Is it time to upgrade your tablet?

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  Best of Samsung this year

  Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+

  The Galaxy Tab S10+ is Samsung's latest flagship tablet. It is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ SoC, Android 14, and a 10,090mAh battery.

  Strong Points

  • solid performance
  • IP68 dustproof and waterproof performance
  • 7 years of software updates

  Cons

  • Not enough upgrades
  • expensive

• 

  capable predecessor

  Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+

  Part of Samsung's 2022 lineup, the Galaxy Tab S8+ is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC and has the same display and battery as the Tab S10+.

  Strong Points

  • beautiful display
  • good performance

  Cons

  • No IP rating
  • Only 4 years of Android OS updates

The latest Plus model in Samsung's Galaxy Tab S series brings some notable improvements, including chip updates and a promise of seven years of software updates. However, it shares many features with its predecessors, such as the Galaxy Tab S8+. So, if you already own a Tab S8+, does it make sense to upgrade to the Galaxy Tab S10+, or should you wait another generation or two? Let's find out.

Price, availability and specs

The Galaxy Tab S10+ is priced at $1,000 for the base 256GB model and $1,120 for the 512GB model. You can also buy a 5G version with 256GB of storage and a price tag of $1,150. The Tab S10+ is widely available, and its 5G version can also be purchased from Amazon, Best Buy, and Samsung.

The launch price of the Galaxy Tab S8+, released in 2022, was $900 for the 128GB model and $1,000 for the 256GB model. The 5G model is expensive, adding $100 for the 128GB version and $50 for the 256GB version. Since the S8+ is over two years old, it is difficult to find in new condition and is primarily available in refurbished and used versions.

Here we take a quick look at the specifications of the raw tablet.

• 	Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+	Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+
  SoC	MediaTek Dimensity 9300+	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 1st generation
  Display type	120Hz, dynamic AMOLED 2X with anti-reflection	120Hz, Super AMOLED
  Display dimensions	12.4 inch	12.4 inch
  display resolution	2800×1752	2800×1752
  rum	12GB	8GB
  storage	Supports up to 512GB, microSD up to 1.5TB	Supports up to 256GB, microSD up to 1TB
  battery	10,090mAh	10,090mAh
  charging speed	45W	45W
  Price options	wired	wired
  port	USB-C	USB-C
  SIM support	SIM, eSIM (5G models only)	SIM, Nano-SIM (5G model only)
  operating system	One UI 6.1.1, Android 14	One UI 4.1, Android 12
  front camera	12MP	12MP
  rear camera	13MP primary, 8MP ultrawide	13MP primary, 6MP ultrawide
  cellular connection	5G (sub-6/millimeter wave)	5G (sub-6/millimeter wave)
  Wi-Fi connection	Wi-Fi 6E	Wi-Fi 6E
  bluetooth	bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.2
  size	185.4×285.4×5.6mm	285×185×5.7mm
  weight	571g (Wi-Fi), 576g (5G)	567g (Wi-Fi), 572g (5G)
  IP rating	IP68	no
  color	moonstone gray, platinum silver	graphite, silver, pink gold
  stylus	S Pen included	S Pen included

design and display

A familiar design with some tweaks

Samsung has kept the design of the Galaxy Tab S10+ almost identical to the Galaxy S9+, but slightly different from the Tab S8+. Instead of a large black bar running vertically across the back containing the rear camera and S Pen slot, the Tab S10+ separates the rear camera from the S Pen, even though the rear camera and S Pen are in the same position. Other than that, both have thick bezels on the front for easy grip, aluminum frames and aluminum backs.

However, the new Tab S10+ has IP68 dust and water resistance. Unfortunately, Samsung makes no claims IP rating For Tab S8+. Additionally, the S10+ uses Samsung's Enhanced Armor aluminum, while the Tab S8+ uses regular aluminum. That said, we don't know exactly how much more durable the reinforced armored aluminum is than the regular one. The Tab S10+ is also slightly thinner than the Tab S8+. However, the Tab S8+ is about 4 grams lighter than the S10+.

