The Apple iPad Pro M4 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra arrived at my desk three weeks apart. I committed to using each as my only tablets for two weeks—no swapping, no cheating. At £999 and £1,149, these aren't impulse purchases. They represent two fundamentally different philosophies about what tablets should be. Here's what I discovered living with both.
The Philosophy Gap
Apple believes laptop replacement finally realized. This manifests in m4 chip, oled display, and a general sense that every decision was filtered through one question: "Does this feel inevitable?"
Samsung takes a different path. Their Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra embodies the biggest canvas for creators. You see it immediately in 14.6" amoled and dex mode. Where Apple asks "What can we remove?", Samsung asks "What can we add?"
The Spec Reality Check
Apple iPad Pro M4
£999
Released: May 2025
Standout: M4 chip
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra
£1,149
Released: January 2026
Standout: 14.6" AMOLED
Week One: The iPad Pro M4 Experience
My first fourteen days with the iPad Pro M4 revealed a device designed by people who understand friction. The M4 chip isn't just a checkbox feature—it's the foundation everything else builds upon. I noticed this most acutely when stage manager became invisible. Good technology should disappear; this did.
Day three brought my first genuine surprise: OLED display. I expected incremental improvement; what I got was genuine transformation. The kind that makes you question how you tolerated the previous version. By day seven, I had stopped thinking about tablets entirely—which is the highest compliment I can pay.
What won me over:
- Apple Pencil Pro integration that actually works as promised
- Thunderbolt becoming invisible by day four
- The quiet confidence of Apple's ecosystem
But week one wasn't perfect. I hit walls with m4 chip limitations—moments where I wanted flexibility Apple doesn't provide. The trade-off is intentional: Apple sacrifices versatility for consistency. Whether that's acceptable depends entirely on your priorities.
Week Three: Enter the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra
Switching to the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra after the iPad Pro M4 felt like changing operating systems. Everything was in a different place, but everything was also... possible. Where Apple had said "no," Samsung says "yes, but you'll need to configure it."
The 14.6" AMOLED demanded attention immediately. Unlike Apple's approach of hiding complexity, Samsung puts it front and center. This isn't laziness—it's respect for users who want control. I spent my first two days configuring, tuning, personalizing. By day five, I had something uniquely mine. By day ten, I couldn't imagine going back.
What surprised me:
- S Pen included becoming genuinely useful, not just marketing
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 saving me hours over two weeks
- The customization rabbit hole having actual depth
The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra asks more of you upfront. Setup takes longer. Learning curve exists. But the payoff is capability Apple simply doesn't offer. Week three taught me that "ease of use" and "power" aren't synonyms—sometimes they're trade-offs.
The Invisible Details That Matter
Spec sheets capture the obvious. Living with devices reveals the subtle. Here are five details neither manufacturer advertises that proved decisive:
1. The "Three AM Test"
How does each device behave when you're tired, stressed, and need it to just work? The iPad Pro M4 won this—Apple's consistency shines in low-cognitive-load moments. The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra demands more mental bandwidth.
2. The Upgrade Anxiety
Knowing undefined launches bring guaranteed support versus undefined's uncertainty? The iPad Pro M4 offers peace of mind. The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra offers hope—and sometimes disappointment.
3. The Accessory Reality
Cases, chargers, peripherals—the ecosystem around Apple costs more but works perfectly. Samsung's ecosystem is cheaper but requires research to avoid compatibility landmines.
Who Actually Needs Which?
iPad Pro M4
Choose if you value consistency over capability, polish over power, and ecosystem harmony over raw flexibility.
Best for: Those who want technology to disappear
Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra
Choose if you value customization, appreciate granular control, and are willing to trade polish for possibility.
Best for: Those who want technology to adapt to them
The Verdict: My Personal Choice
After four weeks total—two with each—I'm keeping the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra. Not because it's objectively better, but because it aligns with how I actually use tablets, not how I imagine I might.
The iPad Pro M4 earns Apple's premium through consistency. The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra justifies its higher price through capability. Neither is wrong. Both are excellent. Your choice reveals more about you than about them.
Bottom Line
£999 versus £1,149 buys you different things: peace of mind or possibility, polish or power, consistency or customization. I've used both extensively. I still can't tell you which is "better." I can only tell you which is better for me—and even that changes depending on the week.