iPad Pro Ipad Pro 10,5 vs S4 vs S5e

[JustMichal]

Hello

I've been Mini 4 user since 2015 and I really like it but I as my usage evolved into lot more content consumption than just pure gaming it starts to feel too small.

I've narrowed my options to:

10,5" Pro 64GB - currently going for around 600 euro here
+ 120Hz screen
+ tons of ios apps for tablets
+ fast SOC with 4 GB of ram
+ pencil suport
+ very solid logitech keybord case
+ 4 speakers
+ longterms suport
+headphone jack
- lightning charging
- no memory card slot
- no sideloading apps and Apple desire to control content
- no real filesystem (sending content like mkv movies to ipad is needlesly problematic)
- bendgate & brightspots

Galaxy Tab S5e - price will be around 420 Euro
+ OLED 16:10 screen
+ 4 speakers
+ 400g weight
+ usb-C
+ memory card slot
+ sideloading of apps and bypassing Google if needed
+ file system
+ solid build
- snapdragon 670 soc with 4 GB of ram it should be fine for now since it's close to 835 which I have in phone but long term it problematic
- no pencil support
- minimal amount of accesories
- lack of tablet apps
- 60 Hz only and most likely screen will use PWM like S4

Galaxy Tab S4 - bit cheaper than Pro
same as above but 835 soc and pencil included

So it mostly comes down to question of OLED vs 120 Hz IPS.
Does anyone had a chance to use one of Samsung OLED tablets and one of Pro line Ipads and could share their eperiences with screens ?

 

[masotime]

If your content consumption is just watching movies I would prioritize OLED v 120Hz. If it's mostly text, there might be a stronger argument for 120Hz.

 

[eneisch]

I bought two iPad tablets in the past, and have always found myself coming back to iPad. Why? One word...UPDATES. Samsung does a terrible job of providing operating system updates to their hardware (phone included). Google Pixel is the only Android hardware that does a decent job of supplying timely updates. Based on this alone I would go with the iPad Pro 10.5.

 

[jameseld82]

I just sold my Galaxy Tab S4 and I'm coming back to iPad.

Before that I had an iPad Pro 10.5 and it got the white spot.

So I wanted a tablet with an OLED screen for media use... this was a very big mistake. The screen was amazing but I just found everything else to be not as good as the iPad. Day to day use it felt slow and it didn't like having multiple applications open at the same time. Don't get me wrong there was nothing wrong with the tablet I just prefer using the iPad.

I was going to get the new Air 3 but the more I read and look the more I think I will go for an 11" Pro.

 

[haruhiko]

Believe me, the iPad is your only choice.

 

[Samut]

I would select either Air 2019 or pro 10.5.

I did a mistake of buying Galaxy Tab Pro back in the days and it never received a single full Android os update even though it was a flagship device.

Hardware wise it was a great tablet but its potential was cripled by the lack of updates and optimization. Thats basically what separates Apple from the rest of the competition.

 

[Josieb1]

I also had a Samsung Tab S2 8 for a few years. I hardly used it much preferring the iPad mini 4. I also never felt it was secure enough for banking etc due to complete lack of updates. I recently bought the Air 3, preferring that to the risk of getting a bright spot on a Pro 10.5. I also felt the A12 futureproofed it a bit more than having the A10X on the pro.

 

[Fenhalls]

Hello

I've been Mini 4 user since 2015 and I really like it but I as my usage evolved into lot more content consumption than just pure gaming it starts to feel too small.

I've narrowed my options to:

10,5" Pro 64GB - currently going for around 600 euro here
+ 120Hz screen
+ tons of ios apps for tablets
+ fast SOC with 4 GB of ram
+ pencil suport
+ very solid logitech keybord case
+ 4 speakers
+ longterms suport
+headphone jack
- lightning charging
- no memory card slot
- no sideloading apps and Apple desire to control content
- no real filesystem (sending content like mkv movies to ipad is needlesly problematic)
- bendgate & brightspots

