I tried Samsungs huge Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, and its disappointing chipset
lets down an otherwise fantastic media and gaming machine

Date:
Fri, 22 May 2026 06:36:05 +0000

Description:
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultras huge screen is fantastic, and is a great tool for consuming media, gaming and productivity, but you can get a more powerful iPad Pro for a similar price.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review: Two-minute review If you need a big tablet, you cant go wrong with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, which sports a gigantic
14.6-inch display that offers a 16:10 aspect ratio, which not only offers plenty of screen real estate compared to alternatives like iPads but also makes the S11 Ultra perfect for watching widescreen movies and shows. Of course, the large screen also lends itself well to productivity and gaming as well.

Staying true to Samsungs other Ultra devices, the Tab S11 Ultra brings all
the bells and whistles to justify its high asking price. Like the Galaxy S26 Ultra, an S Pen stylus is included in the box, while the full Galaxy AI suite takes advantage of the larger display with features like screen sharing in Gemini Live and drawing tools like Creative Studio and Sketch to Image . It also retains the IP68 water- and dust-resistant rating from its predecessor, which is still rare for most modern tablets. Granted, these features are also available in the smaller (and cheaper) 11-inch Tab S11 , so its hardly the reason why you would buy the much larger Ultra. (Image credit: Future | Nico Arboleda) Otherwise, this is another iterative update from the Tab S10 Ultra, which was a disappointment in itself. Our tester wasnt happy with the older tablets lackluster battery life and the MediaTek processor in our Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra review . The good news is that the Tab S11 Ultra has better CPU performance and the battery lasts 1.5-2 hours longer, but the bad news is that MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ doesnt compare well with the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor in the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which is faster. And that makes me question Samsungs decision to switch from Snapdragon CPUs in the Tab S9
series to MediaTek in the 10th- and 11th-generation slates. Latest Videos
From Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra (256GB Grey) at Laptops Direct for 591.97 Admittedly, the MediaTek provides better graphics performance, and can also handle ray-tracing better than the Snapdragon to reinforce the Tab S11 Ultras gaming focus but, when compared to a similarly priced iPad Pro with an Apple M5 chip a desktop-class CPU that is more powerful than many Windows laptops the Tab S11 Ultra feels overpriced even for a top-of-the-line tablet.

The minor upgrades come with a price hike over the S10 Ultra, and you wont be able to reuse the older cases and keyboards from the Tab S10 Ultra and Tab S9 Ultra because of the thinner chassis, so youd have to shell out more cash for new ones.

If you want the biggest, best display to run Android apps and games on, and watch widescreen movies and shows, the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is a great
choice, but if you want to run pro-level software, youre better off with a similarly priced iPad Pro. Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review: price and
availability (Image credit: Future | Nico Arboleda) Available since September 2025 Price starts at $1,299 / 1,269 / AU$2,099 A 5G model is also available
in the UK and Australia from 1,419 / AU$2,349 With a starting price of $1,299 / 1,269 / AU$2,099 for the base model featuring 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is Samsungs biggest and most expensive tablet to date, comparable to the iPad Pro 13-inch that will set you back $1,299 /
1,299 / AU$2,199. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

In some aspects thats a win, given that the Samsung offers 65% more screen area with the 14.6-inch display, but the flip side to that is the OLED
display on the iPad Pro is brighter and sharper.

An S Pen stylus is included in the box with the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, while
an Apple Pencil is sold separately for $129 / 129 / AU$219. Its a nice bonus, as is the fact that Samsung does multitasking better than Apple. (Image credit: Future | Nico Arboleda) However and this is the biggest issue I have with the S11 Ultras price the MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ chipset is a disappointment compared to Apples M5 silicon in the iPad Pro, and it doesnt even top the Apple M4 in the iPad Air , which is $300 / 300 / AU$650 cheaper.

The larger screen makes the Tab S11 Ultra a good laptop replacement, but Samsung sells the accessories separately. You can pick up a slim keyboard and case combo for $199.99 / 189 / AU$399 or an aluminum Pro Keyboard that makes the Tab S11 Ultra work like a laptop for $349.99 / 329 / AU$599. That added cost makes that combination more expensive than more powerful laptops, including ones with discrete GPUs.

