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Very similar to its flagship slab telephones, Samsung has been having fun with a snug cushion on the earth of Android tablets. Nonetheless, that cushion could be beginning to put on skinny, leaving us to wonder if the Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely continues to be the perfect that cash should purchase.
Samsung made a few shocking choices with its flagship pill lineup, of which just one actually impacts the Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely. Dropping Qualcomm in favor of MediaTek was a daring alternative, however apart from that, it would appear like there’s probably not a lot of a distinction when in comparison with its predecessor. So let’s dive in and see whether or not that is the case or if there’s some form of hidden magic.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely: Value and availability
The Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely was introduced in September 2024 alongside the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, S24 FE, and Galaxy Watch FE. It is accessible in three totally different configurations, beginning with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, with a retail value of $1,199.99. The 12GB/512GB mannequin is available in at $1,319.99, whereas the 16GB/1TB variant will set you again $1,619.99.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely: Specs
| Class | Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely |
|---|---|
| Show | 14.6-inch AMOLED, 2960 x 1848 120Hz, 500 nits, 16:10 |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 9300 Plus |
| Reminiscence | 12GB / 16GB |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB (expandable by way of microSD) |
| Entrance Cameras | 12MP (vast) + 12MP (ultrawide) |
| Rear Cameras | 13MP (vast) + 8MP (ultrawide) |
| Battery | 11,200mAh w/ 45W Quick Charging |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7 / Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Audio | Quad AKG-tuned audio system |
| Safety | Optical Fingerprint scanner under-display |
| Dimensions | 326.4 x 208.6 x 5.4mm |
| Weight | 718 grams |
| Working System | One UI w/ Android 14 |
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely: What I like
It doesn’t matter what your emotions are on the subject of utilizing Android tablets, generally it is best when an organization acknowledges that it would not have to make any drastic design adjustments. That is precisely what Samsung has performed with the Tab S10 Extremely, because it looks like we simply have up to date internals packed within the identical shell from the Tab S9 Extremely.
Which means if you happen to’re upgrading from the earlier model, you will not should shell out a bunch of additional money for brand spanking new circumstances or equipment. This was one thing that drove me completely mad when Samsung went from the Tab S8 Extremely to the Tab S9 Extremely. Fortunately, it isn’t a problem this time round.
Externally, actually, all the things stays the identical, excluding the colours on the Tab S10 Extremely. The 14.6-inch AMOLED show is as lovely as ever, making it good for getting work performed, enjoying video games, or propping it as much as watch a film.
Oh yeah, and the S Pen continues to be included within the field, which was to be anticipated however continues to be welcome.
The most effective half is that the chances of what you are able to do with the Tab S10 Extremely are virtually countless. I’ve used it as an exterior monitor for each my desktop and gaming handheld, a wise dwelling dashboard, a digital pocket book, and extra. In truth, I am scripting this on the Tab S10 Extremely utilizing Samsung DeX, which is linked wirelessly to my 49-inch Samsung OLED ultrawide monitor.
It is a bit odd, certain, particularly as a result of the enormous 14.6-inch show is at present doubling as a large touchpad. That is as a result of this type of simply occurred on a whim, and the Extremely is linked to Samsung’s Guide Cowl Keyboard Slim (the one with no built-in trackpad.) In fact, connecting a mouse would make extra sense, however I form of like how I can simply attain up and have the world’s largest touchpad.
To rapidly recap, the Tab S10 Extremely is principally the Tab S9 Extremely that will get one additional 12 months of updates. Effectively, not precisely. In a transfer that also surprises me, Samsung went with the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 Plus as a substitute of the Snapdragon 8 Elite and even the 8 Gen 3.
However to be fairly trustworthy, aside from one very particular area of interest, you would not realize it. And that is a superb factor as a result of if that weren’t the case, Samsung would have a lot greater issues on its arms.
