Samsung Galaxy S10+ Review: Stellar by necessity

Samsung has switched to a two-tablet lineup for its 2024 Galaxy Tab S sequence.

There isn’t any compact Tab S10 this era, leaving us with the headline-grabbing Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely and the extra conservative Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+. Nevertheless it’s the Plus that I believe is the smarter purchase.

Each Tab S10 entries include an analogous gamut of upgrades this era, led by the swap to a brand new top-tier MediaTek chip, instead of the road’s long-standing reliance on Qualcomm’s high-end Snapdragon silicon (a lot to the chagrin of vocal Samsung followers on-line).

Each boast new anti-reflective shows and these are the primary Samsung slates to characteristic the corporate’s suite of Galaxy AI options, proper out of the field.

Regardless of not being the most important hitter within the lineup, the Galaxy Tab S10+ isn’t any slouch. It’s only a matter of discerning whether or not it’s adequate to justify that substantial £999/$999.99 price ticket. Particularly with renewed stress from rival Android pill makers, like Honor and OnePlus, to not point out the ever-present risk of Apple’s iPads.

Design & Equipment

• Moonstone Gray and Platinum Silver colourways
• 5.6mm thick, from 571g
• Included S-Pen + optionally available keyboard covers

Like its bigger sibling, there’s no getting round the truth that the Tab S10+ sports activities a near-identical design to its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9+. That being stated, “if it ain’t broke…”.

The Tab S9+ was a great-looking premium metal-bodied slate, and the S10+ may be very a lot the identical. It’s a fraction thinner (by 0.1mm) and 10g lighter.

The one visible indicators that set the 2 aside are a brand new, brilliant accent round every of the rear cameras (simply as was added to the Galaxy Z Flip 6, earlier within the yr) and two new colourways (pictured right here in Platinum Silver).

As for mobility, as spectacular because the Tab S10 Extremely is, it’s undeniably unwieldy, particularly when you’re after a Samsung pill that’s straightforward to take with you.

By leaping from a 14.6 all the way down to a 12.4-inch show (together with the plain weight discount), the Tab S10+ is infinitely extra moveable and simpler to make use of one-handed for extended intervals.

Aesthetically, I want Samsung had hidden extra of the antenna strains that break up the pill’s again, and virtually, whereas the inclusion of the S Pen stylus in-box is appreciated, its attachment to the again of the Tab S line has by no means sat proper with me.

For one, whereas having the ability to cost the S Pen both approach round is handy, the charging space itself is a bit of ugly. You can too stow the S Pen alongside the tab’s prime edge, making it extra accessible, nonetheless, it doesn’t cost on this place. I assume that the sting is simply too slim to permit for Apple Pencil-style side-mounted charging, however that’s a change I’d welcome, even when it made the following Tab S line a bit of thicker.

Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd

The Armor Aluminium that makes up the Tab S10+’s chassis can also be supposedly 10% stronger (in comparison with the Tab S9 line), in keeping with Samsung, whereas IP68-certified safety towards mud and water is a part of the equation too. In use, I’ve but to see any beauty harm to the metalwork (or show), regardless of the pill getting used case-free for weeks.

Talking of instances, whereas you should use the final era of first-party safety, Samsung’s new keyboard covers add a devoted AI button, for immediate entry to the pill’s hottest characteristic set; they don’t come low-cost, nonetheless. The trackpad-toting ‘AI E-book Cowl Keyboard’ provides an extra £230/$230 to what’s already a dear pill; instantly encroaching on the very best laptops, for these after a noteworthy moveable productiveness machine.

Display screen & Audio system

• 12.4-inch 1752 x 2800 120Hz AMOLED show
• New anti-reflective show coating
• Quad stereo audio system

Regardless of a drop in decision in comparison with the Tab S10 Extremely, it isn’t proportional to their measurement distinction, that means you continue to get a sharper viewing expertise from the smaller Tab S10+.

12.4-inches is probably not as moveable because the smaller show served up by the earlier era’s 11-inch Galaxy Tab S9 (which, as a reminder, didn’t get a direct successor this yr), however it’s extra purposeful throughout productiveness, media and gaming, whereas nonetheless having loads of room for many content material.

Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd

The 16:10 side ratio that Samsung’s used for just a few years now could be unquestionably higher suited to the latter two actions simply talked about, however that vibrant OLED panel additionally serves up crisp textual content, making it excellent for composing emails or in any other case getting work accomplished.

As talked about in my preliminary encounter with the Tab S10 line, one in all my favorite generational upgrades is the adoption of a brand new anti-reflective coating, as first seen on the Galaxy S24 Extremely.

