iPad Air 5 wins on performance and longevity with M1 chip delivering 40% higher multi-core scores than Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 per Geekbench 5 and 6+ years of updates versus Samsung's 4. Tab S8 counters with 120Hz screen and included S Pen but trails in app ecosystem depth per App Store vs Google Play metrics. Close for Android fans but iPad is the stronger overall pick.