Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra Review
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is undoubtedly a powerhouse, offering a premium experience with its massive 14.6-inch AMOLED display, top-tier performance, and a host of productivity-focused features. Its stunning screen and rich array of AI-powered functionalities make it an excellent choice for creatives and professionals. For those deeply integrated into the Samsung ecosystem, features like seamless device integration and DeX mode offer substantial value. However, if your primary focus is performance-heavy tasks like video editing or 3D rendering, the iPad Pro M4 may still be a better option due to its superior benchmarks. Additionally, iPadOS supports a wider variety of creator-centric apps compared to Android. That said, for general productivity, media consumption, and entertainment, the Tab S10 Ultra is a solid contender—especially with its bundled S Pen and promise of long-term software support.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is Samsung’s latest flagship tablet, designed to push the boundaries of what a tablet can do. With a massive 14.6-inch AMOLED display, top-tier performance hardware, and productivity-focused features, this tablet is aimed at power users, creatives, and professionals who need a laptop-like experience in a more portable form factor.
Competing directly with Apple’s iPad Pro, the Tab S10 Ultra seeks to establish itself as the ultimate productivity tool, media consumption device, and gaming powerhouse. But, at a premium price, starting at ₹1,08,999 for the Wi-Fi variant and ₹1,22,999 for the 5G variant, does it truly justify the cost? In this comprehensive review, we’ll dive deep into the build, design, display quality, performance, AI features, cameras, and battery life to see if the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra lives up to the hype and can hold its own against its competition.
The first thing that stands out about the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is its sleek, premium design. At just 5.4 mm thick, this tablet is one of the thinnest devices in its class, which is even more impressive considering its powerful hardware. The colour options are limited to Moonstorm Gray and Platinum Silver, both of which look premium but I’d have liked a few more colourful options. The Tab has a Wi-Fi variant and a 5G variant – the 5G variant, which I got for review, houses one physical nano-SIM and a microSD card.
Samsung has done an excellent job of balancing form and function. The aluminium frame and rear panel provide a solid, durable build that feels reassuringly sturdy in hand. However, the matte finish on the back picks up a considerable amount of fingerprint smudges and scratches, which detract from its premium look. The tablet comes with IP68 dust and water resistance, which adds to overall durability.
One of the standout design elements is the S Pen, which attaches magnetically to the back of the tablet for wireless charging. This is a particularly thoughtful touch for creatives and professionals who often need to use the stylus, and it’s great that Samsung has included this in the retail box, unlike the iPad Pro where you need to shell out extra money to purchase the Apple Pencil.
The S Pen is lightweight, responsive, and includes a variety of features for note-taking, drawing, and even remote control via Bluetooth. However, the magnetic storage for the S Pen feels flimsy; it’s easy to knock off and lose when moving the tablet.
The large 14.6-inch display makes the tablet feel bulky. Weighing 723 grams, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is not a device you’ll want to carry around casually, especially if you hold it for extended periods. The 11” and 13” M4 iPad Pros are much lighter and easier to carry around. While the Tab S10 Ultra is ideal for desk use or propped up with the keyboard cover, it can feel unwieldy for users seeking a more portable option.
There are a few drawbacks too. The slim bezels look great and add to the immersive experience, but they also lead to accidental touches when you’re holding the tablet. And then there’s the front camera – it’s housed in an awkward notch, which some people might find a bit of an eyesore. Plus, the bottom navigation buttons require more pressure than you’d expect, which could be frustrating if you’re not using gesture navigation.
Samsung has also included support for its Keyboard Cover, which essentially turns the tablet into a makeshift laptop. The keyboard cover is sold separately, adding to the overall cost.
If there’s one area where the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra truly excels, it’s the display. The 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED panel, with its 2960 x 1848 resolution, delivers stunning visuals, showcasing vivid colours, deep blacks, and excellent contrast. Whether you’re streaming Netflix, gaming, or editing photos, the display’s clarity and brightness are top-notch. Its 120Hz refresh rate makes scrolling smooth and fluid, while HDR10+ support enhances the dynamic range for a richer viewing experience on OTT platforms.
For creatives, the large screen offers plenty of room for drawing, sketching, or juggling multiple windows at once. Samsung’s split-screen functionality is a productivity gem, allowing you to run apps side by side effortlessly.
However, the massive display can be a bit of a double-edged sword. While it’s great for entertainment and professional work, it can feel cumbersome in portrait mode or when holding it for extended periods. Plus, the large screen demands extra care. Dropping this device could easily lead to damage, despite its solid build. Samsung hasn’t officially mentioned what kind of display protection they’re using, but I’d guess it’s Corning Gorilla Armor, similar to what’s on the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
One nice touch is the anti-reflective coating, which helps keep the screen visible even in bright conditions and keeps screen glare at bay. If you’re used to a generic display, you’ll notice the difference immediately. It holds up well outdoors, and with its high brightness levels, the screen stays sharp and vibrant without washing out.
There’s also an optical fingerprint sensor embedded in the display, but its placement is pretty awkward. It’s hard to reach, and honestly, it would’ve made more sense on the power button, though that might be tricky given how slim the device is.
As for the sound quality, the tablet houses a side-firing quad-speaker setup, tuned by AKG. The sound is full-bodied and loud. It sounds excellent ensuring that the multimedia experience is bolstered even further.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ processor, one of the most powerful chipsets currently available for mobile devices. It boasts an impressive configuration with one Cortex-X4 core clocked at 3.25 GHz, three Cortex-X4 cores at 2.85 GHz, and four Cortex-A720 cores running at 2 GHz. Paired with 12 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512 GB of UFS 4.0 storage, this tablet ensures lightning-fast performance across the board, whether you’re gaming, multitasking, or editing videos.
In everyday usage, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra excels at handling demanding tasks with ease. Apps load swiftly, and switching between them is seamless, even when multiple programs are running simultaneously. For those needing extra storage, the tablet also supports microSD expansion of up to 1 TB, providing ample room for all your files and media.
Benchmark results show just how powerful the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is. It scored nearly 2 million points in AnTuTu v10, along with 2162 and 7091 points in GeekBench Single-Core and Multi-Core tests, respectively, easily beating out tablets like the OnePlus Pad 2 (review). The GPU benchmarks are equally impressive. However, it still falls short when compared to Apple’s iPad Pro M4, which achieved a stunning 3650 in GeekBench Single-Core and 13137 in Multi-Core tests. So, for users seeking the ultimate in pro-level performance, particularly for intensive tasks like video rendering, the iPad Pro remains a step ahead.
As for gaming, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra doesn’t disappoint. It delivers smooth, lag-free performance even in graphically demanding titles like Genshin Impact, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Asphalt 9. Despite Samsung’s shift from a Snapdragon processor to MediaTek, there’s little to worry about. The Dimensity 9300+ chipset is on par with its Snapdragon counterparts, making it one of the best processors on the Android side of things.
On the software front, the tablet runs Samsung’s One UI 6.1 on top of Android 14, delivering a smooth and intuitive user experience. One standout feature is Samsung DeX, which transforms the tablet into a desktop-like interface with multi-window functionality and a taskbar, making it an excellent choice for those looking to use the tablet as a laptop replacement. When connected to an external keyboard and monitor, DeX mode offers a full PC-like experience, enhancing productivity.
For users already invested in Samsung’s ecosystem, the Tab S10 Ultra offers seamless integration with other Samsung devices. It can function as a second screen for a Samsung laptop, or share files effortlessly with a Galaxy smartphone. This interconnected experience adds tremendous value, allowing all your Samsung devices to work harmoniously together. However, for creatives and pro users, the Android ecosystem simply doesn’t have support for as many quality pro-level apps as iPadOS does.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra does stand out for its long-term software support. Samsung guarantees seven years of updates, meaning the tablet will receive upgrades from Android 14 all the way to Android 21, with security patches extending until October 2031.
One of the new additions to the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is a robust set of Galaxy AI features designed to enhance productivity and communication. The AI-powered Chat Assist tool, integrated directly into the Samsung keyboard, offers chat translation, grammar corrections, and composing suggestions across various apps. It adapts based on context, whether you’re drafting a formal email or sending a quick message, making it a valuable tool for professionals and casual users alike.
Another key feature is Interpreter mode, which offers real-time translations during conversations, making the device an excellent companion for travellers or people working in multilingual environments. It also integrates with Galaxy Buds for hands-free use, allowing for real-time communication in different languages.
Notes Assist is another productivity-focused AI tool that automatically formats and summarises notes, while also offering spelling corrections. Creatives will appreciate the Sketch to Image feature, which converts rough sketches into polished images in different styles, but I think this one can be improved; the AI drawing is not dramatically better than the original.
Transcript Assist also makes life easier for professionals, as it transcribes audio recordings in real-time, providing summaries and keyword highlights. This feature is particularly useful for meetings, interviews, or lectures.
Finally, Browsing Assist offers a quick way to summarise lengthy articles, saving users time by condensing long-form content into digestible snippets. Overall, these AI features significantly enhance the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra’s appeal for productivity and communication and they work flawlessly.
Tablets are not typically known for their camera capabilities, so it’s no surprise that you get a pretty basic setup here. On the rear, there’s a 13 MP main camera paired with an 8 MP ultra-wide sensor, while the front houses dual 12MP wide and ultra-wide lenses.
The rear camera setup is functional for quick snaps, document scanning, or capturing occasional moments. However, it’s the front-facing camera that does most of the heavy lifting. The dual-camera system is great for video calls, allowing for wider shots, which is especially useful if you need to fit more than one person in the frame on video calls. Auto-framing is another helpful feature, automatically adjusting the camera’s focus to keep the subject in the centre during video calls.
While the cameras are not on par with those found on high-end smartphones, they are more than adequate for a tablet. The inclusion of 4K video recording at 30fps is a nice touch.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is powered by an 11,200 mAh battery, which is more than enough to get through a full day of moderate use. With regular tasks like browsing, streaming video, and working on documents, the tablet can easily provide 10-12 hours of screen-on time on a single charge. For more intensive tasks, such as gaming or video editing, the battery life is still respectable, holding up for around 7-8 hours of continuous use.
Samsung has also included support for 45W fast charging, which allows the tablet to charge from 0 to 100% in 1 hour and 48 minutes, which is slightly slow by 2024 standards. Sadly, there’s no charger in the box, just a Type-C to Type-C cable. Additionally, the tablet supports reverse wireless charging, meaning you can use it to charge other devices, like your Galaxy Buds or Galaxy Watch, by placing them on the back of the tablet.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is undoubtedly a powerhouse, offering a premium experience with its massive 14.6-inch AMOLED display, top-tier performance, and a host of productivity-focused features. Its stunning screen and rich array of AI-powered functionalities make it an excellent choice for creatives and professionals.
For those deeply integrated into the Samsung ecosystem, features like seamless device integration and DeX mode offer substantial value. However, if your primary focus is performance-heavy tasks like video editing or 3D rendering, the iPad Pro M4 may still be a better option due to its superior benchmarks. Additionally, iPadOS supports a wider variety of creator-centric apps compared to Android. That said, for general productivity, media consumption, and entertainment, the Tab S10 Ultra is a solid contender—especially with its bundled S Pen and promise of long-term software support.
On the downside, the starting price of ₹1,08,999 makes it a significant investment. If you require 5G support, you’ll need to spend even more, with the base 256 GB variant costing ₹1,22,999. Furthermore, the upgrades over its predecessor, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, are limited mainly to additional AI features and 5G capability. For existing S9 Ultra users, the reasons to upgrade may be less compelling.
