Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Review: It’s Time For Something New

IP68 certification is one other constructive design flourish that Samsung brings to the desk

Pill design generally has remained fairly samey because the 2018 iPad Professional 3, in fact, and Samsung has steadily refined its strategy through the years. Lately, there’s an in-display fingerprint sensor fairly than the previous energy button-based answer.

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Progress? Maybe. It’s definitely extra handy to unlock when the pill is mendacity flat on a desk. Conversely, my very own thumbprint doesn’t appear to register fairly as persistently as I’d like.

IP68 certification is one other constructive design flourish that Samsung brings to the desk

One other factor you don’t get with Apple’s imperious Professional pill is a stylus within the field. You do with the Galaxy Tab S11, and this S Pen comes with a remodelled hexagonal kind issue. It’s even simpler to grip, whereas additionally serving to the stylus to affix to the highest edge by magnets.

There’s not a devoted strip on the again of the pill for this function, however the brand new strategy is extra intuitive. Extra problematic, for my cash is the elimination of Bluetooth Low Vitality help, so you possibly can’t use the S Pen to remotely activate capabilities such because the digicam or navigation options

Display & Audio system

• 11-inch AMOLED
• 120Hz refresh fee
• No anti-reflective coating
• Quad audio system

With Samsung vacillating between the Plus and non-Plus variant, it’s price restating that that is an 11-inch show – so it’s considerably smaller than the 12.4-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+, and solely fractionally bigger than the ten.9-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE.

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Fortunately, regardless of these two factors of comparability, it’s a lot nearer to the previous than the latter by way of high quality. It is a wealthy, vibrant AMOLED panel with a pointy 1600 x 2560 decision.

Samsung has even bolstered the brightness since final yr’s mannequin, with a peak of 1,000 nits (up from 650 nits) in Excessive Brightness Mode.

Conversely, it’s a disgrace to see Samsung rolling again from the anti-reflective coating of the Galaxy Tab S10+. This was a most welcome improve in final yr’s mannequin, however there’s no such provision to be discovered on the Galaxy Tab S11.

Sound high quality is powerful, courtesy of a full quad speaker set-up, with audio system evenly spaced on every nook. There’s a properly deep, spacey sound stage right here, particularly given the (comparatively) compact nature of the gadget.

Specs & Efficiency

• MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ chipset
• 12GB RAM
• 128GB / 256GB / 512GB storage (microSD expandable)

Samsung has given the Galaxy Tab S11 a straight-up generational improve within the type of a MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ chipset. It won’t be essentially the most recognisable chip in the marketplace, however make no mistake – this can be a high-performing chip.

Benchmark outcomes are broadly akin to the OnePlus Pad 3 with its Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, which has been a byword for ‘flagship efficiency’ for a lot of 2025.

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Certainly, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 truly scored considerably increased than its illustrious rival in our GPU assessments. There are mitigating circumstances with the OnePlus Pad 3’s extra pixel-packed show, in fact, however the reality stays that the Galaxy Tab S11 is a really sturdy runner.

That is pushed residence by firing up GRID Legends, some of the graphically superior video games on the Google Play Retailer. With the excessive decision graphics pack put in and a full grid of detailed vehicles jostling for place, it barely dropped a body.

There’s a 12GB of RAM as normal, which is respectable fairly than excellent, and there’s a selection of 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB of inside storage. You may develop that additional with a microSD slot.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 benchmarks

Digicam

• 13Mp rear digicam captures usually mediocre photographs
• 12Mp ultra-wide selfie cam greatest suited to video calls
• Helps 4K video at 30fps

I’m typically fairly dismissive relating to discussing pill cameras, as a result of they don’t actually matter. In case you’re shopping for this sort of gadget with the intention of taking any variety of footage or movies, you’re doing it flawed.

With that mentioned, the actual fact that these parts are all the time included necessitates some type of testing. And if you happen to’re spending £800/$800 on any sensible gadget, it’s honest to anticipate each part to at the very least do an enough job.

In case you’re shopping for this sort of gadget with the intention of taking any variety of footage or movies, you’re doing it flawed

So, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 has a 13Mp digicam round again, and a 12Mp digicam in entrance. It’s very like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ earlier than it, minus the devoted 8Mp ultra-wide digicam.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

They’re tremendous. You may take satisfactory snaps with that 13Mp essential digicam if the lighting’s good and also you’re away out of your cellphone for some unlikely cause, or (as is extra possible) it’s good to snap some paperwork.

Don’t hassle with these snaps if mentioned lighting is something lower than optimum. The sensor’s tiny, and also you don’t get OIS to assist with longer exposures.

Samsung’s stable picture processing does lots of the work right here, lifting the colors and the publicity to almost-unnatural ranges. The additional pop arguably serves such inferior parts higher than on Samsung’s flagship telephones, as there are extra photographic sins to cowl.

Video seize extends to 4K and 30fps, which most telephones promoting for half the worth can beat. Once more, that’s the take care of tablets.

The 12Mp entrance digicam is far more essential – not a lot for selfies as for video calls. If you do use it to take selfies, it reveals itself to be a predictably restricted part. So perhaps don’t.

Battery Life & Charging

• 8400mAh battery
• 45W wired charging
• No charger in field

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 comes with an 8400mAh battery. That’s precisely the identical measurement because the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9, which is the final comparable premium pill that Samsung made.

Similar to that two-year-old pill, that is ample for a full day of sunshine work or, as is a extra possible use case state of affairs for a pill of this type, most of per week of occasional utilization (a spot of internet searching and the odd video).

Weirdly, the PCMark 3.0 Work Battery Check didn’t work on the Tab S11, regardless of repeated tries, so I can’t provide our normal comparability to rival gadgets. Nonetheless, I did document that an hour of Disney+ streaming sapped 8 % of a full cost, whereas half-hour of sunshine gaming sapped 5%.

