Our first impression of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra translated well to develop our expectations of it.
To recap, this is an ultra thin tablet with a big bright display, yet very lightweight. It also boasts a new, comfortable S Pen, some extra boost in performance and comes with the latest Android 16-based One UI 8 software, complete with a suite of Galaxy AI features that are great for productivity.
Here are our thoughts on the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, with day-to-day editing for this performance review.
Editor
Jodee Tan chevron_right
Table of Contents
Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra Specifications
- Display: 14.6-inch, 1848 x 2960 pixels, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1000 nits (typ), 1600 nits (peak)
- Processor: Mediatek Dimensity 9400+
- Operating System: Android 16, One UI 8
- Rear Camera:
- 13 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide)
- 8 MP, f/2.2, (ultrawide)
- Front Camera: 12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚ (ultrawide)
- Memory: 12GB - 16GB RAM; 128GB - 1TB internal storage
- Battery: 11,600mAh battery, 45W fast charging
- Dimensions: 326.3 x 208.5 x 5.1 mm
- Weight: 692g
- Built:
- IP68 dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min)
- Stylus support
- Enhanced Armor aluminum
Built & Design
Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra thing is notably thin for its 14.6-inch screen size, as we had noted its 5.1mm thick built and 692g weight, yet it feels solid. At the same time, the screen is stunning as always like most of Samsung's mobile devices. The screen is a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel that hits 1,600 nits peak brightness, with High Brightness Mode delivering 1,000 nits. Content are smooth and well-balanced in saturation as always.
What makes content looking good on the tablet is also due to its slim bezels which have been trimmed down. The front camera notch is also smaller so it becomes less-distracting when viewing content.
As mentioned, the slim factor of the tablet premium is solid, as it is made of Enhanced Armor aluminum, so it feels good to hold without worrying about its fragility. In fact, its construction is similar to the very thin Galaxy Z Fold7. While sitting on the tablet in a bag or laptop sleeve might immaturely crush the tablet, this can be easily avoidable just with an extra case.
Speaking of case, we attached our tablet unit to the official Samsung magnetic Book Cover Keyboard Slim that connects to the tablet automatically, and attaches strongly. Together, the whole set will feel about 800g+-.
Battery & Performance
The Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ chip 3nm, and utilises up to 16GB RAM and 1TB storage, with a . While we do not do such tests, we'll take Samsung's word that the tablet has performance jumps at 24% faster CPU, 27% better GPU, and 33% boost to the NPU compared to the S10.
As expected, battery management is great on the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra. With the 11,600mAh, we could easily gain over 5 days of just 10% battery drain when in idle mode. This is also impressive given the fact that the tablet is already so slim. Hardware-wise, audio is sufficiently loud and full-bodied due to the tablet's quad speakers. Other features that makes the user experience feel seamless are the in-display fingerprint scanner as well as support for Wi-Fi 7 and 5G.
When it comes to running day-to-day apps, the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is a comfortable one to use. Perk it up on a stand and you can enjoy the massive screen for multi-tasking productivity tools and enjoy entertainment.
Gaming is also sufficiently powerful if you are not playing graphically demanding games that are fast-paced.
We were able to enjoy the likes of Zenless Zone Zero with tweaks to its high-setting mode whereby we reduced rendering to low instead. With the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra's Immortalis-G925 GPU which focuses on balancing performance and battery efficiency, this seem to work out best for playing demanding games on the tablet.
One of the nicest improvements we like was that Samsung simplified the S Pen to the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra. You do not need to charge it anymore, and it stays on the tablet magnetically and securely.
A quip is that they left out the Bluetooth capabilities, so you cannot do any Air Gestures anymore. While some users might find that sad, we are alright with that. Instead, Samsung redesigned the S Pen with the look and feel of a traditional lead pencil. The S Pen has an improved hexagonal shape and tip that feels much more natural and more comfortable (when compared to the previous generation on our Galaxy Tab S10+).
UI, AI & OS
The Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra ships with Android 16 and One UI 8, with promise of up to 7 years of support. You'll get to enjoy the likes of AI benefits that make them unique to use on the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra such as Gemini Live integration, Writing Assist, Note Assist and Drawing Assist.
There's also a newly enhanced Samsung DeX. Samsung has made the desktop experience to be smoother than ever, with better multi-window support and seamless transitions between tablet and external monitor modes. You can also now create multiple customizable desktops.
Overall, expect better multitasking, improved split-screen functionality, and smarter app pairing that remembers your workflow preferences.
Get The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra Because
You want a lightweight tablet that's capable. This is a real marvel as the tablet is powerful enough for running multiple productivity apps at once yet it is lightweight, redefining what consumers and tech enthusiasts alike can wish for in a device like this. Although it's big, the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra hardly felt like a true bluky item to carry around, and we imagine it's great for work even.
Speaking of which, consider the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra also if you want a secondary screen to work on (for productivity). Whether you're a scholar who needs to open several PDFs for research or an artist who wants to open several references, the tablet's large 14.6-inch display is great to pair with your Samsung phone when in DeX mode (which gives you a desktop-like experience) allowing you to do markups and open multiple pages without feeling like you have limited screen space to utilise.
Don't Get it Because
You want a tablet just for graphically-demanding games. Honestly, the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is able to play demanding games such as Zenless Zone Zero, with consistent framerates showing even when the characters are performing highly-graphical ultimate skills that would otherwise stutter and lag badly in an FE model. This experience is based off our High Image Resolution setting, with Rendering set to Low. On the default High setting where rendering is at Medium, there is some stutter during ultimate skills.
We imagine most adventure games won't have a problem on the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra. But if you're looking for the ultimate fast-paced gaming tablet to play graphically demanding games, this tablet will fall slightly short of your expectations.
Who is this for?
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is going for RM5,499 for the 12GB + 256GB model. It is a fairly-balanced powerful tablet that should last you well for over 5 years. However, it is still considered a steep price depending how you value the tablet.
Will the tablet solely act as your main unit for both work and play? It can be worth it. Do you have a computer at home and just want another portable giant screen to act as your main entertainment unit while having some work done, it's also worth it. But if you're looking for the primary, ultimate performer for everything from video rendering to super-demanding games because you do not have another computer to work on, you might have to look elsewhere.
Wondering if you should upgrade from an older Samsung Galaxy Tab? While the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra does not have that many major differences than the Galaxy S10 series. While there is a boost in performance over the Galaxy S9 series, mainly with a more stable performance, the price is not justifiable enough for the performance upscale.
Therefore if you have a Samsung Galaxy Tab that's at least 4 series ago, it might be worth considering to upgrade especially if you are a Galaxy Tab-heavy user.
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