iPad vs. Samsung Tablet – Which is Better?

Maybe you are a creative, and really need a robust tablet for work. Perhaps you are looking for an affordable tablet that will take your entertainment needs to the next level. Or you might be in a quest to find a simple tablet that will offer you essential services you need on a mobile device.

Whatever the case may be, you’re probably stuck between two major tablet brands: iPad vs. Samsung.

If you want to know how iPad and Samsung tablets compare, you’re in the right place. This article will help you understand which brand best fits your needs and provides the most value for your money.

iPad vs. Samsung Tablet: Operating Systems

One significant spectrum that differentiates these two types of tablets is the operating system that they run on. On one side, we have iPad tablets that run on Apple’s iOS. On the other side, Samsung tablets run on Android, a popular open-source operating system. Samsung sometimes wraps the Android in their customized shell, giving users more customization options and quality-of-life features than the baseline OS.

Typically, Android systems are more customizable and allow users to tinker with them more frequently to bring them up to the desired standard. This comes at the cost of being less user-friendly than the iOS.

Features on the iOS are typically easier to find, and the most commonly-used functions are more optimized for daily use. Since Apple builds the iOS alongside their processors, the programs are also sometimes more optimized and run smoother than their Android counterparts.

As a result, differentiating these two types of tablets boils down to understanding how these two major operating systems work and differ.

iPad vs. Samsung Tablet: Where to Find the Apps

For iPads, you will find all your favorite apps on the App Store. This online store for Apple devices, features a lot of applications that are specially optimized for use on tablets. That way, you don’t have to worry about compatibility issues. The App Store is also more curated and has stringent posting rules and regulations which help prevent fraudulent or deceitful apps from getting on the platform.

On the other side, if you need an application for your Samsung tablet, Google Play is the place to go. Sadly, Google has low standards for uploading on the store. As a result, some apps may be a bit clumsy, while others might just be illegal copies of existing programs. These are generally found quickly by Google’s support teams and taken down before they can damage users’ systems. However, it is really an exciting place to explore because of the countless apps that it hosts.

Although Samsung tablets run on the Android OS, the brand has made some modifications to the operating system. At the core of these changes is Samsung One UI, which allows for modification of some native Android features like eye protection. Additionally, Samsung has a separate Galaxy store, an alternative to the Play Store (but you can run both), where you can find all the apps that are custom made for Samsung.

iPad vs. Samsung Tablet: Styluses

Even if you’re not artistic, having a tablet might tempt you to start scribbling things around. Besides drawing, you might also want to take notes or just mark up your documents. Regardless, a good drawing experience begins with a good stylus.

iPads come with an Apple Pencil, which offers an intuitive, pixel-perfect drawing experience. The Apple pencil gives you the right tilt, correct pressure sensitivity, and reinforcement of palm rejection, which leaves you with accurate drawings. Unfortunately, the pencil is not free; you have to pay extra when buying the device or purchase it separately later.

Now, let’s discuss the drawing experience on Samsung tablets. The tablets feature a Samsung S-Pen. This stylus offers the same features as the Apple Pencil. However, unlike the Apple stylus, it is free (usually). All you have to do is order a Samsung tablet that offers pen support.

Generally, both the Apple Pencil and the Samsung S-Pen offer an excellent drawing experience for various creative and everyday tasks.

iPad vs. Samsung Tablet: Storage

When it comes to storage flexibility, Samsung tablets stand their ground. They offer support for external memory through a microSD card slot, which is suitable for storing large video and image files. They are perfect for packing high-resolution images.

iPads, on the other hand, don’t support external memory. This can be quite a limiting factor, especially for professionals who need more storage on their devices. Although some high-end iPads will offer you up to 2TB of integrated storage, you’ll have to pay top dollar.

iPad vs. Samsung Tablet: Customization

Customization is not Apple’s best friend. The brand tries to maintain a consistent look and feel across all its devices, which extends to the operating system and connectivity options. So, if you like toying around with settings, Samsung tablets are the best fit for you

Having more customization options, however, can cause confusion due to the lack of a consistent look across these devices. It can also lead to some unintuitive design choices. Users unfamiliar with the operating system might accidentally tap a wrong button and make a mess.

iPad vs. Samsung Tablet: Pricing

Apple’s prices are slightly higher than those of other brands. But if you scrutinize the products you get, they are robust, and it might be tempting to say that they are worth the price. So, if you are looking for an affordable tablet, Android-based tablets like the Samsung Galaxy are a good shot. They offer a slightly more balanced range of features for their price without going overboard.

iPad vs. Samsung Tablet: Screen Displays

In the world of tablets, no one size fits all. The displays come in different sizes, but the quality of the picture varies a lot.

For the best possible picture quality, aim for a display with at least an OLED panel. Luckily, the latest versions of these tablets offer this technology, providing you with a pixel-perfect display. However, the picture quality from the iPad tablets tends to pop up a little bit more.

iPad vs. Samsung Tablet: Performance

The performance of any given tablet largely depends on the built-in processors.

You might not notice the performance differences between devices until you start using CPU-intensive operations. These operations include playing games and graphics-intensive programs like image or video editing and playing.

Newer iPads are built on Apple M1 chip, while most common higher-end Samsung tablets use a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ processor.

Based on pure frequency and core counts, the Apple M1 chip offers 3% more performance than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+. However, the M1 chip was custom-built by Apple to improve performance and reduce device load, integrating it with the operating system for best quality-of-life. On the other hand, the Snapdragon processor is common across platforms and Samsung can only do so much to create customized drivers that will work best for their devices.

iPad vs. Samsung Tablet: Battery Life

When it comes to mobile devices, you want to pick a battery that fills up fast and dies out slowly.

Manufacturers of the latest iPad models claim that the devices can last up to 10 hours on battery. This is quite reliable compared to some tablets, which usually die out in a few hours.

On the flip side, Samsung is quite frank with its battery capacity specs. There are Samsung tablets that can offer up to 8,000mAh, and this should last up to 15 hours of use, which is exceedingly high compared to iPad tablets.

Both companies use fast-charging options which should power up a device to a reasonable battery level within an hour.

iPad vs. Samsung Tablet: Updates

Software updates help keep devices up to date, secured, and free of bugs and malware. So, before choosing a tablet, you should ensure that its manufacturer offers regular updates and maintenance.

Apple keeps its older devices updated for up to five years on average. With third-party software, the updates can go on for an extra two years or so to prevent obsolescence.

On the other hand, Samsung stated that it will be offering five years of support for all its devices, including tablets, from the date of release. So, if you purchase the latest Samsung tablet right now, you can be assured of software updates and maintenance for about five years at the least.

Your device will continue to work even after the producer ceases to offer updates and maintenance. However, it will be vulnerable to security threats and malware attacks, and some programs might not function with older systems.

iPad vs. Samsung Tablets: Which One Should You Buy

Buying a tablet trickles down to what your needs are. If you are a media consumer and you just need a tablet for simple operations like watching videos, reading notes, sending emails, etc. Samsung tablets are the perfect fit for you. The Samsung tablet line contains inexpensive, baseline models that will get the job done.

However, if you are a media creator — a graphic designer, video editor, or illustrator — you should be eyeing a high-end iPad or one of the premium Samsung Galaxy tablets. They are powerful, offer the best performance and specs, have a great display, and generally encompass many premium features.

Important Takeaway

When it comes to distinguishing between iPad and Samsung tablets, it all comes down to price, storage, and display, among other factors. But choosing what tablet is best for you depends on your specific needs as an individual.

So, what do you need from your next tablet? Which option have you decided to buy? Let us know in the comments below.