Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus review: a performance powerhouse for artists

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus: One-minute review

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is nan champion of some worlds, sitting betwixt a telephone and a laptop. It has perks if you for illustration penning text, pinch its included S Pen stylus, and it aces tasks that return advantage of everything nan stylus has to offer. But to nan casual consumer, these specialized features would apt beryllium a waste, and I'd alternatively push you successful nan guidance of nan Tab A series.

The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus has exceptionally rich | sound to lucifer its beautiful AMOLED display, and it's comfortable capable to clasp for a while successful its scenery shape factor. It's nary astonishment that streaming contented and listening to euphony pinch nan Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is truthful satisfying.

Close rivals, peculiarly from Apple, besides do this exceptionally well, and nan Galaxy Tab S10 Plus's $999.99 / £999 / AU$1,799 value constituent puts it successful heated title pinch Apple’s iPad Pro ($999 / £999 / AU$1,699). Still, pinch nan included S Pen stylus, and immoderate retailers offering nan Galaxy Tab keyboard arsenic a bundle prize , nan Tab S10 Plus looks for illustration a amended woody all-around.

Samsung still sells nan Galaxy Tab S9 Plus, and its value is now much accessible, moreover though that tablet is simply a procreation old. But if you want nan best, you'll want nan Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, and if you want a bigger screen, past see nan Tab S10 Ultra, which is nan aforesaid tablet conscionable bigger.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus: value and availability

• $999.99 / £999 RRP / AU$1,799 for nan 256GB / 12GB RAM model
• 256GB, 12GB RAM and 512GB, 12GB RAM retention options available
• Wi-Fi and 5G options disposable successful Moonstone Gray and Platinum Silver colorways (not each colorways disposable successful each markets)

You get what you salary for pinch nan Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus. The large, 12.4-inch surface surpasses astir of its competitors (the similarly-priced iPad Pro is 11-inches), and if that is someway not large enough, there's besides nan larger S10 Ultra (14.6-inches) to consider. The processing powerfulness – underpinned by a Mediatek Dimensity 9300+ SoC – is much than capable for an all-purpose device, but is particularly tin erstwhile utilized to beryllium creative.

If you’re much concerned astir price, I would promote you to see nan Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus, arsenic it has received a value driblet now that it's not nan pick of nan crop. If you're a much casual personification that doesn't request an creation slate, you should see thing acold little powerful, specified arsenic nan Google Pixel Tablet (it’s still my prime of nan bunch for my style of tablet use), aliases nan 10th-generation iPad.

The Tab S10 Plus includes an S Pen arsenic good arsenic Samsung’s Galaxy AI suite of features, though these whitethorn eventually costs a premium astatine nan extremity of 2025. Some retailers are including nan Book Cover Keyboard attachment arsenic a bundle, which makes nan Tab S10 Plus an moreover much charismatic imaginable and possibly a laptop replacement. Samsung has offered this bundle pinch its tablets earlier and it’s a wonderment they don’t conscionable make it a portion of each purchase.

The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is still admittedly expensive. It costs arsenic must arsenic a 13-inch MacBook Air or a Microsoft Surface Pro 11. It's a superb device, but casual users should steer clear – it's much powerful (and much expensive) than you need. Professionals, this is for you.

• Value: 5/5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus: specs

Though Samsung elected to usage nan Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor successful nan Galaxy Tab S9 family, nan tech elephantine has amazingly chosen nan Mediatek Dimensity 9300+ for nan Galaxy Tab S10 Plus. It’s a confusing move that further separates its high-end smartphones from its high-end tablets. This year's tablet still launches astatine nan aforesaid value arsenic past year's.

I ne'er noticed capacity lacking. Putting speedy images together successful Canva, editing photos successful Google Photos, and trimming and cutting up clips successful CapCut ne'er resulted successful immoderate hangups. Comparing capacity done benchmarks, nan Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor doesn't person a immense advantage. The Mediatek 9300+ spot performed amended than, if not adjacent to, nan Snapdragon connected each test.

