The perfect ultra-premium Android pill

You need to hand it to Samsung. Even throughout the darkest days of Android tablets, when Google itself noticed no worth within the kind issue, Samsung stored pumping out slates each quarter. In reality, it will definitely began making ultra-premium tablets to compete with Apple’s dearer iPads. In some methods, it’s paid off now that Google has at the least began providing lip service to large-format units, however at the least till we see the rumored pro-grade Pixel Pill, if you’d like a premium Android pill, Samsung is de facto your solely selection.

Samsung is now on its third technology of Extremely tablets with the $1,200 Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely — the highest slate within the Tab S10 collection. This system seems to be like a carbon copy of 2023’s Extremely pill with an similar 14.6-inch OLED and slim aluminum physique, however the S10 Extremely has gotten an inside transform that includes a MediaTek processor. Nonetheless, this extra-large, extra-powerful, extra-costly pill, clearly designed for energy customers, feels a bit missing as knowledgeable instrument when there are nearly no apps that benefit from all it affords.

The OLED steals the present

For all intents and functions, the Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely is only a big display screen. It has a better than 90% screen-to-body ratio, identical to the Tab S9 Extremely. In reality, it may be laborious to inform the distinction between the brand new and outdated fashions, even when you will have them each sitting in entrance of you.

Bodily, little or no has modified in a yr. The Tab S10 Extremely has a 14.6-inch OLED panel at a powerful 1,848 x 2,960 decision with a 120Hz refresh price. There are units with larger pixel density, however the Tab S10 Extremely is spectacular given the dimensions (239 pixels per inch). At regular viewing distances, the show is completely sharp, and the brightness is an much more spectacular 930 nits. Once more, that is unchanged from final yr, however it’s nonetheless about twice the height brightness of the typical laptop computer show. Samsung did institute one minor display screen improve — an anti-reflective coating that makes the pill a bit simpler to learn in shiny circumstances.

The 16:10 side ratio is just like what we see on laptops, however at this measurement, it additionally makes the pill unusably awkward in portrait orientation. You may nonetheless flip it that method if you’d like, however it’s not a good suggestion. In order for you a extra adaptable pill, iPads have a comfortable 4:3 ratio. The Tab S10 Extremely is nice for watching video, although.

For $1,200, I’d anticipate the most effective of every thing in an Android pill, however there’s nonetheless a reasonably apparent cost-cutting measure right here. The fingerprint sensor on the precise facet of the display screen is optical as an alternative of ultrasonic, like Samsung’s flagship telephones. Which means it’s much less forgiving to moisture or smudges, and it lights up the room when scanning your finger. It’s moderately quick and correct, however it’s not what this costly pill deserves.

Samsung didn’t skimp with the audio system, that are once more a quad setup tuned by Samsung’s AKG subsidiary. I discovered the audio from these audio system to be higher than many laptops I’ve examined — they’re clear, loud, and keep away from distortion, even at excessive volumes. It’s too skinny to have a headphone jack, although.

The physique of the pill is aluminum with a clean matte end. It’s not slippery, however there’s little or no to carry onto. There’s nearly no seen bezel across the periphery, save for the notch on the high that makes room for the 2 front-facing cameras. The slim bezel is barely sufficient to carry the pill with out unintentionally touching the display screen. Whereas a bit extra bezel would make it extra snug to carry, the system is already so enormous I can perceive why Samsung stored it slim.

Along with being giant, the Tab S10 Extremely is heavy, tipping the scales at about 1.5 kilos (718g). That’s 139 grams greater than Apple’s largest 13-inch iPad Professional. Holding the Tab S10 Extremely is awkward except you will have one thing to assist help the burden, like your lap or a desk. Nonetheless, just a little clunkiness is value it to get this attractive OLED display screen in entrance of your face. It’s not probably the most handy slate to hold round, however in case you do, it can look nice nearly wherever, because of the super-bright display screen and low reflectivity.

Round again, the Tab S10 Extremely is fairly unremarkable. There are two rear-facing cameras, a 12MP vast and 8MP ultrawide. They’re about on par with a mid-range A collection Samsung cellphone, which makes them superb in comparison with different tablets. Subsequent to the cameras is a magnetic attachment for the S Pen stylus. When linked, it prices the battery to the superior Bluetooth options. Lining the stylus up with out wanting is a bit troublesome, however the magnets are robust. So long as you bear in mind which course the purpose faces, it is best to be capable of make it work.

Who wants Snapdragon?

I’ll admit to being just a little fearful about Samsung’s resolution to modify from Snapdragon to MediaTek for its flagship pill. In any case, different OEMs making that transition are doing so to economize on the expense of efficiency. Nonetheless, the Dimensity 9300 Plus on this system is on a distinct stage than the MediaTek chips you’ve in all probability used earlier than.