It’s maybe much more vital for legibility on the S10+, whose peak brightness falls wanting the Tab S10 Extremely‘s spectacular 930-nit ceiling by a considerable margin. That stated, 650 nits does outshine the newest 2024 iPad Air (13-inch), even when solely by a hair.

Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd

That new coating helps diffuse hard-point lights and is much less vulnerable to fingerprints than a shiny show, however regardless of claims of sub-2% reflectivity, primarily based on real-world use, the corporate might go additional; I’m speaking MacBook Professional nano-texture levels of diffusion subsequent time, Samsung.

Whilst you get uniform bezels across the S10+’s show, they aren’t as razor-thin as these on the Extremely, which has to resort to a notch to make room for its front-facing cameras. The flip aspect is that you’ve more room to grip the S10+ by comparability, reinforcing its function because the extra moveable entry within the lineup.

Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd

Past an in any other case wonderful HDR viewing expertise, Samsung additionally continues its streak of delivering nice pill audio with the Tab S10+. Quad audio system, every with devoted grilles alongside both edge, provide robust stereo separation, a pleasingly huge sound stage and minimal distortion; even at greater quantity ranges.

It’s a stellar setup for headphones-free audio outpacing the likes of the OnePlus Pad 2, and falling wanting the Honor MagicPad 2, if just for the latter’s marginally fuller sound.

Specs & Efficiency

• MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ chipset
• 12GB RAM
• 256GB / 512GB storage (microSD expandable)

Though not everybody will agree, I just like the Dimensity 9300+ chipset at work contained in the Tab S10 sequence. Samsung, greater than most, has developed a contentious relationship with choose followers in terms of which chips it places in its units, however right here I believe it’s made a great name.

Earlier Galaxy S flagships, for instance, have launched with Samsung’s personal Exynos silicon in some areas and superior-performing Qualcomm-made Snapdragon SoCs in others, drawing the ire of followers in Exynos-first markets, who felt like they have been being bought an inferior model of the identical product.

Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd

Within the case of the Tab S10 sequence, the circumstances are a bit of completely different, in that each tablets run on MediaTek’s Dimensity 9300+ wherever you might be on the earth, however the departure from Qualcomm’s {hardware} remains to be what’s ruffling just a few followers’ feathers.

Snapdragon chips have been current in members of the Galaxy Tab S sequence way back to 2015’s Tab S 2.0 and MediaTek has lengthy been perceived as a chipmaker that delivers weaker choices, in comparison with silicon behemoth Qualcomm.

Whereas which will have as soon as been true, MediaTek’s {hardware} has improved dramatically lately, with extra aggressive silicon nearer to, or on par with, equal Snapdragon chips. Within the case of the 4nm Dimensity 9300+ contained in the Tab S10 sequence, that’s precisely what we’ve bought.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ benchmarks

Even with a decrease reminiscence ceiling in comparison with the Extremely (12GB, moderately than 16GB of RAM), in benchmarking assessments, the S10+ outshines its bigger sibling, together with different notable rivals – like OnePlus’ Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered Pad 2 – throughout each CPU and graphical efficiency assessments.

Having already examined the identical chip inside Xiaomi’s 14T Professional not way back, my predominant concern wasn’t ever actually efficiency however thermal administration.

Fortunately Samsung seems to have thought-about that too, utilizing the capacious type of the S10+ to make sure that even prolonged gaming classes don’t end in a degraded gameplay expertise. To not point out touch-screen controls are a bit of extra manageable in comparison with their placement on the Extremely’s expansive canvas.

Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd

For context, Samsung states that the 9300+ gives 18% higher CPU efficiency, 28% higher graphical efficiency and 14% higher NPU (the chipset targeted on AI duties) efficiency, in comparison with the Qualcomm-made Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 that powered the Tab S9 sequence.

Evaluate that to the 8 Gen 3, which (versus the 8 Gen 2) reportedly guarantees a 20% CPU enchancment, 25% GPU efficiency improve and 40% better NPU effectivity, and relying on what you search for most in a pill, this swap in silicon doesn’t seem to have negatively impacted upwards curve of the Tab S line’s generational efficiency enhancements.

Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd

It’s maybe odd that, with AI being such a key aspect of what the Tab S10 sequence brings to the desk, Samsung didn’t go for the 8 Gen 3’s extra sizeable on-paper NPU enhancements, in comparison with the 9300+’s. Nonetheless, primarily based on real-world utilization, there’s little to fault with the all-around output equipped by the chip contained in the Tab S10+; it feels geared up to ship for years to come back.

