Just before Apple updated the iPad Pro with a next-generation M5 chip, Samsung refreshed its tablet lineup and debuted the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra. We thought we’d pit Apple’s latest iPad Pro against Samsung’s newest tablet to see how they compare to one another.
While the iPad Pro measures in at 13 inches, the S11 Ultra is much larger at 14.6 inches. They both have OLED displays, but the bigger screen makes an impact. Samsung’s screen is bright, colorful, and has excellent contrast, plus you don’t have to pay extra for a matte coating to cut down on glare.
The M5 iPad Pro and the S11 Ultra are both 5.1mm, so they’re incredibly thin and light. That’s especially apparent with the bigger screen.
Apple doesn’t let you upgrade iPad Pro storage on your own, but the S11 Ultra has a microSD card slot that accommodates up to 2TB of storage. RAM is up to 16GB, the same as the iPad Pro.
Both tablets have a stylus accessory, but Samsung includes its S Pen in the box while Apple sells the Apple Pencil Pro separately. This year’s S Pen has a pencil like feel and a new tip that provides a better writing experience, but the Apple Pencil is still better.
Samsung’s tablets have a DeX mode that allows them to connect to a display or a TV for a desktop-like usage experience. DeX transforms the UI and optimizes it for a larger screen so you can do more on your tablet with dual-screen support. You can connect a second display to your iPad, but the experience is nothing like DeX, and you’re limited to the iPad multitasking features. Samsung’s S11 Ultra is much better at transitioning from a tablet to something more closely resembling a computer.
Samsung devices run Android, which is an immediate dealbreaker for a lot of Apple users. Android has the benefit of deep AI integration that Apple currently can’t match, so the S11 Ultra has features like Drawing Assist, Writing Assist, camera-supported Gemini Live, and full Gemini support.
The iPad Pro has no water resistance, but the S11 Ultra offers IP68 protection, which means it can hold up to submersion in water. The iPad Pro wins in sheer performance thanks to the M5 chip. Samsung has a 3nm MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ chip, but the iPad is almost twice as fast in most benchmarking tests.
Apple’s App Store is still more robust with a better selection of apps optimized for a tablet-sized screen, and there are many pro-level apps that aren’t available on Samsung’s platform. Both Apple and Samsung make keyboard cases for their tablets, but Samsung’s S11 Ultra keyboard doesn’t have a trackpad, which is a major downgrade compared to the iPad Pro’s Magic Keyboard.
Would you get a Samsung tablet? Let us know in the comments below.
