Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra vs Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra: The upgrade you didn't know you didn't need
Intro
Samsung's new Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra comes a year and a couple of months after the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, but you'd probably need a field guide to differentiate the two devices.
Yep, this one is among the most minimal intergenerational upgrade recently, with the differences between the new and old generations countable on one hand's fingers.
This essentially means that you shouldn't feel pressured to upgrade if you're using the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, quite the contrary: we'd advise against that.
Let’s see how these two devices compare.
Also read:
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra vs Apple iPad Pro M4: door-sized AI machines
- Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra vs Galaxy Tab S10 Plus: Is there a reason to go that big?
Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra vs Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra differences explained:
| Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra | Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra |
|---|---|
| MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| Anti-reflective screen coating | No anti-reflective screen coating |
| Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Slightly thinner and lighter | 0.1mm thicker and a few grams extra |
Table of Contents:
Design and Display Quality
Little to no changes on board
Awkwardly large (Image by PhoneArena)
The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra and the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra are mostly identical, and it feels as if the idiom "two peas in a pod" was written specifically for these two devices.
Both tablets are gargantuan slates with enormous 14.6-inch screens that definitely push the frontiers when it comes to sheer size. Neither of these is particularly ergonomic to use; in fact, using such a large tablet feels like a strictly "at home" activity, so don't even think about hauling it on flights to watch movies or read e-books.
Additionally, the two Samsung tablets come with S Pen styluses in the box, which is great, as they are perfect for sketching, drawing, and writing––the large displays are perfect for that. Sure, we'd have loved if neither had a display notch that houses the dual front-facing cameras, but the thin bezels don't really allow the sensors to fit there.
Additionally, the two Samsung tablets come with S Pen styluses in the box, which is great, as they are perfect for sketching, drawing, and writing––the large displays are perfect for that. Sure, we'd have loved if neither had a display notch that houses the dual front-facing cameras, but the thin bezels don't really allow the sensors to fit there.
The new device comes with what Samsung calls Enhanced Armor Aluminum, whereas the older one has standard Armor Aluminum. There's an ever-so-slight difference in the size: the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is 0.1mm thinner and a few grams lighter, but in the grand scheme of things, these differences are mostly unnoticeable in real-life scenarios.
Where's the rest of the laptops? (Image by PhoneArena)
Speaking of displays, there are just no quality changes. As mentioned, 14.6 inches of unwieldy glory, lovely Dynamic AMOLED 2X QHD+ screens with 120Hz refresh rate. Quality-wise, they look great in person, but there are some differences in our in-house tests.
For example, the new tablet achieves a slightly lower peak brightness and is much warmer than before. Gamma and color reproduction are mostly identical, which is good to see, but so are the rest of the display properties.
One major difference that's worth mentioning is the anti-reflective coating on the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra. Coming straight from the Galaxy S24 Ultra, this one mostly eliminates screen reflections, which comes in particularly handy when using the device in bright lighting conditions.
Overall, we love the large and spacious screens of both the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, but we have to admit that they are not the most ergonomic ones to hulk around. Their destiny seems to be mostly home bound.
Performance and Software
Changing of the guard
The Galaxy Tab S10 lineup brings some significant upgrades in the performance department. Unlike previous models that used Qualcomm chipsets, the new generation switches things up with a MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ chip, likely to keep costs down.
This new 4nm chip offers a noticeable boost over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 found in the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. Samsung claims an 18% increase in CPU power and a 36% improvement in graphics performance, which should provide a solid upgrade in everyday use. Is that so?
This new 4nm chip offers a noticeable boost over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 found in the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. Samsung claims an 18% increase in CPU power and a 36% improvement in graphics performance, which should provide a solid upgrade in everyday use. Is that so?
Here's what we measured in our in-house Geekbench benchmark tests:
Well, in the CPU-heavy Geekbench 6, the two tablets are mostly in the single-core test, but the new one shines in the multi-core one. While this hints at better performance, there's no palpable difference in regular, everyday tasks.
However, one area in which the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra totally demolishes its predecessor is the graphics performance in our 3DMark Extreme test, thanks to the Arm Immortalis-G720 MC12 GPU inside the MediaTek chip. This means that the new tablet will achieve higher peak frame rates and deliver more consistent performance once throttled. Great news for gamers!
Beyond the new chip, there are some small but important changes in the memory and storage configurations. There are 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage variants on both, but the RAM isn't the same.
