Buzz
If you're in search of an affordable tablet with pen support, you have two options right now. Are you getting the Apple iPad 7 with Apple Pencil or the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite with S Pen? In this comparison, we'll discuss which tablet is better suited for whom.
Screen: 10.4 inches versus 10.2 inches
Let's dive into their most exciting features: the screens and pens. While the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite features a 10.4-inch screen with a resolution of 2000 x 1200 pixels, the Apple iPad 7 has a 10.2-inch screen with 2160 x 1620 pixels. This means the iPad 7's screen is slightly sharper, although the difference is hard to notice.
Their aspect ratios are certainly different. The Apple's screen is a tad taller when held in landscape mode. I like this form factor for work and reading. However, it also means you'll see larger black bars at the top and bottom when watching movies. Due to the wider aspect ratio, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite offers a larger viewing area for video consumption.
Both feature LCD displays, and when viewed side by side, it's hard to notice any significant differences. While the iPad is slightly brighter and has better viewing angles, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite offers darker blacks for higher contrast.
A significant difference is that the iPad 7 lacks a laminated display. This means there's a small air gap between the IPS layer and the touch screen. The S6 Lite also lacks a laminated display. It's not a big deal in regular usage but could be a downside if you care about their pens.
Sound
The sound quality of both devices is quite similar. I feel like the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite has deeper and fuller bass, but the mid and high tones may sound slightly harsh at maximum volume. The highs are more pleasant on the iPad. Now, a major drawback of the iPad is that both speakers are placed on one of the shorter edges. So, when watching on the go, sound only comes from one side. On the other hand, with the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, you get truly stereo sound.
S Pen versus Apple Pencil
While you had to shell out $99 for the first-generation Apple Pencil, the S Pen is included at no extra charge. That also means if you want a pen, the iPad combo is pricier by about $100 because both tablets are priced under $350. Prices may vary depending on the country.
I believe both pens are great but there are some important differences. Let's first look at the S Pen. It's made of plastic, much thinner - like a real pencil - and has a button on the side. It doesn't have a battery, meaning you never have to charge it. But you can magnetically attach it to the tablet.
The S Pen has a slightly softer tip that you can press down and it gives you a bit of friction when writing. You can get additional tips if you don't like that but you have to buy them separately. I find this friction gives you the feeling of writing on real paper.
Apple's pencil is much thicker, with the standard pen size, making it more comfortable to hold for long periods. It's made of glossy plastic and it doesn't have any buttons. You had to charge it via the iPad's Lightning port. Unlike the iPad Pro, there's no way to attach it to the tablet.
In this case, the pen tip is a hard plastic, meaning it's smoother on the screen - like you're writing with plastic on glass. Some people definitely like that. You can get a screen protector to give you the feeling of writing on paper if you want.
Both pens are pressure-sensitive. That means you can draw a thicker line by pressing harder. Both also support palm rejection, so you can rest your hand on the screen while writing.
If you want to write and draw as accurately as possible, I think the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is the better choice in this case. At least if you're only looking at the hardware alone. That's because the screen is laminated unlike the iPad 7. On the iPad, if you look closely, you won't get the sensation of writing directly on the screen because of this air gap.
But the choice becomes harder if you also look at the software. Yes, Samsung has many software features for the integrated pen, and they're great. And you can download drawing apps, etc. from the Play Store. But for iPad, you can also get more professional apps like Adobe Photoshop or related Photo apps. You don't have such complex photo editing software like this for Android. That means if you're looking for a pen-supported tablet in this price range, you have to decide what's more important for your needs. Software or hardware.
Hardware and Performance
The Apple iPad 10.2 inch is equipped with the Apple A10 Fusion processor supported by 3GB of RAM. You can choose from 32GB to 128GB of internal storage. On the other hand, with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, you get the Samsung Exynos 9611 Octa-Core chip with 4GB of RAM and you can have versions with 64GB and 128GB of storage. Both have LTE as an option.
You can see in the benchmark comparison above, iPad 7 is much faster than Samsung - especially in graphics performance. The real-world performance of the Apple tablet is also much better. You can play Fortnite with graphics set to 3D resolution and 3D resolution set to 100%, and the game runs very smoothly at around 30 FPS most of the time. It's a great tablet for Fortnite. You can play at 60FPS if you set the graphics to medium.
You can also play Fortnite with the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, but it's hardly playable. The loading times are very long and if you play with the lowest settings of Cameron, it looks very bad, and even then, it gets stuck in the middle. If you set the graphics to high, like with iPad, the frame rate drops to 7 FPS when jumping out of the bus or while fighting. It's not fun at all.
Fortnite is an extreme example and with other games, Galaxy Tab S6 Lite works fine. You can play Call of Duty with high graphics, for example, and it runs very well. But here again, iPad 7 works a little better. Here you can set the graphics to very high and it looks a bit better. In this case, the difference is not big though. And I notice something similar with Asphalt 9. Both work well.
