Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra vs iPad Pro: Which Tablet Wins in 2026?

Quick answer: the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is the better buy if you want the biggest screen, an S Pen in the box, IP68 water resistance and microSD storage. The 13-inch iPad Pro M5 is faster, lighter and lasted longer in independent battery tests, so it’s the pick for heavy creative work and anyone already using an iPhone.

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra went on sale on October 7, 2026, and it lands right on top of Apple’s 13-inch iPad Pro with the M5 chip. Which one deserves your money mostly comes down to what you’ll do with the screen and which phone is already in your pocket.

Quick Verdict

Buy the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra if you want a huge 14.6-inch canvas for movies, multitasking and handwritten notes, and you like getting the stylus for free. Already own a Galaxy phone? Even better.

Buy the iPad Pro 13-inch (M5) if speed matters most, you edit video or work in pro creative apps, or you live in the Apple world with an iPhone and a Mac. Just budget extra for the Apple Pencil Pro and a keyboard.

Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra vs iPad Pro at a Glance

Here’s the short version: Samsung gives you more screen and more in the box, while Apple gives you more power in a lighter body.

Price and Availability in the USA and UAE

Price check: the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra costs $1,399.99 | AED 5,399 and the 13-inch iPad Pro M5 costs $1,499 | AED 6,299.

Below: prices in the USA and UAE, a specs table, independent lab results and a pick for every kind of buyer. Prices last checked October 25, 2026.

The Tab S12 Ultra starts $100 cheaper in the USA and about AED 900 cheaper in the UAE, and that gap gets wider once you add a stylus to the iPad.

Samsung’s official Tab S12 announcement puts the Ultra at $1,399.99, and the Samsung USA store lists $1,599.99 for 512GB and $1,999.99 for the 1TB model with 16GB of RAM. In the UAE, Absolute Geeks reported $1,470 | AED 5,399 including VAT for the 256GB Wi-Fi model, with 5G versions at AED 5,979, AED 6,749 and AED 8,289. Samsung UAE’s store showed no AED prices when we checked, so confirm at checkout.

Apple raised iPad prices on June 25, 2026, and 9to5Mac reported the 13-inch iPad Pro jumped from $1,299 to $1,499. The Apple UAE store lists it from $1,715 | AED 6,299.

One catch in the UAE: Absolute Geeks says the Wi-Fi Ultra is only sold there in 256GB, so bigger storage means paying for the 5G model.

Where to buy in the USA: [AFFILIATE LINK: Samsung.com], [AFFILIATE LINK: Amazon], [AFFILIATE LINK: Best Buy], [AFFILIATE LINK: Apple Store]. In the UAE: [AFFILIATE LINK: Amazon.ae], [AFFILIATE LINK: noon], [AFFILIATE LINK: Sharaf DG], [AFFILIATE LINK: Jumbo]. Stick to official or authorized sellers so the local warranty holds.

Full Specs Comparison

Same thickness on paper. Past that, the Samsung is bigger and heavier, and the iPad has the faster chip and better port.

Specs come from Samsung’s announcement and Apple’s iPad Pro 13-inch (M5) tech specs page.

Design and Portability: Which One Is Easier to Carry?

The iPad Pro is the easier tablet to live with day to day. Both are 5.1mm thin, but the iPad weighs 579g against roughly 690g for the Samsung, and you feel that when you hold it up to read or draw.

That big footprint is the whole point of the Ultra. It also comes at a cost. Andy Boxall at Android Authority tried it as a laptop replacement and found the tablet plus Pro Keyboard came to 1.32 kg and barely fit in his crossbody bag.

Samsung wins on toughness. IP68 means dust and water resistance, which Apple doesn’t claim for the iPad Pro. The S Pen also clips magnetically to the side and, as Engadget points out, uses EMR, so it never needs charging.

Winner: iPad Pro. Over 100g lighter beats IP68 for most people.

Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra vs iPad Pro Display: Bigger or Better?

It’s close. Samsung gives you a much bigger screen, while Apple’s tandem OLED is more color-accurate and brighter in HDR.

In lab tests run by Tom’s Guide and cited by Gadget Hacks, the Tab S12 Ultra hit 862 nits in SDR versus 561 nits for the iPad. In HDR, the iPad edged ahead at 965 nits against 916. Samsung’s panel showed punchier, more saturated colors, while the iPad stayed closer to natural targets.

Netflix and comics look great on the Samsung, and an extra 1.6 inches really helps split-screen work. Photographers and colorists who care about accuracy will lean toward the iPad.

Winner: Tie. Pick the Samsung for size and SDR brightness, the iPad for color accuracy and HDR.

Performance: Is the M5 Really That Much Faster?

Yes. The M5 won every independent test we found, and not by a little.

Apple says the M5 runs AI tasks up to 3.5 times faster than the M4 iPad Pro, according to its launch announcement.

Don’t write off the Dimensity 9500, though. Engadget’s Tab S12 Ultra review called it “the apex Android tablet” with good performance, and Android Authority found it handled Chrome, Docs and Asana in split view without trouble. For browsing, notes and streaming, you won’t feel it.

Winner: iPad Pro. If you edit 4K video or render 3D, the M5 is in another league.