Beyond the new chip, there are some small but important changes in the memory and storage configurations. There are 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage variants on both, but the RAM isn't the same.
Both models retain the microSD card slots on deck, which is definitely a rarity these days, but we do appreciate its inclusion.
The S Pen is still genius (Image by PhoneArena)
One UI 7, based on Android 15, is set to roll out to these tablets in early 2025. The Galaxy S25 series will get the update first, but Samsung’s latest flagship tablets shouldn’t be waiting for long.
AI capabilities are also a big focus in this generation. In addition to familiar Galaxy AI features like summarizing content, Circle to Search, Chat Assist, translation, and generative image editing, the new tablets introduce a couple of fresh tricks.
Sketch to Image allows you to draw a rough sketch and let Galaxy AI create an artistic interpretation, while Samsung Notes gains the ability to perform calculations, similar to what iOS 18 offers on iPhones and iPads.
Camera
Good enough
The rear cameras of the two tablets are identical. Both have 13MP main and 8MP ultrawide cameras, which should be decent enough for regular tablet photography. There are more differences at the front.
The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra comes with dual 12MP cameras, a wide and an ultrawide, while the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus has a single 12MP main camera, which are helpful during video calls and the occasional selfie video is required. That said, we can't imagine taking a photo or a video with this large tablet to be comfortable.
Front camera
Both have exceptional cameras, which take great selfies. The only major difference here is the color science: the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra delivers a much more realistic color palette, which immediately stands out from the yellowish Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra.
Wide camera
Both tablets' wide cameras perform similarly. Pretty similar color and sharpness, either does the job great.
Ultrawide camera
The ultrawide camera of the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is also more detailed but introduces some oversharpening as well.
Video
Mostly the same details can be observed in video. The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is slightly more realistic and looks better than the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra.
Battery Life and Charging
Large batteries for large tablets
Both tablets feature 11,200mAh batteries inside, which is normal considering their similar size and shape. We doubt that with this trend of slimming its tablets, Samsung will actually increase the maximum battery capacities of its upcoming jumbo tablets above that 11,200mAh figure.
Is it sufficient? Either tablet will easily last you a full day.
However, as per our tests, the new Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra actually delivers worse battery life than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the web browsing and video streaming tests. The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra achieves nearly 10 hours in the first and roughly 7 hours and a half in these respective tests, whereas the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra lasts an hour or so less in both tests.
In our 3D gaming test, which emulates a regularly demanding gaming experience with the display set at 60Hz and at 200 nits of brightness, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra lasts longer than the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. This is great, as the graphics performance is also significantly better on the newer device. Gamers, do take notice.
PhoneArena Battery and Charging Test Results:
Both tablets feature 45W charging. It takes each two hours and twenty minutes to fully charge.
Specs Comparison
Check out a summarized Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra vs Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra specs comparison here.
| Specs | Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra | Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 326.4 x 208.6 x 5.4 mm | 326.4 x 208.6 x 5.5 mm |
| Weight | 718gr | 732gr |
| Screen | 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz HDR10+ Anti-reflective coating | 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz HDR10+ |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 9300+, 4nm | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| RAM, Storage and Price | 12GB/256GB 12GB/512GB 12GB/1TB microSD card slot | 12GB/256GB 12GB/512GB 12GB/1TB 16GB/1TB microSD card slot |
| Cameras | 13MP main 8MP ultrawide 12MP front wide 12MP front ultrawide | 13MP main 8MP ultrawide 12MP front wide 12MP front ultrawide |
| Battery Size | 11,200mAh | 11,200mAh |
| Charging Speeds | 45W wired | 45W wired |
| Other features | IP68, S Pen stylus | IP68, S Pen stylus |
Which one should you buy?
Save your money if you already have the older one (Image by PhoneArena)
Aside from the iPad Pro, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra and the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra are among the largest and most capable tablets you can get.
We can't figure out the reason for the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra's existence, though. There's a faster new chip and an anti-reflective coating on the display, but we can't really recommend upgrading if you already have the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. It's the generational refresh you definitely don't need.
Should you, however, jump to the new Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra if you're using an older Samsung tablet and intend to stay in the ecosystem? Well, if the size isn't an issue, sure! With this jumbo-sized slate, you will be getting the best possible experience, but make sure to consider the slightly smaller yet much more manageable Galaxy Tab S10 Plus as well: it strikes the perfect balance between overall dimensions and manageability.
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