The 9300 Plus doesn’t have any small effectivity cores. As an alternative, it’s received all “large” cores — 4 Cortex X4 CPUs, together with one clocked at 3.4GHz, and 4 Cortex A720 cores backing them up. It additionally sports activities a 12-core Arm Immortalis GPU that may commerce blows with Qualcomm’s Adreno (and Mali help on most emulators is continually enhancing, too). In benchmarks, the Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely runs simply forward of final yr’s mannequin, which ran on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and competes very properly with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 contained in the Galaxy S24 Extremely (take into accout a pill is tougher to chill, too).

It seems to be just like the Dimensity chip received’t be as {powerful} as the brand new Snapdragon 8 Elite — if or when it will definitely makes its option to tablets — however the general thermal efficiency is strong. Samsung’s Qualcomm units usually undergo from heavy thermal throttling, however the losses for the MediaTek chip had been decrease. So, you may discover the Tab S10 Extremely’s efficiency in video games is nearly as good as the most effective Qualcomm has to supply.

I’ve been very pleased with the pill’s efficiency, even when operating a gaggle of apps in split-screen and floating home windows. There aren’t many video games on Android that decision for a giant pill, however this system ran every thing I threw at it with out breaking a sweat. It could actually even run Civilization 6 with all of the settings maxed with out overheating or lagging—a uncommon feat certainly. If solely there have been extra Android video games that benefitted from a giant display screen.

Battery life doesn’t appear to have taken a dive from the change to MediaTek, both. You should utilize the Tab S10 Extremely intermittently for a number of days earlier than it’s worthwhile to fear about plugging in — I often go three or 4 days between plugging in. Samsung didn’t improve the battery capability in any respect, so the pill remains to be sitting at 11,200mAh with 45W charging. The charging is a bit sluggish, and naturally, Samsung doesn’t embody a charger. Utilizing a USB PD PPS charger of 45W or larger, it takes nearly two hours to totally cost the Tab S10 Extremely. Sooner charging is one other of these nice-to-have options that actually should be included in a $1,200 pill.

Android big-screen blunders

Whereas Android 15 has began rolling out on the time of this writing, the Tab S10 Extremely just isn’t but prepared for the newest OS. It’s operating Android 14 with One UI 6.1 out of the field. It can get an replace to Android 15 within the close to future, and that’s not even near the tip for this pill. Samsung guarantees to offer safety patches and OS updates for seven years, by means of October 2031. That’s rather more help than you get on most Android units.

The model of One UI on this pill will probably be acquainted to anybody who’s used a current Samsung system. There are not any main adjustments, however some AI options are a bit extra distinguished. For instance, the Sketch to Picture function has migrated to the S Pen popup for simpler entry. In order for you Galaxy AI to rewrite textual content for you or get a abstract of notes, that’s all accessible on the Tab S10 Extremely, too.

Samsung features a raft of apps you in all probability don’t need out of the field — it’s not as dangerous as some cheaper units, however you’ll nonetheless should undergo and take away bloatware like Peacock and Samsung TV, except you need them. Apparently, Samsung has included a couple of third-party apps with newly acquired S Pen help, together with Clip Studio, Goodnotes, Noteshelf, and Sketchbook. It’s good to see Samsung making the stylus extra helpful, however a number of of the brand new choices are simply note-taking apps with much less integration than Samsung Notes, and nearly all of them value cash regardless of being pre-installed. I hope Samsung continues selling third-party S Pen help even when this batch of apps is a bit underwhelming.

In reality, the app state of affairs on Android tablets is usually irritating, however the challenge is much more apparent on an enormous pill like this. There have been too many instances once I opened an app on the Tab S10 Extremely to seek out not solely did it seem like a blown-up cellphone app, however it didn’t even work in panorama. It will be comical to see a mediocre app like Reddit blown as much as 14.6 inches if it wasn’t so miserable. Google-blessed Android tablets have existed for over a decade, and issues are nonetheless this dangerous? I don’t blame Samsung — it’s all on Google.

As revealed by Google’s current antitrust loss, the search big has managed to manage app distribution on Android despite the fact that the platform is nominally open. Google’s conniving and bullying successfully stopped any various to the Play Retailer from gaining traction, so Google owns the present state of Android apps. It primarily ignored something that wasn’t a cellphone for years, failing to provide builders steering or instruments to create large-screen experiences. And that is the outcome: a robust pill with a stunning display screen that’s caught operating cellphone apps.

Fortunately, Samsung’s multitasking system in One UI is great. You may run all these phone-optimized apps in floating home windows or in as much as three live-updating tiles, which makes them rather more usable. So, even when an app doesn’t have a correct pill interface, you don’t should make do with an obnoxiously inflated cellphone UI. It’s nonetheless an additional step, and it will be vastly preferable to have apps that had been designed with tablets in thoughts. Even whenever you split-screen cellphone apps on this huge pill, they appear outsized and inefficient.