Samsung has kept the same display on the Tab S10+ as it did on the Tab S8+, which isn't bad. it is OLED panel With a 120Hz refresh rate, the display produces deep blacks and vibrant, realistic colors. This display on the tablet uses protective glass, but it is unclear which protective glass Samsung used for the Tab S10+. The Tab S8+ is confirmed to be equipped with Corning's Gorilla Glass 5. Additionally, both slates feature an under-display fingerprint sensor.

software

Same software experience

The Galaxy Tab S10+ is, as you might expect, android 14 One UI 6.1.1 out of the box. Despite being released with Android 12, the Galaxy Tab S8+ currently gets the same Android version and one UI iteration. Received Android 14 and One UI 6.1.1 update. So you get a nearly identical software experience on both slates. Galaxy AI Features. In short, you get reliable software with enough tools to make the most of your huge screen and provide a great multitasking experience.

However, the software support period for the Galaxy Tab S10+ is much longer. The company promises to release Android and security updates for seven years. By comparison, the Galaxy Tab S8+ only gets four years of Android OS updates and five years of security patches. And it's already received two big Android updates. That means you'll probably only get one or two more.

Performance and battery life

MediaTek won't disappoint

The Galaxy Tab S10+ is different from the past few generations of the Tab S series because it is powered by a MediaTek chip. Powered by Dimensity 9300+ processor, it provides an extremely powerful, responsive, and snappy experience. Whether you're browsing social media apps, bingeing on Netflix, or playing graphics-intensive games, the processor won't let you down. It runs smoothly thanks to 12 GB of RAM and will come in handy with future Android and Galaxy AI versions.

The Tab S8+ is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Although it's a few generations old, this chip is pretty powerful and can handle most things with ease. That said, the S10+'s new chip definitely makes it more future-proof than the S8+. Also, the S8+ only has 8GB of RAM.

The Galaxy Tab S10+ and Tab S8+ come with a 10,090mAh battery that provides similar multi-day backup. Both tablets support 45W fast charging, so you can quickly charge your device when you need it.

Among other highlights, Samsung is equipping the Tab S10+ and Tab S8+ with the S Pen. The S Pen that comes with the S10+ has a latency of 2.8ms, and the S Pen bundled with the Tab S8+ has a latency of 6.2ms. So the S10+ S Pen will be more responsive when you doodle, draw, take notes, and pretty much anything else.

Additionally, the tablet comes with Wi-Fi 6E, a microSD card slot, quad speakers, and a USB 3.2 Type-C port.

camera

Not much to praise here

Samsung carried over the same 13MP wide-angle primary shooter from the Galaxy Tab S8+ to the Galaxy Tab S10+, but the resolution of the ultra-wide camera has been upgraded from 6MP to 8MP. Still, the cameras on the Tab S10+ and Tab S8+ are far from the company's best.

Don't expect too much from either rear camera. Good for scanning documents and occasional photos in busy situations. However, with your phone's camera, you will always have a useful service.

The 12MP snapper on the front also remains the same between the two tablets. Enough for video calls. Otherwise, there's not much to write home about either tablet's camera.

Which one is right for you?

If you're looking to buy a new tablet right now and haven't bought the Galaxy Tab S8+, the Galaxy Tab S10+ is an easy choice. It's a powerful, high-end tablet that delivers snappy performance, promises seven years of Android updates, and has a long battery life. It also has a beautiful display, a convenient S Pen, and an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.

However, if you already own a Galaxy Tab S8+, the Tab S10+ isn't a good enough reason to upgrade. Unless you are having issues with your Tab S8+, you can wait for the next generation and get better value for money. The Tab S8+ has a capable processor, a beautiful display, and could receive two major Android updates. It also offers the same battery and software as the Galaxy Tab S10+, including Galaxy AI.