Samsung's New Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra vs. iPad Pro

Samsung in July introduced its latest tablet offering, the 14.6-inch Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. This is Samsung's best and biggest tablet to date, so we thought we'd see how it compares to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.


At 14.6 inches, The Tab S9 Ultra is notably bigger than the ‌iPad Pro‌, and it has an impressive OLED display with deep blacks and rich colors. Apple is using mini-LED for the latest ‌iPad Pro‌ and there are rumors that it will transition to OLED, but Apple hasn't made it there yet.

galaxy tab s9 2
There's an under-display fingerprint sensor that is supplemented by facial recognition (Samsung's facial recognition still can't compare to Face ID), and a horizontal front camera so you can use the front-facing camera in landscape orientation, unlike with the ‌iPad Pro‌. There's no Apple Pencil, but Samsung's tablets use the S-Pen, which is feature rich and comparable to ‌Apple Pencil‌ (plus it's included in the price). Latency is about the same, and there's a convenient charging spot for it at the back of the tablet.

galaxy tab s9 6
The battery lasts for about eight hours and for storage, it supports a microSD card, which is not true of any Apple products. It's IP68 water and dust resistant, which is a higher ingress rating than the iPads.

There are some notable annoyances, such as the $350 keyboard cover that's heavy, can't be used on a lap, and has a jittery, hard-to-use trackpad. The speakers are not as good as the speakers in the ‌iPad Pro‌, and overall, Android on a tablet doesn't have the smoothness or usability of iPadOS on an iPad.

What do you think of the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra? Let us know in the comments below.

Tag: Samsung

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...

Top Rated Comments

BlueParadox Avatar
23 months ago

One word: Micro SD
That’s not one word…
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DarthDon Avatar
23 months ago
Android on a tablet... ?
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Octavius8 Avatar
23 months ago
so it is possible!:
OLED in iPad size screen
Touch ID under display
Face ID in both orientations
Camera on both orientations
Air commands with a “pencil”.
What are you waiting Apple????
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Snake111 Avatar
23 months ago
Wow Samsung with a notch.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Unggoy Murderer Avatar
23 months ago
I really like the form factor and additional size of the Ultra, would be great if Apple could do something similar with the iPad Pro. The 2022 model was also surprisingly resistant to bending, another trick for Apple to pick up!

Still couldn't own an Android tablet though.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
anthogag Avatar
23 months ago
I have the 12.9" M2 iPad Pro. After watching your video I have 0 interest in the Samsung tablet.

I don't like the screen aspect ratio for the Samsung. It looks like it's designed to primarily operate with the keyboard like a laptop.

You use the keyboard with your iPad; 98%. You have little experience using the Pencil. Occasionally you grab it to draw some lines.

I don't use a keyboard. I use the Pencil for almost everything. Editing, picking, writing, scrolling, screen shots, using apps,...swipe keyboard is much better using the Pencil to choose letters.

It's quite obvious the Samsung doesn't have Hover. Hover is great on my iPad.

FaceID is much better than finger print.

The most significant complaint I have using the Pencil+iPad is it should be much easier to switch between small and full size keyboard. If I touch the screen with my finger it should open the large keyboard. If I touch the screen with the Pencil the small keyboard opens.

If you need a keyboard and mouse for extended typing on the iPad use continuity.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)