iPad Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Tab S9: Which Premium Tablet Wins for Productivity & Stylus in 2025?

Design and Build Quality: Two Philosophies, Both Premium

Picking up both tablets side by side tells you everything about their design philosophy. The iPad Pro M4 is almost absurdly thin — Apple shaved it down to 5.1mm, making it the thinnest device they’ve ever produced. It feels like holding a sheet of glass with ambitions. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, on the other hand, embraces its size unapologetically. At 14.6 inches, it’s closer to a laptop replacement than a tablet, and its slim bezels make that massive display feel immersive rather than unwieldy.

Both devices use premium materials — aluminum frames, Gorilla Glass protection — but they send different signals. The iPad Pro whispers sophistication. The Tab S9 Ultra announces capability. After months of daily use, I found myself reaching for the iPad when heading to a coffee shop and the Samsung when settling into a longer creative session at my desk. Weight matters more than you think when you’re holding a tablet for two hours straight, and the iPad Pro’s lighter frame wins that battle convincingly.

Quick Verdict: Which Tablet Should You Choose?

Choose iPad Pro M4 if:

You’re already in the Apple ecosystem (Mac, iPhone, AirPods)
You prioritize professional creative apps (Final Cut Pro, Procreate, Affinity Designer)
You want the absolute best display and performance
You value long-term software support (5+ years of updates)
You’re willing to pay extra for the Apple Pencil Pro ($129)

Choose Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra if:

You need Windows-like desktop productivity with Samsung DeX
You want the S Pen included (saves $129 vs Apple Pencil Pro)
You prefer a larger 14.6″ display for multitasking
You need microSD card expansion and more ports
You want better value (more features at a lower price)

Design & Build Quality: Premium Meets Practicality

The iPad Pro M4 is Apple’s thinnest device ever at just 5.1mm – thinner than an iPhone. The aluminum chassis feels impossibly light at 579g (13-inch model), yet remains rigid thanks to Apple’s engineering. Available in Space Black and Silver, it’s minimalist perfection. The flat edges provide a magnetic attachment point for the Apple Pencil Pro, though you’ll need to budget $129 extra for it.

The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is a beast – in the best way. At 14.6 inches and 737g, it’s noticeably larger but still manageable. The aluminum build includes a matte finish that resists fingerprints better than the iPad. The S Pen is included in the box and magnetically attaches to the back for wireless charging – a huge value advantage.

Samsung’s notch at the top houses dual front cameras, which looks odd but enables excellent video calls. The back has a subtle camera bump for the dual cameras (13MP + 8MP ultrawide).

Key Differences:

Size: iPad Pro (13″) vs Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra (14.6″)
Weight: iPad Pro (579g) vs Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra (737g)
Thickness: iPad Pro (5.1mm, world’s thinnest) vs Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra (5.5mm)
Stylus: Apple Pencil Pro sold separately ($129) vs S Pen included free
Ports: iPad Pro (1x USB-C) vs Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra (1x USB-C + microSD slot)

Display Quality: OLED Excellence on Both

Both tablets feature OLED displays with 120Hz refresh rates – a first for iPad Pro with its new Tandem OLED technology.

iPad Pro M4: Tandem OLED Brilliance

The 13-inch Liquid Retina XDR display (2752 x 2064 pixels, 264 ppi) uses two OLED panels stacked together for unprecedented brightness:

SDR Brightness: 1000 nits (typical)
Peak HDR Brightness: 1600 nits
ProMotion: Adaptive 120Hz (10Hz-120Hz)
P3 Wide Color Gamut
True Tone color temperature adjustment

In my testing, HDR content looks absolutely stunning – watching Dune: Part Two on this display was a cinematic experience. Colors pop without looking oversaturated, and blacks are infinitely deep.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra: AMOLED Immersion

The 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display (2960 x 1848 pixels, 240 ppi) is the largest premium tablet screen available:

Brightness: 930 nits (peak)
120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate
HDR10+ Support
Vision Booster (adaptive brightness in sunlight)
Anti-Reflective Coating

The larger screen real estate makes multitasking feel more natural – I can comfortably run three apps side-by-side in DeX mode. The anti-reflective coating genuinely reduces glare better than the iPad’s glossy screen.