Unless you need a water-resistant tablet or if your games are only available on Android, its hard to justify the price tag for the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra. I think the older Tab S10 FE is a much better buy at $449 / 429 / AU$849. Swipe to scroll horizontally Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra configurations

RAM/Storage

12GB/256GB

12GB/512GB

16GB/1TB

Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra

$1,299 / 1,349 / AU$2,299

$1,319.99 / 1,299 / AU$2,299

$1,619.99 / 1,549 / AU$2,799 Value: 3/5 Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review: specs Swipe to scroll horizontally

Starting price

$1,299 / 1,349 / AU$2,299

Screen size

14.6 inches

Resolution

1848 x 2960 pixels

Operating system

One UI 8.5 on Android 16

Chipset

Mediatek Dimensity 9400+

Memory (RAM)

12GB / 16GB

Storage

128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB

Display

14.6-inch AMOLED 120Hz

Weight

692g / 695g (5G model)

Battery

11,600mAh

Charging

45W wired

IP Rating

IP68: 1m underwater for 30 minutes Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review: display
(Image credit: Future | Nico Arboleda) Massive 14.6-inch screen makes for a big and heavy device Samsung retains Wacom tech for the S Pen Like its predecessor, Id be hard-pressed to find a bigger and better display on an Android tablet than the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultras huge 14.6-inch OLED screen. Its even brighter than the S10 Ultras 930 nits (now 1600 nits), which is the same as the M5 iPad Pro.

The screen brightness is great indoors, which is a given for most tablets these days, but it was also bright enough to use outdoors. I watched an
entire movie during a 3.5-hour bus ride while at a window seat and I didnt have to draw the curtains in.

If you are considering a tablet as a laptop replacement, the Tab S11 Ultra gives you more screen space than a 14-inch Macbook Pro and outdoes its competition in the similarly priced iPad Pro. The latter, however, has a sharper OLED screen with a 264 pixel per inch density, compared to 239ppi on Samsungs display.

Because its from Samsung, the Tab S11 Ultra has HDR10+ support, while iPad Pros favor Dolby Vision .

Samsung has also retained Wacoms electromagnetic resonance (EMR) technology for its S Pen, meaning the stylus is passive and it doesnt need a battery to write or draw with. That said, no battery means the S Pen doesnt support Bluetooth anymore just like the Galaxy S26 Ultras included S Pen. Display: 5/5 Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review: design (Image credit: Future | Nico
Arboleda) Water-resistant design Thinner and lighter than the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra A tablet this size prioritizes the viewing experience over design,
which means the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra isnt anything special to look at. I like the clean design, but otherwise its just a big slab, much like every other Android tablet Ive seen.

Like the Tab S10 Ultra, the S11 Ultra has four direct-firing speakers hidden around the edges to provide full stereo stage audio when the tablet is in landscape mode for movie watching. During testing, the audio sounded clear
and full-bodied, and was loud enough to fill a medium-sized room, and I never felt like I had to reach for my headphones or hook the tablet up to a
portable speaker.

The tablet now has just one front camera instead of two from the Tab S10 Ultra, which in turn reduces the notch size. The camera is still in the
centre of the Tab S11 Ultras long side to favor landscape orientation for video calls, providing a natural head-on eyeline. Apples iPads, on the other hand, have cameras on the short side (meant for vertical or portrait orientation). (Image credit: Future | Nico Arboleda) The Tab S11 Ultra
retains the same button layout as the S10 Ultra, with power and volume on the top edge in landscape mode (or the right edge when in portrait orientation).

The S Pen attaches to the Tab S11 Ultra on its edges magnetically instead of having a dedicated strip on the back like on the S10 Ultra, similar to how an Apple Pencil attaches to iPads. However, I would recommend buying Samsungs back cover if you want a more secure way to store the stylus via a recessed groove to cradle it I found the magnetic attachment wasnt strong enough and the S Pen would invariably come away when traveling with it in my bag.

As mentioned, the Galaxy S11 Ultra can be used as a laptop replacement thanks to its large screen and Samsung sells keyboard cases that will cost you
extra. During my testing, however, I paired it with a wireless keyboard ( Logitech MX Keys Mini ) and used a laptop stand to prop it up and it was
fine, but hardly a setup portable enough to bring to a cafe. Design: 4/5 Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review: software (Image credit: Future | Nico Arboleda) The best tablet software for multitasking Now has more gaming-specific software Samsungs One UI software, running on top of Android 16 , is packed with features that shine on a big tablet compared to a smaller smartphone display. I found multitasking to be a breeze, with up to three split-screen apps (one large, two small) running at the same time, and five pop-up windows can be layered on top of these. Thats a total of eight active apps all at once! Tiling and arranging windows are as easy as dragging them where you
want them to go.

Like other Galaxy Tabs, apps and conversations can be opened via pop-up bubbles, and the S Pen enables pop-up notetaking when you just need a quick.
I used it for work research and taking notes in Samsung Notes, and the
process was easy and comfortable.

