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.
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.
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.
Monday September 29, 2025 9:31 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends.
Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below.
Apple in October
Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023.
In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
Tuesday September 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps.
Apple recently revealed that the feature would soon be available in North Dakota, and starting today, the feature has officially gone...
Tuesday September 30, 2025 8:39 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
An apparent unboxing video for an unannounced iPad Pro with the M5 chip was uploaded to YouTube today by Russian channel Wylsacom.
The same YouTube account leaked the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip before it was announced by Apple last year, so this is likely a legitimate leak.
Based on the box shown in the video, this appears to be a 13-inch iPad Pro with an M5 chip, 256GB of...
Tuesday September 30, 2025 3:48 pm PDT by Juli Clover
The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has seemingly confirmed Apple's work on an updated version of the Vision Pro headset.
One of several documents the FCC shared today references an Apple-designed "Head Mounted Device" with a model number of A3416. An included image confirms the device is a Vision Pro.
The FCC's uploads are transmission tests, SAR test reports, and...
Monday September 29, 2025 10:12 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today released iOS 26.0.1 and iPadOS 26.0.1, the first updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out earlier this week.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
According to Apple's release notes for the update, iOS 26.0.1 addresses a bug that could cause aberrations in...
Tuesday September 30, 2025 1:58 pm PDT by Juli Clover
The United States Federal Communications Commission has confirmed Apple's work on a new version of the MacBook Pro and several other products, leaking details on the devices ahead of launch.
The FCC published documents that reference model numbers that do not correspond with existing devices. A3434, for example, references an unreleased MacBook Pro, while other numbers are likely for...
Wednesday October 1, 2025 8:27 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
A handful of upcoming Apple products leaked yesterday, through a combination of YouTube videos out of Russia and U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) documents that were released, despite Apple's confidentiality requests.
The leaked products include an iPad Pro with an M5 chip, as well as updated MacBook Pro and Apple Vision Pro models. All of these devices had already been rumored...
Sunday September 28, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple's next MacBook Pro models will enter mass production soon, according to the latest information shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said he continues to believe the new MacBook Pro models will be released at some point between late 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, meaning they should be available to order by March at the latest.
Apple often...
Sunday September 28, 2025 1:30 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions.
The account initially said iOS 26.0.1 would have a build number of 23A350, but they now expect the update to have a build number of 23A355. This suggests that the software update will include more bug fixes or changes than initially...
Thursday September 25, 2025 1:11 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Apple smart home hub concept based on rumors
This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system.
In a report last month, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform ...
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????
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!
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.
