How big does a tablet need to be? After using the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra for a week, this question kept coming up. Samsung’s supersized slate is a marvel of engineering, packing powerful specs and a huge 14.6-inch screen into an incredibly thin device. But just like its predecessor, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, and its predecessors, we’ve come to love its huge display and its expansive workspace, but we’re left wondering who exactly it’s aimed at. I thought.
The answer is that the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra isn’t the ideal tablet for everyone, or even for those with more than £1,200 to spend. However, this is a great option for certain niche users. If you’re looking for a tablet that makes a huge first impression, there’s nothing better than this.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra: Design
In terms of physical design, there aren’t any major differences between the S10 Ultra and the upcoming S9 Ultra. The footprint of 208.6 x 326.4 mm remains the same, and there is no visible reduction in thickness from 5.5 mm to 5.4 mm. The weight reduction from 732g to 714g isn’t a game changer, but the dual front camera setup and dual rear camera setup at the back remain unchanged from last year’s model. The included S-Pen stylus is still magnetically attached to a strip next to the rear camera, and aside from changing colors, from graphite and beige to moonstone gray and platinum silver, the eye can distinguish between new and old. It would be difficult to tell. .
Samsung seems to have redesigned the reinforced armored aluminum frame to make it even more durable, and with IP68 water and dust resistance, the Tab S10 Ultra is tougher than you might expect. The style, fit, and finish are exemplary for a tablet at this price. There is one USB Type-C port for data transfer and charging, operating at up to 5Gbit/s. It also comes with Wi-Fi 7 networking, making it the first tablet to test support for the latest standard.
This is a large and heavy tablet. You can hold it in one hand and use the on-screen keyboard, or use the S Pen stylus to sketch and take notes, but it’s not very comfortable to use for long periods of time. In fact, it is better if you can place it on your desk or on your lap or knees. When you stuff it into your bag or backpack, you’ll notice its size. It’s more like an unusually thin laptop crammed in than a traditional slate version. Even when watching a video, you have to wonder if the benefits of a larger image outweigh the effort of holding it in place, and holding the tablet farther than normal just to see the image I even found it more comfortable. whole. Still, there are other scenarios where larger formats have real benefits. We’ll come back to these after talking about the display itself.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra: Display
Even without its huge size, the Tab S10 Ultra’s screen would be really impressive. It is a top-of-the-line AMOLED with a resolution of 2960 x 1848 and a pixel density of 266ppi. It’s bright, hovering around 380cd/m2 when used indoors with SDR content, but visibility in sunlight rises to up to 603cd/m2 and over 775cd/m2 for HDR video. Combine this with AMOLED’s impressive contrast levels and you get an incredibly crisp and vibrant display that’s as good as any other.
Color performance is equally great. The Tab S10 Ultra’s display covers 99.7% of the sRGB color gamut and 99% of DCI-P3, with a color gamut volume of 141% and 99.2%. Color accuracy is excellent, with an average Delta-E of 0.22. If you need a tablet for professional video or design, the Tab S10 Ultra will meet your screen requirements.
Audio quality is also impressive, especially considering how thin the device is. Don’t expect thumping bass, but the sound is warm, detailed and spacious, only becoming harsh when the volume level is already uncomfortably loud.
It’s also worth mentioning the Tab S10 Ultra’s camera. The 12MP front-facing camera is very good, with a wide-angle view option for crisp, well-exposed video when you need to fit multiple faces in an ad-hoc virtual meeting. Even if the 13MP camera on the back isn’t quite up to the level of Samsung’s excellent smartphone snappers, it still has 2x digital zoom, so it’s fine for quick snaps and document scans. However, up to 8x has its limitations and produces blurry, low-quality images. .
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra: Software and accessories
While it’s no secret that Apple has the best tablet OS and the best software lineup, Samsung has built on Android with its own One UI, offering its own distinct strengths. We have worked hard to position ourselves as a fully equipped business-grade alternative. A big part of the Galaxy Tab S series’ appeal is that each tablet comes with an S-Pen stylus. This means Samsung could include stylus functionality in pre-installed apps. As a result, the Tab S10 Ultra makes it fun to take notes, mark up documents, sketch, and draw using both these apps and third-party packages. Editing videos and photos also feels more natural with the S Pen than with your finger.
