Samsung picked up the pace this year, delivering a new Galaxy Tab S10 series months ahead of its usual 18-month release cycle. However, there are more than a few new quirks. There isn’t a base-model Galaxy Tab S10 this time, leaving the $1,000 Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ and the $1,200 Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra as your only options. The Galaxy Tab S10+ is priced the same as the 11-inch iPad Pro M4.
I used both tablets for over a week, and the iPad Pro M4 is the winner. It matches up better with the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra. Still, the Galaxy Tab S10+ beats the iPad Pro M4 in five key ways. If you value these qualities, it’s the best Android tablet for your needs.
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5 The Galaxy Tab S10+ nets you a bigger, AMOLED screen
It’s also fitted with an anti-reflective coating for better visibility
Samsung and Apple tablets have different sizes and aspect ratios. Both sizes of the iPad Pro M4 stick to a square aspect ratio, with the 11-inch model sporting a 10:7 ratio and the 13-inch model featuring a 4:3 ratio. The Galaxy Tab S10+ has a 12.4-inch screen with a 16:10 aspect ratio, and the large Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra uses the same aspect ratio for its 14.6-inch display.
Dollar for dollar, you get more screen real estate with a Galaxy Tab device than with an iPad Pro. Due to the difference in aspect ratio, the Galaxy Tab S10+’s extra screen space is found at the top of the device in portrait mode (it’s taller than the iPad Pro M4). This is great for widescreen content, like movies. It isn’t great for note-taking or horizontal web browsing.
You’ll love the extra space and the widescreen aspect ratio if you want to use the Galaxy Tab S10+ and its 2,800 x 1,752 resolution AMOLED screen for content consumption and gaming. It’s closer to that of a laptop than a typical tablet.
read our review
The iPad Pro M4 offers portable power and promise at an impractical price
The iPad Pro 13-inch (2024) has inspired me to do so much more with the iPad
4 The Galaxy Tab S10+ has expandable storage, and I love it
With microSD card support, you can store seemingly endless media and files for cheap
Few mobile devices feature expandable storage, and the ones that do are usually available at the low end of the market. A $1,000 device rarely comes with a microSD card slot, but the Galaxy Tab S10+ still does. That means you don’t have to pay Samsung for storage upgrades upfront. You can buy the Galaxy Tab S10+ at the entry-level $1,000 price and throw in a cheap microSD card.
The iPad Pro M4 doesn’t have expandable storage. Instead, it has pricey storage upgrades that can only be configured at the time of purchase. If you value having virtually unlimited storage space and a ton of flexibility, microSD card support might be reason enough to buy the Galaxy Tab S10+.
3 The included S Pen makes the Galaxy Tab S10+ a complete package
If all you plan to do is note-taking and light sketching, it might beat an Apple Pencil
You don’t have to pay extra for upfront storage upgrades. You also don’t have to pay extra for a stylus. You get an S Pen in the box with the Galaxy Tab S10+ that’s more than serviceable for casual note-taking and basic drawing. Professional artists and graphic designers may still crave the Apple Pencil Pro and its advanced features.
However, as a casual user, I’m thrilled I don’t have to pay $130 extra for a stylus on top of my $1,000 tablet. You may want to pick up a case for the Galaxy Tab S10+ or a keyboard folio, but you don’t need to buy a stylus.
2 Galaxy Tab S10+ accessories are cheaper, and more are included
The iPad Pro M4’s $1,000 starting price could balloon to $1,500 with a full kit
A theme for the Galaxy Tab S10+ is a cheaper entry price. With an iPad Pro M4, you’re looking at storage upgrades, an Apple Pencil, and a Magic Keyboard that can push the cost over $1,500. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Tab S10+ gives you expandable storage and an S Pen for $1,000, so you won’t have that added expense.
Keyboard cases are cheaper, too. The basic Book Cover Keyboard Slim costs $160, and the more expensive Book Cover Keyboard, with a trackpad and Surface Keyboard-esque design, costs $230. This tablet works with Galaxy Tab S9+ cases, so you might be able to snag an old one at a discount. The Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro M4 starts at $300, making Galaxy Tab S10+ accessories look like a steal.
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1 The Galaxy Tab S10+ runs Android and has sideloading
But there are fewer pro-level apps as a tradeoff
Photoshop running on an iPad Pro M4 (left) and Photoshop Express running on a Galaxy Tab S10+ (right).
Many buyers would never consider an iPad because it runs iPadOS. Android 14 and One UI 6 are perks of going with a Galaxy Tab S10+. I think both could use more work to improve the productivity experience. Still, the Galaxy Tab S10+ has one thing going for it: sideloading. You can install almost anything you want and aren’t limited to a single app store.
As a tradeoff, you lose pro-level apps, like Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, and others, that are exclusively available on iPadOS.
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Which high-end tablet is right for you?
For those who need top-notch performance, the best tandem-OLED viewing experience, and niche pro-grade apps, the iPad Pro M4 offers more value and better specs for the same price as the Galaxy Tab S10+. At the same time, the Galaxy Tab S10+ brings a cheaper entry price, more included accessories, expandable storage, a bigger screen, and allows sideloading apps. It’s up to you to decide which slate of features you value more.
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Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S10+ isn’t a huge improvement over its predecessor. It keeps plenty of what we liked about that model, including its 12.4-inch AMOLED display and its bundled S Pen, but swaps out a Snapdragon chip for MediaTek’s Dimensity 9300+. It also has a greater focus on AI, with a dedicated key on its optional keyboard cover.
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Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (2024)
$929 $999 Save $70
The 11-inch version of the 2024 iPad Pro is the best 11-inch tablet ever made. New additions to this year’s model include a tandem OLED display for brighter images with drastically improved contrast ratios, the powerful new M4 Apple silicon chip at its core, and a redesigned build that gives this the title of thinnest Apple device ever made.
