The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 is a good pill with a giant downside

The Galaxy Tab S11 is Samsung’s bread-and-butter pill. It’s not the most cost effective or the costliest in its vary, so it ought to be all issues to most individuals. Sadly, Samsung faces an issue, and it’s the value. Can the Galaxy Tab S11 tackle the cheaper competitors?

7/10

Storage

128, 256, or 512GB

Working System

Android 16

Battery

8,400mAh

Show kind

Dynamic AMOLED 2X

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11’s skinny and light-weight chassis, lovely display screen, good efficiency, and slick software program makes it a superb multimedia machine I’ve loved utilizing. However all this may be mentioned about its cheaper competitors too.

Execs & Cons

• Skinny and light-weight
• Gorgeous AMOLED display screen
• Software program works properly on a pill display screen
• S Pen included

• Gradual battery charging
• Gradual fingerprint sensor
• Disappointing audio

Specs, worth, and availability

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 is that can be purchased now, and is available in three completely different variations. The usual 128GB model prices $800, the 256GB prices $860, and the highest 512GB is $980. Whereas these are the total retail costs, the Galaxy Tab S11 is usually included in Samsung’s common particular offers, and it might be price ready for a lower cost earlier than shopping for.

Slick and trendy design

High quality {hardware}

Samsung will get off to begin with the Galaxy Tab S11, because it’s a wonderful piece of {hardware}. At 5.5mm thick and 461 grams, the aluminum physique isn’t fatiguing to carry, and it slips right into a bag with out being too heavy or ungainly.

The rear has a single digital camera and antenna traces for the 5G connection, and it is available in both gray or silver colours. It’s not eye-catching, however the understated simplicity makes it trendy and mature. An IP68 mud and water resistance makes it sturdy, and ready for use in most rooms in the home with out a lot concern.

This consolation and comfort is a big a part of the Galaxy Tab S11’s attraction, as I might watch movies and play video games with out feeling like I wished to relaxation the pill on one thing after some time. The 11-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display screen is simply the appropriate measurement, too. The slender bezels nonetheless present house to carry the pill with out significantly intruding on the display screen.

There are two foremost downsides associated to the design. The primary is the usage of an in-display fingerprint sensor, which I discover sluggish to react and fewer handy to shortly find than these inside the facility key. There’s a face unlock choice, however digital camera placement means it’s not a lot sooner than the fingerprint sensor.

The opposite is the facility key and quantity controls, that are set nearly flush in opposition to the skinny chassis, fairly low down the facet, and have the identical colour and texture. It’s much less intuitive to seek out than if they’re mounted nearer to the nook, and had some type of visible or tactile trace as to the place they’re. I’m continuously feeling my method across the slate, solely to nonetheless miss them.

Visuals and efficiency

Excellent for on a regular basis use

For some motive, Samsung doesn’t promote what processor is contained in the Galaxy Tab S11, however MediaTek makes it clear it’s the Dimensity 9400+ powering the pill, full with 12GB of RAM and 128GB of space for storing.

As talked about above, the display screen is a Dynamic AMOLED 2X, that means it has a 120Hz refresh charge, HDR10+ help, and is able to excessive brightness, good distinction ranges, and vivid colours. It’s the identical kind of display screen discovered on Samsung’s Galaxy S25 sequence telephones.

I’ve left the display screen in its Vivid setting, and love the way in which colours pop off the display screen even at half brightness. Movies look glorious, and I’ve been utilizing it as a second show subsequent to my pc, the place my eyes are continuously drawn to how crisp and shiny it seems, and the way broad the viewing angle is.

Enjoying video games like Asphalt Legends: Unite and Hill Climb Racing 3 exhibits the processor simply handles common video games, and every seems good on the large display screen. Samsung’s Sport Booster mode is offered for extra intensive video games.

There are 4 audio system on the chassis, and at cheap volumes they sound good, with a large soundstage and loads of element. Nevertheless, they battle at something above half-volume, with a harsh, tinny sound coming by way of.

It’s straightforward to cowl two of the audio system if you maintain the pill in panorama orientation, muffling the sound slightly, however this isn’t an issue distinctive to the Galaxy Tab S11. You gained’t discover niceties like Dolby, Hello-Res Audio, or any technique to tune the audio both. Audio is probably the most disappointing a part of the Galaxy Tab S11’s multimedia capability.

What’s the software program like?

Surprisingly good

Android 16 with Samsung’s One UI 8 is put in, similar to a lot of the model’s trendy smartphones, and it’s a really related expertise. One UI has been refined and improved over the previous couple of years, and model 8 is likely one of the best-looking, least intrusive, and easiest to be taught interfaces for Android obtainable.