It’s worthy noting that nan Tab S10 Plus besides comes pinch a MicroSD paper slot successful lawsuit you want to bump up nan retention capacity aliases if you want to quickly transportation photos complete from a camera. Additionally, during my testing complete 2 weeks, I only charged nan Tab S10 Plus a fistful of times and it ne'er felt for illustration I needed to complaint it each night. With specified a large artillery inside, charging speeds weren’t arsenic speedy arsenic a smartphone, and 30 minutes was only capable to bump it up from 20% to 54%.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus: display

• Huge, agleam show pinch tons of detail
• Great abstraction for multitasking
• Four beardown speakers placed astir nan device

I can’t responsibility nan Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus connected its show – it’s superb and easy ranks among the champion tablets arsenic acold arsenic visuals spell (though nan Tab S10 Ultra takes nan Tab S10 Plus’s 12.4-inch surface and bumps it up to 14.6-inches).

The contented I watched connected nan Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus included various Twitch streams, YouTube videos, Mad Max: Fury Road and Arcane connected Netflix, and Avengers Endgame and Light and Magic connected Disney+. At nary constituent did thing look bad, blurry aliases washed out, pinch nan show much than tin of showing capable colour and creating capable ray to capable an absorbing scene.

Outside of simply describing nan display, Samsung’s attack to multitasking is 2nd to none. The state you’re fixed to set apps moving concurrently, side-by-side connected nan screen, pinch easy adjustable boundaries, feels for illustration nan existent laptop-rivaling characteristic of nan Galaxy Tab S series.

To lucifer nan beardown display, nan 4 speakers located astir nan instrumentality connection powerful, room-filling sound. Every portion of contented I viewed felt for illustration it had nan audio to match. While cleaning my house, playing Spotify from nan tablet sounded balanced to utilizing a smart speaker pinch a screen.

• Display: 5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus: design

• Slightly slimmer than nan Tab S9 Plus
• S Pen attachment is simply a spot overseas connected nan back
• Feels awkward successful image orientation

It’s nan Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus’s breadstuff and food to beryllium big, pinch a beautiful show to lucifer and powerful capacity for immoderate task. But parts of nan creation feel… Too big. Big is bully for a tablet positioned arsenic a powerful laptop rival and creator tool, but immoderate elements consciousness for illustration they’re rubbing up against others.

It’s difficult to usage nan tablet successful image mode, which I for illustration erstwhile reference news articles online and taking notes. The backmost of nan tablet looks bully but it isn't easy to clasp successful image orientation. The charging area for nan S Pen, located connected nan back, feels unsmooth against my fingers whether aliases not nan pen is magnetically attached. Trying to get a amended grip from nan different extremity caused my manus to travel into interaction pinch nan cameras, resulting successful a akin manus emotion issue.

The pen charging connected nan backmost of nan instrumentality is different issue. When nan pen is attached, nan tablet won’t beryllium level connected its back. Though nan pen tin magnetically connect to nan separator of nan display, it will not complaint location – but astatine slightest it's retired of nan way.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is meant to beryllium utilized successful scenery orientation, pinch nan selfie camera located successful nan apical middle, which is perfect for video calling. This mode feels perfectly comfortable.

• Design: 3/5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus: software

• Brilliant tablet performance
• Operating strategy is nicely designed
• Not arsenic casual arsenic an iPad aliases Pixel Tablet

Samsung’s attack to tablets is astir apt my favorite. Having a persistent app tray astatine nan bottommost of nan surface conscionable rocks, particularly for quickly switching betwixt windows. I could get a batch of activity done connected nan Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, but it still has quirks present and location that make it a spot little user-friendly than its rivals.

My emotion for nan Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus’ package mostly stems from multitasking. Being capable to person 2 apps unfastened concurrently, for example, having Spotify unfastened connected 1 broadside and Canva connected nan other, is brilliant. The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus fto maine resistance windows freely astir nan surface to beryllium placed wherever I want. I could besides link nan tablet to a show to alteration Samsung DeX, which makes nan interface look a spot much for illustration a desktop.