Galaxy Tab S5e - price will be around 420 Euro
+ OLED 16:10 screen
+ 4 speakers
+ 400g weight
+ usb-C
+ memory card slot
+ sideloading of apps and bypassing Google if needed
+ file system
+ solid build
- snapdragon 670 soc with 4 GB of ram it should be fine for now since it's close to 835 which I have in phone but long term it problematic
- no pencil support
- minimal amount of accesories
- lack of tablet apps
- 60 Hz only and most likely screen will use PWM like S4

Galaxy Tab S4 - bit cheaper than Pro
same as above but 835 soc and pencil included

So it mostly comes down to question of OLED vs 120 Hz IPS.
Does anyone had a chance to use one of Samsung OLED tablets and one of Pro line Ipads and could share their eperiences with screens ?

Samsung's flagship S4 tablet is now selling for a very reasonable price in many places and the pen is part of the package:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-Galaxy-10-5-Inch-Tablet/dp/B07G5WM14J/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2H5O0ZTE9NNNQ&keywords=samsung+s4+tablet&qid=1554906409&s=gateway&sprefix=Samsung+s4,aps,155&sr=8-3

I might well buy one. Yes, the updates business is annoying, but I can't say it has ever in reality troubled me much and I have owned a number of Samsung tablets. Compared to Apple's current Pro range, the Samsung isn't actually in the running at all. But, then again, it is much cheaper.

On the other hand, if you are brave and are willing to put up with the bright spot issue, I think you should purchase the 10.5 Pro.

I wouldn't give the new Air house room.

 

[JustMichal]

Thread starter here - I forgot to make an update but I've found a short time deal for S4 at 460 Euro so I decided I won't wait for several times delayed S5e and I have been using it for last two weeks. At that price point it's competing with Ipad 2018+Pencil combo more than with Ipad Pros (cheapest 10.5" would be 160 euro more for me and with pencil it'd be well over 200 euros more).

Compared to Ipad it's mixed bag you gain some things you lose some other.

On the negatives first and most obvious is lack of updates - mine is still on 8.1 Android with no new updates since December. I don't really care that much since this is my media consumption device mostly and those yearly android versions don't bring much.

Second problem is that all apps are universal and consider tablet as big phone - this sometimes results with bad quality icons or pictures in apps that were designed to look good on 5" screen So for people who want to use tons of apps it'd better to just use Ipad.


On the other hand there are also positives

Android is way more open - I wanted feature that isn't available in standard droid and which is available through free Samsung app available in Asia but not in EU where I live. No problem few minutes and it was sideloaded.
There's also memory card slot so if I ever want to go somewhere taking it as solo device I can fill it up with music, movies, books etc. and getting them into machine won't be pain in the rear part due to file system that is actually accessible.

And the most obvious one OLED screen - it looks gorgeous for movies and comics also since it's OLED it is faster that typical 60 Hz IPS screen so it's middle ground between 120Hz Ipads pro and 60Hz Ipads. Also 16:10 is much better for media consumption than any 16:9 or 4:3 screen.

And Samsung pen is included in price if I ever want to make some notes or draw.

 

[jameseld82]

I also had a Samsung Tab S2 8 for a few years. I hardly used it much preferring the iPad mini 4. I also never felt it was secure enough for banking etc due to complete lack of updates. I recently bought the Air 3, preferring that to the risk of getting a bright spot on a Pro 10.5. I also felt the A12 futureproofed it a bit more than having the A10X on the pro.

How are you finding the AIR 3? I had a Tab S2 9.7 and really loved it but as soon as I moved onto the Pro it really showed me how much Apple are ahead with tablets. I was a fool to go back to a Samsung tablet.

 

[masotime]

And the most obvious one OLED screen - it looks gorgeous for movies and comics also since it's OLED it is faster that typical 60 Hz IPS screen so it's middle ground between 120Hz Ipads pro and 60Hz Ipads. Also 16:10 is much better for media consumption than any 16:9 or 4:3 screen.

I don't get it....? 60Hz is 60Hz, the speed is fixed, what does the display tech (OLED) have to do with it....?

I agree OLED > LCD, but I have difficulty understanding how it is "between" 60Hz and 120Hz. It has a fixed frequency - are you saying it's literally 90Hz?

