Seven ways the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 beats the iPad Pro
Anything Pro can do, I can do better
Don’t believe everything the Apple Store tells you: the world of tablet computers doesn’t start and end with the iPad Pro.
Samsung makes some of the finest smartphones around, but its expertise doesn’t end there. Its tablets are not only a match for the mighty iPad, but even better it in a number of key ways. Here are seven ways the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 beats the iPad Pro.
1. That screen
Let’s start with the screen. It’s well established that Samsung makes some of the best panels in the business on its Galaxy S and Note phones, and now the Tab S4 gets the same treatment… only bigger.
So you’re looking at a gorgeous 2,560 x 1,600 Super AMOLED display with full HDR support to make those late-night Netflix binges all the more memorable.
While the Galaxy Tab S4 inherits its screen tech from Samsung’s finest phones, the same can’t be said of the iPad Pro, which settles for IPS LCD rather than the superior OLED found in the iPhone X.
If you wanted to count the pixels on the Galaxy Tab S4, you’d be left counting for a very long time, with 287 pixels per inch (PPI). On the same-sized iPad Pro, you’d be done sooner with a pixel density of just 264ppi. If you don’t fancy counting pixels, it just means your image is sharper and clearer.
2. A device that grows with you
Because iPads are so expensive, people often find themselves getting the cheapest model available – a decision that comes back to bite them later. The iPad Pro doesn’t support expandable storage, meaning the space you buy it with – be it 64GB, 256GB or 512GB – is all you’ll ever have (minus the ~10GB iOS takes up, of course).
By contrast, Samsung lets the Galaxy Tab S4 grow with you. Buy the 64GB model safe in the knowledge that you can plug in a microSD card and take your total space for music, photos and files up to a whopping 400GB.*
3. Start drawing right away
The Apple Pencil lets you sketch, annotate and paint to your heart’s content. The trouble is, you have to buy one first. That’s £89 to you.
The Galaxy Tab S4 comes with it’s critically acclaimed S Pen right there in the box. With 4,096 pressure-sensitivity levels and next to no latency, it’s like writing with pen and paper – only without the mistakes.
4. Get serious work done in desktop mode
As well as being a great tool for creatives wanting to sketch, the Galaxy Tab S4 can transform at the tap of a button into a full desktop computer experience with proper multitasking and a UI built for productivity. Using an HDMI**, you can plug it into a monitor, or stick to that glorious 10.5in display – but either way it fully supports Bluetooth mice and keyboards, so you can really get things done.
With the iPad Pro, there’s no mouse support and, while you can connect a keyboard, you’ll still be stuck with the same interface designed for prodding clumsily with a finger.
5. Unlock it with your face
When Apple’s Phil Schiller introduced Face ID for the iPhone X, he said that “Nothing has ever been simpler, more natural and effortless, than unlocking a phone just by looking at it.” Unfortunately, Face ID hasn’t made it onto any model of iPad yet.
On the Galaxy Tab S4, Samsung not only recognises your face when you look at it for quick unlocking, it adds a retina scan for added security, making sure it’s really you. You can even use this extra security measure to keep your private files safe when it’s unlocked.
6. Charge it anywhere
While Apple iPads use easily lost Lightning cables, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 uses the industry-standard superfast USB Type-C charger.
That means you’ll never be caught short. If you’ve bought a recent Android phone or even a Nintendo Switch, the chances are you already have one of these lying around.
7. You avoid the Apple Tax
Despite all these disadvantages, if you want an iPad Pro, you still end up paying the famous Apple Tax. The iPad Pro 10.5in model starts at £619 for the 64GB model, but goes all the way up to £969 for one with 512GB storage. The 12.9in model starts at £769, and hits quadruple figures for the 512GB model: an eye-watering £1,119. And don’t forget that extra £89 for the Apple Pencil.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 goes for a flat cost: £599 gets you a tablet with 64GB storage that you can expand at your leisure. And the S Pen? Right there in the box.
So what are you waiting for? Order your Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 today and watch your productivity soar.
*Expandable memory can be used to store media (photos, videos and music files) but not applications. MicroSD card sold separately.
**HDMI adapter sold separately.
