iPad Pro 11-inch (M5) vs Galaxy Tab S12+

Does your tablet live in a bag or on a desk? Answer that and you've mostly picked.

The iPad Pro 11-inch (M5) has an 11.1-inch screen and weighs 444 g. The Galaxy Tab S12+ has a 12.6-inch screen and weighs 553 g, per the FAQ on Samsung's own page. Both are 5.3 mm thick. I'd buy the iPad to carry around and the Samsung to draw on and watch things on a bigger panel. The Samsung's screen has one flaw that bugs me, though, and I'll get to it below.

I haven't used either tablet. The specs here come from Apple's and Samsung's US pages, read November 7, 2026. Test results belong to Fstoppers and Smartprix, named wherever I use them. The 8.0 and the picks are mine.

What they cost

The iPad Pro 11-inch is $1,199Not verifiedNot verified on Apple's store (read November 1, 2026). The Galaxy Tab S12+ is $1,199.99Not verifiedNot verified (read November 1, 2026). Neither was on sale when I checked.

The sticker isn't the whole bill. Samsung puts the S Pen in the box but sells the charger separately. Its page lists 45 W charging. Apple's spec page lists support for the Apple Pencil Pro and the Apple Pencil (USB-C), and it doesn't say either one comes with the tablet. If you plan to write or sketch on the iPad, I'd count on buying a pencil too.

Storage tilts the math as well. Apple sells 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB. Memory is 12GB on the first two and 16GB on 1TB and 2TB. Samsung sells 256GB or 512GB, both with 12GB of RAM, plus a microSD slot that takes cards up to 2TB. On the iPad, more space means a higher storage tier at Apple's prices. On the Samsung, it means a card.

Screen

On paper, Apple publishes more. The iPad's panel is 2420 by 1668 at 264 ppi. Apple rates it at 1,000 nits full screen in SDR and 1,600 nits peak for HDR content, with ProMotion running from 10 Hz to 120 Hz.

Samsung's page lists a 12.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel and "up to 120 Hz" for the whole series, not the S12+ on its own. Resolution and brightness: not published on the page as I read it.

Here's the flaw. Smartprix says the screen has no anti-reflective coating and that reflections were a constant problem. On a 12.6-inch tablet that's supposed to do laptop work, I find that hard to excuse. If you work near a window, I'd look at one in a store first.

Speed

The iPad runs Apple's M5. The Samsung runs a MediaTek Dimensity 9500.

Smartprix measured the Samsung. Its headline calls it a Galaxy Tab S12 review, so take the figures as a guide to this chip and series:

• AnTuTu v12: 3,530,468
• Geekbench 7 CPU: 2,706 single-core, 9,223 multi-core
• 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test: best loop 7,208, lowest loop 4,360, stability 60.5%

That last line means the score drops by about 40% under long load. Fine for drawing. Less fine if you export video for 20 minutes at a time.

For the iPad Pro 11-inch, benchmark scores are not published in anything I read. Fstoppers ran no standardized benchmarks on its 13-inch review unit. Its verdict is that the hardware outpaces iPadOS. So I can't put a number on which tablet is faster, and I won't guess.

Battery and charging

Apple puts a 31.29 Wh battery in the iPad and rates it at up to 10 hours of web browsing on Wi-Fi or video, and 9 hours of browsing on cellular. Samsung lists 10,600 mAh and up to 21 hours of video playback. Don't read those two claims side by side. The test methods differ, and mAh and Wh aren't the same unit.

The reviews don't settle it either. Smartprix got 7 to 8 hours of screen-on time on Wi-Fi with a productivity workload, about 6 to 7 hours with a SIM, and 5 to 6% idle drain overnight. Fstoppers reports around 10 hours of mixed use per charge, cellular included, on the 13-inch iPad Pro. Different reviewers, different sizes, and neither is a lab rundown test.

Charging is clearer. Smartprix took the Samsung from empty to full in 90 to 95 minutes with a third-party 60 W charger. Fstoppers says the 13-inch iPad hits 50% in roughly 30 minutes on a 40 W or 60 W-plus USB-C adapter. That's half a charge against a full one, so it isn't a straight race.

Software, updates and wireless

Samsung promises up to 7 OS upgrades and mentions One UI 9 for the series, without naming an Android version. Apple's spec page says iPadOS with no version number, and the length of update support is not published there.

The iPad lists Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. Samsung's wireless specs are not published on the page I read.

Who should buy which

I'd buy the iPad Pro 11-inch if it goes in a bag every day. It's 109 g lighter, Apple publishes its screen figures, and you can get up to 2TB on board. Just add a pencil to the budget if you'll use one.

I'd buy the Galaxy Tab S12+ for a bigger screen on a desk or sofa, a pen that comes in the box and a card slot for storage. Buy a 45 W charger with it, and see that glossy screen in person before you pay.

More tablets, including Apple's cheaper iPads, are in tablets.