Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra: A giant leap or just a giant tablet?
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra. Picture: Samsung.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is massive — both in size and in expectations. With a price tag of €1,399, you could buy a decent laptop, so the question is, can it justify its premium price? While the improvements over last year’s model may not seem groundbreaking at first glance, I still believe this is one of the best Android tablets you can buy right now, although I don’t think it's for most people.
The Tab S10 Ultra looks nearly identical to its predecessor. The enormous 14.6-inch display dominates the front, surrounded by slim bezels and encased in an ultra-thin frame. Samsung hasn’t made any drastic design changes, but a few refinements exist. The frame is slightly thinner, the camera rings have been redesigned, and the cooling system has improved for better heat dissipation.
Beyond these minor adjustments, the essentials remain the same. The quad-speaker setup still delivers rich, immersive sound. The SD card slot is still available for those who need expandable storage. The in-screen fingerprint sensor remains a convenient way to unlock the device. And, as always, the included S Pen magnetically attaches to the back, where it charges wirelessly.
For those who already own accessories from the Tab S9 Ultra, there’s good news — everything is fully compatible. This means you won’t have to reinvest in new covers or keyboards.
The 14.6-inch AMOLED panel boasts a 120Hz refresh rate and incredibly vibrant colours. However, the new anti-reflective coating is the most significant improvement this time.
The difference is immediately noticeable when using the tablet under bright lights or outdoors. Reflections are significantly reduced, making the display easier on the eyes and improving visibility in challenging lighting conditions. Whether watching films, editing photos, or reading documents, the anti-reflective coating makes the experience much more enjoyable. Unlike etched displays, which use a texture, the antiglare coating doesn’t noticeably reduce contrast or clarity.
This is still one of the best tablet screens on the market, and for anyone who prioritises media consumption, creative work, or multitasking, it remains a top-tier choice.
Under the hood, Samsung has opted for the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+, which performs similarly to Qualcomm's top-tier Snapdragon chipsets in benchmarks and real-world use. Paired with 12GB of RAM in the base model, with the option to upgrade to 16GB in higher storage variants, the tablet handles everything smoothly.
Gaming feels fluid even on high settings, multitasking remains seamless, and Samsung DeX mode runs without hiccups.
Battery life is another strong point, consistently delivering around nine hours of screen-on time, even with heavy use. The efficiency improvements ensure that the Tab S10 Ultra doesn’t drain excessively fast despite its large display.
Perhaps more importantly, Samsung has committed to seven years of software updates, which means this tablet will remain relevant and supported for a long time. While this isn’t a dramatic leap in power compared to the previous generation, the optimisations make it feel consistently snappy and efficient, even under demanding workloads.
The S Pen remains one of the biggest selling points of Samsung’s tablets, and the experience on the Tab S10 Ultra is just as excellent as ever. The low-latency response and smooth pressure sensitivity make it a fantastic tool for note-taking, sketching, and navigating the UI. Whether you’re jotting down ideas, editing PDFs, or creating detailed artwork, the S Pen feels natural and responsive.
For digital artists, the large screen offers an incredible canvas. While Procreate remains exclusive to the iPad and my favourite way to create digital art, the free Android app Krita is a solid alternative. It provides professional-level drawing tools without a subscription.
The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra integrates features designed to make everyday tasks more intuitive. Live translation enables real-time language conversion in messages and calls, while Samsung Notes now offers automatic headings and summarisation. The tablet’s AI-driven photo editing tools make background removal and other adjustments easier.
While these features are helpful, they don’t radically change how the tablet is used. However, Samsung DeX mode remains a niche but excellent feature, effectively transforming the Tab S10 Ultra into a capable laptop replacement. The ability to run multiple resizable windows, connect to an external monitor, and use a desktop-like interface makes this tablet one of the best for productivity.
Creative professionals will love the expansive display and S Pen precision, making it an excellent tool for artists and designers. Media enthusiasts will appreciate the stunning screen and immersive audio, which make it one of the best devices for streaming content. Productivity-focused users who rely on Samsung DeX will benefit from the large-screen real estate and robust multitasking capabilities.
However, those prioritising portability may find the Tab S10 Ultra’s sheer size cumbersome. Although it’s incredibly thin and light for its size, it’s still a large device to carry around, making it less convenient for those who need a more compact tablet for travel or casual use.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ulta is the best large Android tablet. Its new anti-reflective display coating is a welcome improvement, snappy performance, and its S Pen continue to set the standard for stylus integration. Those coming from an older tablet will likely be thrilled with its capabilities, but anyone using last year’s model may not find enough here to justify the switch.
Starting from €1,399, Harvey Norman.
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