 

[Fenhalls]

Thread starter here - I forgot to make an update but I've found a short time deal for S4 at 460 Euro so I decided I won't wait for several times delayed S5e and I have been using it for last two weeks. At that price point it's competing with Ipad 2018+Pencil combo more than with Ipad Pros (cheapest 10.5" would be 160 euro more for me and with pencil it'd be well over 200 euros more).

Compared to Ipad it's mixed bag you gain some things you lose some other.

On the negatives first and most obvious is lack of updates - mine is still on 8.1 Android with no new updates since December. I don't really care that much since this is my media consumption device mostly and those yearly android versions don't bring much.

Second problem is that all apps are universal and consider tablet as big phone - this sometimes results with bad quality icons or pictures in apps that were designed to look good on 5" screen So for people who want to use tons of apps it'd better to just use Ipad.


On the other hand there are also positives

Android is way more open - I wanted feature that isn't available in standard droid and which is available through free Samsung app available in Asia but not in EU where I live. No problem few minutes and it was sideloaded.
There's also memory card slot so if I ever want to go somewhere taking it as solo device I can fill it up with music, movies, books etc. and getting them into machine won't be pain in the rear part due to file system that is actually accessible.

And the most obvious one OLED screen - it looks gorgeous for movies and comics also since it's OLED it is faster that typical 60 Hz IPS screen so it's middle ground between 120Hz Ipads pro and 60Hz Ipads. Also 16:10 is much better for media consumption than any 16:9 or 4:3 screen.

And Samsung pen is included in price if I ever want to make some notes or draw.

A very fair and balanced assessment. Many thanks for posting that.

I would add, though, that I firmly believe that Apple has Samsung definitely beat in one other area and that is in quality of sound out of the headphone jack. Much more balanced. Far better mid-range with an excellent and full bass. I also find Samsung sound way too processed. I really do not like Dolby Atmos.

 

[jameseld82]

A very fair and balanced assessment. Many thanks for posting that.

I would add, though, that I firmly believe that Apple has Samsung definitely beat in one other area and that is in quality of sound out of the headphone jack. Much more balanced. Far better mid-range with an excellent and full bass. I also find Samsung sound way too processed. I really do not like Dolby Atmos.

I found the speakers on the Tab S4 so rubbish compared to the IPP... But in my opinon once I plugged my bose quietcomfort 25 in both tablets were the same quality all round.

 

[Fenhalls]

I found the speakers on the Tab S4 so rubbish compared to the IPP

I'm not sure I'd go that far, but still, I agree more than disagree with you on that. However, I still much prefer the S4's speakers to the new Air's.

----------

Update:

What Hi-Fi's? take:

"The same can be said for the audio. Perhaps unsurprisingly considering the Harman link, the Tab S4’s four speakers (one on each corner) have been tuned by AKG, and as with the Tab S3, there’s support for Dolby Atmos.

We watched one of LG and Dolby’s Atmos-supported videos, The Future of Cinema Sound Is Here, and there’s a good sense of not only clarity and space but also dimension.

Though the 360-degree effects are nowhere near as enveloping as they are through an Atmos system, the speakers certainly push the sounds of rustling leaves and bird noises well past the screen.

There’s a breadth to the presentation that would certainly make watching an Atmos film an above-par tablet experience."

https://www.whathifi.com/samsung/galaxy-tab-s4/review

 

[Stoianski]

Second problem is that all apps are universal and consider tablet as big phone - this sometimes results with bad quality icons or pictures in apps that were designed to look good on 5" screen So for people who want to use tons of apps it'd better to just use Ipad.

I have always wondered how exactly apps look differently on 5'' and 10'' screens. How does the quality get worse?

I have Note 8 and the screen resolution is 2960 x 1440.

S4 screen resolution is very close: 2560 x 1600. Should not the phone-based apps be just fine on S4, too? With proportionally bigger elements, tools and bars, of course.

Thanks

 

[Josieb1]

How are you finding the AIR 3? I had a Tab S2 9.7 and really loved it but as soon as I moved onto the Pro it really showed me how much Apple are ahead with tablets. I was a fool to go back to a Samsung tablet.