So why would Samsung transfer away from Qualcomm in favor of MediaTek? That is proper, you guessed it — AI. The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus and S10 Extremely are being touted as the corporate’s “first tablets purpose-built for AI.” However earlier than getting too forward of ourselves right here, let’s have a look at how the Dimensity 9300 Plus compares to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 from the Tab S9 Extremely:
| Check | Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely | Galaxy Tab S9 Extremely |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single-core) | 2021 | 2075 |
| Geekbench 6 (multi-core) | 6855 | 5505 |
| Geekbench AI (Quantized rating) | 2859 | 1672 |
Whereas single-core scores match up with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the Dimensity 9300 Plus destroys its competitor in multi-core Geekbench AI. Which simply so occurred to be the 2 key areas of focus when Samsung launched the Tab S10 Extremely.
Nonetheless, I’d go as far as to say that you simply would not discover a distinction if you happen to had been requested to make use of both of those in some kind of “blind take a look at.” On the one hand, that is nice, as it will be a really totally different story if Samsung’s flagship pill ended up performing worse. On the opposite, you would possibly’ve hoped to see extra of a soar within the single-core efficiency.
Particularly if you happen to occur to see what the Snapdragon 8 Elite can do within the Galaxy S25 with its 3,025 single-core rating and 9,640 multi-core rating. Thoughts you, that is for a telephone that prices $400 lower than the bottom mannequin Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely. Moreover, the 8 Elite launched after the Tab S10, so it is sensible we did not see it right here.
However, there’s virtually nothing to essentially complain about on the subject of efficiency. You will nonetheless get pleasure from Samsung’s suite of Galaxy AI options, paired fairly properly with Google Gemini. So, I can solely hope that Samsung has left sufficient overhead for another potential AI options that we’ll see within the years to return.
Oh, and bear in mind how I mentioned that Samsung primarily stored the design the identical because the Tab S9 Extremely? That additionally goes for the microSD card slot, which is a welcome inclusion on any system, not to mention one that may function a gaming and media playback behemoth.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely: What I do not like
Big screens and trackpads apart, my Tab S10 Extremely normally resides in DeX mode. I do not actually have a lot cause to ever return to “common” Android as a result of it is all icky and annoying there. Effectively, a minimum of for tablets of this dimension.
With Google lastly engaged on a correct desktop mode for Pixel units, it solely additional drives the purpose dwelling that sure Samsung tablets ought to default to DeX mode out of the field. And if would not need to do it for each pill, the Tab S Extremely ought to be the primary.
The normal Android expertise nonetheless would not work effectively on tablets and even foldable telephones. App scaling is bizarre; apps do not play good when going past the confines of a slender rectangle, and generally even the interface simply appears to be like odd. DeX solves most of these issues with somewhat assist from One UI.
It makes whole sense for Samsung to simply embrace the concept of the Tab S Extremely offering a Microsoft Floor expertise, powered by One UI and Android. Nonetheless, this leads me to a different situation that I hoped it will clear up however has but to take action.
Samsung must “borrow” Apple’s iPad Professional Magic Keyboard design.
I applaud the corporate for making it so you need to use the Tab S9 Extremely circumstances with the newer mannequin. Technically, there are two “new” keyboard circumstances that launched alongside the Tab S10 Extremely. However the one actual distinction is the addition of the Galaxy AI key subsequent to the arrow keys.
Sadly, you’ve a pill that may double as a laptop computer, however it’s arguably some of the uncomfortable “laptops” that you’re going to ever use. With the Guide Cowl Keyboard, all the things works tremendous, however strive utilizing it along with your Tab S10 Extremely in your lap, and you will instantly need to pull out your hair.
The Guide Cowl Keyboard Slim is barely higher, as it’s kind of extra inflexible than its counterpart. Nonetheless, you miss out on the trackpad, which is okay in some situations however is not the perfect expertise for everybody.
Every time I get a brand new Android system, whether or not it is a telephone, pill, or gaming handheld, the very first thing I attempt to do is see how effectively it may possibly deal with emulation. Most trendy units can deal with as much as PS2 video games pretty simply. The actual take a look at is seeing how effectively Swap emulation performs.
That is the place my first annoyance concerning the transfer to MediaTek got here to thoughts after I heard the rumors. Graphics drivers for MediaTek units are… effectively… they simply do not fairly stack as much as Qualcomm. They will simply deal with techniques with mature emulators, however when you begin stepping into Swap and Home windows emulation, it is a completely totally different story.
