[Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 Guides, News, & Discussion] SeaFractor:
I have used both and currently own the Tab S3. This comes down to what you want to use the tablet for. Also it depends on which Ipad Pro you are referring to as there are several size formats. To simplify the matter, I'll consider it in terms of the Ipad Pro 9.7 versus the Tab S3. This will be impacted by which ecosphere you already are invested in, Android or Apple apps, etc.

Oreo did bring dolby atmos and it does add well to the Tab S3 audio experience. That said, my experience was between both 9.7 size tabs. The two larger format iPad's have room for even larger speaker drivers that software is not going to surpass.

First, if you are doing "media consumption", namely using it for gaming and viewing online content along with streaming media, the Tab S3 is likely the better value. Partially this is due to the amazing AMOLED screen and also due to the fact that the Tab S3 is already dropping in price, especially with the rumors about a new Tab S4 coming. The Tab S4 is rumoured to be 16:10 ratio instead of the current iPad Pro 9.7 matching 4:3 that the Tab S3 has. This would eliminate the black bands in widescreen streamed content, so the S4 will be even better for "media consumption" if the device is released with those specifications as rumoured.

Where this changes a lot is in terms of professional "content creation". There are some areas that the Tab S3 shines and some that the iPad Pro shines.

1. Color Accuracy - I list this first because from drawing, photo/video editing and whatnot, color accuracy is very important. Default out of the box experience is that the iPad Pro will smack the Tab S3 with the Street Fighter 1000 hand slap. The AMOLED screen by default is set to the adaptive display and the result is oversaturated colors that do not reflect reality. Reviews and whatnot reflect the "default" settings and the Tab S3 will score low because of that. IMPORTANT NOTE: If one changes to BASIC under DISPLAY | SCREEN MODE, the accuracy when tested is practically spot on! I believe if more content creators had known this during the reviews and set it as such the Tab S3 may have performed better in their comparisons. So if one is willing to dive more into the settings of the device then the Tab S3 is capable of matching the iPad Pro in this respect.

2. Pen Accuracy - First off, if ones workflow is to use a Wacom digital pad/tablet then the Tab S3 will be an amazing drawing experience. There is some small amount of parallax between what is drawn and the physical tip of the pen, but it's still extremely responsive and I don't encounter delays or any impact in my drawing. The other four main advantages of the SPen over the Apple pen(cil) is that it doesn't require a charge, levels of pressure sensitivity and the side button as well as cost. Apples pencil does require charging and if you forget (especially during travel) it just won't work, the Wacom technology in the Tab S3 display doesn't require a battery in the Spen. The wacom technology allows for 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity in the Spen and also has the side button that can bring up menus and such. Finally the Spen is included in the Tab S3 purchase where as it's another ~$90.00 purchase for the iPad Pro 9.7, important to note if using pricing as a determining factor. Size wise the two are close in length and neither have a storage location built into the tablet to store the pen(cil) and so loosing one is possible. Spen replacements are cheaper as well.

That said, the Apple Pencil is very fast, currently the quickest response in the industry and when I was testing I could discern no parallax, meaning the tip of the pencil is the drawn content (line, brush, etc). That said, there's a learning curve to surmount for those that are used to the Wacom tech. I had enough trouble with it that I'd stuck with the Tab S3 as well as already a large investment in the Android ecosphere in terms of applications. For those that are willing to stick with it, the Apple pencil has enough levels of sensitivity and the response to declare it a winner if one sticks with it and response must always be 100%.

3. Apps - Don't get upset but the iPad platform performs a Mortal Kombat Fatality on the Android platform when it comes to apps for tablets. (threw on the "for tablets" portion to keep the flame bait low).

This isn't Samsungs fault but simply that the cheap as dirt 7" Android tabs that can use Smartphone format applications in portrait mode made for super lazy application development. Portrait mode on the Tab S3 is just not the same experience as with a 7" tab. In addition when in Landscape mode, several apps are still in portrait mode. Google has been trying to get tablet format apps developed for Android but the lack of a new Google tab and the migration of tablet/pen functions to Chrome Tabs seems to indicate that the towel has been tossed into the ring..

That said, while Procreate and several other apps are not available on Android, there are some great alternatives that can fit the bill for most content creators. Autodesk Sketchbook, Artflow and Infinite Painter all work very well. Adobe's Creative Cloud has a number of great apps, but their Premier app won't install on the tab as "incompatible", so those that pay for the Creative Cloud subscription won't be able to edit videos on the Tab S3, oddly enough it works fine with my Galaxy S9 phone, so it's the tablet format that is preventing the install.

NOTE: I also have the keyboard cover with the pogo pins. Wow the responsiveness, no lag and no delay at all means that there is not a single bluetooth keyboard to do better for typing than the Samsung book keyboard case. Not saying it's the best case in the world though.

With the keyboard and the Microsoft Office 365 apps, I'm almost 95% able to live without a laptop at all. Sadly with the "tablet" app development side of Android, I suspect that to completely ditch the laptop will be the Chrome Tablet with pen in the future once that platform matures further. Perhaps there will be a Chrome Tab S5 with Spen in the future that will be my selection. The first Chrome tabs are starting to show and the ability to also run Android apps in very interesting.

In summary, if you are getting a tablet for professional creative purposes and need the best apps and features "now", it's the iPad Pro, even more so with the larger editions. Android does not have a pen capable tab larger than 9.7" and the larger formats simply dominate from a creative standpoint. If you want a creatives capable tab and great media content consumption at a lower cost than suggested retail, it's the Tab S3. Again the Tab S3 if you are used to a wacom tablet work flow and don't want to relearn on the Apple Pencil.

Long term, it'll be interesting if Samsung releases a very capable Chrome Tab in the future with their Spen capabilities. The irony is that the Chromebook penetration into the School system is doing for Chrome OS what Apple Macintosh computers used to be in the school environment. Chrome OS app development will be having a whole new generation of graduates in the future that used Chrome OS almost exclusively which should influence their decisions in the longer term.