These are sturdy outcomes, and are greater than aggressive with different full-sized tablets.

Charging help extends to a decent 45W, if you happen to can present an acceptable charger (there isn’t one within the field). I recorded this getting from empty to 49% in half-hour.

Software program

• Android 16
• One UI 8
• Seven years of software program updates

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 is the primary pill to run on the corporate’s newest One UI 8 interface, working on prime of Android 16. Given the sluggish rollout to Samsung’s telephones, that isn’t fairly such a minor declare because it sounds.

It seems and feels rather a lot like One UI 7, and that’s no unhealthy factor. Samsung’s UI has tightened up considerably through the years, with a vibrant look and appealingly sharp widgets.

It’s properly optimised for tablets, too, with a notification pane that pops down from the centre or the left aspect of the display, relying on the place you swipe from.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

Cut up display multitasking is dealt with intuitively, letting you contact and maintain from the app switching display, or just drag an app icon from the completely seen process bar alongside the underside. You may run three apps concurrently on this manner.

Samsung’s DeX, in the meantime, helps you to run a number of instanced desktops aspect by aspect, together with windowed apps, basically turning the Galaxy Tab S11 into a light-weight laptop computer – particularly if you happen to pair it with the non-compulsory Slim Ebook Cowl Keyboard.

The Android pill app scene merely isn’t as mature as that of Apple’s iPad

The S Pen stylus implementation continues to be the most effective within the enterprise, too, regardless of the partial regression with the elimination of Bluetooth Low Vitality help. I’m not totally offered on utilizing the S Pen to scrawl textual content for URLs and the like, however you possibly can’t fault Samsung’s handwriting recognition for this function.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

I’ve my very own private gripes over Samsung’s common strategy to software program, however today they largely revolve round its intensive efforts to model away from Google’s inventory apps. As somebody who’s closely invested within the Google manner of doing issues, I discover it tiresome having to arrange Google Pockets, Calendar, and Password Supervisor on Samsung gadgets. Maybe that’s simply my laziness coming to the fore.

Extra typically, the Android pill app scene merely isn’t as mature as that of Apple’s iPad. You’re extra more likely to stumble upon apps which can be poorly optimised for the shape issue, in the event that they exist in any respect.

What can’t be denied is the continued generosity of Samsung’s seven-year replace promise. This arguably makes extra sense right here on a pill than it does on Samsung’s telephones, as you’re extra more likely to preserve a pill round for a number of years.

For the second yr working, Samsung has gone massive on Galaxy AI with its new flagship pill. Samsung’s apps are shot by with it, together with Drawing Help (rework tough sketches into artworks), Writing Help (refine your unexpectedly written notes), and extra.

In the meantime, Google Gemini is just ever an extended energy button press away, letting you ask questions on no matter’s on display.

Worth & Availability

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 is offered now with costs ranging from £799/$799.99 for 128GB of storage, transferring as much as £899/$859.99 for 256GB and £999/$979.99 for 512GB.

You should purchase it direct from Samsung’s web site within the UK and the US (the latter is working a tempting double-storage deal at launch), but additionally from the entire normal retailers, together with Amazon (each UK and US), John Lewis, and Very. Including 5G connectivity to the bundle provides £150 for every storage variant within the UK, however there is no such thing as a such mobile choice for US prospects.

It’s price noting that this isn’t low cost for an Android pill. It falls proper in between the £599 iPad Air and the £999 iPad Professional. Given the supply of a slick 120Hz AMOLED show, IP68 certification, and a bundled stylus, it arguably does sufficient to warrant such positioning.

Nonetheless, if we flip our consideration to the remainder of the Android pill pack, the Galaxy Tab S11 begins to look somewhat dearer. The OnePlus Pad 3, for instance, provides you a much bigger, sharper, smoother show; comparable efficiency; extra storage as normal; a a lot larger battery; and quicker 80W charging, all for a worth of simply £529.

It’s not higher in each manner (the Samsung wins on OLED, water resistance, S Pen, and longer software program help), however the level is that it’s a complete £270 cheaper. And even £370, if we’re evaluating like-for-like on the storage entrance.

See how the Tab S11 stacks up towards our prime suggestions in our round-up of the most effective tablets round.

Must you purchase the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11?

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 is one other extraordinarily competent pill with only a few weaknesses. It’s quick, nicely constructed, packs a fantastic AMOLED show, and bundles in a well-integrated S Pen stylus.

Nonetheless, we’ve been saying comparable issues about Samsung’s prime tablets for years now, and the Galaxy Tab S11 doesn’t a lot as threaten to aim something new.

That’s tremendous – the pill format generally is fairly static today. Nonetheless, rival Android pill makers have responded to this by providing extra for much less, and the Galaxy Tab S11 feels ever so barely costly.

It’s essentially the most full 11-inch Android pill on the market, and the closest equal to the 11-inch iPad Professional you’re more likely to discover. However it’s not as compelling as that formidable Apple rival, whereas in Android phrases you may get a broadly comparable (and in some methods superior) expertise for considerably much less.

Specs

• Android 16 with One UI 8
• 11in, 1600 x 2560, OLED, 120Hz show
• In-display fingerprint sensor
• Mediatek Dimensity 9400+
• 12GB RAM
• 128GB/256GB/512GB storage
• 13Mp, f/1.8 essential digicam
• As much as 4K @ 30fps rear video
• 12Mp front-facing digicam
• Quad audio system
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e
• Bluetooth 5.4
• 8400mAh battery
• 45W charging
• 253.8 x 165.3 x 5.5 mm
• 469g
• Launch colors: Moonstone Grey, Platinum Silver