Samsung’s Galaxy AI suite is unimpressive. Circle to Search, which lets maine circle thing connected nan surface to instantly hunt for it pinch Google is thing I usage rather a lot, but I can’t deliberation of a azygous different AI characteristic that I enjoyed using.

A batch of nan features, specified arsenic Note Assist and Sketch to Image, are absorbing for a infinitesimal but are yet inconsequential. The AI image generator feels peculiarly tacked on.

Handwriting Help, exclusive to nan Notes app, is simply a useful characteristic for characteristic nickname pinch nan S Pen, cleaning up and aligning your pen handwriting and making it easier to read. A elemental click successful nan app and your handwritten notes will person to text. You tin besides person penning to matter connected nan fly, arsenic you write.

As you'd expect, nan Galaxy Tab S10 Plus aces its stylus support. It has bully thenar rejection, truthful I was much comfortable drawing. Navigating betwixt devices feels elemental successful Samsung's autochthonal drafting and penning apps.

• Software: 4/5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus: performance

• Galaxy S Pen feels awesome in-hand
• Doesn’t consciousness slow contempt axing nan Snapdragon chip

Not erstwhile did I person a problem pinch nan capacity of nan Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus. Capable of smoothly moving each exertion I opened, including Canva, Spotify, Twitter (X), Messenger, Instagram, Samsung Notes, PENUP, Google Photos, Netflix, Disney+ and Crossy Road, the Tab S10 Plus handled everything a powerfulness personification would want.

That’s a relief, considering Samsung skipped nan Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, aft including nan erstwhile Snapdragon successful nan Galaxy Tab S9 Plus. Instead, this tablet is underpinned by a Mediatek Dimensity 9300+, which doesn’t skip a beat.

Creating and editing images connected Canva was an exceptionally fluid acquisition and nan exertion was responsive and accelerated nan full clip – moreover pinch Spotify moving successful nan background. The aforesaid tin beryllium said for editing pics via Google Photos aliases penning pinch Samsung Notes: nary hold-ups whatsoever.

• Performance: 5/5

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus: battery

• Gigantic all-day battery
• Faster charging would beryllium nice

The mighty 10,090 mAh Li-Po artillery successful nan Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is truthful immense that, during my review, I seldom had to complaint it.

You’d evidently expect this from a instrumentality pinch specified a ample battery, but it comes pinch nan evident drawback of slower charging. From 0%, nan tablet took 1 hr and 50 minutes to return to 100% charge.

In testing nan artillery against a reasonably agelong movie, Avengers Endgame, nan tablet drained to 59% aft 3 hours of watching. Despite a displacement to MediaTek, it doesn’t look nan Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is much powerfulness quiet than erstwhile generations.

• Battery: 5/5

Should you bargain nan Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus?

Buy it if…

Don’t bargain it if…

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How I tested nan Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus

From nan infinitesimal I received nan Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, I replaced my 2nd monitor, a mini 11-inch touchscreen monitor, pinch it arsenic my companion screen, utilizing it for Spotify, scrolling societal media, and streaming contented while I worked astatine my desk.

My clip pinch nan Tab S10 Plus didn’t see all-hours use, but I did find clip to edit images pinch it via Google Photos and Canva. I edited a video pinch it successful CapCut and streamed a batch of movies and TV shows pinch nan device. As acold arsenic games went, I mostly played Crossy Road.

I brought nan Tab S10 Plus pinch maine connected a travel to spot my family wherever it functioned arsenic a bully distraction for my niece. On this trip, I touched guidelines pinch friends connected Messenger and Instagram and doomscrolled connected societal media often.

For artillery testing, I avoided charging nan tablet arsenic overmuch arsenic I could, and ran my modular Avengers Endgame beginning-to-end trial person to nan extremity of my reappraisal period. I’d cheque successful connected nan tablet’s artillery now and past connected days wherever I wasn’t utilizing it much, and kept an oculus connected it connected days wherever I was. I besides depleted nan artillery successful its entirety and timed really agelong it took to complaint to 100%.

Most of my capacity relied connected real-world usage comparative to really I usage tablets successful my day-to-day life.