Shootouts

Shootout: Apple iPad Mini vs. LG G Tablet 8.3 vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4

By Sidney Wong - 21 Jul 2014

Overview

A Move Towards 8-Inch Tablets

While the modern day tablet industry started out with 7-inch and 10-inch variants, the increasing adoption of phablet devices, which typically have screen sizes ranging from 5.5 to 6.44-inches, and the fact that 7-inch tablets don't offer enough screen real estate space have kick started the rise of 8-inch tablets. In fact, they are steadily gaining traction as they provide a fine balance between screen real estate and portability. For the most part, 10-inch tablets are great for media consumption and entertainment, but their size makes them less portable and unwieldy to manage for comfortable on the go usage.

If you are looking around for a high-end 8-inch tablet, there are currently three notable models in the market: the Apple iPad Mini with Retina Display, the LG G Tablet 8.3 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4. Similar to our recent high-end 10-inch tablet shootout we've conducted, we will put these 8-inch slates in various usage scenarios to highlight their strengths and weakness. Before we dive into the shootout, here's a look at the specifications of the three tablets:

Apple iPad Mini with Retina Display vs. LG G Tablet 8.3 vs. Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4
  Apple iPad Mini with Retina Display LG G Tablet 8.3 Samsung Galaxy Tab S (8.4) LTE
  Apple iPad Mini with Retina Display LG G Tablet 8.3 Samsung Galaxy Tab S (8.4) LTE
Launch SRP
  • From S$548
  • From S$438
  • From S$698
Operating system
  • iOS 7
  • Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
  • Android 4.4 KitKat
Processor
  • A7 chip with 64-bit architecture and M7 motion coprocessor
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 1.7GHz quad-core
  • Exynos 5 Octa 5420 (1.9GHz A15 Quad-core + 1.3GHz A7 Quad-core)
Memory
  • 1GB
  • 2GB RAM
  • 3GB RAM
Display
  • 7.9-inch / 2,048 x 1,536 pixels / IPS
  • 8.3-inch / 1,920 x 1,200 pixels / IPS
  • 8.4-inch / 2,560 x 1,600 pixels / Super AMOLED display
Camera
  • Rear: 5-megapixel with autofocus, f/2.4 aperture, backside illumination and five-element lens
  • Front: 1.2-megapixel FaceTime HD
  • Rear: 5-megapixel
  • Front: 1.3-megapixel
  • Rear: 8-megapixel
  • Front: 2.1-megapixel
Connectivity
  • 802.11a/b/g/n Wi‑Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth v4.0
  • 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4/5GHz), Bluetooth v4.0 LE
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 & 5GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth v4.0, MHL 2.0
Storage
  • 16/32/64/128GB
  • 16GB internal storage
  • microSD card support up to 64GB
  • 16GB internal storage
  • microSD card support up to 128GB
Battery
  • 6,471mAh
  • 4,600mAh
  • 4,900mAh
Dimensions
  • 200 x 134.7 x 7.5 mm
  • 216.8 x 126.5 x 8.3mm
  • 212.8 x 125.6 x 6.6mm
Weight
  • 331g (Wi-Fi) 341g (4G LTE)
  • 338g
  • 298g

Join HWZ's Telegram channel here and catch all the latest tech news!
Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.