Nerd fight!

The ongoing battle between two of Silicon Valley's tech giants kick off yet again as Apple and Google respectively unveil the iPad Air 2 and Nexus 9 within a day of each other.

As they say, timing is everything.

If you're already invested in either the iOS or Android ecosystem, deciding which device to pick should be a no-brainer. But what if you’re one of those folks who's still on the fence?


 Here’s a handy-dandy list of features for the iPad Air 2 and Nexus 9 to help give you an idea about which device better fits your needs.

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DESIGN

Just like people, some folks like to say that looks aren’t the most important thing. Truth be told, however, it certainly helps. The good news is that both devices look nice. In some cases, you might even mistake one for the other by their lonesome, though the iPad’s larger screen size is pretty much a dead giveaway when both are placed side by side. Like the iPhone, the iPad Air 2 features an aluminum unibody and more rounded edges. In contrast, the HTC-made Nexus 9 features a soft-touch back and more squared sides. Like I said, though, both devices are lookers so it’s honestly a wash. This is certainly one of those times where the inside is what truly counts.

KEY DIFFERENTIATOR

The fingerprint sensor on the iPad Air 2 allows users to use Touch ID to unlock their phones and verify purchases with their fingerprint.

The Nexus 9, meanwhile, features HTC’s impressive-sounding BoomSound front-facing speaker system, which was highlighted in the HTC M8 smartphone, as well as full near-field-communication capability.

ECOSYSTEM & OS

The iPad Air 2 uses iOS 8 while the Nexus 9 runs the Android Lollipop operating system. Historically, iOS has been a more closed system with a more unified experience while Android is more open and gives more leeway to tech-savvy folks who like to tinker with their phone. Apple also boasts the stronger app ecosystem though Android has made great strides in curating its own app store and improving Google Play. In its live event unveiling the iPad Air 2, Apple made a dig at Google for fragmentation and lower adoption rates for newer Android variants, though to be fair, that’s more of an issue from device makers who add skins to their devices and don’t push new OS updates regularly. Being a Nexus device, the Nexus 9 will be getting OS updates quickly without being at the mercy of smartphone manufacturers.

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Graphically, iOS 8 does not represent a big leap from iOS 7 but still adds several key features. These include the new Apple Pay payment system, the HealthKit health suite, Family Sharing of files and media, as well as a “Continuity” system that improves synergy across Apple devices and services and makes it easier to jump from one to the other. Lollipop, meanwhile, provides a more noticeable change in its look thanks to a material design interface. It also features smart lock, synergy across Android devices and Google software and allows for guest and multiple user accounts as well as a new battery saving feature and Android Run Time for more efficient battery use by apps. Google Wallet also precedes Apple Pay though it remains to be seen which standard sees wider adoption.

SIZE AND WEIGHT

In terms of sheer size, the iPad Air 2 is the larger device, measuring 9.4 inches tall and 6.6 inches wide. In contrast, the Nexus 9 is about 9 inches tall and 6 inches wide. Although the Nexus 9 has the smaller overall footprint, however, the iPad Air 2 is thinner. The iPad Air 2 is just a smidgen below a quarter of an inch at 6.1 millimeters while the Nexus 9 is just below a third of an inch at 7.95 millimeters. The Nexus 9 still ends up as the lighter device. The Wi-Fi-only version weighs less than a pound at 425 grams while the iPad Air 2 equivalent is also less than a pound but a bit heavier at 437 grams. Both tablets also have versions that can connect wirelessly with LTE or cellular service, which add a few grams of weight but still weight under a pound.

BRAINS & BATTERY LIFE

Both devices look eerily similar when it comes to this department. The Nexus 9 has a 64-bit NVIDIA Tegra chip rated at 2.3 gigahertz while the iPad Air 2 uses a new 64-bit A8X. Apple does not release information about processor speed as well as RAM info, though the iPad Air 2 is expected to have the same 2GB of RAM found in the Nexus 9.

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For internal memory, the Nexus 9 comes in 16GB and 32GB variants while the iPad Air 2 is available in 16GB, 64GB and 128GB. Sadly, both devices do not come with a memory card slot so you can’t easily boost storage capacity with a microSD card. Battery life is 9.5 hours for the Nexus 9 and up to 10 hours for the iPad.

DISPLAY & CAMERA

The iPad Air 2 features the bigger screen while the Nexus 9 boasts higher detail. Apple’s flagship tablet uses a 9.7-inch laminated LED display while its Google competitor uses an 8.9-inch LCD Gorilla Glass display. Resolution for the iPad’s Retina display is 264 pixels per inch while the Nexus 9 sports 287 pixels per inch. For taking photos or videos, both devices come with an 8-megapixel rear camera with a wider f/2.4 aperture in order to let more light in. Apple’s tablet features burst mode and HDR functionality but it does not come with a flash like the Nexus 9 does. For the front camera, the iPad Air 2 uses a 1.2-megapixel, f/2.2 aperture camera while Google’s tablet comes with a beefier 1.6-megapixel camera with an f/2.4 aperture.

PRICE

The Wi-Fi Nexus 9 starts at $399 for the 16GB version and $479 for the 32GB variant. The Wi-Fi iPad Air 2 starts at $499 for the 16GB version and goes up to $699 for the 128GB version. Meanwhile, the LTE Nexus 9 is available in 32GB for $599 while the Wi-Fi/Cellular iPad Air 2 costs $629 for the 16GB variant and goes up to $829 for 128GB of internal memory.

For more articles about slates, check out the iPad, Tablets and Smartphones hub