🎥 Watch: M4 iPad Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra: A CLEAR Winner?

🎥 Watch: M4 iPad Pro vs Galaxy Tab S9Here’s The ULTIMATE WINNER!

Winner: iPad Pro M4 (narrowly) – The Tandem OLED’s 1600-nit peak brightness gives it an edge for HDR content, though the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra’s larger screen is better for productivity.

Performance: M4 Silicon vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

iPad Pro M4: Laptop-Class Power

Apple’s M4 chip is built on a 3nm process with:

CPU: 10-core (4 performance + 6 efficiency cores)
GPU: 10-core (up to 4.1 TFLOPS)
Neural Engine: 16-core (38 trillion operations/second)
RAM: 8GB (256GB/512GB models) or 16GB (1TB+ models)
Unified Memory Architecture

Real-World Performance:

4K Video Editing (Final Cut Pro): Smooth timeline scrubbing, real-time effects
3D Rendering (Nomad Sculpt): Handles million-polygon models without lag
ProCreate: 256-layer canvases at 8K resolution, zero lag
Gaming: Resident Evil Village runs at near-60fps
Multitasking: Stage Manager handles 4 apps simultaneously

Benchmark Highlights:

Geekbench 6 Single-Core: ~3800
Geekbench 6 Multi-Core: ~14500
Metal GPU Score: ~53000

The M4 is absurdly powerful for a tablet – it rivals many laptop CPUs.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra: Android Flagship Power

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (overclocked version) delivers:

CPU: 8-core (1x Cortex-X3 @ 3.36GHz + 4x A720 + 3x A520)
GPU: Adreno 740
RAM: 12GB or 16GB LPDDR5X
Storage: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB (+ microSD expansion up to 1TB)

Real-World Performance:

Samsung DeX: Desktop multitasking with 3+ windows open
Clip Studio Paint: Smooth brush strokes, layer-heavy files
Adobe Lightroom: Fast RAW photo editing
Gaming: Genshin Impact at max settings (stable 60fps)
Video Editing (LumaFusion): 4K editing with some thermal throttling

Benchmark Highlights:

Geekbench 6 Single-Core: ~2000
Geekbench 6 Multi-Core: ~5300
3DMark Wild Life: ~13000

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is powerful but can’t match the M4’s sustained performance. Under heavy workloads, the Tab S9 Ultra throttles after 15-20 minutes.

🎥 Watch: Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra vs iPad Pro M4 Speed Test

Performance Winner: iPad Pro M4 – The M4 chip offers 2-3x better sustained performance, especially for creative workloads.

Stylus Performance: Apple Pencil Pro vs S Pen

This is where things get really interesting for artists and note-takers.

Apple Pencil Pro: Premium Features, Premium Price

The Apple Pencil Pro ($129, sold separately) introduces new features:

Pressure Sensitivity: 4096 levels with tilt detection
Hover: Preview strokes before touching the screen
Squeeze Gesture: Quick tool switching
Barrel Roll: Rotate shaped pen tools
Haptic Feedback: Subtle vibrations confirm gestures
Find My Support: Locate a lost Pencil
Magnetic Charging & Pairing

In Procreate and GoodNotes, the Apple Pencil Pro feels natural. The hover feature helps with precise selections, and squeeze-to-change-tools is genuinely useful. Latency is imperceptibly low (9ms).

Downsides:

$129 extra cost (not included with iPad)
No eraser button (must switch tools manually)
Slippery surface (consider a grip)

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Samsung S Pen: Included Free, Feature-Rich

The S Pen comes in the box with every Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra:

Pressure Sensitivity: 4096 levels with tilt support
Air Actions: Bluetooth remote control gestures
Screen-Off Memo: Write notes without unlocking
Translate, Smart Select: Built-in Samsung features
0.7mm tip (slightly finer than Apple Pencil’s 0.9mm)
Magnetic attachment with wireless charging

The S Pen has slightly more latency than the Apple Pencil Pro (~12ms vs 9ms), but it’s barely noticeable. The free inclusion is a massive value advantage – you save $129 compared to buying an iPad + Apple Pencil.

