Choose the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra if you want the larger 14.6-inch screen, Android with Samsung DeX, expandable storage, and an S Pen in the box. Choose the 13-inch iPad Pro with M5 if iPadOS and Apple’s Pencil and Magic Keyboard ecosystem better fit your apps and devices. Neither is a universal winner: the right choice depends on your workflow, and the available specifications do not establish a real-world performance or display-quality winner.
At a glance
| What matters | Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra | 13-inch iPad Pro with M5 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen | 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X; 2960 × 1848; 120 Hz, according to Samsung Electronics America. | 13-inch Ultra Retina XDR with ProMotion, according to Apple’s specifications. |
| Platform and chip | Android 17 with One UI 9; MediaTek Dimensity 9500, according to Samsung. | iPadOS 26; M5, according to Apple. |
| Pen | S Pen included, according to Samsung. | Supports Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C); sold separately, according to Apple. |
| Storage | 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB, with microSD expansion up to 2 TB, according to Samsung. | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, or 2 TB, according to Apple’s 2025 launch announcement. |
| Price and availability in cited announcements | US starting price $1,399.99; US availability starts October 7, 2026, according to Samsung Electronics America. | UK launch prices were £1,299 for Wi-Fi and £1,499 for Wi-Fi + Cellular, according to Apple’s October 2025 announcement. |
The price figures are from different markets and dates, so they are not a like-for-like price comparison. Check current local prices for the storage and connectivity configuration you want, and include accessories in the total.
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Which screen suits your work?
Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra: more room to spread out
Samsung specifies a 14.6-inch display with 2960 × 1848 resolution and a 120 Hz refresh rate. That larger diagonal may suit split-screen work, reading large documents, or keeping reference material beside a creative app. Samsung also lists the tablet at 5.1 mm thick and 692 g for the Wi-Fi model; these are manufacturer specifications, not independent measurements.
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iPad Pro: a smaller 13-inch option
Apple’s larger M5 iPad Pro has a 13-inch Ultra Retina XDR display with ProMotion. It is smaller than Samsung’s Ultra, but screen size alone does not say which display looks better. The cited specifications do not provide an independent, directly comparable image-quality assessment, so choose by preferred size and viewing needs rather than assuming a quality winner.
#1 Best Overall
- NO Warranty in the USA. Tablets are only WIFI, no Calls or Data. Country selection may not be available during setup. select any country, as Country will updated later after Connecting to WIFI in Settings. English Language is available
- Connectivity Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 7 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be 2.4GHz+5GHz+6GHz, EHT320, MIMO, 4096-QAM USB USB 3.2 Gen 1 Bluetooth v5.3 Bluetooth Profiles A2DP,AVRCP,DI,HID,HOGP,OPP,PAN,PBP,TMAP Location Technology GPS,Glonass,Beidou,Galileo,QZSS Earjack USB Type-C MHL No Wi-Fi Direct Yes
- 14.6” Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz Anti-Reflective, 2960 × 1848 (WQXGA+) Accelerometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Light Sensor Size (Main_Display) 369.9mm (14.6" full rectangle) / 367.2mm (14.5" rounded corners)
- Front: 12 MP UW Rear: 13 MP + 8 MP UW UHD 4K (3840 x 2160)@30fps dimmesion : 12.85 x 8.21 x 0.20 in.
Which platform fits your workflow?
Pick Samsung for Android and DeX
The Tab S12 Ultra runs Android 17 with Samsung’s One UI 9 and includes DeX as part of Samsung’s productivity experience. It is the more natural fit if you prefer Android, rely on Android apps, or want Samsung’s desktop-style workflow. Before buying, check that the apps and file-sharing methods you depend on are available and work the way you need.
Pick Apple for iPadOS and its ecosystem
The M5 iPad Pro runs iPadOS 26. If your work already depends on iPad apps or you use Apple devices and services, that familiarity may matter more than a difference in listed hardware. Compare the specific apps and accessories you use rather than treating either operating system as automatically better for productivity.