Android is years behind Apple on pill help, and I don’t know if Google has the wherewithal to repair it. Relying on how the antitrust case shakes out, different app shops may get a giant enhance on Android. Possibly that’s what we have to brighten up Android growth and make tablets extra helpful. With advances in foldables, large-screen units are solely going to get extra frequent, and I imagine extra-large touchscreens are a sturdy computing kind issue that can solely change into extra essential sooner or later. We’d like functions that benefit from it. Yeah, Gmail and Samsung Notes work nice on tablets, however that may’t be all there may be.

Premium equipment for a premium slate

Once you purchase the Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely for $1,200, Samsung will attempt to upsell equipment just like the $200 keyboard case. I’ve been utilizing the case with this pill, and it appears well-made for probably the most half.

The magnets that maintain the pill in place are very robust, and the case closes securely across the slate. It feels safe contained in the case when you carry it round, and it makes an important stand — a stand on which you’ll sort. If it’s worthwhile to do a number of textual content entry on the Tab S10 Extremely, this might be a worthwhile accent, however odds are that you just don’t.

The keys are properly spaced and simple to learn, however the journey is minimal, and the underside is mushy. There’s no trackpad like some previous incarnations of Samsung’s pill instances, however the keyboard does have a Galaxy AI button. This might have been a helpful addition, however it doesn’t do a lot. As an alternative of launching the AI options in supported apps, it simply opens your chosen AI assistant just like the Copilot button on Home windows laptops.

One upshot right here is that the Tab S9 and S10 look so alike that the instances designed for every pill additionally work with the opposite. The AI button received’t work with the Tab S9 Extremely but, however Samsung guarantees an replace to deal with that. This spendy accent may work on future Samsung tablets, however there’s no assure. For instance, the Tab S8 instances didn’t match the Tab S9.

The case doesn’t add a lot, making an already costly pill much more difficult to justify. When you’re contemplating getting the pill and case for $1,400, you’d in all probability get extra use out of a laptop computer. The case and not using a keyboard remains to be fairly spendy at $100, however it ought to be equally well-constructed in case you want a conveyable stand.

It’s good that Samsung consists of the S Pen — Apple’s stylus prices an additional $100 on high of no matter you’re spending on a pill. This inductive stylus feels good within the hand and is concerning the measurement of your common ink pen. With the quick refresh price of the pill, the S Pen feels very responsive. The mushy tip additionally feels much less squirrelly on the display screen in comparison with the Apple Pencil.

The Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely doesn’t reinvent the wheel, however it’s nonetheless a powerful high-end Android pill. The shape issue is as compact as it may moderately be given the dimensions of the show, and the OLED itself is impeccable. The Tab S10 Extremely can be very snappy with that new MediaTek chip. Nonetheless, it’s additionally probably the most costly Android units that doesn’t fold in half.

Samsung’s tackle Android is a bit cluttered, however you’ll be glad to have the One UI multitasking system on this slate. It makes it simpler to benefit from all that display screen actual property with split-screen, saved app teams, floating apps, and extra. There aren’t very many apps that work properly on the Tab S10 Extremely’s big display screen, so app windowing is crucial. Samsung does this higher than anybody else, and also you get a beneficiant seven years of software program help.

In order for you an ultra-premium Android pill, Samsung is de facto the one recreation on the town. Do you really need that, although? It’s troublesome to examine a shopper who can purchase the Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely exterior of media addicts. Having a giant, stunning OLED display screen for video is nice, however Android remains to be missing tablet-optimized apps to make it actually helpful. Add the $200 keyboard case, and also you’re taking a look at $1,400 earlier than tax. It nearly goes with out saying, however Tab S9 Extremely house owners shouldn’t hassle upgrading.

At this value, you possibly can buy a succesful laptop computer and a less expensive pill (just like the Galaxy Tab S9 FE) that’s simply nearly as good for operating Android apps. There’s additionally the Tab S10 Plus ($999.99 at Samsung), which is simply as quick and well-designed, however it’s a bit smaller and cheaper. Nonetheless, there’s no common Tab S10 this time round, making the $1,000 Tab S10 Plus the most cost effective possibility. That’s nonetheless rather a lot for an Android pill, however you don’t lose something essential versus the Extremely, except you need a pill that may successfully double up as a conveyable TV.

The elephant within the room is the iPad Professional (2024) ($898.99 at Amazon), which isn’t fairly as huge because the Tab S10 Extremely even with the bigger 12.9-inch mannequin, however does blow it out of the water when it comes to energy and app help (even when iPadOS typically isn’t fairly as malleable). Simply anticipate to pay simply as a lot if no more whenever you begin including in Apple’s equipment.