Tab S12 Ultra vs iPad Pro Battery Life

The iPad lasted longer in the one head-to-head test we found. The Samsung still holds up well.

In Tom’s Guide’s web browsing test at 150 nits, the iPad ran 13 hours 16 minutes and the Tab S12 Ultra ran 11 hours 31 minutes. On its own, the Samsung did very well in Engadget’s video rundown, lasting 19 hours 39 minutes, and Engadget says it still had over 40% left after a day of streaming, gaming and photo editing.

Charging has a catch. Samsung supports 45W but doesn’t include the charger. Apple says the iPad hits 50% in about 30 minutes with an optional higher-wattage adapter.

Winner: iPad Pro, by a modest margin in the only direct test.

S Pen vs Apple Pencil Pro, Software and Updates

Samsung gives you more for free and promises long support. Apple has the deeper pro app library.

The S Pen comes in the box. The Apple Pencil Pro is $129 extra, and Engadget’s Tab S12 Ultra vs iPad Pro comparison lists the Magic Keyboard at $299 to $349 depending on size. Samsung’s keyboards are sold separately too, with a limited 30% launch discount.

On software, Samsung DeX turns the tablet into a desktop-style setup with a taskbar and windows, and Multi Window splits the screen into up to three apps. Samsung promises up to seven OS upgrades and seven years of security updates.

The iPad’s edge is the app catalog. Engadget notes that creatives working in Apple-only apps or color-managed workflows will likely prefer it, and it plays nicely with an iPhone and Mac.

Winner: Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra for value and update promises, unless you depend on iPad-only apps.

Value for Money

The Tab S12 Ultra is the better deal for most people. It starts $100 | AED 900 below the iPad Pro and includes a stylus worth $129 on the Apple side.

Add a pen to the iPad and you’re at $1,628 before a keyboard, compared with $1,399.99 for the Samsung. You also get IP68, microSD expansion and a bigger screen for less. The iPad’s extra money buys raw speed, a lighter body, Thunderbolt and longer battery life in testing. Worth it for pros. Harder to justify if you mostly stream and take notes.

A fair warning on the Samsung side: reviewers collected by Notebookcheck, including PhoneArena, said the Ultra is mostly a small step up from the S11 Ultra at a higher price. If you can find last year’s model on sale, our Galaxy Tab S11 buying guide is worth a look.

Which Should You Buy?

Match the tablet to how you’ll use it:

• Students and note takers: Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra. The pen’s free, and the big screen fits a textbook and notes side by side.
• Movie and comic fans: Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra, for the 14.6-inch AMOLED and four speakers.
• Video editors and 3D artists: iPad Pro. The M5’s lead in Geekbench and 3DMark is huge.
• iPhone and Mac owners: iPad Pro, since it slots straight into your setup.
• Galaxy phone owners: Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra, for DeX and Galaxy AI across devices.
• People who carry their tablet all day: iPad Pro. It’s lighter and lasted longer in testing.
• Anyone wanting a laptop replacement: maybe neither. Check our guide to which MacBook to buy or our Googlebook buying guide first.

Alternatives to Consider

Neither feels right? These two save money without giving up much:

• Galaxy Tab S12+ ($1,199.99 | AED 4,629): same chip, IP68 and S Pen, in a more portable 12.6-inch size.
• iPad Pro 11-inch (M5) ($1,199 | AED 4,999): the same M5 power in a smaller body. Our which iPad should you buy guide compares every model.

Final Verdict

For most buyers, the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is the smarter purchase. It costs less, includes the S Pen and gives you the biggest, brightest SDR screen here. The iPad Pro 13-inch (M5) is the better machine, though. It’s faster, lighter and outlasted the Samsung in testing, so pros and Apple users should spend the extra. Either way, budget for a keyboard.

FAQs

Is the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra better than the iPad Pro?

It depends on the job. The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra has a bigger 14.6-inch screen, an included S Pen and IP68 protection, while the 13-inch iPad Pro M5 is faster and lighter. Most Android users and note takers will prefer the Samsung, and creative pros will prefer the iPad.

Which has better battery life, Tab S12 Ultra or iPad Pro?

In Tom’s Guide’s web browsing test, the iPad Pro M5 lasted 13 hours 16 minutes and the Tab S12 Ultra lasted 11 hours 31 minutes. Engadget separately measured 19 hours 39 minutes of video playback on the Samsung, so both easily last a full day.

What is the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra vs iPad Pro price in UAE?

The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra starts at $1,470 | AED 5,399 for the 256GB Wi-Fi model, as reported by Absolute Geeks. The 13-inch iPad Pro M5 starts at $1,715 | AED 6,299 on Apple’s UAE store, as of October 25, 2026.

Does the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra come with an S Pen?

Yes. The S Pen is included in the box and doesn’t need charging. The iPad Pro’s Apple Pencil Pro costs $129 extra in the USA.

Can the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra replace a laptop?

For light work, it can, thanks to Samsung DeX and an optional keyboard. Android Authority found it heavy and awkward as a full laptop replacement, though, citing the trackpad and fixed screen angle, so a laptop is still easier for long workdays.

Image credits: Photo: AzureSaturn, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.