I will not bore you with the main points, however principally, Qualcomm units permit for using {custom} driver assist and Vulkan extensions. When you ever hear about “Turnip” drivers, these are custom-compiled drivers which might be utilized in quite a lot of emulators, together with Swap, 3DS, PS Vita, and others.
These drivers can supply improved compatibility together with elevated efficiency, which sounds nice! Till you study that you simply will not have the ability to use these {custom} drivers with MediaTek’s Mali drivers. This finally signifies that if you happen to attempt to emulate one among your favourite Swap video games solely to see that it will get between 10-15fps, you are merely out of luck.
There’s yet another factor concerning the Tab S10 Extremely that continues to bug me. For no matter cause, Samsung’s “Extremely” pill is not accessible with a mobile connection. This has bugged me for the previous couple of iterations, however after studying that these in Europe can select between having Wi-Fi or mobile, I used to be hopeful that the S10 Extremely could be a deviation from that sample.
Certain, it isn’t an issue with the Galaxy S10 Plus, so if you happen to really need cellular connectivity, that is nonetheless an choice. However what about these of us preferring the bigger show? Particularly contemplating that the S10 Extremely is basically a super-sized and Android-powered Floor Professional.
I perceive that it will solely make this already-expensive system price much more. However on the similar time, I do not perceive Samsung’s rationale on the subject of limiting or holding options from its “Extremely” units.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely: The competitors
For the primary time in just a few years, I really feel like there’s some actual competitors within the higher-end Android pill house. Whereas nothing else can actually match up by way of the show, there are actually choices that may sustain with Samsung’s flagship tablets.
The OnePlus Pad 2 is the primary that involves thoughts, merely due to how a lot of an enchancment it’s over the earlier mannequin. We have now the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, a stunning 3K LCD panel (which is nice for PWM), and Open Canvas gives a distinct tackle multitasking. Plus, even if you happen to resolve to choose up the Stylo 2 and Sensible Keyboard, it would nonetheless price you lower than the Tab S10 Extremely.
It is a related story, a minimum of on paper, with the Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus. This was introduced at CES 2025 and has flown below the radar a bit, however possibly that may quickly change. Lenovo, too, opted in opposition to going with the Snapdragon 8 Elite however as a substitute depends on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. You will additionally get pleasure from a 12.7-inch 3K show with a 144Hz refresh price and 16GB of RAM. Lenovo contains each a stylus and a removable keyboard within the field.
Final however actually not least is the large elephant within the room, Apple’s iPad Professional. It has all the things you would need from a laptop computer substitute — an enormous and vibrant display, a superb keyboard, and you may even get mobile if you’d like. Nonetheless, the most important caveat is that it is working iPadOS, and whereas that could be nice for some, I nonetheless want Apple would give us macOS on this {hardware}.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely: Must you purchase it?
You can purchase this if…
- You need the most important pill that cash should purchase
- You desire a pill that may change your laptop computer
- You are already entrenched within the Samsung ecosystem
You should not purchase this if…
- You are on a finances
- You desire a pill with mobile connectivity
- You do not want a display this large
- You need to get pleasure from retro emulation and want the perfect compatibility
- You have already got the Galaxy Tab S9 Extremely
Frankly, the Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely is not for everybody. That assertion could be true even when we had the Snapdragon 8 Elite or 8 Gen 3 over the Dimensity 9300+. It is cumbersome to make use of as a conventional pill, although the 14.6-inch show is ideal for media consumption and enjoying video games.
When you had been to ask me for a advice, I might most likely inform you to simply get the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus. With the additional cash saved, you would spring for extra storage or seize one with mobile connectivity. Nonetheless, even that opens one other can of worms if you go searching at competing tablets with a similarly-sized display.
That being mentioned, there is a cause we selected this because the greatest pill of 2024. There’s nothing fairly like having a tool of this dimension powered by Android. When you do resolve to choose up the Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely, I extremely advocate enabling DeX as quickly as you get all the things arrange. It simply makes extra sense than being confined to the standard Android UI.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely
Samsung packed the Galaxy Tab S10 Extremely to the gills with as many options because it may, with out altering the design only for the sake of it. However we’re not completely certain about how effectively this behemoth of a pill will fare with MediaTek working the ship as a substitute of Qualcomm.
