Personal tablets are a relatively small market, and the market is even smaller for those outside of the Apple ecosystem. So when there is a high-end Android tablet release we sit up and pay attention.
Samsung announced two new tablets recently, the 12.4-inch Galaxy Tab S10+ and the 14.6-inch Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra.
Samsung sent us the Galaxy S10 Ultra with an S-Pen which we have put through its paces of the last couple of weeks. Read on to hear my thoughts on the biggest tablet I’ve ever used.
The new Samsung Galaxy S10 Ultra is a tablet that has very few competitors. It has a 14.6-inch display – yes that is not a typo, a fourteen point six-inch display. For comparison, the iPad Pro has a 12.9-inch display.
Design
To say it is big is an understatement. It is possible that the size is made to feel even bigger due to its impressive thinness. The dimensions of the Galaxy S10 Ultra are 208.6 X 326.4 X 5.4 mm. Yes, the display is a remarkable size, but that is equalled by the thinness of the tablet.
It is just 5.4mm thick, so using it without a case makes it feel a bit flimsy to me. It’s not shoddily made flimsy (far from it), but the thinness just seems engineeringly impossible to be that thin and still strong enough not to break apart easily—like a potato chip.
The build quality and design language are very Samsung with square sides and a solid build. There is nothing plasticky or flimsy about this tablet.
| Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra (14.6-inch) | Galaxy Tab S10+ (12.4-inch) | ||
| Dimensions* | 208.6 X 326.4 X 5.4 mm | 185.4 X 285.4 X 5.6 mm | |
| Weight* | 718 g (Wi-Fi), 723 g (5G) | 571g (Wi-Fi), 576g (5G) | |
| *Weight may vary by market. | |||
| OS* | Android 14.0 | Android 14.0 | |
Display | 14.6-inch, 2960 x 1848 | 12.4-inch, 2800 x 1752 | |
| 120 Hz, Dynamic AMOLED 2X+ Anti Reflection | |||
| AP | MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ | ||
| Camera | Rear | 13MP + 8 MP Ultra Wide | 13MP + 8MP Ultra Wide |
| Front | 12MP + 12 MP Ultra Wide | 12MP Ultra Wide | |
| Network* | 5G (Sub-6), Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi Direct Bluetooth® v 5.3 | 5G (Sub-6/mmW), Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi Direct Bluetooth® v 5.3 | |
| Colour | Moonstone Grey | ||
Memory | 16GB + 1TB 12 GB + 512 GB 12GB + 256 GB MicroSD up to 1.5TB | 12 GB + 512 GB 12GB + 256 GB MicroSD up to 1.5TB | |
| Sound | Quad Speaker | ||
| S Pen | IP68 S Pen (BLE) Inbox | ||
| Durability | IP68, Enhanced Armor AL | ||
| SIM | pSIM + eSIM | ||
| Security | Fingerprint on Display (FOD) | ||
| Battery / Charging | 11,200 mAh / 45W | 10,090 mAh / 45W | |
| Accessories | S Pen (BLE) Inbox**Book Cover Keyboard Book Cover Keyboard SlimSmart Book CoverOutdoor CoverNotepaper Screen (Add-On)Privacy Screen (Add-On) | ||
I used this tablet for a week as I would normally use a traditionally-sized tablet: reading books, surfing the web with a little bit of work here and there but in the end I decided that it was just too big to use in the hand exclusively. It could be that I didn’t have any case or folio keyboard case sent with it and thus its large size and thinness just felt unnatural in the hand.
For me, this tablet NEEDS a case to be of full use and not just any case but a case with a keyboard (or any Bluetooth keyboard connected). It is best used as a convertible laptop that can be also used as a tablet. Now this is the perfect use case for it. Creators will love to use it as a canvas with the S Pen working seamlessly with so many apps.
Sit in on a stand/case and enjoy that large AMOLED goodness!
Display
Samsung has not released a device with a display less than exceptional for a long time and the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is no different. The display is vivid and vibrant with a peak brightness of 930 nits with the camera notch at the top ever so slightly impeding on the display but I didn’t notice it interfering in any way at all.
