iPad Air Speed Is Slower Than Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

Apple’s iPad Air may be the company’s fastest selling tablet, but it is not the world’s fastest. In a research test run by Which? magazine, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 came out on top. Compared to the field, the iPad air was no slouch, finishing in second.

The British technology magazine performed a speed test on eight different tablets. Some notables in the competition include the Google Nexus 7, the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 8.9, and Apple’s iPad Mini with retina display. Speed was tested using Geekbench, a scoring system designed to test the processing speed of computer devices. Testing is designed to run the tablets through tasks that an average person would perform. Using various categories, Geekbench scores the tablets and ranks them accordingly.

The iPad Air often receives major points for its sleek and slender design, as well as being the newest flagship tablet of the biggest seller in the US. Larger than the 9.7 inch iPad Air, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 has proven to be a formidable opponent. In fact, Samsung has been able to cut into Apple’s tablet market share significantly on the back of the larger device. Apple still has a stranglehold on the market, but Samsung is gaining.

Google, who just let go of their attempt at the handset market with Motorolla, came in third place with the Nexus 7. Interestingly, the Nexus 7 destroyed the comparable in size iPad Mini with retina. The scores given for the speed test correspond with how fast the tablet would work. For example, if one tablet received a 100 and the second received a 200, the second tablet would be twice as fast as the first. Google’s Nexus 7 received a score of 2675 and the iPad Mini with retina finished with 2512. For over $100 cheaper, the Google Nexus 7 is the faster device.

Interestingly, Which? decided not to test any Microsoft Surface tablets. This would be considered a major oversight by some, but in reality Microsoft has struggled to enter the tablet market. Included on the list were lesser known tablet competitors Advent and Tesco. Though they did not fair as well as the more well known tablets, they were competitive. They come at a much cheaper cost as well.

Even though the iPad Air came in second place in the speed test, many still consider it the market standard for tablets. Expect the iPad products to continue to lead the way for tablet sales and performance for 2014.