Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ in testing

Samsung relies on strong performance, long updates, and a waterproof housing for the Galaxy Tab S10+. But real innovations are few. More in testing.

The Koreans are making changes to the new flagship tablets: In the future there will be only two variants of high-end tablets: the 12.4-inch Plus model, which we’re testing here, and the larger model Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra (price comparison) With a generous 14.6 inch diagonal. A smaller 11-inch model as a successor to the Galaxy Tab S9 will not be available in the future due to lack of demand.

Like its predecessor, the Galaxy Tab S10+ is also waterproof to IP68 – which is still rare for a tablet. Samsung is breaking new ground with the processor: instead of Qualcomm’s chip or an in-house processor, the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ is used. This test report reveals whether the Galaxy Tab S10+ has achieved another major breakthrough or whether a downgrade is expected.

Visually, it is difficult to distinguish the Galaxy Tab S10+ from its predecessor, the Galaxy Tab S9+. This also applies to its almost identical dimensions of 285.4 × 5.6 × 185.4 mm. In terms of weight, it has reduced by about 10 grams to 571 grams. The design and workmanship of the aluminum unibody housing is once again impeccable and the materials appear to be of extremely high quality. Thanks to IP68, the tablet can survive any accidents when used with water or in the bathtub. But be careful: Samsung still doesn’t cover water damage in its warranty.

The rings around the camera lens, as seen on the Galaxy S24 series smartphones, are new. The included S Pen magnetically sticks to the back at camera level. The stylus area stands out visually from the rest due to its fairly light color – making it easy to attach to. However, this method of attachment is not ideal, so there is a risk of losing the pen during transportation. The optionally available protection cover is helpful here Samsung EF-BX810 Smart Book Cover (price comparison)Which fixes the pen in a cover at the back.

Nothing new on display. The resolution of 2800 × 1752 pixels in 8:5 format offers a crisp display at 266 ppi. The consistency of color, contrast and viewing angle is beyond any doubt. 120Hz ensures a smooth image.

At up to 600 nits, the display is bright enough to be read even outdoors. However, in comparison, the Ultra model offers a significantly brighter display with around 1000 nits. Current top tablets from Honor or Huawei also offer quite bright screens. What’s new is an anti-reflection coating, which significantly reduces reflections – even if they are still clearly visible. Samsung may consider a matte version for future models. Huawei and Lenovo already offer tablets with such screens.

The setup largely matches its predecessor: a 12-megapixel selfie camera and a dual camera setup of 13-megapixel and 8-megapixel for ultra-wide angle. Videos up to 4K at 30 fps are possible. Image quality of recordings is good in daylight; The ultra wide-angle lens varies more than the main lens in terms of colors and light sensitivity.

We were initially skeptical about the choice of processor. Until now, Samsung has been relying on Qualcomm’s top chips. The Galaxy Tab S10+ now uses the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+. We experienced a positive surprise in the benchmarks: the chipset can remain largely on par with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. It doesn’t perform as well in PCMark with 15,700 points, but in 3DMark “Wildlife Extreme” the Tab S10+ achieves a top score of 5300 points.

The rest of the equipment is as top-notch as ever: 12 GB of RAM, 256 GB or 512 GB of internal storage, USB-C 3.2 including DisplayPort, Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E – the Ultra model also supports Wi-Fi 7 . , We don’t understand why Samsung doesn’t add it to the Plus model. If you don’t have enough storage, you can expand it using a microSD card. There is also a compass and positioning via GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, QZSS and GPS. The speaker sound is again excellent, and the in-display fingerprint scanner works fast.

The Tab S10+ still comes with Android 14 and Samsung user interface One UI 6.1.1. Software updates are now available for seven years, although not just quarterly and monthly like the S24 series smartphones. At the time of testing, the November patch was still substantially current. All Galaxy AI features are available.

The large housing once again houses a massive 10,900 mAh battery. However, battery life doesn’t set any records and at around 7 hours in PCMark’s “Battery Test” it’s at an average level compared to its predecessor. OLED screens, along with lag in processor efficiency, appear to be a possible reason for this. For comparison: the Galaxy Tab S9 FE achieved significantly longer runtimes in testing. A power adapter is not included; The device supports charging up to 45 watts. A charging process takes just under two hours.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ starts at a respectable RRP of €1119. The RRP for 512GB is also €1239, with 5G adding another €150. You can now get a 256GB Wi-Fi model 932 eurosIt comes with 512 GB 999 euros Go. 55 version with 256 GB starts 1086 euros or with 512gb 1179 eurosAvailable colors are Silver (Platinum Silver) or Dark Gray (Moonstone Grey).

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ is once again an excellent tablet – with long software support, a fast processor and a waterproof housing, it’s currently our first choice in the Android cosmos. However, the price for what is offered is very high. It almost seems as if Samsung is resting on its laurels here. The brightness of the display is no longer top notch and has now been overtaken by the Chinese competition. Battery life doesn’t set any new standards either. Koreans should definitely make more efforts to have a successor.

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