I really like it. Others will say it’s just a mish mash of parts and the Pro 10.5 2017 is better, but for me the Air is perfect. I wanted a bigger screen coming from the Mini 4. It’s fast, has a great screen and for me the sound is fine.

 

[Johnny365]

I'll never go back to Samsung. They only update their devices for the next 1.5-2 years and then drop support in favor of the successor, rinse and repeat.

 

[JustMichal]

I don't get it....? 60Hz is 60Hz, the speed is fixed, what does the display tech (OLED) have to do with it....?

I agree OLED > LCD, but I have difficulty understanding how it is "between" 60Hz and 120Hz. It has a fixed frequency - are you saying it's literally 90Hz?

That's because screen ghosting is caused by what we call Pixel responce time - with LCD you control color of pixel with voltage being sent to transistors that change their transparency - this proces takes time. Due to diffrent build of OLED screens this process is much faster for them (few miliseconds vs 20-40 for IPS). So OLED screens tend to transition to final color much faster which reduces blur.

But this is only part of equation and the other one is frequency - the faster you refresh the more fluid movement of objects on screen becomes.

So while OLED still refreshes at 60Hz it will look bit better than IPS 60Hz screen due to faster pixel responce times but it can't make up for 120 Hz refresh rate.

So I hope that either Apple or Samsung goes for 120 Hz Oleds next.

I have always wondered how exactly apps look differently on 5'' and 10'' screens. How does the quality get worse?

I have Note 8 and the screen resolution is 2960 x 1440.

S4 screen resolution is very close: 2560 x 1600. Should not the phone-based apps be just fine on S4, too? With proportionally bigger elements, tools and bars, of course.

Thanks

Similar resolution with much bigger screen means pixels are much bigger. So if for example you place a button in your video game and put small low resolution jpg on top of it to make it look cool - that button will look good on phone since it's very small. But when you display it on tablet suddenly your icon is much bigger so you will notice all imperfections in that jpg since pixels are much bigger.
Simplest analogy would be looking at digital picture with zoom - at first it looks good but You reach point where single pixels in that photo can be distinguished. So developer should put high resolution assets in their apps but not all of them do since it makes app bigger and they don't need to on phone which is huge majority of Android market unlike iOS where tablets are still popular so you have to take them into account when developing software.

I found the speakers on the Tab S4 so rubbish compared to the IPP... But in my opinon once I plugged my bose quietcomfort 25 in both tablets were the same quality all round.

I can add to this is that S4 speakers are better than those on mini 4.
In the end it's just like prices suggest those Samsung tabs are more of alternatives to Ipad 2018 or Air 3.
[doublepost=1554925315][/doublepost]

I really like it. Others will say it’s just a mish mash of parts and the Pro 10.5 2017 is better, but for me the Air is perfect. I wanted a bigger screen coming from the Mini 4. It’s fast, has a great screen and for me the sound is fine.

Just wondering how do you like size of that screen - I also switched from mini 4 and it feels like 10,5"-11" is absolute maximum that can be held comfortably in hands.

 

[Josieb1]

Just wondering how do you like size of that screen - I also switched from mini 4 and it feels like 10,5"-11" is absolute maximum that can be held comfortably in hands.

I use it on a table, or on my lap, i have small hands so i can’t just hold it. It is much bigger than the mini but i’m at an age where I needed a bigger screen for reading and video.

 

[Fenhalls]

Just wondering how do you like size of that screen - I also switched from mini 4 and it feels like 10,5"-11" is absolute maximum that can be held comfortably in hands.

I own the iPad 9.7 Pro, the 10.5 Pro and the new mini. My favourite screen in terms of use is strangely the 9.7. My favourite device in terms of convenience is the mini. Weighing all the equities if I could have only one device that would be the 10.5.

Bigger isn't always better. I use 3 x 24" Dell UltraSharp monitors with my Windows set-up. I had the chance to have them upgraded to the far more expensive 27" equivalent for nothing. I declined the offer.