What’s the best Android tablet you can buy? For years, there’s been only one answer: the Samsung Galaxy Tab. The South Korean tech giant wants to underline this for another year with the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra 5G, a tablet that rivals smartphone flagships. But does the new Tab S10 Ultra really live up to its heritage? Here’s what I thought after using it for a few days.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra 5G is a sleek tablet, albeit with a 14.6-inch dynamic AMOLED 2X display. This tablet has a size that no other company offers and is clearly targeted at users who need a larger canvas to take advantage of the S Pen’s ability to take creativity to a whole new level. This is a large tablet, so you need to be especially careful about the horizontal or vertical orientation of the device. Thankfully, this tablet is thin and light enough to more than make up for its size.
I’m used to carrying my iPad with me when I travel, but even an Apple tablet can be a bit difficult to handle in the Indigo seats. The Tab S10 Ultra is much larger, so it just struggles. In contrast, this is the perfect device to have on your office table, jot down your thoughts from the comfort of your couch at home, or watch the latest Netflix show on a beautiful Samsung screen.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra 5G features multitasking capabilities with a beautiful 14.6-inch AMOLED display. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)
In fact, I was impressed with the audio and video playback capabilities of this device. Perfect for binge-watching new shows or flipping through PDFs of The Indian Express morning edition. And contrary to what I said about the size, I’m going to stash this in my carry-on bag and watch a movie on my next flight to Mumbai. Audio playback is as powerful as a small Bluetooth speaker and can fill a room on quiet days. The anti-reflective screen makes the device perfect for enjoying reading in outdoor cafes or on the balcony of a beach resort.
As always, the big deal when buying a Samsung tablet is the S-Pen. I’ve been saying that Samsung’s devices are better than their competitors in terms of S-Pen length. The same goes for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, where we noticed that the S Pen has a softer tip and improved pressure sensitivity. The S Pen makes your tablet even more useful. Removing the stylus from the magnetic perch on the back of the tablet gives you a perfect slate for writing, especially when holding the tablet vertically. The S Pen moves smoothly across the screen and perfectly captures your handwriting. Here, I was annotating PDFs and making notes for new projects using the S Pen menu, which I can select every time I pick up the pen. Over the years, Samsung has perfected how to use a stylus on a tablet, both in hardware and software.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra’s ultra-slim design makes it easy to handle despite its large size. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)
There are new aspects that are shocking in many ways. The Sketch to Image feature turns your doodles into stunning paintings. I finally got to see what all the doodles I’ve been working on since I was a kid would actually look like if I had actual artistic skills. This is also a good way to give wings to your idea and will interest many users.
With the Samsung Ultra Book Cover (paid), this slate becomes powerful in more ways than one, becoming your primary computing device and taking on all your creative tasks. This is also the first Samsung flagship device to feature a MediaTek processor, Dimensity 9300+, for improved performance. The processor ensures your device stays cool no matter what you do, whether you stream for hours, play new games, or more. Additionally, real AI capabilities are now being deployed to devices. This means that the computing power on your device must always be at its peak.
The back of the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra 5G with the improved S-Pen magnetically attached. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)
Like Samsung’s new phones, this camera also has AI features that you can use to move objects in the frame or erase them completely. One thing I wasn’t impressed with was the camera’s performance in low light as I found the images to be too noisy.
Battery life is impressive, especially considering the device’s thin frame, and can last two full days of moderate usage, especially if you’re not using 5G all the time.
With a starting price of Rs 108,999 for the Wi-Fi version, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is undoubtedly the best Android tablet of 2024. If you’re always on the go, buy the more expensive 5G version (starting from Rs 122,999). With the S-Pen and new AI features, there’s little the competition can do to come close to what this tablet offers. However, if you are already a Tab S9 user, wait for the expected upgrades to the chip since this device is almost identical to yours. New users should check the size of this tablet before committing.
