I’ve always loved tablets that blur the line between creativity and power, and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra feels like it was designed for someone like me—until you start looking under the hood. After using it for a few weeks, I found it to be both a joy and a puzzle: a luxury screen paired with an unexpectedly modest chip.
First Impressions
If you’ve ever used the Tab S9 Ultra, you’ll feel instant déjà vu. Same massive 14.6-inch AMOLED display, same premium aluminum frame, same slim silhouette. Samsung barely changed the design, but that’s not entirely a bad thing. It’s still one of the best-looking Android tablets on the market, and the new anti-reflective coating helps a lot when working outdoors. You can finally read an email in bright daylight without hunting for shade.
At 718 grams, it’s lighter than it looks, but still a two-hand device. The IP68 water-resistant rating is surprisingly practical—I’ve rinsed mine after a coffee spill without worry. Few tablets can survive that.
Display: The Star of the Show
That 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel is simply stunning. Colors pop, blacks are deep, and HDR10+ content looks cinematic. The brightness sits around 590 nits, but the new coating cuts reflections so well that it looks brighter than it measures. I just wish Samsung supported Dolby Vision; Apple’s iPad Pro still wins there.
As for drawing, Samsung continues to use Wacom tech for its S Pen, and it’s flawless. Latency is near zero, and the pen doesn’t need power to work—only to enable Bluetooth gestures. Artists and note-takers will feel right at home.
Performance: The MediaTek Curveball
This is where the story takes a twist. Instead of the usual Snapdragon chip, Samsung went with the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+, a capable processor but not flagship-class. In benchmarks, it’s quick, but still trails behind Apple’s M4 and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
In real life, it handles multitasking, DeX mode, and light gaming effortlessly. But push it—say, with 4K video editing or heavy Photoshop work—and you’ll feel the limits. For the same price, Apple offers laptop-level performance. That stings.
Software and Everyday Use
Samsung’s One UI 6.1 on Android 14 remains the most refined tablet experience on Android. You can run four apps at once, drag windows around, and connect an external monitor to use DeX, Samsung’s desktop-style mode. It’s practical and surprisingly stable.
AI features like Sketch to Image and Circle to Search are nice to play with, but they’re not game-changers yet. The real strength lies in Samsung’s ecosystem integration—pair it with a Galaxy phone or laptop, and file sharing and notifications feel seamless.
Still, the included keyboard cover doesn’t do the tablet justice. It’s flimsy, wobbly, and overpriced. I switched to a third-party keyboard and never looked back.
Battery and Charging
Battery life is where the Tab S10 Ultra falls short. The 11,200 mAh cell sounds massive, but the large display and power-hungry processor drain it faster than expected. It lasted around nine hours of mixed use, which is fine but not flagship-worthy. The iPad Pro easily outpaces it with nearly fifteen.
Charging is capped at 45 W, taking a bit over two hours for a full refill. No wireless charging, which feels like a missed opportunity.
Cameras and Audio
Nobody buys a tablet for photography, but Samsung still includes decent shooters: 13 MP + 8 MP on the back and dual 12 MP lenses up front. They’re excellent for video calls, and the auto-tracking feature keeps you centered during meetings. The quad-speaker setup, tuned by AKG, is punchy and clear—perfect for Netflix binges or casual gaming.
Price and Value
Starting at $1,199, the Tab S10 Ultra is positioned as a premium device. For that money, you get a world-class display, solid build, and an S Pen included in the box—something Apple still sells separately. But compared with the M4 iPad Pro, which delivers unmatched performance and battery life, Samsung’s pricing feels ambitious.
If you find last year’s Tab S9 Ultra discounted, grab it instead. You’ll save hundreds while getting nearly the same experience.
Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is a paradox—a tablet that feels overbuilt yet underpowered. Its enormous screen, water resistance, and smooth multitasking make it the best Android tablet for media consumption and sketching. But the MediaTek processor and modest battery life keep it from challenging Apple’s dominance.
Still, I can’t help but love it. It’s unapologetically big, beautiful, and capable of handling most creative tasks I throw at it. If your heart leans toward Android and you crave the biggest canvas in the game, the Tab S10 Ultra won’t disappoint. Just know you’re paying for luxury design more than groundbreaking performance.