The same goes for simpler apps. Browsers, YouTube, and office apps run great on both tablets. But you've seen it, if you need performance, iPad is definitely more suitable for you.
Design
In terms of design, Samsung has the advantage. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite has a design similar to the Tab S6 and Tab S5e, and it looks very modern. It has a full metal body, slim black bezels, and feels very premium and well-crafted. I think it looks much sleeker and also feels more premium.
Now, iPad 7 is also well-made, of course. It has a full metal body. But essentially, it has a design similar to the first iPad with huge black bezels and a physical home button. Although its screen is slightly smaller, the body is slightly larger.
On the positive side, that also means we get the Touch ID fingerprint scanner that the S6 Lite is lacking. You can unlock that with facial recognition, but it's quite slow and doesn't work in the dark.
You have to live with the old Lightning port on the iPad while the Samsung tablet has a USB-C port. The S6 Lite also has a microSD card reader, something missing on the iPad. Both have standard headphone jacks, power buttons, and volume control buttons.
Apple's tablet is slightly thicker and heavier at 7.5mm compared to 7mm and 483g compared to 465g.
Camera
Both tablets have an 8-megapixel camera on the rear. While Samsung has a 5-megapixel front camera, we only get 1.2 megapixels on the iPad. That's too little, and Samsung's selfie camera provides much more detail - especially in photos.
I think images and videos from their main camera look a bit better on the Tab S6 Lite. That's mainly because Samsung is adding more contrast - something I like - but there's also too much sharpness. You can get similar results editing photos on the iPad, but I guess not many people will do that with tablet photos. iPad has great video though.
Keyboard
Samsung doesn't offer any official keyboard for the Tab S6 Lite, so you'll have to use a Bluetooth keyboard. iPad 7 doesn't have a smart connector for Apple's official Smart Keyboard, which can also be used as a case and stand. The iPad keyboard works great.
Software
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite comes pre-installed with Android 10 and OneUI. Typically, Samsung will release two major updates for its tablets. So, it might have Android 11 and Android 12, though I can't promise anything for sure.
Apple ships iPad 7 with iPadOS, and it runs the latest iPadOS 13.4. Typically, Apple is much better with updates for their tablets. But because the A10 is slightly older, I'm not sure how long it will receive updates. But it might be a few years at least.
Android continues to be more open than iPadOS. You can download any app you want; it doesn't have to be in the Play Store. And Samsung is adding a lot of additional features. You can open two apps side by side but also in free-floating windows. Like with a desktop OS, it's great using it with a keyboard and mouse. It doesn't support Samsung DeX desktop mode.
I didn't used to like iOS much. But Apple has addressed quite a few issues I had with it. By now, it has great multitasking, a real file app that you can also access external storage with, and even mouse and trackpad support.
Many apps like Adobe Lightroom, Microsoft Word, YouTube, and Netflix work pretty much the same on both platforms. But the app selection, especially for more professional apps, is much larger on iPadOS. I've mentioned it before, you can get Adobe Photoshop for iPad and even alternative options like Affinity Photo missing on Android. iPad also supports better video editing apps, like LumaFusion and Adobe Premiere Rush. Premiere Rush exists for Android but isn't supported by the Tab S6 Lite.
For most apps, the operating system you choose doesn't matter much. As I've said, many apps and features are similar or very similar. But in some cases, iPadOS gives you more options - especially if you also want to use apps optimized for more professional tablets.
Battery Life
When looping a locally stored HD video at medium brightness, the iPad 7 lasts 13 hours and the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite lasts 11.5 hours. However, when streaming HD video at maximum brightness on YouTube, the Samsung tablet lasts much longer at 6.5 hours compared to just 5 hours on the iPad. Perhaps YouTube is better optimized on Android and the iPad screen is also slightly brighter.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite or Apple iPad 7 Better?
So, which tablet is better? As usual, it depends on what you're looking for. If you care about performance and a large selection of apps optimized for tablets, then the Apple iPad 7 is the better tablet. It's much faster than the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite. It also has a fingerprint scanner and you can use it with the official keyboard without needing Bluetooth. And if you own an iPhone, there's no point in getting an Android tablet.
However, if you prefer a more modern design and want to draw with a more precise pen, I think the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite is the better choice. I also like it for watching movies because the screen - the real estate for that is larger, and it has two separate speakers. And if you own a Galaxy Note smartphone, you can use the same type of pen on both devices.
One drawback of the iPad 7 persists in its single-layer screen. I don't deem it a significant compromise for handwriting, but it may matter if you require ultra-precise drawing for work or school. However, once again, you can access more professional apps on iPadOS. Therefore, for professional tasks, you might need to invest more and opt for an iPad Air, Pro, or see what Microsoft is doing with their Surface tablets.