The Dynamic AMOLED 2X display has a refresh rate of 120Hz with an anti-reflection coating that helps to reduce the glare in all lighting conditions that I tested it in. I could even see it outside quite easily which is extremely handy.
As you would expect the display supports the S Pen, which is included with the tablet when you purchase it. This is super light and easy to use. I love using a pen when navigating around an OS at times.
Using the pen in editing software was really easy and a joy to use. It is possible that the lightness of the pen combined with the sheer size of the display made the tasks a lot easier to perform. I have seen many professional creators mention that they actually prefer the Galaxy S10 Ultra and S Pen over their previous creative tablet (usually an iPad Pro with Apple Pencil Pro) and I can see why after using this for a couple of weeks.
Cameras
Tablet cameras are so very ho-hum in my opinion but FWIW there are four on the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, two on the rear and one on the front.
I’ll tackle the rear ones first as they are the useless ones. Sure there is a 13MP wide and an 8MP ultra-wide camera. It will take ok pictures but let’s face it, anyone who has paid the requisite price for this tablet will most likely have a smartphone with a camera that multitudes better than this. Maybe scan a document or take photo of something for a quote or something very simple.
The front cameras are 12MP wide and 12MP ultra-wide cameras with the camera including face-follow software to follow you to a certain degree while on a video call. I tested this out on Zoom and it didn’t seem to do all that much to keep me in the centre of the picture — maybe it only works in Samsung apps.
Samsung AI and other software
Samsung’s OneUI has undergone many changes over the years and although it is feature-packed these days it no longer is laggy nor buggy. Samsung has managed to introduce their Samsung AI with not just OneUI but also with the S Pen and although you may not use it much it is fun.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is really a creator’s tablet and for this purpose, it excels.
You can use the pen to draw over so many apps including notes, gallery, calendar etc. For someone who is a terrible artist, this is a godsend but although fun IK can’t see myself using the AI all that much. Serious illustrators and creators already have the skills to create their own images etc and will most likely avoid using the AI with a chance of it removing their signature flairs from images.
Samsung has included Live Translar with Samsung AI into the Samsung Notes app with the ability to export the notes as a PDF and you can also transcribe any pdfs that have been imported onto the tablet.
Sketch-to-image is the fun AI inclusion. You can sketch onto a blank canvas or an already captured image and have the AI create your image or incorporate your sketch into the image.
The S Pen in combination with the exceptionally large AMOLED display of the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is an amazing canvas for artists to use for their drawings and designs.
Performance and battery life
Interestingly, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ which although a MediaTek chipset, is built on a third-generation 4nm process. This results in a chipset that flies. It powers the large display and other hardware and software with ease. There were no slow downs, and no lag in the UI, even while multitasking with 3 apps running at once on the display.
A tablet this big, even when it is this thin can fit a massive battery in it and Samsung has included a 11,200mAh battery. easily enough for six hours of continuously streaming video, on a relatively bright setting. Using it on a regular basis resulted in well over 10 hours of use.
Who buys the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra?
Creators. Simple as that. If you are a creator who loves drawing, illustrating and editing on the go then this extra-large display in combination with the S-Pen is something that you will find incredibly useful.
For me I found it a bit big but when using it as designed to be used, I can see why so many creators are flocking to this tablet. The display is big and beautiful with amazing colours, and powered by a surprisingly powerful MediaTek chipset.
I struggle to see why Joe and Jill Public would commit to more than $2,000 for a tablet but for the artist it would definitely be a great arrow to add to their creative quiver.
You can pick up the Samsung Galaxy S10 Ultra from $2,099 for Wi-Fi 12GB/ 256GB, and up to $3,049 for the 5G 16GB/ 1TB version. The S Pen is included in the cost of the tablet.
Accessory pricing:
- Book Cover Keyboard (AI Key) : $599
- Book Cover Keyboard Slim (AI Key): $349
- Smart Book Cover: $159
- Outdoor Cover: $129
- NotePaper Screen: $89
- Privacy Screen: $109
- AR Screen Protector: $49
Scott is our resident open technology expert. If you can mod it, or want to use it your way, Scott has probably done it. From Laptops to phones, headphones and game consoles, he’s played with it and wants to see the next generation.