One other tip of the hat additionally has to go to the inclusion of expandable storage (through Micro-SD) on the Tab S10 sequence. A rarity in 2024, even amongst tablets, which means you’ll be able to push previous the slate’s – admittedly beneficiant – 512GB ceiling if wanted, by as much as an extra 1.5TB.

Cameras

• 13Mp f/2.0 predominant + 8Mp f/2.2 ultrawide
• 12Mp 120° ultrawide front-facer
• As much as 4K video recording entrance & again

Whereas I’m endlessly reticent to talk on pill cameras when those on the telephone in your pocket are virtually definitely leagues higher, there’s a time and a spot for snappers on a slate, and the Tab S10+ has a purposeful trio to work with.

As alluded to earlier, not like the twin front-facing sensor setup on the Extremely, the Plus’ prime bezel performs host to a single digicam, ditching the narrower 12Mp huge unit however retaining the 12Mp ultrawide.

It’s the extra helpful of the 2 sensors anyway, with pill front-camera utilization favouring video calls and the like. By conserving the 120° ultrawide, you’ve bought extra room to suit extra individuals in-frame and when not wanted, the UI defaults to a cropped-in perspective anyway.

When capturing front-facing video, there’s additionally a useful auto-framing characteristic (just like Centre Stage on the iPad), which robotically crops out and in of body to maintain your face as centred as potential.

There’s a time and a spot for snappers on a slate, and the Tab S10+ has a purposeful trio to work with

On the again, you’re met with the identical duo of 13Mp and 8Mp huge and ultrawide cameras as on the Tab S10 Extremely, which do a reliable job however once more, fall quick compared to the standard you’ll get out of your smartphone.

Throughout the board, post-processing is clearly doing lots of heavy lifting, and even then, it isn’t competent sufficient to cover the pill’s sensor’s slim dynamic vary and underwhelming low mild efficiency (evident by a scarcity of element and apparent noise in pictures).

Even with the middling sensors at work, Samsung does no less than throw in as much as 4K decision video seize throughout the board (though admittedly capped at 30fps). Handbook controls, portrait nonetheless and video seize, image-to-text and machine imaginative and prescient instruments (courtesy of the corporate’s long-standing Bixby Imaginative and prescient tech), and some different modes permit for a level of creativity too.

Battery Life & Charging

• 10,090mAh battery
• 45W quick charging
• No charger within the field

Usually, tablets are topic to extra sporadic and assorted use than your smartphone, making pinning down battery longevity that little bit trickier. With the identical show measurement and determination, and battery capability as its predecessor, it falls to that new chipset and optimisations inside Samsung’s One UI person expertise to eke out extra life per cost.

One UI’s energy administration takes no less than a few weeks to study patterns and tailor an influence profile accordingly. As such, longevity has improved throughout use to hover at round 7.5 hours of screen-on time per cost, which falls in step with reviews from different S10+ customers out on the earth.

To make it a bit of extra quantifiable, an hour of Netflix at 50% brightness sapped 8% cost from the Tab S10+’s 10,090mAh battery, whereas PCMark’s Battery 3.0 benchmark (with the show calibrated to 200nits brightness) lasted 6 hours, 42 minutes.

Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd

As for charging, the svelte box that the Tab S10+ comes in doesn’t leave room for a power adapter, but if you’re willing to fork out extra for one, you can refill the slate’s battery at a rate of up to 45W, which in testing reached 50% charge after just over an hour (1:04), and a full 100% after 2 hours, 10 minutes.

By comparison, the larger Tab S10 Ultra (which sports a 11,200mAh battery) delivered marginally better longevity, at about 7 to 8 hours of screen-on time per charge, and a more impressive 8 hours 28 in the same Battery 3.0 benchmark.

Rival tablets, like the OnePlus Pad 2, will last you a fair chunk longer still and charge faster too; so Samsung has clear room for improvement here.

Software & Apps

• One UI 6.1, running atop Android 14
• First tablet w/ Galaxy AI out-the-box
• 7 years of OS & security updates

If you’ve used a Samsung phone or tablet in recent years, the company’s Android-based One UI experience should feel immediately familiar. It’s a heavy skin that makes some distinctly different decisions to stock Android, in terms of how things look and behave, but it’s clean and consistent; making navigation and interaction pretty painless, once you’ve got your head around where everything is.

Samsung has done a better job of adapting Android to a tablet form factor for far longer and far more effectively than Google has, and it’s inspired many of the slates that have since risen up in direct competition.

Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd

Its clout has also led to some key partnerships; selected once iPad-only apps have made their way to the company’s Galaxy Tabs first, ahead of wider Android availability.

While the company didn’t mention any new additions to coincide with the Tab S10 series’ launch, previous entries, such as Clip Studio, Goodnotes and LumaFusion, are made readily available from the S10’s app drawer.

