While Samsung and Apple seem locked in head-to-head combat over the high-end tablet range, with the former’s Galaxy Tab S6 and the latter’s iPad Pro 2020 close competitors, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A devices haven’t really challenged the base-line iPads much.
Likely looking to fix that, Samsung put out the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, a more affordable version of the non-Lite device with specs, and a low price tag, that make it a direct competitor to the iPad 10.2 from 2019.
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The iPad 10.2 is a member of Apple’s (relatively) low-end line of tablets below the iPad Air, Mini or Pro, aimed for people who want a new tablet for general tasks without breaking the bank. That’s also what the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is trying to do.
So which of these cheap tablets is best for you? We’ll run you through the various specs and features of both so you can make up your mind.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite vs iPad 10.2 price and availability
If you want to spend the least amount possible on one of these tablets, the iPad 10.2 costs $329 / £349 / AU$529 for its 32GB option. That’s not much storage though, and you can get 128GB for $429 / £449 / AU$689.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite costs a touch more for most at $349 / £349 (roughly AU$690) but that’s actually for 64GB, so you get a bit more storage for your money. There’s also an LTE version in some regions, available for £399 (roughly $410, AU$790).
One important thing to mention is that while the Samsung tablet comes with an S Pen stylus for note-taking, doodling and drawing, the iPad 10.2 requires you to buy the Apple Pencil separately for $99 / £89 / AU$145.
So it seems you might be paying a little more for the iPad 10.2, especially if you want to make the most of all its features, but given high prices are a characteristic trait of Apple devices, it’s almost surprising that the cost difference isn’t bigger.
Design and display
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite has dimensions of 244.5 x 154.3 x 7mm, whereas the iPad 10.2 is 250.6 x 174.1 x 7.5mm, so they’re not hugely different. Similarly, their weights, at 467g and 483g respectively, aren’t noticeably different either (not many people would be able to feel a 16g difference).
You won’t feel many differences in build material, as both have glass fronts and aluminium sides and back. That doesn’t mean the devices necessarily look alike though, as the iPad 10.2 has thicke