Additionally, Samsung has made a big push into AI with this year’s releases. AI features are built into the Notes, Messaging, and Voice Recorder apps to easily transcribe, summarize, and translate. Similar to Microsoft’s Collaborator feature, there’s also a Sketch to Image tool that turns your unfortunate doodles into illustrations, simulated watercolors, and 3D comics.
But Samsung’s biggest strength is its multitasking support, and the huge screen size is a big advantage here. One UI’s flexible split-screen view gives you plenty of space to research and take notes in the browser at the same time. The app has a complex interface with multiple palettes, playback views, and timelines, but the larger screen makes it even easier to use. Additionally, Samsung’s DEX UI lets you go even further to a full desktop UI with floating, resizable windows and a proper taskbar. Suddenly, the Tab S10 Ultra feels less like an oversized slate and more like an incredibly thin and light detachable PC.
This works best when paired with Samsung’s £339 AI Bookcover Keyboard with Trackpad, effectively transforming the Tab S10 Ultra into an Android laptop. However, if you use a third-party Bluetooth keyboard, you can still change the way you use your device. While it doesn’t have all the apps you’d find on a Windows or MacOS laptop, it’s easy to find the basics to keep you working even when you’re away from the office for a few days, and the setup is much lighter. Masu.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra: specs and performance
Admittedly, the Tab S10 Ultra can’t quite deliver high-end laptop-level performance. Geekbench 6 scores (2159 in single-core tests and 7154 in multi-core tests) are excellent even by other Android tablet standards. The recently reviewed Huawei MatePad Pro 12.2-inch had scores of 1298 and 4272. I’ve seen lower-priced Windows laptop scores than this. The MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ has serious multi-threading chops, not to mention a built-in NPU for AI acceleration. Still, the M2 iPad Air typically scores above 10,000 on multi-core tests, and the M4 iPad Pro scores closer to 15,000, putting it in “decent laptop” territory.
Does this matter? Probably not. From web-based research to image editing, 4K video editing, and more, we didn’t find anything that made the S10 Ultra struggle. It’s very smooth and fast in everyday use. It also has more 3D graphics capabilities than any other Android tablet we’ve reviewed, running 3Dmark’s Wild Life Extreme test at 30fps and the challenging Steel Nomad Lite test at 13.65fps. Taking that into consideration, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor manages around 22fps in Wild Life Extreme.
Large screens and high-end CPUs don’t tend to equate to incredible battery life, but the Tab S10 Ultra has decent stamina. With the screen brightness reduced to 170cd/m2, we got 13 hours and 45 minutes of HD video playback in our rundown test. In fact, a daily charge will get you through the workday and into the evening, and if you need to recharge, you’re ready to go. I was able to recover up to 30% after using a 65W charger for 30 minutes, but the Tab S10 Ultra only supports charging at up to 45W.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra: Is it worth it?
The Tab S10 Ultra starts at £1199, and although the price increases if you need more storage, it’s one of the most expensive tablets you can buy. For about the same amount of money, you can get a Surface Pro or MacBook Air with more power and a wider range of software. The 13-inch iPad Air with M2 processor costs £400 less.
Still, Samsung’s monster tablet still makes a compelling case thanks to its great screen, multitasking capabilities, great performance, and lightweight design. Consistent S-Pen support and AI features make that case even stronger. Not all of us need a tablet this big, and not every business has the budget, but if you’ve ever wanted the convenience of a tablet but felt cramped by a small screen? The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra might be your ideal device.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra specifications
| CPU | MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ | Row 0 – Cell 2 |
| screen | 14.6 inch AMOLED, resolution 2960 x 1848 | Row 1 – Cell 2 |
| rear camera | 13MP – f/2, 8MP wide lens – f/2.2 | Row 2 – Cell 2 |
| front camera | 12MP – f/2.2, 12MP f/2.4 | Row 3 – Cell 2 |
| rum | 12GB | Row 4 – Cell 2 |
| storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | Row 5 – Cell 2 |
| port | Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 1) | Row 6 – Cell 2 |
| Dimensions (HWD) | 326.4×208.6×5.4mm | Row 7 – Cell 2 |
| weight | 718 grams | Row 8 – Cell 2 |
| battery | 11,200mAh | Row 9 – Cell 2 |
| operating system | One UI 6.1.1 on Android 14 | Row 10 – Cell 2 |
