Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra 5G Review: What a machine!

I've been using Samsung's latest Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra 5G, a mean machine that's a giant slab of metal and glass beautifully fused together demonstrating Samsung's engineering prowess. It's been two weeks with this bad boy and it has been put through various tests and trials to assess its use-case, but more importantly, if it lives up to the hype.

Samsung launched the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra a month ago, carrying a premium price tag of Rs. 1,08,999 for the base model and it goes as high as Rs 1,33,999. You get to pick a Wi-Fi model or 5G variant with 12GB+256GB or 12GB+512GB configurations. And courtesy of Samsung, we got the 12GB+256GB 5G model in Moonstone Gray for testing. It's priced at Rs 1,22,999. Let's see what this machine is truly made of.

Samsung Galaxy S10 Ultra 5G: Key features

1. Display: 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2960x1848 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate
2. Processor: 2GHz MHz octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 9300+
3. RAM: 12 GB
4. Storage: 256GB/512GB expandable up to 1.5TB
5. Cameras: 13MP+ 8MP rear camera & 12MP + 12MP front camera
6. Battery: 11,200 mAh with fast charging
7. Connectivity: Wi-Fi, 5G, USB Type-C, GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct
8. Sensors: Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, fingerprint sensor, gyroscope
9. Colors: Moonstone Gray, Platinum Silver
10. Dimensions: 208.60 x 326.40 x 5.40 mm
11. Weight: 718 g (Wi-Fi variant), 723 g (5G variant)

Unboxing: Samsung continues the minimalistic, eco-friendly packaging for the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, which means no plastic and no adapter. You get the tablet, an S Pen, a USB Type-C data cable and an eject PIN. Watch the unboxing video below:

Design

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra's 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display is the highlight of the design, framed by ultra-slim bezels that give it a sleek and modern look. At just over 5mm in thickness, this tablet strikes a balance between size and portability, though its substantial 700g weight and wide frame may not suit for one-handed use.

Samsung uses Armor Aluminum in construction, which adds durability, and the IP68 rating means it's water- and dust-resistant—ideal for users on the go. Despite the durability, I'd advise using a case to add a bit of thickness as it would get easier to carry it around or even lifting it without efforts when placed on a tabletop.

The lock/power and volume buttons are placed on the top when held horizontally. This positioning is Samsung's subtle way of pushing users to use it this way, which makes sense as most tasks are best handled in that orientation. Be it gaming or consuming multimedia, the speakers are positioned strategically to give you the best audio output. Even the magnetic connectors are at the bottom to connect your keyboard case. Interestingly, the right way of holding the tablet vertically is by putting that camera notch to the right and make sure the Type-C port is at the bottom. Wonder why? Well, there's a fingerprint scanner placed at the bottom when held vertically, but it goes on the right in the horizontal position.

On the rear, there are dual cameras sitting individually and along the same line you'll find the magnetic holder for your S-Pen and Samsung's logo. The antenna lines do not disrupt the tablet's aesthetics in anyway.

The tablet comes in Moonstorm Gray and Platinum Silver, and we got the former, exudes a premium feel and look.

Display

The display quality on the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is exceptional and my favourite part of the tablet. Complete with a 2960 x 1848 resolution and vibrant colors typical of AMOLED screens. It's a dream device for media consumption, gaming, and creative tasks.

One standout feature is the anti-reflective coating, a blessing for anyone using the tablet in bright environments. Using the tablet outdoors on a bright sunny Sunday was effortless. Additionally, the tablet also gets HDR10+ support for that rich contrast and depth in compatible content.

If you're after a really good tablet to consume multimedia, the Tab S10 Ultra is the ultimate choice. Even gamers and artists will find this display to be remarkable. So that's the target audience for the Tab S10 Ultra.

Performance

Under the hood, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra packs the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 Plus chipset with 12GB of RAM, and this setup ensured smooth performance while gaming, multitasking, or handling intensive applications. Having used the tablet daily, there were no hiccups whatsoever. It handled apps and multi-tasking with ease. Running graphics-intense games wasn't too hard on the chipset as well. The positioning of the fingerprint scanner may be a bit odd, but it works efficiently. I'd rather have it on the side panel, but given the large size of this tablet, locating it would be a problem. So, Samsung did the right thing. 

The tablet comes with generous storage options, starting from 256GB up to 1TB, with a microSD card slot allowing for up to an extra 1.5TB of storage. Samsung sent us the 512GB variant, and that's a lot of space to fill during the review period. But the best part of this tablet is it came with 5G compatibility, so if you have a SIM in, you'll be connected on the go. The ease of attending con-calls, continuing online projects and editing a copy on CMS was all seamless.

To make sure the tablet is designed to handle all tasks without breaking a sweat, Samsung's advanced cooling system ensures cooling during extended use. That sizable vapor chamber on that massive tablet prevented overheating at all times.

S-Pen

The S Pen is a standout feature on the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, which attaches magnetically to the back of the tablet for wireless charging. After using it for various tasks, doodling and all, it's clearly highly responsive, making it ideal for note-taking, sketching, and more.

The low latency and pressure sensitivity of this S-Pen makes all the difference, even professionals will agree. As usual, there is the Air Command menu to quickly access features like Smart Select and Screen Write.

Software

Samsung's One UI 6.1 over Android 14 is super clean and intuitive with plenty of customizable options. Yes, there are some pre-loaded Samsung apps that serve as an alternative to Google's suite, but they have their own value. More importantly, the entire AI suite has been retained, and it makes more sense on this tablet than on a phone, especially that drawing assist feature. There's just so much you can do with Galaxy AI on this massive screen.

One UI's multitasking capabilities truly shine on the S10 Ultra, with support for split-screen mode that allows up to three apps at once. The Samsung DeX mode takes things a step further, transforming the tablet into a laptop-like setup, complete with taskbars and resizable windows when paired with a keyboard cover, which is sold separately.

Battery

The 11,200mAh battery inside the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is a strong USP. It lasts really long if the tablet is used like a tablet. But if you're spending all day on the tablet, it will easily surpass your daily needs with some juice left for the next day as well. In our tests, if offered around 8 to 9 hours of screen-on time in mixed-use scenarios.

But that massive battery is no match for the 45W fast-charging capability. It takes about two hours to fully charge the tablet, which is acceptable for a device of this size.

Cameras

This tablet gets two cameras on the back and two on the front, which is already an upgrade for a tablet. With that 13MP wide and 8MP ultra-wide lenses on the back, you can actually take photos that aren't tablet quality. Of course, it is most suitable for document scanning and works well in low light as well.

The front cameras work perfectly for video-conferencing, offering clear imagery. It can be better than your laptop as well. Even when I wasn't on the move, I chose taking con-calls on the Tab S10 Ultra, which is quite a complement.

Verdict

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is an impressive piece of tech, with a design and performance that rivals many laptops. It has a beautiful display, powerful chipset, advanced S Pen features, and versatile software, which makes it an excellent choice for productivity and entertainment.

The sleek design looks very premium, but it may not be the most ideal device for prolonged one-handed use. However, if you're looking for a high-end tablet, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra checks all the right boxes.