Being able to save pairs (or trios) of apps is a great way to quickly enter back into useful multitasking configurations and Samsung DeX is present and correct too.

You can switch between a classic and revamped variant of the company’s desktop-like user experience, both of which automatically open apps up in windowed mode, rather than full screen; more closely mirroring behaviours you’re likely used to seeing on Windows, macOS and the like.

The real upgrade to the One UI experience on this generation of Galaxy Tab S slates is Galaxy AI, which debuted on the Galaxy S24 line at the start of the year. While rivals like Apple, Google, Oppo, OnePlus, Xiaomi and Asus have all shown off similar AI-based functionality, Samsung appears to be among the most aggressive in the space, right now; meaning devices like the Tab S10+ are likely to benefit from a rapid improvement and expansion as the company looks to take establish a lead in the space, quickly.

Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd

Features like Chat Assist and Note Assist serve to clean up or even rewrite your original copy more succinctly or in a different tone, while Photo Assist lets you modify images to remove unwanted elements or generate completely new ones; based on a sketch. In most cases, processing takes seconds and the results deliver with surprising quality and consistency, granting the Tab S10+ one of the better AI feature sets currently available.

Not everyone will gel with generative AI tools, especially the image-based ones, but there’s no denying that their addition will save people time and all users to create content they otherwise wouldn’t be able to.

One other big value aspect attached to the Tab S10 line is its software promise, with Samsung granting both the Tab S10+ and S10 Ultra the same commitment to 7 years of updates as its Galaxy S24 series, trumping the previous Tab S9 line, which tops out at a (still respectable) 5 years.

Price & Availability

The Galaxy Tab S10 series launched on 3 October 2024. In the UK, the Tab S10+ is available from Samsung directly, as well as popular third-party retailers, such as Amazon UK, Currys, Argos and John Lewis.

US Galaxy Tab S10+ retailers embrace Samsung itself, alongside Amazon and Greatest Purchase.

At a beginning £999 / $999.99, the Tab S10+ is without doubt one of the priciest Android tablets in the marketplace, proper now, clocking in at £200 / $200 costlier than its most sought-after rival, the 13-inch 2024 iPad Air. Together with the OLED show and included stylus, one massive benefit Samsung’s pill lords over Apple’s is user-expandable storage, whereas the lengthy software program assist improves its worth proposition too.

A base mannequin Tab S10+ comes with WiFi connectivity and 256GB of storage, however there’s additionally a 512GB variant, that prices £1,099 / $1,119.99, whereas including 5G mobile connectivity to both storage choice provides an extra £150.

You’ll be able to decide up a 5G-capable 256GB Tab S10+ within the US for an extra $150 however there’s no mobile variant of the bigger 512GB storage mannequin for some purpose.

Take a look at our information to the very best tablets you should buy for extra choices.

Must you purchase the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+?

Samsung continues to be liable for among the market’s most compelling Android tablets round. Within the case of the Tab S10+, on prime of the ever-present in-box S Pen and Samsung’s penchant for highly effective silicon and beautiful OLED shows, additions like Galaxy AI guarantee its relevance now, whereas that spectacular 7 years of replace assist make it an honest long-term pill purchase too.

The caveat is that, whereas it was as soon as a two-horse race between Apple and Samsung, rivals on the Android aspect of the fence have now began producing much more succesful competitors than they ever used to. For people who don’t want a stylus in-box or don’t plan on conserving their pill for so long as Samsung is now supporting, there are a number of higher worth options that meet or beat the likes of the Tab S10+ in a single space or one other, for much less.

If it’s a easy resolution between the 2 choices that make up the Galaxy Tab S10 sequence, the S10+ is the smarter purchase, in that it excels at all the issues a great pill ought to, together with portability, one thing the Tab S10 Extremely struggles to ship on.

And if you would like a near-identical characteristic set for much less, 2023’s Tab S9 sequence gives rather less energy and comes with quick replace assist, however in any other case gives the identical Samsung pill expertise while benefiting from a yr’s value of worth reductions (there’s additionally the smaller Tab S9 to select from too).

Specs

• MediaTek Dimensity 9300+
• 12GB RAM
• 256GB / 512GB (microSD expandable)
• 12.4-inch AMOLED show
• 1752×2800 decision, 650nits peak brightness
• 120Hz dynamic refresh charge
• 10090mAh battery
• 45W quick charging (no charger included)
• 12Mp front-facing digicam
• Rear 13Mp predominant digicam + 8Mp ultrawide
• Quad stereo audio system
• 285.4 x 185.4 x 5.6mm
• 571g (pill solely)