S10 Ultra vs iPad isn’t just a specs sheet debate—People who love watching videos, students, and editors who work on the move have been waiting all year to see which one is better. Samsung’s colossal Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra stretches OLED real estate to cinema size, while Apple’s M4 iPad Pro stuffs MacBook-level muscle into a 5 mm slate. After two straight weeks colour-grading 4 K clips, scribbling math notes and doom-scrolling on the sofa, here’s the complete verdict—benchmarks, battery drains, DeX quirks, Apple-only AI perks and a no-nonsense buy/don’t-buy call.
They’re both stunning slabs of glass and silicon, yet their priorities couldn’t be further apart. – Ella
S10 Ultra vs iPad Review & Tests
Design & Build Quality
| Spec | Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra | M4 iPad Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | 5.5 mm | 5.1 mm |
| Weight | 718 g | 579 g |
| Frame | Armour Aluminium, IP68 | Recycled Aluminium |
| Ports | USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, micro-SD | USB-C 4 / Thunderbolt 5 |
| Biometrics | Optical fingerprint | Face ID |
Apple’s USB-4 port flings 40 Gb/s to SSDs and dual 4 K displays, but Samsung counters with a micro-SD slot and rain-safe IP68—clutch for photographers and commuters alike.
S10 Ultra vs iPad Ergonomics
- iPad vanishes in a messenger bag; 579 g feels unreal.
- Tab demands two hands in portrait but morphs into a portable cinema in landscape.
Display Technology
| Metric | S10 Ultra | M4 iPad Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Panel | Dynamic AMOLED 2X | Tandem OLED |
| Size / Aspect | 14.6 in, 16:10 | 13 in, 4:3 |
| Full-screen brightness | 600 nits | 1 000 nits |
| HDR peak | 900 nits | 1 600 nits |
| Coating | New anti-reflection gloss | Optional nano-texture matte |
Dive deeper into tandem-OLED in our MacBook Pro M4 Max review.
Media Immersion: S10 Ultra vs iPad
- Movies & TV – 16:10 panel shows 42 % more of a 2:1 YouTube video; black bars nearly vanish.
- Note-taking – 4:3 canvas mimics A4 paper; arm fatigue plunges.
- Outdoor use – 1 000 nits full-screen means the iPad laughs at midday sun.
Performance Benchmarks: S10 Ultra vs iPad
| Benchmark | Tab S10 Ultra | M4 iPad Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single / multi) | 2 220 / 7 020 | 2 880 / 14 350 |
| 3D Mark Wild Life Extreme | 4 600 | 7 980 |
| Lightroom export 20 RAW | 1 min 33 s | 46 s |
Pro-App Reality
- iPadOS 18 now runs Final Cut, DaVinci Resolve and ZBrush Mini.
- Android 15L lacks heavyweight suites but DeX desktop multitasking is friendlier than ever.
Stylus Experience
| S-Pen (in-box) | Apple Pencil Pro (US $129) | |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | Rear magnets (weak) | Side magnets (strong) |
| Tip feel | Rubber, grippy | Hard plastic, slick |
| Erase shortcut | Button-hold | Double-tap / squeeze |
| Haptics | – | Subtle taps |
| Hover / barrel-roll | Yes / – | Yes / Yes |
Samsung wins value—the pen ships free. Apple counters with haptic shadows, barrel-roll and future firmware support.
Battery & Charging: S10 Ultra vs iPad
| Scenario | Drop – Tab S10 Ultra | Drop – M4 iPad Pro |
|---|---|---|
| 2 h 20 m 4 K YouTube (start 76 %) | 25 % → 51 % | 24 % → 52 % |
| 1 h 3D Mark stress (start 100 %) | 100 % → 79 % | 100 % → 65 % |
45 W charging refuels the Tab in 1 h 38 m; iPad’s 35 W brick needs ~1 h 55 m.
Productivity & Multitasking
DeX Desktop (Samsung)
- Window snapping, resize to halves/quarters—just like Windows.
- External 1440p/120 Hz support via USB-C.
Stage Manager (Apple)
- Up to four floating windows per stage.
- Stages persist for instant context switches.
AI Tools
- Apple Intelligence integrates ChatGPT-4o, Genmoji and Math Notes.
- Galaxy AI leans on Gemini for conversational commands and killer generative photo fills.
Ports & Keyboards
| Magic Keyboard | Book Cover KB | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | US $349 | US $299 |
| Lap use | Stable | Wobbly |
| Detach keyboard | No | Yes |
| Kick-stand | Floating hinge | Separate stand |
| Function row | Yes | Yes |
Detaching Samsung’s keyboard lets you raise the screen to eye level—ergonomic bliss. Apple’s floating hinge dominates couch typing.
Pros & Cons
Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra
| Pros | Cons |
| Giant OLED for movies | Fewer pro creative apps |
| Free S-Pen & micro-SD | USB 3.2 throttles big transfers |
| Longer gaming battery, IP68 | Heavy & awkward portrait use |
M4 iPad Pro
| Pros | Cons |
| Apple Intelligence writing tools | GPU drains battery fast |
| 1 600-nit tandem-OLED & M4 silicon | Apple Pencil sold separately |
| Thunderbolt 5, Face ID, pro-app ecosystem | Nano-texture costs another US $200 |
Scorecard
| Category | Tab S10 Ultra | iPad Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Design | 8 | 9 |
| Display | 8.5 | 9.5 |
| Performance | 7 | 10 |
| Battery | 8.5 | 7 |
| Software | 7 | 9 |
| Value | 8 | 7 |
| Overall /10 | 8.0 | 8.7 |
Conclusion
Samsung once owned cinema-grade tablets while Apple ruled pro software. In 2025 that boundary blurs. The Tab still reigns for widescreen streams and bundled pen value, yet the iPad now blindsides it with tandem-OLED brightness and laptop-class horsepower.
Final Verdict
Buy the M4 iPad Pro if you cut 4 K video, sculpt in ZBrush or live inside Apple’s ecosystem.
Choose the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra if you enjoy extended HDR movie sessions, need expandable storage, and appreciate the included S-Pen.
Either slate is a killer companion to—rather than a replacement for—your laptop. Pick the tablet that flatters your workflow and enjoy a next-gen screen wherever you roam.
Further Reading
- Thunderbolt 5: What Creators Need to Know (coming soon)
- Port Forwarding for Beginners
- Official Apple iPad Pro specs
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