Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra vs Apple iPad Pro: Which flagship tablet should you buy?

The tablet market is saturated with exceptional options for every type of user, from the note-takers to readers, outdoorsy people, and even the younger crowd — there’s something for everyone. Finding the right one, however, is where the challenge lies. 

As the Samsung Unpacked event works to unveil the latest lineup of the Galaxy Tab S9 series, you may be wondering how to choose the right one and how they compare to other brands, especially if you’re a power user looking to splurge on a flagship models. 

Also: 

Apple’s iPad Pro and Samsung’s brand-new Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra are their maker’s most elaborate and expensive tablet models, built to go smoothly from work to play and, in many cases, capable of replacing a laptop. If you’re stuck between the two choices, we’ll break down some use cases that may help you choose the right one for your needs.   

Specifications

You should buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra if…

1. You want a larger, more efficient display

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra boasts a whopping 14.6-inch display compared to the iPad Pro’s 11 and 12.9-inch options, making the S9 Ultra one of the largest mainstream tablets on the market. The S9 Ultra could be a contender to replace a 14-inch laptop and gives you a larger working area to annotate, edit, draw, work, or watch videos — and the 16:10 aspect ratio could benefit creators. 

Also: Tired of iPads? These are the best Samsung tablets you can buy

Among other updates Samsung made to its flagship tablet, the company upgraded the display for a Dynamic AMOLED screen, making for brighter, more contrasted images than LCD displays. 

The iPad Pro’s Liquid Retina display is a powerful LCD with thin bezels. Samsung’s AMOLED displays, in turn, don’t feature a backlight. Instead, each pixel is powered separately, often producing superior power efficiency over LCD panels.

2. Your tablet use gets messy

 The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra features an IP68 rating, making it capable of withstanding dust intrusion and submerging in water up to 1.5 meters deep for up to 30 minutes. 

This means you can avoid that panic attack when you accidentally spill coffee on it right before a big Zoom meeting — wipe it up, and it’s good to go. The Apple iPad Pro, in contrast, doesn’t have an IP rating and isn’t water or splashproof. 

3. You don’t want to spend extra on an Apple Pencil

The Apple Pencil is a beautiful thing to behold, but it’s also close to $100 and sold separately. Each Samsung Galaxy S series tablet includes an S Pen You don’t need to buy it separately for drawing, note-taking, and everything in between. Plus, before Apple made its Pencil, Samsung had become a pro at the S Pen.

On top of the fact that the stylus is already included with your Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra purchase, the S Pen is a low-latency stylus with a response time as low as 2.8 milliseconds, while the Apple Pencil 2 can only get as low as 9 milliseconds on the iPad Pro. 

You should buy the Apple iPad Pro if…

1. You want a faster processor and more storage options

The iPad Pro features the Apple M2 chip for its processor, the same chipset that powers the MacBook Pro. When you buy an iPad Pro, you get a mini-computer packed into a tablet with an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. Suppose you’re a video or audio editor in the market for a great tablet. In that case, the iPad Pro is a great option that could replace your laptop in a pinch — especially considering you can run Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro on it. 

Also: The best iPad models: The Pro, Air, and Mini compared

Apple also offers more storage options for the iPad Pro than Samsung does for the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, including options that go up to 2TB in storage space. However, it’s worth noting that users can add a micro SD card to the S9 Ultra to expand the storage by up to 1TB.

2. You’re looking for a more compact option

The largest option of the Apple iPad Pro features a 12.9-inch display, and you can also choose an 11-inch iPad Pro, a plus if you want to avoid the burden of an oversized tablet. Though the Galaxy S9 Ultra is slimmer than the iPad Pro, the 14-inch display isn’t a preference for everyone shopping for a tablet. 

If you’d prefer to stick with an option that can fit easily in more bags and be less cumbersome to travel, then an iPad Pro is likely best for you. 

3. You love the Apple ecosystem

The term ‘Apple ecosystem’ may make some cringe, but many Apple users have come to appreciate it. If you’re an iPhone user and have other Apple devices at home, you’ve likely discovered the convenience of seamlessly using your Apple devices as one. 

Features like FaceTime calls, Portrait images, and other iPadOS exclusives, along with being able to easily switch your AirPods from a conference call in your iPad Pro to watching a video on your MacBook are worth considering when choosing flagship products, especially if these little conveniences are important to you. 

Alternatives to consider