Unique Features:

Air Actions: Use S Pen as a camera remote shutter, presentation clicker
Eraser button on the pen barrel (faster workflow)
Screen-off memo: Instant note-taking even when locked

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Stylus Winner: Tie – Apple Pencil Pro has lower latency and better haptics, but S Pen’s free inclusion and extra features (Air Actions, eraser button) make it a better value.

Productivity & Software: iPadOS vs Samsung DeX

iPad Pro M4: iPadOS 17 Productivity

iPadOS 17 brings significant productivity improvements:

Stage Manager: Enables true multitasking with overlapping windows. You can run up to 4 apps on the iPad screen + 4 more on an external display (8 total). It’s powerful but has a learning curve.

Professional Creative Apps:

Final Cut Pro for iPad: Full-featured video editing ($4.99/month)
Logic Pro for iPad: Music production powerhouse ($4.99/month)
Procreate: Industry-standard digital art app ($12.99 one-time)
Affinity Designer/Photo: Professional design tools (no subscription)
LumaFusion: Advanced video editing ($29.99)

Universal Control: Use one keyboard/mouse across your iPad and Mac seamlessly. Copy-paste works between devices.

Limitations:

No true file management (Files app is improving but limited vs. desktop OS)
No background processes for many apps
App Store restrictions (can’t side-load apps)
External display support limited to mirroring or extended desktop (not full desktop mode)

🎥 Watch: Make The iPad and Macbook A Productivity Dream Team!

🎥 Watch: How I turned my iPad into a Productivity Machine

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra: Android + Samsung DeX

The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra runs One UI 6 (based on Android 14) with Samsung DeX – a full desktop mode:

Samsung DeX: Transforms your tablet into a Windows-like desktop experience:

Desktop interface with taskbar, windowed apps, drag-and-drop
Resize and overlap windows freely
External monitor support up to 4K @ 60Hz
Desktop-class browser (Chrome with extensions)
Keyboard shortcuts (Alt+Tab, Ctrl+C, etc.)

This is a game-changer. I can run Slack, Chrome with 20 tabs, Excel, and Spotify simultaneously – just like a laptop. DeX genuinely replaces a Chromebook for most tasks.

Productivity Apps:

Samsung Notes: Excellent handwriting-to-text, PDF annotation
Microsoft Office: Full Office 365 suite optimized for DeX
Google Workspace: Docs, Sheets, Slides work seamlessly
Clip Studio Paint: Professional illustration app
Adobe Lightroom/Photoshop Express: Mobile photo editing

Advantages:

MicroSD card expansion (up to 1TB extra storage)
Side-loading apps (install APKs directly)
Second Screen feature: Use tablet as wireless monitor for Windows/Mac
Better multitasking with DeX desktop mode

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Software Winner: Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra – Samsung DeX provides a true desktop experience that iPadOS can’t match. However, iPad Pro wins for professional creative apps.

Battery Life: All-Day Champions

iPad Pro M4 (13-inch):

Advertised: Up to 10 hours of web surfing or video playback
Real-world (my testing):
- Video streaming: 9-10 hours
- Light productivity (note-taking, web): 8-9 hours
- Heavy creative work (Procreate, Final Cut): 5-6 hours
Charging: USB-C fast charging (40W), 0-50% in ~45 minutes

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra:

Advertised: Up to 14 hours of video playback
Real-world (my testing):
- Video streaming: 12-14 hours
- Light productivity (DeX mode, web): 10-12 hours
- Heavy creative work (Clip Studio, video editing): 7-8 hours
Charging: 45W fast charging, 0-50% in ~40 minutes

Battery Winner: Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra – The larger 11,200mAh battery (vs iPad’s ~9,000mAh) provides noticeably longer endurance.

Keyboard & Accessories: Magic vs Book Cover

Apple Magic Keyboard ($349):

Floating design with adjustable viewing angle
Excellent scissor-switch keys (1mm travel)
Large trackpad with gestures
Pass-through USB-C charging port
Total cost: iPad Pro + Pencil Pro + Magic Keyboard = $1,777+

Samsung Book Cover Keyboard ($349):

Slim, lightweight design
Good key travel and backlit keys
Built-in trackpad with DeX support
S Pen holder on back
Total cost: Tab S9 Ultra + S Pen (included) + Book Cover Keyboard = $1,548+

Both keyboards are excellent, though Apple’s Magic Keyboard feels slightly more premium. Samsung’s advantage is the included S Pen saving you $129.