It’s additionally actually well-suited to tablets. The cut up display screen mode is intuitive — simply drag an icon from the taskbar to open it — with easy-to-access buttons to stack two home windows side-by-side or on high of one another. The Settings menu defaults to a large, side-by-side look, making it quick and easy to seek out what you need.

It comes with a number of pre-loaded apps that are suited to tablets and the included S Pen stylus, however they’re a combined bag. AI workspace Notion and GoodNotes present restricted free variations, however LumaFusion (an admittedly glorious cell video editor) and Clip Studio Paint have a price connected.

The app you need to pay most consideration to is Samsung’s PenUp, which has a enjoyable mode that replicates these common coloring books for adults, and it’s not solely actually enjoyable, nevertheless it additionally exhibits off the S Pen’s sensitivity and accuracy. There are a number of app double-ups too, together with Samsung’s personal net browser and Chrome, plus each the Galaxy App Retailer and the Google Play Retailer.

I’ve principally used the Galaxy Tab S11 for media, shopping, some video games, and some too many hours within the PenUp app, and the software program has been clean and dependable. Samsung guarantees updates will proceed till 2032.

Battery and charging

Nice for at-home use

The Galaxy Tab S11 has an 8,400mAh battery, and I’ve fortunately used the pill for days in a row with out recharging it, normally with an hour or two of display screen time per day. The screen-off standby time doesn’t appear to be as prolonged as that of a OnePlus pill, the place the software program has been tuned to final for months when in standby.

The battery lasted 10.5 hours on a full cost when operating a 1440p YouTube video at full brightness, down from Samsung’s estimate of 18 hours utilizing a regionally saved 720p video. Nevertheless, 10 hours of video ought to nonetheless final you thru most long-haul flights.

Elsewhere, a 20-minute Wildlife Excessive stress take a look at from the 3DMark benchmarking app took 8% from the battery, with out producing a lot warmth in any respect. A 30-minute YouTube video takes simply 3%, displaying the MediaTek processor is environment friendly even below pressure.

The pill is recharged utilizing a USB-C cable, and it helps 45W, nevertheless it’s nonetheless quite sluggish. I anticipate the battery to take about an hour and 25 minutes to totally recharge, primarily based on my expertise to this point. It’s not horrible, supplied you principally use the pill at dwelling.

What else do it’s essential know?

I haven’t examined Samsung’s keyboard accent with the Galaxy Tab S11, however you should buy the E-book Cowl Keyboard Slim individually if you wish to do some fundamental work on the pill. Alternatively, any Bluetooth keyboard hyperlinks to the Tab S11, and you should buy the fundamental cowl with its built-in stand as an alternative.

The Galaxy Tab S11 works with Samsung’s DeX desktop mode, the place it connects to a monitor and creates a Home windows-style desktop to make working simpler. It’s very helpful and, paired with a mouse and keyboard, it may realistically substitute a desktop pc, supplied your necessities are mild.

It comes with numerous Galaxy AI options, together with AI-Sketch to Notes, which takes sketches and turns them into AI artwork. This makes extra sense on a pill than on a telephone, if you happen to’re utilizing it to create shows or paperwork.

If the Galaxy Tab S11’s 11-inch display screen is simply too small, take into account the Galaxy Tab S11 Extremely, which has a large 14.6-inch display screen and a bigger capability battery. It’s additionally greater and heavier, and significantly dearer. Check out our in-depth comparability right here.

Must you purchase the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11?

The Galaxy Tab S11 has been a trusty, helpful, and enjoyable companion during the last couple of weeks. It’s slim and comparatively mild, the display screen is unbelievable, it has sufficient efficiency for my normal use, and the battery is long-lasting.

Absolutely which means I’m about to advocate it, proper? Properly, nearly. The disappointing audio, sluggish charging, and annoying safety aren’t sufficient to say don’t purchase it, however the $799 worth is sufficient to say suppose twice due to the competitors.

Throughout my time with the Galaxy Tab S11, I’ve additionally used the OnePlus Pad Go 2, which prices $399. Whereas not fairly as highly effective or extremely specced, it nonetheless did all the pieces I wished, all for half the value. In case your wants are comparatively modest, you most likely don’t have to spend $800 on a pill, and a $400 one might be simply positive.

Relying on the place you reside, the Poco X1 pill and the floating keyboard accent may be bought for lower than the Galaxy Tab S11 by itself. I additionally actually like Samsung’s personal Galaxy Tab S10 FE, which begins at $500. It makes worth the largest draw back of the Galaxy Tab S11, and the suitability of the competitors to your wants is what you need to take into account most earlier than shopping for.

7/10

Storage

128, 256, or 512GB

Working System

Android 16

Battery

8,400mAh

Show kind

Dynamic AMOLED 2X

The largest barrier to totally recommending the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 is the supply of different, lower-cost tablets providing higher worth for cash.