Head-To-Head: Samsung Galaxy TabPro S Vs. Apple iPad Pro

Samsung Bets On A New Device For Work

With the Galaxy TabPro S, Samsung is making its biggest push yet to get its devices into the hands of workers. And the convertible tablet is up to the challenge, said Tim Wagner, global president for commercial mobility services at Bethesda, Md.-based DMI.

The Windows 10 device is "the first 2-in-1 that could truly compete against the Microsoft Surface’ line, said Wagner, a former Samsung executive whose current firm is a partner of both Samsung and Microsoft. "This one, in my opinion, is the first [Windows device] from Samsung that has the right specs. It's the right size and has all of the right equipment under the hood.’

Following the recent launch of the TabPro S, we took a look at how the device compared to Microsoft's Surface Pro 4. But what about for those who are weighing the TabPro S against Apple's productivity-friendly tablet, the iPad Pro? Here's our comparison of the specs and prices for the two devices.

Also, be sure to check out more of the CRN Test Center's side-by-side comparisons of the latest smartphones, tablets, and 2-in-1s.

First Things First

As mentioned, Samsung's Galaxy TabPro S is a Windows 10 device -- meaning that operating system is preloaded. Whether you should even be considering an iPad Pro will depend on whether Apple's OS is going to be permissible for work purposes. "If you're just popping your email and opening Microsoft-based documents, in my opinion the iPad Pro is probably just as useful" as the TabPro S would be, said DMI's Wagner. But if you're in a field that requires behind-the-firewall integration for applications that are only available on the Windows platform, that "shuts the door down" on using the iPad Pro for you, he said. That's why Samsung's move to embrace Windows 10 after a history of focusing on Android is such a big deal for the company's push into the enterprise, Wagner said.

Keyboard

If you're contemplating using the TabPro S or the iPad Pro for productivity, the keyboard will be crucial. And there are a few differences to take note of. For starters, the TabPro S comes with a keyboard included, while the iPad Pro does not. That'll mean, if you go with Apple's keyboard, you'll need to add an additional $170 (for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro) or $150 (for the 9.7-inch version) to the price. The TabPro S keyboard also is a "full keyboard" with function keys, which are missing from Apple's iPad Pro keyboard. Wagner, of DMI, said he appreciates the sturdy feel of the TabPro S keyboard, too. One knock against both the TabPro S and Apple's iPad Pro keyboard: They don't have backlit keys.

Processor, Memory And Storage

Samsung's Galaxy TabPro S comes with one of Intel's powerful sixth-generation Core M processors, though it's the Core m3, which has the least horsepower of the Core M line (clock speed of up to 2.2GHz). On the other hand, both versions of the iPad Pro come with the A9X third-generation processor, which boasts a slightly higher clock speed at up to 2.26GHz (which, by the way, makes the iPad Pro Apple's fastest tablet).

On memory, the TabPro S and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro are equivalent -- 4 GB for each. The 9.7-inch iPad Pro has half that amount.

On storage, the TabPro S comes in only one configuration, 128 GB. The iPad Pro has more options -- including 32-GB, 128-GB and 256-GB configurations for both versions.

Display, Weight And Thickness

The TabPro S display comes in at 12 inches, right in between the two sizes of the iPad Pro, at 12.9 and 9.7 inches. The TabPro S display is 2,160-by-1,440, Super AMOLED, while the iPad Pro comes with Retina display and has 2,732-by-2,048 resolution for the larger version and 2,048-by-1,536 for the smaller version.

If you're going after slimness, the TabPro S will have a slight leg-up there -- at least over the larger iPad Pro. The device measures at 0.24 inches thick, compared with the 0.27 inches of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. The 9.7-inch version, however, is the same thickness as the TabPro S.

The TabPro S also (just barely) wins on lightness over the larger iPad Pro -- 1.53 pounds vs. 1.57 pounds. The smaller iPad Pro is lighter, at just under a pound.

Battery Life And Connectors

Samsung promises 10.5 hours of use on a single charge with the TabPro S, a slight edge over the iPad Pro's promise of 10 hours (on Wi-Fi) or 9 hours (on cellular).

Meanwhile, the iPad Pro comes with Apple's Lightning and Smart Connector while the TabPro S has a USB-C port.

Price

Samsung makes things fairly easy to figure out here for the potential buyer of a TabPro S -- the device runs $899.99 (and, remember, that includes the keyboard). The iPad Pro has a lot more options to consider. At the lowest price point, a 9.7-inch iPad Pro that runs only on Wi-Fi (not cellular) and has 32 GB of storage can be bought for $599. The highest end for the 9.7-inch model runs $1,029 (Wi-Fi + cellular, 256 GB). The keyboard will add $150 to the price.

As for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro -- which overall is probably more comparable to the TabPro S because the size -- the least you can get away with paying is $799 for the Wi-Fi version with 32 GB of storage. With keyboard that goes up to $969, which already puts you above the cost of the TabPro S (and gives you a much smaller amount of storage).

With the same amount of storage as the TabPro S and the purchase of a keyboard, the Wi-Fi-only version of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro will cost you $1,199 -- $219 above the TabPro S.