ if the display is what you stare at all day — refresh rate, brightness, or sharpness is where the difference will be most visible. The biggest gaps in its favor are refresh rate. The single most decisive one: Refresh rate — 50.00% more. 90 Hz vs 60 Hz.
Pick the iPad (11th gen) if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. Its strongest claims are storage, ram, weight, among others. The single most decisive one: Storage — 100.00% more. 128 GB vs 64 GB.
Both ship with comparable screen size, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Samsung - Galaxy Tab A9+ or Apple - iPad (11th gen)?
Apple - iPad (11th gen) leads the current Mars Score by 0.4 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare ram, storage, refresh rate against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Samsung - Galaxy Tab A9+ if…
Samsung - Galaxy Tab A9+ has the measurable edge on refresh rate hz.
Choose Apple - iPad (11th gen) if…
Apple - iPad (11th gen) has the measurable edge on storage gb, ram gb, weight g.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Samsung - Galaxy Tab A9+ wins
- ▲Refresh rate — 50.00% more. 90 Hz vs 60 Hz.
Why Apple - iPad (11th gen) wins
- ▲Storage — 100.00% more. 128 GB vs 64 GB.
- ▲RAM — 50.00% more. 6 GB vs 4 GB.
- ▲Weight — 14.00 g less. 477 vs 491.
- ▲Peak brightness — 4.17% more. 500 nits vs 480 nits.
- ▲Has Stylus support.
Spec comparison
Display
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy Tab A9+ | Apple - iPad (11th gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 11 " | 11 " |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 90 Hzlead | 60 Hz |
| Panelⓘ | LCD | LCD |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 480 nits | 500 nitslead |
Performance
Design
| Spec | Samsung - Galaxy Tab A9+ | Apple - iPad (11th gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 491 g | 477 glead |
| Stylus support | false | truelead |
| Cellular | true | true |
| OS | Androidlead | iPadOS |