Pricing & Value: Apple Premium vs Samsung Value

iPad Pro M4 (13-inch):

256GB WiFi: $1,299
512GB WiFi: $1,499
1TB WiFi: $1,899
2TB WiFi: $2,299
+ Apple Pencil Pro: $129
+ Magic Keyboard: $349
Full setup (512GB): ~$1,977

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra:

256GB WiFi: $1,199 (S Pen included)
512GB WiFi: $1,319 (S Pen included)
1TB WiFi: $1,619 (S Pen included)
+ microSD card (1TB): ~$80
+ Book Cover Keyboard: $349
Full setup (512GB + microSD): ~$1,748

Value Analysis:
For a comparable 512GB setup with stylus and keyboard, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is ~$230 cheaper and includes a larger screen. However, the iPad Pro offers better long-term software support (5+ years vs Samsung’s 4 years).

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Value Winner: Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra – More features, larger screen, S Pen included, and $200-300 cheaper for similar configurations.

Final Verdict: Which Tablet Should You Buy?

After months of using both tablets daily, here’s my honest recommendation:

Buy the iPad Pro M4 if:

✅ You’re in the Apple ecosystem (Mac, iPhone, iCloud)
✅ You need professional creative apps (Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Procreate)
✅ You prioritize absolute best performance and display quality
✅ You want the most refined, polished user experience
✅ You value long-term software support (5-7 years of updates)
✅ You’re willing to pay premium prices for premium quality

Buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra if:

✅ You need a true desktop experience with Samsung DeX
✅ You want the S Pen included (save $129 vs Apple Pencil Pro)
✅ You prefer a larger 14.6″ display for multitasking and productivity
✅ You need microSD card expansion and better file management
✅ You want better battery life (12-14 hours vs 8-10 hours)
✅ You’re looking for the best value (more features at a lower price)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Can I use Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra with a Mac?
A: Yes, the Second Screen feature lets you use it as a wireless monitor for Mac or Windows. File transfer works via USB-C or cloud services.

Q: Does iPad Pro M4 support external monitors?
A: Yes, up to one 6K external display. Stage Manager enables extended desktop mode (not mirroring).

Q: Which tablet is better for students?
A: Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra – Free S Pen, better multitasking with DeX, and microSD expansion make it better for note-taking and research.

Q: Can I run desktop apps on either tablet?
A: iPad Pro runs iPad/iOS apps only. Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra runs Android apps, but can use Samsung DeX for desktop-like productivity with windowed apps.

Q: Which stylus is better for digital art?
A: Apple Pencil Pro has slightly lower latency (9ms vs 12ms) and more advanced features. However, S Pen is free and has an eraser button, making it better value.

Q: Do I need a keyboard for either tablet?
A: Not required, but highly recommended for productivity. Both Magic Keyboard and Book Cover Keyboard are excellent but expensive ($349 each).

Q: Which tablet has better speakers?
A: iPad Pro M4 has a 4-speaker system tuned by Apple. Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra has 4 speakers tuned by AKG. Both are excellent – slight edge to iPad for music, Tab S9 Ultra for movies (larger screen).

Q: Can Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra replace a laptop?
A: For most productivity tasks (web browsing, Office apps, light creative work), yes with Samsung DeX. For heavy development or specialized software, no.

Related Resources

External Authoritative Sources:

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Final Thought: Both tablets are exceptional, but they serve different masters. The iPad Pro M4 is the ultimate creative powerhouse with Apple ecosystem integration, while the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is the productivity champion with DeX desktop mode and unbeatable value. Choose the iPad if you’re an Apple user prioritizing creative apps; choose the Galaxy Tab if you need a laptop replacement with flexibility and better bang for your buck.

iPad Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Tab S9: Which Premium Tablet Wins for Productivity & Stylus in 2025?

Quick Verdict: Which Tablet Should You Choose?

Design & Build Quality: Premium Meets Practicality