If you are looking for a portable way to draw on the go then both Samsung and Apple’s offerings are worth considering.

Both the Apple iPad Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra are premium tablets made for creative professionals and those who will make use of all the goodies they provide.

Which is better? The iPad Pro or the Samsung tablets? Many artists are in a never-ending conflict of deciding which one is best for taking notes, digital drawing and graphic design.

Well for your reassurance, we are here to resolve this conflict by stating the pros and the cons of both which might set a path for you making it easier for you to decide.

Apple Ipad Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra Comparison: which one is better for drawing?

Below, We will dive deep into the important features of Apple IPad Pro and Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, we discuss the stunning display, powerhouse performance, drawing capabilities, OS & Software, etc.

If you’re into media consumption or productivity on the go, this review breaks down all the reasons which one could be your next tablet.

Other similar posts: IPad Pro vs Wacom Cintiq , IPad vs Graphic Tablet , Android Drawing Pads .

Screen Size and Resolution



For a good drawing tablet, it is important for the display to have a decent size, high-resolution and good color accuracy.

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra sports a massive 14.6-inch AMOLED display with 2960×1848-pixel resolution, at a pixel density of 240 ppi, and HDR10 compliance.

The iPad Pro features a 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR (Mini LED backlight) display with a generous 2,388 × 1,668 resolution, at a higher pixel density of 265 ppi, supports HDR10.

The larger screen gives you a larger canvas resulting in a superior drawing experience. But you will likely need a big backpack to carry with you, less portable.

Samsung’s AMOLED panel has much better contrast and better blacks and it’s generally a bit snappier. But on the flipside, it’s not as bright and mini LED will give you great HDR.

Anyway, both displays are superb, looks fantastic, vivid and crystal clear. At this level of quality, all of this seems like nitpicking.

Color Gamut

Color-wise, the iPad Pro’s display covered 117.1% of the sRGB color gamut and 100% of the more demanding DCI-P3 color space. So it can represent colors accurately on their screen.

Samsung on the other hand has a tendency to oversaturate the colors, especially in the vivid mode.

In Natural mode, the display achieved 117.7% of the sRGB color gamut and 100% of the more demanding DCI-P3 color space. In Vivid mode, the display achieved 181.7% / 128.7 %, respectively.

We suggest you use the “nature mode” display settings on your Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra for true-to-life colors on your screen.

Brghtness

A display with higher brightness is ideal as the screen is more visible outdoors or when working in a bright environment.

The iPad Pro takes the lead what it comes to display brightness. It has up to 1,000 nits of full-screen brightness and 1,600 nits peak brightness when playing back HDR content, which can really make movies pop.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra has a decent 420 nits of standard brightness, and 930 nits of peak brightness. While it might seem like it’s not that high, it is actually very bright, you can see the content clearly even under the sun.

Refresh Rate

Both Apple and Samsung table comes with a refresh rate of 120Hz, which results in a smoother animation and a buttery-smooth tablet experience.

It also massively affects your stylus experience and makes the lines drawn by the stylus appear incredibly fast on your screens with no apparent lag.

But iPad Pro which has a pro-motion display which means it can adapt the refresh rate according to the way you’re using your tablet.

So when you’re just reading some text, it will be super low and then it will jump to 120HZ for those visually demanding tasks.

There is an option on the Samsung where you can use Bixby routines to set the refresh rates on certain apps, but that’s a rather tedious workaround and it still only lets you chose between 120 and 60Hz.

Apple Pencil vs Samsung S Pen



A stylus is the most essential part of the drawing device, Because it determines your drawing experience of using that tablet.

Design of Apple Pencil and Samsung S Pen is quite similar. Both are cylindrical except for a flat side that allows the stylus to attach to the side of tablet.

Whereas the Apple Pencil snaps to the edge of the iPad Pro, Samsung put a magnetized groove in the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra’s rear panel to hold the included S Pen stylus.

The Samsung S Pen has has a physical button and a soft rubberised nib that makes writing on the glass so much easier.

Charging is only needed to operate the shortcut button on the S-pen, you can still use it for writing and drawing when the battery is depleted.

Apple Pencil 2 has a hard tip and is powered by battery. There is a touch-based shortcut you can activate by tapping the side of the Apple Pencil.

By comparison, Apple Pencil 2 is slightly thicker, longer, and havier than the S Pen. Weight distribution is better, pairing snappier, you can use it between iPads instantly.

The feel of drawing with the pen tips are different and which is better will come down to personal preference. But the S pen is included with the Samsung tablet, whereas you have to pay extra US $129 for the Apple Pencil, which is a very Apple thing to do.

Both Apple Pencil 2 and Samsung S Pen supports tilt recognition, pressure sensitivity and palm rejection. They are low latency, responsive, and have accurate tracking.

However, Initiation activation force for the Apple Pencil 2 is lower than the S Pen. This means Apple Pencil is more sensitive at lower pressure. With the S Pen, you have to press slightly harder for the tablet to register your pen strokes.

OS & Software

When buying any mobile device these days an important consideration is the ecosystem. One of the major differences between iPad and samsung tablet is the OS and software.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra runs on Android while the Apple iPad Pro Runs on iPadOS. Comparing Android with iPadOS from the point of view of an artist, the iPadOS have more advantages.

You will not find IPad drawing apps like Procreate, Adobe Fresco, Affinity Designer and many more of the creative apps you’re used to in the Google Play store. Same goes for popular Handwritten notes apps like Good Notes and Notability.

The selection of apps in the Play Store is still limited in comparison to the App Store. Luckily, There are still plenty of android drawing apps available: Ibis Paint X, Infinite Painter, Clip Studio Paint, Sketchbook, Krita, Medibang Paint, which are equally good.

The decision will likely also depend on whether Android or iOS is more convenient for you. iPad Pro is a no-brainer option of the two if you own an iPhone and other apple devices.

If you’re familiar with the Android ecosystem, especially if you own a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, this will be the better option of the two, more seamlessly fitting into your tech lifestyle.