The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ is positioned as a premium powerhouse player in the Android tablet space – but just how good is it?
In recent years, I’ll admit that I have completely changed my opinion on Android tablets. I now think that for most people, an Android tablet is going to be a better, less frustrating buy than an iPad if you just want a bigger screen that takes care of things like streaming, YouTube, media, some light gaming, and even, in the case of the Galaxy Tab series, a mini desktop experience.
My only trepidation was that I was unable to test this device with the additional folio keyboard. Instead, I have been connecting to a third-party Bluetooth keyboard to mimic some of the integrated features set. It’s not quite the same, but it at least lets you try out some of the productivity features baked into One UI. That said, it’s not an essential bit of kit, but merely a nice official accessory that opens up a few more use cases.
Hardware and design
The svelte package is hard to hate here. Over the past decade, Samsung has really started to flex its muscles when it comes to the high-end hardware space. The Galaxy Tab S10+ is easily one of the best tablets out there, physically and visually. The bezels are beautifully uniform, the OLED screen is about as good as it gets, and the frame, edges, and every facet feel incredible despite being so thin and light.
Thanks to the IP68 rating, it’s at home anywhere, too. I’m not going to use my tablet while soaking in the tub, but at least I know that I can if I want to, and it’ll be safe getting even a light dunk in clean water. Even the S Pen is IP68 rated, so you can draw on a wet screen if you really want to.
I’m not particularly sold on the plain design of the Galaxy Tab S10+, but it’s fine. I guess there isn’t much you can really do with the form factor without affecting the usability. That said, the magnetic S Pen strip at the back of the tablet is still one of the strangest constant design choices. I’m almost constantly knocking the S Pen off the back of the frame. It is nice as a sort of kickstand, but this orientation begs to be used as a digital easel for sketching and taking notes, so it isn’t really that useful.
The S Pen is a great free additional extra, but I wish it was magnetically attached somewhere else. Maybe the super thin frame prevents edge placement like on the iPad – so in some ways, it is forgivable.
Samsung knows how to make a class-leading OLED panel, and this is no different. It gets fairly bright, has rich colors and deep contrast, and is a joy to use for practically everything. My biggest gripe is actually the size. It’s a beast to maneuver, and that means I’m leaving fingerprints all over the beautiful 12.4-inch panel. It’s like a super thin laptop.
I would love to have seen the Gorilla Armor display tech from the S24 Ultra used, as it would elevate the display way above the competition. I’m complaining for the sake of complaining, but it would be the icing atop the cake here because the 120Hz QHD+ screen really can’t be lauded enough, in my opinion.
Four speakers flank the display around the edges of the frame. Despite how thin the chassis is, these offer a sound that rivals some of the best laptop speakers. The sound is incredible and actually – dare I say it – is better than the Pixel Tablet speaker dock right out of the Tab S10+ itself. Everything sounds crystal clear without audio distortion or cracking at the highest volume settings.
Maybe the dual camera system might be useful in a pinch. I think it’s pretty solid for scanning or taking photos of documents, but one higher-quality camera might have been a better choice than a dual-lens setup. The selfie camera is still placed in the left side bezel in portrait orientation. This effectively means that you need to use the Tab S10+ solely in landscape mode for video calls. It’s not a problem, but it’s just something to bear in mind.
Performance and software
I have read and heard a lot of complaints from Samsung fans about the switch to a MediaTek chip on the Galaxy Tab S10+, and maybe this affected my initial perception of the tablet. The reality is that I, personally, would barely touch the limits of the Dimensity 9300+ chip.
I’m convinced that most people will never be able to tell the difference, but if it bothers you then look for something else.
My frustrations are less power-related. The biggest problem I noticed with the Galaxy Tab S10+ is that it’s perfectly poised to offer you an alternative to something like a Chromebook without the killer apps that you would need unless you’re happy to tinker.
It’s a double-edged sword as you can run lots of Android apps in a desktop-like experience. I found that this is fine for all the basics, like editing documents, some very basic image altering, and even some light video editing in LumaFusion. Would it be enough to replace a laptop? I think we’re still a long way off unless you solely work in Chrome tabs.
The lack of add-ons for Chrome might make it hard, and some apps default to big versions of their smartphone counterparts. I figured it would have improved by 2024, but it is what it is at this stage. One minor upside is that lots of first-party Google apps at least have visual differences and improved sidebars to account for the larger screen real estate.
One saving grace is that the S Pen is the perfect companion as a “pro” tool. I’m not much of a note-taker on my phone; save the odd recipe or shopping list. Even with that in mind, the S Pen has become super useful for jotting down things while in a meeting or with some of my language studies. Samsung has tacked on “Handwriting Help” for the Notes app, and this AI-powered feature does well at character recognition but isn’t a killer feature. It does help clean up your notes, though, if you’re particularly messy.
I’m a casual S Pen user, but with an app like Clip Studio Point, you can use the Tab S10+ as a dedicated drawing device for 2D and even some 3D art. For the super lazy, Sketch to Image might help paper over the cracks of your inability to draw. The S Pen is one of those hardware additions that might help sell a tablet, and it’s great that it’s bundled in for free.
Kudos to Samsung for making the base storage 256GB – although this is still UFS 3.1 – and retaining microSD card expansion because you don’t need to spend a fortune to choose higher storage tiers if you want to keep lots of files on the Tab S10+. For gamers, in particular, this could be useful for keeping ROMs close by with the various emulators available on Android.
The Galaxy Tab S10+ is no slouch as a gaming tablet, but it isn’t a performance beast. If you want a marginally more powerful tablet, something using the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, such as the OnePlus Pad 2, might be a better alternative.
Battery and lifespan
As a secondary device, the Galaxy Tab S10+ has been a multi-day beast. It can handle multiple days as my companion without a worry that I’ll run out of juice. As a work tool, it also helps you get through a day without breaking a sweat – with some headroom to spare.
Frankly, the 10,090mAh battery is huge. It’s double my Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and it doesn’t let up. That said, if you’re watching a movie at full brightness with the speakers at full blast, you could kill the battery in under 10 hours if you really wanted to. If you’re on a long-haul flight, you should be able to make it to your final destination without too many compromises, which is expected of a tablet such as this.
Charing is capped at 45W, which seems slow, but you’ll need to pick up a USB-PD charger to actually get those speeds because Samsung ditched the in-the-box charger a while back. The additional cost is a frustration, but it’s sadly a sign of the times.
Final thoughts
One of the biggest downsides of the Galaxy Tab S10+ for most people is that it starts at $1,000. This is a big financial outlay for an Android tablet or any tablet, period. I don’t think it’s quite worth parting with that much for the Tab S10+.
It’s impossible to ignore the iPad lineup, but I don’t think Apple’s tablets are suitable for everyone.
There are some things that should be applauded. Like the fact the S Pen comes at no extra cost and the display probably being the best on an Android tablet. Some things are confusing, like the switch the MediaTek processors and fact the the price is so high because of that.
If you want or need an Android tablet and can stomach a few little downgrades, the sub-$600 OnePlus Pad 2 has a better chip and most of the same specifications for almost half the price. Throw in a keyboard case and OnePlus Stylo 2, and you’ll still have change left over.
Despite these gripes, the Galaxy Tab S10+ is a good product – just at the wrong price.
If you are insistent on picking Samsung’s middle lineup tablet, then it is available at Samsung.com, Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments