(Image source from: Twitter.com/Samsung)

Dimensions - 208.6x326.4x5.4mm
Weight - 718 grams (Wi-Fi), 723 grams (5G)
Durability - IP68 dust and water
Display - 14.6-inch, 2,960x1,848, 16:10 ratio
Display type - AMOLED, 120Hz,
Display protection - Glass with anti-reflective coating
Software - One UI 6.1.1
Version - Android 14
Latest security patch - 1 November, 2024
Processor - Mediatek Dimensity 9300+ (4 nm)
RAM - 12GB
Storage - 256/512GB (MicroSD up to 1.5TB)
Primary camera - 13-megapixel, f/2.0, AF
Ultrawide - 8-megapixel, f/2.2, FF
Selfie cameras - 12-megapixel, f/2.2 (wide), 12-megapixel, f/2.2 (ultrawide)
Battery capacity - 11,200mAh
Wired charging - 45W
Charger provided - No

Samsung has been releasing new versions of its large Galaxy Tab S Ultra for three years. These tablets are big and heavy, but feature one of the best mobile AMOLED displays. And these unique features make it attractive to a niche market. If you're browsing on a larger tablet, use it as a second screen or a drawing screen. Even as a “light” productivity device, it’s too bulky and expensive when combined with the two keyboard options. I've been using the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra for a few weeks now and I'm not really sure why invest in it when the Galaxy Tab S10+ is available.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is still stable even on a large desk. That's even bigger than the 13.3-inch Apple MacBook Air that I drive every day. Now Samsung could have tried to give it a lighter feel. But I'm pretty sure there's no way to make a tablet with a 14.6" screen unless you use titanium armor instead of aluminum or reduce the screen size (or change the aspect ratio). Apple's 13-inch iPad Pro (2024) weighs a relatively light 582 grams, which is still manageable.

As far as the design goes, it's mostly the same. Samsung has managed to make the new ultra tablet 0.5 mm thicker and 14 grams lighter than the previous model. Admittedly, these are small advantages, and since the overall design remains unchanged, we see no reason for Tab S9 Ultra owners to switch to the new model. This tablet is available in two storage types. The 12GB RAM + 512GB internal storage version is priced at Rs. The Wi-Fi model is priced at Rs 1,08,999 and the 5G model is priced at Rs 1,08,999. 1,22,999. The 512GB Wi-Fi storage version is available for just $500. The 5G model is available at Rs 1,19,999. 1,33,999.

Considering that this tablet was expected to be heavy, Samsung should have gone out of its way to include a Microsoft Surface-like stand in this tablet. This may have made it more attractive to creative people as a canvas for artists. When you buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, you only get the tablet, the charging cable and the S Pen. Honestly, it's a bit more expensive than what you get with Apple's iPad Pro. However, Apple includes the required charger in the scope of delivery. Additionally, the Tab S10 Ultra is too heavy to hold. Therefore, you'll need to purchase the optional Smart Book case (around ¥6,999) to keep it upright while watching movies or working. At the same time as the launch, Samsung also introduced two keyboard accessories.

There's the InboxBook Cover Keyboard, a versatile cover with an integrated keyboard. This case does not have a trackpad and is not recommended for productivity applications. The second cover is called Book Cover Keyboard Slim and consists of two parts. One to support the tablet and the other half of the keyboard that attaches to the three flat pins on the bottom (when held horizontally). It comes with a trackpad but also costs about 5,000 yen more. The downside is that these two have a heavier total weight of around 1378 grams (or 1.3 kg). So you can buy the Galaxy Book 4 360 instead.

It may look like the same screen used on the old Tab S9 Ultra, but Samsung has increased its brightness to 930 nits, which is plenty bright even outdoors. The real star is anti-reflective coatings, which effectively reduce reflections indoors and outdoors. Colors look natural when displayed in standard Vivid Screen mode. Samsung only lets you choose between a power-saving 60Hz refresh rate or a smoother (adaptive) 120Hz refresh rate. Given the size of the display, I wish Samsung had considered the possibility of implementing a special resolution display (like on the Galaxy smartphones). This could have extended battery life even further. It's disappointing to see such an expensive tablet running Android 14, but given Samsung, an update should be on the way. We've taken a look at One UI 7, which is expected to bring a lot of changes. We have also seen how frequently Samsung Galaxy uses AI products in its smartphones.

It's not much different on tablets, but the S Pen is a little easier to use. I love the ability to doodle with a pen and create AI images from simple sketches. The results are also very impressive. The notes app on tablets with significant AI improvements is also interesting for anyone who loves handwritten notes. While Sketch to Image basically lets you create custom images for your notes, Galaxy AI also lets you format, summarize, spell check, translate, and even convert your notes into notes. The covers of these notebooks can also be made using artificial intelligence. Due to the screen size, the tablet is best enjoyed in Dex mode. Dex mode works well and allows you to open multiple programs in Windows and resize them to suit your needs. The good thing is that the system copes well and even though I have 8-10 programs open, the speed does not decrease. One of them was playing a video while multiple tabs were open in the Chrome browser app.

It definitely sounds like a fun and productive setup, but in every sense of the word it is just that and nothing more. That's because neither Chrome nor Samsung Internet are desktop-class browsers that allow you to fully extend apps or install add-ons like you would on a laptop. Samsung Internet has a handful. Therefore, we do not recommend opening important websites on this tablet. Samsung's Dex seems like a solid solution to the limited selection of Android tablet apps, as it lets you change the format of apps on the fly. However, my experience with apps like Slack was frustrating. This is an “Android problem” because most apps that can be downloaded to a tablet are not designed to be used on a tablet. Because of this, most apps still don't have a native split-screen mode like Apple's iPad, forcing you to read news spread out from one edge of the ultrawide 16:10 aspect ratio display to the other extend.

Much of the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra's performance is compromised by its size. I wanted to play a AAA mobile title but stuck with casual titles. I played most of the games with a controller (gamepad) because the tablet was uncomfortably large and heavy for touchscreen games. I tried Asfalt Legends Unite with maximum graphics settings and it ran with beautiful graphics. Even during longer sessions, the tablet hardly heats up. I connected a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse to use for work and everything worked fine. So if it's designed to take advantage of the larger display, you can use the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra for light productivity tasks like sending emails while working with Google Docs, Sheets, or Microsoft Office 365 apps.

The quad speaker setup is loud and clear. The speakers are loud enough for outdoor use and work even better when the content being displayed supports surround sound. The rear camera quality is average for a tablet, meaning it can't even compete with budget smartphones from 2024. Due to the very low resolution and the very low dynamic range, both images appear very soft and lacking in detail. The camera system does not have an automatic night mode, so you have to switch to the dedicated night mode manually. The results are significantly better in this mode, but still sufficient. Video recording quality is limited to 30 frames per second and reaches its maximum at UHD (4K). The quality is decent at best. In general, the rear camera is better suited for more tablet-like tasks, such as scanning documents. The front camera is quite good, the images from the ultra-wide-angle camera are a bit soft. The main camera is a fixed focus unit that takes great photos and videos. So if there is enough ambient light, this camera is great for video calls and conference calls.

For business or less productive use, the tablet lasts for two days without recharging (9 hours each). Under normal use, be it video recording or media consumption, the tablet lasts 2-3 days before needing a charge. However, playing 3D games or watching HDR content drains the battery very quickly. In our battery test with video recording, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra lasted 10 hours and 25 minutes, which seems a bit short due to the AMOLED panel. The OnePlus Pad 2 with the smaller 11-inch LCD panel lasted 15 hours and 28 minutes on the same test.

I had to use a 100W GaN charger to charge the tablet, because Samsung didn't include a charger in the box. As expected, the tablet charges its huge battery quite slowly. It can withstand only 13 percent in 30 minutes and 26 percent in one hour, so full charging can be achieved in exactly 4 hours. It's a bit slow even for a tablet. Samsung recommends buying a 45W charger that performs better. With the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, Samsung carved out a niche for itself. I see very few buyers, including creatives, looking for a quality display with an S Pen.

Unless you're looking for a full-featured touchscreen (running Android OS) for your desktop PC, the smaller Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ (starting at Rs 90,999) is definitely a better option for the average consumer. If you're happy with the LCD panel, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ (starting at Rs 54,999) is a good choice. Of course, there's the OnePlus Pad 2, which offers great value for money, fast charging and great software for just Rs 39,999.