Galaxy Tab S11 vs iPad mini 8.5" (8th Gen, 2026)
86
out of 100
VS
80
out of 100
Here we compared two flagship tablets: the 11-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 (with MediaTek Dimensity 9400 Plus) that was released on September 4, 2025, against the Apple iPad mini 8.5" (8th Gen, 2026), which is powered by Apple A20 Pro and came out 1 year and 2 months after. On this page, you will find tests, full specs, strengths, and weaknesses of each of the devices.
Select the amount of RAM to evaluate performance and value for money more precisely
Key differences
Reasons to consider the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11
- Higher display refresh rate – 120 Hz
- Comes with 3426 mAh larger battery capacity: 8400 vs 4974 mAh
- Has a 2.5 inches larger screen size
- Expandable storage via MicroSD card up to 2048GB
- Waterproof body (IP68 classification)
- Supports higher wattage charging (45W versus 20W)
- The front-facing camera can record video at 4K
- CPU with a higher amount of cores (+2)
Reasons to consider the Apple iPad mini 8.5" (8th Gen, 2026)
- Newer Bluetooth version (v6.0)
- 27% better performance in AnTuTu Benchmark (3478K versus 2745K)
- Compatible with Wi-Fi 7 wireless networks
- 19% higher pixel density (325 vs 274 PPI)
- Much smaller footprint: 38% more compact case (40.1 vs 65.1 square inches)
- Weighs 214 grams less
- 73% faster in single-core GeekBench 6 test: 4752 and 2742 points
Review
Display
Screen quality, color accuracy, brightness
Camera
Photo and video recording quality
Performance
CPU and memory performance (apps, system)
Gaming
Capabilities for playing modern games
Battery
Battery life, charging type and speed
Connectivity
Networks, ports, data transmission
Scores with a red asterisk (*) are approximate and may change in the future as we gather more data.
Select your primary usage scenario to get a more accurate NanoReview Score
Value for money (Beta)
Tests and specifications
Comparison table of technical specifications and testsDisplay
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED | OLED |
| Size | 11 inches | 8.5 inches |
| Resolution | 1600 x 2560 pixels | 1512 x 2316 pixels |
| Aspect ratio | 16:10 | 3:2 |
| PPI | 274 ppi | 325 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Adaptive refresh rate | Yes | - |
| Max rated brightness | 1000 nits | 600 nits |
| Max rated brightness in HDR | 1600 nits | 1200 nits |
| HDR support | Yes, HDR10+ | Yes, Dolby Vision |
| Screen protection | Tempered glass | Tempered glass |
| Screen-to-body ratio | 83.6% | 83.1% |
| Display features | - DCI-P3 | - DCI-P3 |
| RGB color space | 99.5% | - |
| PWM | 480 Hz | - |
| Response time | 1 ms | - |
| Contrast | ∞ Infinity | - |
Screen space comparison
Galaxy Tab S11
11″ (16:10 ratio) = 54.4 in2
iPad mini 8.5" (8th Gen, 2026)
8.5″ (3:2 ratio) = 33.3 in2
~63% more screen space
Peak brightness test (auto)
Design and build
| Height | 253.8 mm (9.99 inches) | 195.3 mm (7.69 inches) |
| Width | 165.3 mm (6.51 inches) | 132.6 mm (5.22 inches) |
| Thickness | 5.5 mm (0.22 inches) | 5.4 mm (0.21 inches) |
| Weight | 469 g (16.54 oz) | 255 g (8.99 oz) |
| Waterproof | IP68 | IP67 |
| Advanced cooling | Vapor chamber | - |
| Rear material | Metal | Metal |
| Frame material | Metal | Metal |
| Colors | Silver, Gray | White, Black |
| Fingerprint scanner | Yes, in-display | Yes, in-button |
| Area | 420 cm2 (65 inches2) | 259 cm2 (40.1 inches2) |
| Repairability | Average (2.86/5) | - |
Visual size comparison
Screen-to-body ratio
Tablet Ranking (24th and 40th place)
Android Tablet Ranking (#19th place)
iPad Ranking (#9th place)
Performance
| Chipset | MediaTek Dimensity 9400 Plus | Apple A20 Pro |
| Max clock | 3630 MHz | 4930 MHz |
| CPU cores | 8 (1 + 3 + 4) | 6 (2 + 4) |
| Architecture | - 4 cores at 2.4 GHz: Cortex-A720 - 3 cores at 3.3 GHz: Cortex-X4 - 1 core at 3.73 GHz: Cortex-X925 |
- 4 cores at 2.64 GHz: - 2 cores at 4.93 GHz: |
| L3 cache | 12 MB | - |
| Manufacturing | TSMC | TSMC |
| Lithography process | 3 nanometers | 2 nanometers |
| Neural processor (NPU) | MediaTek NPU 890 | Apple Neural Engine |
| Graphics | Mali-G925 Immortalis MP12 | 7 core Apple GPU |
| GPU shading units | 1536 | 896 |
| GPU clock | 1612 MHz | 1620 MHz |
| FLOPS | ~4952.1 GFLOPS | ~2903 GFLOPS |
Benchmarks
Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)
Compute Score (GPU)
| Compute Score (GPU) | 21988 | 63193 |
| Single-core score | 2742 | 4752 |
| Multi-core score | 8933 | 12197 |
AnTuTu Benchmark 11
| CPU | 871712 | 948657 |
| GPU | 976476 | 1389766 |
| Memory | 335022 | 420368 |
| UX | 562350 | 720042 |
| Total score | 2745560 | 3478833 |
| Samples | Less than 3 | Less than 3 |
