Equipped with a 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and 11200 mAh battery, the Tab S9 Ultra stands out as the flagship model for the best performance and productivity.
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Apple’s newest 12.9-inch iPad Pro is powered by the M2 chipset, which brings improved CPU and GPU performance along with faster connectivity. It also supports the new Apple Pencil hover experience.
Key Takeaways
The brand-new Galaxy Tab S9 series consists of the Galaxy Tab S9, Galaxy Tab S9+, and the highest-end, Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra tablets. All tablets are equipped with high-end chips, and feature Samsung’s latest and most advanced features and hardware. They’re some of the best tablets on the market today, but how do they compare against the even more popular Apple iPad Pro tablets? Well, that’s what we’re going to find out, and hopefully answer any burning questions you might have.
During the summer Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung also announced the new Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 foldable smartphones alongside the new Galaxy Tab S9 series of tablets, and the Galaxy Watch 6 series of smartwatches.
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra vs iPad Pro: Price & Availability
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra starts at $1,200 in the US. For that price, you’re getting 12GB of memory and 256GB of storage. It’s fairly steep, but considering that Apple does a similar job at much steeper prices, it might not seem too bad. Samsung’s asking price might be higher, but it at least includes the S Pen for free.
Currently, Samsung is offering a free upgrade to the higher storage model as well as up to $650 off while trade-in an old device. When you pre-order a Tab S9 device, you also get a 50 percent discount on the Book Cover Keyboard Slim and $40 off a pair of Galaxy Buds 2 Pro.
The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $799, while the 12.9-inch model starts at $1,099 for the Wi-Fi model with 128GB storage. The larger model starts at a rather steep price, but considering you’re getting a chipset that’s usually used in laptops, it might not seem like a bad deal. The iPads are available nationwide at all carriers, retail stores, and online stores, and they’re some of the best and most advanced tablets on the market today.
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra vs iPad Pro: Design & Display
Both the iPad Pro and the Galaxy Tab S9 series feature an aluminium frame and aluminium back panels. They’re both stylish, elegant, and look polished. The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is much larger and heavier than the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and it weighs 732 grams, compared to the iPad’s 682 grams. The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra also has IP68 certification against water and dust, which cannot be said about the iPad.
When it comes to display, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra boasts a massive 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 120Hz refresh rate. It’s an 1848 x 2960 resolution display with 16:10 aspect ratio, covered by Gorilla Glass. It’s a large display, and it’s perfect for consuming content and getting work done on-the-go. It’s a true laptop replacement, and the display supports the S Pen stylus input.
The iPad Pro features a 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED LCD display with 120Hz refresh rate. It has a 2048 x 2732 resolution panel with 4:3 aspect ratio. It’s a bright, colorful, and beautiful panel. It’s perfect for consuming content and color-sensitive work, such as video and photo editing. The iPad also supports the Apple Pencil, but this is a separate accessory and will cost extra.
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra vs iPad Pro: Performance & Software
Performance-wise, both tablets feature class-leading processors, but we would still go as far as calling Apple’s M2 chip the clear winner. The chip can perform laptop-grade tasks, and while it’s limited by iPadOS, it’s more capable than the mobile Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip.
That said, both SoCs offer laptop-grade performance with plenty of power for graphics-intensive tasks. The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra has 12/16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage, while the iPad Pro offers 128/256/512GB and 1TB and 2TB storage configurations and 8/16GB RAM.
As mentioned previously, the iPad sports iPadOS. It has many built-in features that let users take advantage of a computer-like experience. And while the operating system received several updates in the past, it’s still very limited. Android is in a similar situation due to the tablet form factor being abandoned for many years. Still, luckily Samsung has built several new features into its own One UI 5.1.1 operating system that lets users take advantage of extra features. The Tab S9 Ultra is perfect for both general, power, and enterprise users who want to use the S Pen stylus input for spreadsheets, editing photos, and more.
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra vs iPad Pro: Camera
It’s fair to say that tablets aren’t exactly made for photography and capturing photos the same way mobile devices do, but that doesn’t prevent us from wanting great sensors on these large slabs.
The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra features a dual camera array on the back, including a 13MP f/2.0 primary, and an 8MP f/2.2 ultrawide. On the front, placed in a notch, the Ultra contains another dual camera setup consisting of a 12MP f/2.2, and a 12MP f/2.4 ultrawide sensors. These are excellent for taking photos in good lighting conditions, and the front-facing camera is perfect for conference calls and catching up with family and friends.
The iPad Pro also has a dual camera setup on the back, consisting of a 12MMP f/1.8 primary, and a 10MP f/2.4 ultrawide camera. Additionally, the iPad Pro also has a TOF 3D LiDAR sensor and a Quad-LED flash for more true-to-life colors in dark places. On the front, the iPad has a single 12MP f/2.4 sensor which is great for conference calls and catching up with the family.
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra vs iPad Pro: Battery
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra comes with an 11,200 mAh battery, the same capacity that was in the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. The capacity might be the same, but the longevity of the device is expected to be better, thanks to the more advanced Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 at the helm. The tablet also comes with One UI 5.1.1 based on Android 13 which should help improve the battery further.
When it comes to the iPad Pro, it comes equipped with a 10,758 mAh battery which we all know can comfortably last a full day with general use, or about a full workday with heavy use. It’s the perfect laptop replacement, and the M2 chip ensures there’s plenty of power. Unfortunately, the iPad doesn’t support the same 45W fast charging like the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, and a full charge can take a while.
We also heard some complaints about the battery not lasting as long for some users, so your mileage may vary and will depend on how you use the tablet, and the type of apps you use.
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra vs iPad Pro: Which should you buy?
If you’re after a laptop replacement and want to use the tablet for professional work, the iPad Pro remains an easy winner. With the introduction of Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro software, Apple made the iPad a must-have for content creators, journalists, and anyone in the media. The iPad has a lot of professional-grade applications, and it’s hands down the most powerful tablet on the market with exceptionally great tools and features.
Sadly, iPadOS is still not as powerful as many would like it to be, but it’s slowly getting there, and it’s currently the closest we’ve got to a tablet with laptop functionalities.
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Apple’s newest 12.9-inch iPad Pro is powered by the M2 chipset, which brings improved CPU and GPU performance along with faster connectivity. It also supports the new Apple Pencil hover experience.
Apple’s latest and greatest iPad Pro comes with the all-new powerful M2 chipset. It also supports Apple Pencil’s new hover feature. Check out all the deals on the device using the links given below.
When it comes to the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, it’s hands-down the best tablet we can find that runs Android. It’s beautiful, large, and has many enterprise and business use-case advantages but still lacks professional-grade applications. There aren’t many professional-grade software on Android, which remains an issue for device makers as it makes it hard to recommend for general users.
Both devices are excellent tablets in their own ways, but if you have the money, consider a MacBook, or a Galaxy Book 3, depending on your use case. Laptops are still more powerful and offer an even better performance and experience, especially as they come with the included mousepads and keyboard, not to mention more input and output ports. That said, if you’re looking for an answer, the iPad Pro might be better for professional work. At the same time, the Galaxy Tab S9 might be a great alternative for Android users already in the Galaxy ecosystem.
Featuring an 11-inch Dynamic AMOLED display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, and 8400 mAh battery, the Tab S9 delivers a powerful performance in a sleek design.
With a 12.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and 10090 mAh battery, the Tab S9+ offers a versatile experience for productivity and entertainment.
The most powerful Android tablet in 2023
Equipped with a 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and 11200 mAh battery, the Tab S9 Ultra stands out as the flagship model for the best performance and productivity.
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