Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra vs Apple iPad Pro M4: Which is the best tablet in 2024?

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra and Apple iPad Pro M4 are two of the latest and most popular tabs in 2024. The M4 iPad Pro was launched recently with a brand new chipset, so it outperforms the Samsung chip. But performance isn't the only factor when choosing a tablet so you may be wondering which is the best tablet you can get in 2024.

That would be the Apple iPad Pro M4. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is a strong contender, but the new iPad brings significant performance improvements. This article discusses why the new iPad Pro is the best tablet and if the Samsung tab can be a decent alternative.

Note: Aspects of this article are subjective and reflect the writer's opinions.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra vs Apple iPad Pro M4

We are taking a deep dive into the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra vs Apple iPad Pro M4 battle to see how they fare in each category. Let's start with the specs first.

Specs

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra was released in August 2023, making it a relatively old device at this point. The Apple iPad Pro M4 was released in May 2024 and comes with many new technologies, including a Tandem OLED display, a new chipset, and more. Here's the full specs list of the two tabs:

	Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra	Apple iPad Pro M4
Size and weight	326.4 x 208.6 x 5.5 mm and 732 grams	249.7 x 177.5 x 5.3 mm and 444 grams
Display	14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 120Hz	11-inch Ultra Retina Tandem OLED display with 120Hz
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 at 3.36 GHz	Apple M4 at 4.4 GHz
Operating System	Android 14 with OneUI 6	iPadOS 17.5.1
RAM and storage	Up to 16GB RAM and 1TB storage	Up to 16GB RAM and 2TB storage
Camera	13+8MP rear camera system and 12+12MP selfie camera system	12MP rear camera and 12MP selfie camera
Battery and charging	Li-Po 11200 mAh with 45W fast charging support	Li-Ion 8160 mAh with 35W fast charging support

Design and display

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra (Image via Samsung)

Both Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra and Apple iPad Pro M4 feature a similar flat design with an Aluminum unibody design. However, the iPad is thinner and much lighter than the Samsung tab.

The Samsung tab has a 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 120Hz, while the iPad has an 11-inch Ultra Retina Tandem OLED display with 120Hz. The Tandem OLED technology of the iPad essentially consists of two OLED panels fused together, which results in a much brighter display.

So, the iPad has a better display, but the Samsung tab has a bigger display. Besides the size, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra has narrower bezels and looks better.

Performance, software, and productivity

When it comes to performance, the Apple iPad Pro M4 wins hands down, with the device being 2-3x faster than the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. Here's a benchmark result to show just how powerful the iPad is comparatively:

	Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra	Apple iPad Pro M4
Geekbench 6 Single-Core	1991	3767 (+89% faster)
Geekbench 6 Multi-Core	5299	14677 (+177% faster)

As you can see, the Apple M4 chipset inside the Apple iPad Pro M4 is 89% faster in single-core and 177% faster in multi-core performance. As a result, the iPad will be the better choice if your workload needs a lot of CPU power.

This performance advantage of the iPad is also noticeable in gaming and when running console-level games like Resident Evil Village and Assassin's Creed Mirage at high settings will be no problem at all.

However, iPadOS is gimped and cannot multitask like Android OS in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. Multitasking and handling multiple apps is much better on Android OS. In conclusion, the Samsung tab is better for multitasking, but the iPad is better for performance and productive workloads.

Camera

The camera is not the most important aspect of a tablet. Don't get us wrong, the camera is necessary for taking quick pictures or scanning documents, but it's not the most important part of a tablet experience. So, if you have realistic expectations from the camera performance, you will be satisfied with what both tabs have to offer in this department.

The cameras of both the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra and Apple iPad Pro M4 have decent performance, and their picture quality is similar. The Samsung tab has an extra ultra-wide camera, but the quality of this camera is pretty average.

As for the front camera system, the Samsung tab has a dual front camera system, while the iPad has a single front camera. The main front cameras of both tabs are neck and neck with each other, and their quality is more than enough for video calls. However, the iPad has a feature called Center Stage, which allows the camera viewfinder to follow you around when you start moving.

The Samsung tab has an extra ultra-wide front camera, which is better for group video calls since it can capture a lot more people inside the video call frame.

Battery and charging

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra has an 11200 mAh battery capacity, while the Apple iPad Pro M4 has an 8160 mAh battery capacity. Even though there is a difference in battery capacity, both laptops deliver similar battery life under light workloads. In heavy workloads, the iPad lasts slightly longer than the Samsung tab.

When it comes to charging speed, the 45W charger of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra charges faster than the iPad.

Price

Both the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra and Apple iPad Pro M4 are available at $949 at their base configurations. However, pricing could vary slightly depending on where you buy them.

Which is the best tablet in 2024?

The Apple iPad Pro M4 is the best tablet to buy in 2024. It has a better display, higher performance, and even faster gaming performance, so it is definitely the better choice. However, when Samsung launches the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, the needle may point towards Samsung again.

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