To test the multitasking, I joined a video call on one side while playing a game on the other, and also had a YouTube video in a floating window. The Tab S11 Ultra handled all applications well, with no crashes or slowing framerates. (Image credit: Future | Nico Arboleda) While Samsungs operating system is great, I couldnt really think of too many Android apps that would truly maximize the large screen. I downloaded the drawing and painting app Krita, and the display accommodated the extensive menus and the canvas well
to make it look like the apps desktop version. I also downloaded the video editing app LumaFusion , and the tablets screen was able to display a longer timeline, although this really isnt the best example for recommending an expensive tablet as I think most people would find an app like LumaFusion would be fine on a smaller screen too.

Its evident that Samsung also made this tablet with DeX (desktop experience) in mind, where you can either use the mode on the device itself to emulate a laptop-like interface or with an external monitor plugged in. DeX looks like
a hybrid of Windows and macOS, with both a persistent taskbar and a floating dock with app icons available at your disposal. My favorite feature is being able to snap windows to the side to take an entire half of the screen, or a corner to automatically resize into a quadrant.

DeX runs the tablets apps in windows, which can result in some weird stretching when you maximize some apps that arent fully supported. One workaround I found is to forgo the apps altogether and just open their web version with the Samsung Internet browser (instead of Chrome) to load their desktop versions. This extra layer of friction takes points away from the Tab S11 Ultra as a true laptop replacement, and you may be better off getting the real thing. (Image credit: Future | Nico Arboleda) One UI 8.5 now provides a real dual-screen mode on DeX while you plug in an external monitor, where the cursor can move through both screens, and windows can be dragged and dropped from one display to the other. Some apps now adapt depending on the screen, defaulting to desktop mode on the external monitor, then reverting to the touch-optimized version when the window is moved to the tablet.

As someone who finds that a single display just doesnt cut it anymore for productivity, this mode made the Tab S11 Ultra a viable work machine during
my testing.

When Samsung said this tablet was aimed at gaming enthusiasts, it sure meant it. One UI 8.5 introduced new gaming software in the Tab S11 Ultra, including per-game CPU and GPU tuning, native controller mapping and High-Performance mode. Theres also MediaTek HyperEngine to customize ray-tracing and variable rate shading, as well as some AI-powered features to let you skip game intros and automatically mute ads found in free-to-play games. (Image credit: Future | Nico Arboleda) I tested several of these features and, while they didnt improve my experience with the games I tried, I can see them being
potentially beneficial for competitive multiplayer gamers.

Of course, theres the full Galaxy AI suite, headlined by a dedicated button found on the Samsung keyboards to activate Gemini or Bixby. A few Galaxy AI features maximize the Tab S11 Ultras size, like Sketch to Image (which converts sketches to an AI-generated image), Note Assist (cleans up handwriting) and Math Solver (more room to show complex equations and
graphs).

Like most of Samsungs phones and tablets, the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra has 7
years of support, which includes 7 generations of Android/One UI upgrades, security patches, hardware support and self-repair. Since tablets are usually replaced less frequently than a smartphone, long-term support like this is welcome indeed. Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review: performance (Image credit:
Future | Nico Arboleda) Decent for Android, but nowhere near the iPad Pro I wish this had a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset instead As Ive already mentioned, Samsung has once again used a MediaTek chipset in the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, which puts it at a disadvantage over the iPad Pro with its desktop-class
Apple M5 chip which is more powerful than many Windows laptops. While the Dimensity 9400+ is a decent mobile processor and a meaningful upgrade over
the Tab S10 Ultras Dimensity 9300+ (Samsung is claiming a 15-20% CPU boost), the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra doesnt come close to the M5s performance.

The MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ is designed for gaming and marketed to gamers, and while it wins some benchmarks on the graphics side, it falls short on processing performance compared to even Qualcomms newest Snapdragon CPU being used in Samsungs phones. Again, given its high asking price, its hard to justify the S11 Ultra for gamers only and I question why the South Korean
tech giant didnt use the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset from the Galaxy S25 Ultra handset instead.

Geekbench rates last years S25 Ultra higher than the Tab S11 Ultra in three out out of four benchmarking tests, beating the tablet in single-core (2,847 vs 2,633), multi-core (9,408 vs 8,633) and even the GPU-focused Vulkan
(23,871 vs 22,023). The only test the Tab Ultra wins is in OpenCL, which also measures GPU performance, with a score of 20,468 versus the S25 Ultras
17,871. (Image credit: Future | Nico Arboleda) And that was evident in my testing. A resource-intensive game like Asphalt Legends ran very smoothly at max settings. However, its on-screen controls felt unwieldy and its better used with a third-party controller so its good news that Samsung has
improved external controller support with the S11 Ultra. The flip side to
this is that you would have to lug around an additional item if you want to play while on the move.

With a tablet being able to dissipate heat better than a phone, I can only imagine how much better the Snapdragon 8 Elite could have performed in the same tests without the same thermal throttling it has to deal with in a smartphone chassis. Samsung could have also considered the laptop-class Snapdragon X processors found in the Samsung Galaxy Books if the company wanted to match the tablet up with the iPad Pro. Instead, the Tab S11 Ultra remains a mid-range tablet with a giant screen like the Tab S10 Ultra.

