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.
Sunday September 15, 2024 10:09 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Following over three months of beta testing, iOS 18 was finally widely released to the public on Monday, September 16. The update is available in the Settings app under General → Software Update on the iPhone XS and newer. Below, we have highlighted eight key new features included in iOS 18, and Apple shared a complete list of new features and changes last week. Note that Apple...
Monday September 16, 2024 3:56 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
It's that time of year again. Apple is about to release iOS 18, which promises to bring a range of new features and improvements to iPhones worldwide. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and the company is expected to release it sometime today – Monday, September 16. Based on past releases, the update is likely to drop at around 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time/1:00 p.m. Eastern...
Tuesday September 17, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
The "Apple ID" era is officially over. The transition from "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" went from a rumor to an official announcement to something that has now been fully completed. As of this week, the account.apple.com website is fully updated with Apple Account branding. "Apple ID is now Apple Account," the page says. "You can still sign in with the same email address or phone...
Monday September 16, 2024 11:40 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple has seemingly leaked the rumored next-generation Mac mini with five USB-C ports, according to a code change within Apple software that was discovered today by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The code refers to an unreleased Mac mini model with an Apple silicon chip and five ports, which lines up with a previous report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman that said the next Mac mini will be ...
Sunday September 15, 2024 5:29 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple will likely hold another event in October this year to announce new Macs and iPads. If so, it would be the fourth time in the last five years that Apple has held an event in October. Last year, Apple held a virtual event on Monday, October 30 to announce new MacBook Pro and iMac models with the M3 series of chips. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated...
Sunday September 15, 2024 3:58 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said demand for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max has been "lower than expected" since the devices became available to pre-order in the U.S. and dozens of other countries on Friday. Kuo said his data is based on a "supply chain survey" and shipping estimates listed on Apple's online store. Kuo estimated that sales of all four iPhone 16 models reached...
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.