3DMark Steel Nomad Light
| Stability | 73% | - |
| Graphics test | 18 FPS | - |
| Graphics score | 2385 | - |
3DMark Solar Bay
| Graphics test | 41 FPS | - |
| Section 1 | 47 FPS | - |
| Section 2 | 42 FPS | - |
| Section 3 | 35 FPS | - |
| Graphics score | 10813 | - |
PCMark 3.0
| Web score | 14704 | - |
| Video editing | 7384 | - |
| Photo editing | 41221 | - |
| Data manipulation | 13970 | - |
| Writing score | 27706 | - |
Recent User Tests
Samsung Galaxy Tab S11
| Date | Benchmark | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 📘 2026-10-25 (ElMonoSono) | AnTuTu 12 | 3098993 |
| 📘 2026-09-27 (JJ) | AnTuTu 12 | 1116490 |
| 📘 2026-06-11 (Omsin) | AnTuTu 11 | 2745560 |
Apple iPad mini 8.5" (8th Gen, 2026)
No benchmark results yet
Memory
Configuration
| RAM size | 12 GB | 12 GB |
| Memory type | LPDDR5X | LPDDR5X |
| Memory clock | 5333 MHz | 4800 MHz |
| Channels | 4 | 3 |
| Storage size | 128 GB | 128 GB |
| Storage type | UFS 3.1 | NVMe |
| Memory card | MicroSD | No |
| Memory card max size | Up to 2048 GB | - |
Software
| Operating system | Android 16 | iPadOS 27 (Can be upgraded to iPadOS 27.2) |
| ROM | One UI 8.5 | - |
| OS updates | 0 years | 7 years |
| Security updates | - | 7 years |
Battery
| Capacity | 8400 mAh | 4974 mAh |
| Max charge power | 45 W | 20 W |
| Battery type | Li-Po | Li-Ion |
| Replaceable | No | No |
| Wireless charging | No | No |
| Reverse charging | No | No |
| Bypass charging | - | No |
| Fast charging | Yes (50% in 40 min) | Yes (50% in 30 min) |
| Full charging time | 1:30 hr | - |
| Battery cycles | 1200 cycles | - |
Main camera
| Matrix | 13 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 4128 x 3096 | 4032 x 3024 |
| Zoom | Digital | Digital |
| Flash | LED | Quad LED |
| Stabilization | Digital | Digital |
| 8K video recording | No | No |
| 4K video recording | Up to 60FPS | Up to 60FPS |
| 1080p video recording | Up to 60FPS | Up to 60FPS |
| Slow motion | - | 240 FPS (1080p) |
| Lenses | 1) Standard: 13 MP |
1) Standard: 12 MP |
| Camera features | - | - Bokeh mode |
| Image resolution | 13 MP | 12 MP |
| Aperture | f/2.0 | f/1.8 |
| Focal length | 26 mm | - |
| Sensor size | 1/3.4" (≈ 0.29 inch) | - |
| Pixel size | 1 micron | - |
| Autofocus | Phase autofocus | Phase autofocus |
| Stabilization | Digital | Digital |
Selfie camera
| Megapixels | 12 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 4000 x 3000 | 4032 x 3024 |
| Aperture | f/2.4 | f/2.0 |
| Sensor | CMOS | - |
| Autofocus | No | No |
| Stabilization | Digital | Digital |
| Video resolution | 2160p (4K) at 30 FPS | 1080p (Full HD) at 60 FPS |
| Depth sensor (TOF 3D) | No | No |
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi standard | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax) | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be) |
| Wi-Fi features | - Dual Band - Wi-Fi MiMO - Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot - Wi-Fi Display |
- Dual Band - Wi-Fi MiMO - Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot - Wi-Fi Display |
| Bluetooth version | 5.4 | 6.0 |
| Bluetooth features | LE | LE |
| USB type | USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| USB version | 3.2 | 3.1 |
| USB features | - Charging - USB-Storage mode - OTG |
- Charging - USB-Storage mode - OTG |
| DisplayPort | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS |
| NFC* | No | No |
| Infrared port | No | No |
| Number of SIM* | 1 | - |
| Type of SIM card | Nano | eSIM |
| Multi SIM mode | Standby | - |
| eSIM support* | Yes | Yes |
| Hybrid slot | No | No |
| 5G support | Yes | Yes |
Sound
| Speakers | 4.0 | Stereo |
| Headphone audio jack | No | No |
| FM radio | No | No |
| Dolby Atmos | Yes | Yes |
Speakers test
Max loudness
Other
| Category | Flagship | Flagship |
| Announced | September 2025 | October 2026 |
| Release date | September 2025 | November 2026 |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $799 | $699 |
| SAR (body) | 0.99 W/kg | - |
| Sensors | - Proximity sensor - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Compass - Fingerprint |
- Barometer - Proximity sensor - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Compass - Fingerprint |
| Bundled charger | Not included | Yes, 20 W |
*Disclaimer! NFC, GSM network support, and some other specs can be different depending on the country.
Conclusion
If the display and battery life are more important to you, then choose the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11. But if the performance, gaming, connectivity, software, and design are more of a priority – go for the Apple iPad mini 8.5" (8th Gen, 2026).
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