Even taking the M5 iPad Pro out of the equation, its hard to justify the S11 Ultra over a similarly priced laptop with better specs, like the Lenovo
Legion Slim 5 powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and an Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU
($1,249 / 1,150 / AU$2,199). Not to mention, the Lenovo includes a keyboard, while the Tab S11 Ultra needs the $349.99 / 329 / AU$599 Samsung Pro Keyboard to become a serious contender as a true laptop replacement. Performance: 3/5 Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review: battery (Image credit: Future | Nico Arboleda) More battery life than the Tab S10 Ultra despite the slimmer chassis Battery life on the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra has improved a little from its predecessor, thanks to an extra 400mAh in the new pack and the MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ being a more power-efficient chipset. I tested the battery by streaming a 1080p video with the screen at full brightness, and it took 11 hours for the Tab S11 Ultra battery to drain. In comparison, the Tab S10 Ultra lasted 9 hours in a similar test done by our Future Labs last year.

The 45W fast charging also topped up the battery just as quickly, with the
Tab S11 Ultra reaching 20% in 15 minutes, 35% in 30 minutes, and full at just 1 hour and 45 minutes. The Tab S10 Ultra has the same 45W rating, while the
M5 iPad Pro is officially rated at 40W, (though Apple claims it can support
up to 60W fast charging with higher-wattage power adapters like a MacBook power brick). Battery: 4/5 Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra? Swipe to scroll horizontally Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra report card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

You get a whole lot of screen for the money, and theres an included stylus but its too expensive for what you get

3 / 5

Display

The Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra has a big, beautiful display thats excellent for drawing and playing games on.

5 / 5

Design

Thinner and lighter than its predecessor, its also water-resistant and durable, something that iPad is.

4 / 5

Software

Samsung makes the best tablet software, and its close enough to using a desktop for productivity work. It still cant run pro-level apps like Final Cut, Logic Pro, Affinity Photo unlike iPad Pros

4 / 5

Performance

The MediaTek chip here is better than the predecessor, but disappointing compared to Samsungs Galaxy S26 Ultra phone and the current iPad Pro.

3 / 5

Battery

Battery life is better with an extra 2 hours over its predecessor, and the
45W fast charging can fill it back up relatively quickly.

4 / 5 Buy it if You play a lot of Android games If you play a lot of games on an Android tablet, the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra offers a fantastic big-screen experience and impressive performance with new gaming software. You want a work tablet thats easy to use An Android tablet has an easier-to-master software setup than a Windows tablet, and work accounts are easy to load,
just like you would on your phone. You want to draw, play and have fun The Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is a big tablet for fun, like doodling, gaming and playing with AI. The IP68 rating makes it more durable, too. Don't buy it if You need a serious productivity tool If you need real power and performance, youre better off with an iPad Pro or iPad Air. You can get a deal on the Tab S10 or S9 Ultra This is almost the same tablet as the past few years, so if you find the Tab S10 Ultra or Tab S9 Ultra for much cheaper, just buy one of those instead. You want a laptop replacement The Tab S11 Ultras keyboards
are expensive additions that can make the cost a lot higher than a similarly specced laptop. How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra Why you can trust TechRadar 100s of smartphones reviewed 15 years of product testing Over 16,000 products reviewed in total Nearly 200,000 hours testing tech I used the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra for two weeks as a work tablet and my main device for watching content and gaming outside of office hours. I also
brought it with me on a holiday to watch movies and play games while in transit. I loaded it with my work accounts and apps, including Slack and Google Meet. I also downloaded SimCity Build It , Age of Empires Mobile and Asphalt Legends as well as streaming games via Steam Link to test the
gaming features. I paired the tablet with an 8BitDo controller via Bluetooth to complete my gaming setup for this review.

To test the tablets durability, I dunked it in my kitchen sink filled with water and rinsed it repeatedly. I did not get the Samsung keyboard with trackpad cover as a test unit, but I paired it with my Logitech MX Keys Mini keyboard and a Logitech MX Anywhere mouse to test it as a laptop replacement. The Tab S11 Ultra was also connected to my ZSUS portable USB-C monitor. I independently tested and benchmarked the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, using software like Geekbench and a battery test for video playback. First reviewed May 2026 Today's best Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra deals 899 591.97 View 1,199 999
View 1,019 View Show more We check over 250 million products every day for
the best prices Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra: Price Comparison 899 591.97
View 1,199 999 View 1,019 View 1,199 1,019 View 1,019 View Show more We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices powered by



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/tablets/samsung-galaxy-tab-s11-ultra-review


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)