Compare the complete pen and keyboard setup
Samsung includes an S Pen with the Tab S12 Ultra. Its Pro Keyboard and Book Cover are separate options. Apple’s M5 iPad Pro supports Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil (USB-C), and Apple lists a Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro; the pencil and keyboard are optional accessories. If note-taking or drawing is central to your decision, account for the included Samsung pen, the Apple pencil you would choose, and the keyboard or cover each setup requires.
Rank #2
- Brilliant 14.6" Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display – Features ultra-smooth 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ support, and crisp 1848x2960 resolution. Powered by an 11,600 mAh battery. Includes S Pen and 25W Samsung Super Fast Charger.
- Premium Performance & Storage – Backed by 256GB storage, 12GB RAM, and expandable microSD slot (dedicated). Runs on the advanced Mediatek Dimensity 9400+ (3nm) chipset, Octa-core CPU, and Immortalis-G925 MC12 GPU with Android 16 and One UI 8.
- Advanced Camera & Connectivity – Rear: 13MP (f/2.0 wide) + 8MP (f/2.2 ultrawide); Front: Dual 12MP (wide & ultrawide). Also supports Bluetooth 5.4, USB Type-C 3.2, and magnetic connector for seamless accessory pairing.
- Wi-Fi Only Model – Designed for high-speed wireless use. This model does not support SIM cards or cellular network connections.
- International Version – Global model without U.S. domestic warranty. Covered under return policy for hassle-free protection.
How much storage do you need?
Samsung offers the Ultra in 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB configurations and supports microSD expansion up to 2 TB. That removable-storage option can be useful for a large local media library, but it is separate from the tablet’s built-in capacity. Apple lists 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB configurations for the M5 iPad Pro, with no microSD expansion stated in the cited launch announcement. Decide whether you need removable storage or prefer to select a larger built-in capacity at purchase.
Price, launch timing, and regional availability
Samsung announced the Tab S12 series on September 30, 2026. Samsung Electronics America lists a US starting price of $1,399.99 and US availability beginning October 7, 2026; Samsung’s global announcement says availability starts October 7 in select markets. Regional configurations, colors, price, and stock can vary, so check local listings.
Apple announced the M5 iPad Pro on October 15, 2025. Its cited UK launch prices for the 13-inch model were £1,299 for Wi-Fi and £1,499 for Wi-Fi + Cellular. Those are UK launch prices, not current prices everywhere. For a fair comparison, match market, storage, and connectivity, then add the accessories you plan to buy.
Rank #3
- INNOVATIVE ART POWER: Turn your simple sketches into works of art instantly using Sketch to Image¹ with Galaxy AI.²
- SEARCHING MADE EASY: Quickly search for just about anything you see on your Tab — all without switching apps — using Circle to Search with Google.³
- MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT: Capture your lecture, meeting, or daily notes and let Note Assist⁴ with Galaxy AI² do the hard work of organizing and even summarizing them for you.
- NEXT-LEVEL NOTE TAKING: Get transcripts and summaries of recorded lectures and meetings, just like that.⁵
- PACKED WITH POWER: No matter what you take on or where you take your Galaxy Tab S10+, enjoy every experience with a powerful tablet processor.
What performance and support claims establish
Samsung names a MediaTek Dimensity 9500 processor, while Apple names M5. Apple’s 2025 announcement says the M5 iPad Pro offers up to 3.5× AI performance versus the iPad Pro with M4 and up to 5.6× versus the iPad Pro with M1. Those are Apple’s stated comparisons against earlier iPad Pro models, not a head-to-head comparison with Samsung. The cited sources do not provide an independent benchmark comparing these two tablets, nor a controlled comparison of battery endurance or creative-app performance.
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Samsung says the S12 series supports up to seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates. The cited Apple materials do not state a directly comparable support-duration commitment, so the available information does not support a duration-to-duration comparison.
Quick Recap
Choose the tablet that matches your priorities
- Choose Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra for the larger 14.6-inch screen, Android and DeX, microSD expansion, or an included S Pen.
- Choose the 13-inch iPad Pro with M5 if you want iPadOS, prefer Apple’s tablet ecosystem, or need an Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard-compatible setup.
- Compare local bundles before buying if price is decisive: the cited Samsung and Apple prices are from different countries and announcement dates, and the accessory requirements differ.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
