Most tech critics and unbiased consumers agree that Apple’s iPad has been the standard-bearer for tablets, largely because neither Android nor Windows are optimized for form factor (the latter in particular). But Samsung has struggled with that — making Android apps run better on tablet screens — and the Galaxy Tab S8 series is almost certainly the best Android tablet around. But how does Samsung’s absolute best tablet offering, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, compare to Apple’s absolute best iPad offering, the iPad Pro with the M1?
I’ve been using both tablets since their original release, and jumping back and forth between them as my main “mobile work machine.” Obviously, I’m a spoiled critic and can have both. The average consumer will have to decide one – while I can’t say this comparison will give you a definitive answer, I will try to compare the two in each meaningful category and tell you which one I would choose if I had to Only keep one.
Apple iPad Pro 2021 (12.9-inch) and Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra: Specifications
Specification | Apple iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 2021) | Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra |
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put up |
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Dimensions and Weight |
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exhibit |
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system-on-chip | Apple M1 | Snapdragon 8 1st generation |
memory and storage |
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battery charging |
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Safety | face recognition | In-display fingerprint scanner |
rear camera |
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Front camera | 12 MP, ultra-wide |
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port | USB-C | USB-C |
vocal |
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connectivity |
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software | iOS 14.5 | A UI 4.1 based on Android 12 |
Other features |
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About this article: This comparison was written after months of testing a 2021 iPad Pro from Apple Hong Kong and a self-purchased Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. Neither company provided any opinion in this article.
Apple iPad Pro (2021) vs Samsung Galaxy S8 Ultra: Pricing and Availability
The iPad Pro (2021) and Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, along with other models in the series, including the smaller 11-inch iPad Pro or the standard Galaxy Tab S8, are all available now. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2021) and Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra both start at $1,099 for 128GB of storage and WiFi-only connectivity, with prices rising for 5G connectivity and more storage.
The iPad Pro is definitely a machine with a Mini LED screen and a super mobile SoC.
The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is a powerful tablet.It’s a work computer, gaming tablet, movie viewing machine
Apple iPad Pro (2021) vs Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra: Hardware and Design
Design-wise, there’s not much to talk about, as nearly all tablets follow the same aluminum rectangle design language. The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra makes headlines for its large screen (14.6-inch screen), which is noticeably wider/taller (depending on orientation) than most tablets I hold. But since I’m testing the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro (there’s also an 11-inch), the size difference between the two isn’t huge.
They’re both close enough in weight, with the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra at 726 grams and the iPad Pro at 685 grams (that’s less than 0.1 pound difference for US readers), in fact, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is thinner at just 5.5 mm to the iPad Pro’s 6.4 mm.
Also, I’m testing both devices with their first-party keyboard cases, and Apple’s Magic Keyboard is significantly heavier, so the entire iPad Pro package, including the keyboard case, is heavier and bulkier than the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra package.
Display and Audio
Mini LED for iPad Pro
OLED on Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
For the displays, it’s easy to look at the numbers on the spec sheet and bezel dimensions and conclude that Samsung has the win — the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra has a 120Hz OLED panel, while the iPad Pro has a 120Hz Mini LED screen — but there are also Other factors that come into play in use: While the iPad Pro has thicker bezels, they’re even and symmetrical, while the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra’s screen is interrupted by a notch. While the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra’s screen gets a little brighter, in most cases, even at 60 percent brightness, both displays are bright enough. So unless I’m actually using the tablet in the hot sun, the difference in maximum brightness doesn’t really matter. Also, I think iPadOS is now clearly more optimized for 120Hz than Samsung’s OneUI because animations are compressed more smoothly.
At least, this is general use. If I’m sitting in a dark room watching a movie, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra’s OLED panel produces deeper blacks, and because of its widescreen aspect ratio, it also has a smaller letterbox (those black bars caught in the video) .
Both screens are fantastic
I’m nitpicking in the end, both screens are fantastic. Speaker quality is also excellent: both tablets have a four-speaker system, and I’d say they’re neck and neck in terms of audio fidelity, and are easily the best two-speaker system on any tablet.
The iPad Pro’s Mini LED can produce deeper blacks than a typical LCD panel, but it still doesn’t achieve OLED-level pure blacks.
The screen size of the Tab S8 Ultra is perfect for reading pages of American comics.
silicon
The iPad Pro is powered by Apple’s M1 chip, and while it’s a full year ahead of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 that powers the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, the M1 is still a more powerful chip.Now when complete most of the daily tasks, Like watching YouTube or sending emails, but if you’re doing more intensive tasks like video editing, the M1 chip is a lot more powerful. If I’m editing a 4K clip and I’m browsing the timeline, it moves much faster on the M1 iPad Pro.
Game Base Jump on iPad Pro
Same game on Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
render time much faster, say 5 times faster. However, this isn’t a direct apples-to-apples comparison, as I’m using a different video editing app. But the benchmark figures also show a big win for the M1. Still, it doesn’t matter to 90% of consumers because the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is powerful enough.
camera
The iPad Pro system includes a 12MP wide, 10MP ultrawide, and a lidar scanner
The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra uses 13MP wide and 8MP ultrawide.
Both tablets have a wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle camera on the back, and they’re fine for a tablet, but their sensors are clearly not as good as those available on Apple and Samsung’s high-end phones. Apple’s camera system clearly wins, as it also features a LIDAR sensor, which helps make AR apps work better. In fact, the selection of AR apps for iOS/iPadOS is much better than Android’s, so if AR apps are important to you, you should stick with the iPhone and iPad.
One of the more important and widely used cameras on tablets is the front-facing camera, and here the Tab S8 Ultra camera has excellent hardware. Not only does it produce sharper images and videos (the Tab S8 Ultra has a 4k lens versus 1080p on the iPad Pro), its landscape orientation (center of the top bezel) is better than the iPad Pro’s left bezel position. Samsung, as always, Unnatural-looking beauty filters are applied to the photo.
iPad Pro, front camera
Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, front camera
For video, both do a good job, but the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra’s camera can shoot in 4K if needed—though I’m guessing not many people will want their faces displayed in 4K. The iPad Pro applies noise reduction to the video because you can hear background noise more clearly in Samsung’s footage.
It’s also worth mentioning that the iPad Pro’s front-facing camera system includes Apple’s TrueDepth camera system for FaceID. This doesn’t really take into account video calls or selfies in general, but if there were AR apps that took advantage of face mapping, I’m pretty sure the iPad Pro would do a better job than the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra.
Accessories
When I test smartphones, I only focus on the device and don’t include optional accessories in the evaluation. But for high-end tablets that bill themselves as productivity powerhouses, it’s worth considering accessories like keyboards and styluses, as they are critical to the overall experience.
From the value factor, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra wins first because its stylus S-Pen is included in the package. On the other hand, the Apple Pencil sells for $129. As for the keyboards: Apple’s Magic Keyboard and Samsung’s Book Cover keyboards are both relatively expensive at $349 each (if you own the smaller 11-inch iPad Pro, the price of the keyboards drops to $299). However, Samsung has been keen to give away keyboard accessories as free gifts with purchases in many regions, while Apple’s Magic Keyboard has always been a full purchase.
Apple’s Magic Keyboard
samsung book cover keyboard
But you get what you pay for, I think. While Samsung’s S-Pen and keyboard case are very good, they’re not as good as Apple’s equivalent, which is arguably the best in the business. Compared to Samsung’s S-Pen, the Apple Pencil is a little more sensitive to pressure changes, and Apple’s Magic Keyboard Folio, while clunky, has a clever design that elevates…