The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is a powerful and versatile tablet that's a great option for work or entertainment with decent multi-tasking and a few useful AI features. A few awkward design choices and a long list of controls means the tablet has a steep learning curve, however.
- Great for multitasking
- Useful AI tools
- Fast performance
- Pricey
- Awkward to use in portrait mode
- S Pen placement
Tablets are sometimes an odd product because they can wear so many hats. Is it a much much larger phone? Smaller, lighter laptop? An overpowered hub for managing your smart home?
After just over a week with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus I’ve been able to conclude it's a fairly solid entry into into the tablet market. In the short time, I’ve had with the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus I've come to appreciate its versatility.
There's definitely more to like than dislike about the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus but it's the kind of device you should really take the time to think about before making a purchase.
What we like about the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus
S Pen stylus. Again, tablets can wear so many hats and one of the most important tools is a stylus. Thankfully unlike most tablets in this price range, the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus comes with the S Pen. At nearly the $2,000 mark you shouldn’t have to fork out an additional $200 for another way to interact with your device. The S Pen is powerful, not only can you use it to write and select with the button you can quickly launch an app or hold the button down to use Air Commands. These are limited to certain apps but add another way to navigate around the device without having to touch the screen. They're only limited by the learning curve.
Embedded fingerprint scanner. The fingerprint scanner is such a must-have on a tablet that you don’t quite realise you want it until it’s available to you. It’s nice and easy to reach in either orientation and just makes unlocking the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus that much smoother.
Performance. The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus handles nicely. I didn’t notice any lag during my time with it. Playing games like Marvel Snap and Magic the Gathering worked a treat. I did notice very light warmth after a few minutes of playing the latter but this one concentrated in one corner of the device, it never got hotter and after a few minutes it actually cooled down again while still running the game.
Battery life. With a 10,090mAh battery, the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus promises up to 16 hours of video playback. With use as a secondary or tertiary device, this feels about right. I was able to get use across two and a half days without draining the battery to zero with a mix of playing games and doing work.
AI features. To say AI is having its moment is an understatement with just about every device manufacturer, piece of hardware and software integrating it in some way. The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus and its Ultra sibling are the first Galaxy Tablet products to launch with Galaxy AI. Some of these naturally fall into the gimmick bucket - looking at you "Sketch to Image". But others like auto-formatting note text or translation work really well across typed text and even handwritten text, although your mileage may vary - my handwriting really needs improvement.
Size. With 12.4 inches of screen space, the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is a hefty device. Unlike smaller tablets, this means it actually lends itself to properly multi-tasking in the split view. I especially liked being able to have an auxiliary app music or video on one side and then my document open across the other two-thirds of the screen, big enough to actually keep working.
What we dislike about the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus
Size. Also a problem. Now this one can sort of be forgiven, it is after all a Plus model, but there is some awkwardness to get used to. The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is quite wide when placed horizontally and almost too tall when used vertically. The latter can be especially strange as you can’t rest the device on your arm as well in the other orientation. So the weight is all in your hand but then you have to press buttons and access settings at the top of the screen, it makes for a slightly odd writing experience. Some of this can be negated by learning the S Pen air command.
S Pen placement. While the S Pen can magnetically cling to some sides of the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, its proper home for wireless charging is on the back of the device. This is where the magnetisation is also the strongest. Without a permanent home on the sides of the device, I was prone to losing the S Pen - reaching for it on the back to find it left behind somewhere or looking around on my desk only to remember I had returned it to the spot on the back. It also makes placing the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus down on a surface slightly awkward.
Price. At $1,799 the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is not a cheap piece of tech, at the same price as some laptops. So you'll really want to consider how much you'll use it before making the purchase. I tend to find every tablet I've ever used has gone the same way - a powerhouse relegated to the same function as a Kobo or another screen to watch Netflix in bed. Last year's Galaxy Tab S9 Plus is considerably cheaper now and you won't lose many of the features available on the 10.
Other odds and ends
Set up. The onboarding for the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus was slightly odd with it feeling like I got through all the set-up screens with none of the information. Certain settings such as swipe to split view or setting up the fingerprint were things I had to go through and find and turn on rather than being able to set them up at the start. I wasn't guided through S Pen settings and air commands. I suppose in a way that's what the Tips app is for, but I would've found some more handholding during the set-up would've helped me acclimatise to the device faster.
Camera. As with last year’s S9 Plus, this year's edition comes with a 13MP main camera and 8MP ultra-wide. On the front, there's a 12MP main camera and 12MP front ultra-wide camera which was available on the Ultra model last year. The cameras function as well as you’d expect for a tablet. Perfectly sufficient for scanning documents, or making a video call, if needed. For anyone who expects to do anything more or really wants to use their tablet for photography, I ask why. Why are you doing that? Stop that.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus - Final Thoughts
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is a powerhouse if you need it for work or a great option for entertainment on the go. While introducing Galaxy AI, Samsung has included a couple of genuinely useful tools alongside a few novel ones. If you're a serious Android tablet user then the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is a great option to upgrade to.
Those who haven't used a tablet before should remain wary as it doesn't come cheap, and with a steep learning curve to really get the most from the Tab S10 Plus. It's good, but it runs the risk of being that big expensive purchase that ends up collecting dust on a shelf.
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