I tested the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus — great value, premium feel

Coming from a line of tablets that have let us down in the past, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus FE has turned things around to show that Samsung can do cheaper tablets just as well as premium ones, while making forgivable sacrifices to keep the cost down.

Offering a larger screen than the more premium Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, but with better battery life and only one less year of update support, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus is Samsung's answer to the iPad Air, which we rank as one of the best tablets. But unlike the OnePlus Pad 2, our current top player for the best Android tablets, the Tab S10 FE Plus is not focused on power, even if it is just as practical for light workloads.

It's a huge but portable slate that can be a brilliant addition to anyone who finds flagship chipsets or the latest AI features unnecessary distractions from their main goals of note-taking, drawing or streaming video.

I've enjoyed my time with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus a whole lot, even though I know there are more potent tablets I could use instead. You'll see why I don't mind the power gap, enjoy the surprising ways it beats far more expensive tablets and how well it plays early ‘00s British rap if you read on.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus: Specs

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus: Price and availability

You can buy the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus right now for $649/£649/AU$ 1,299 for 128GB storage, or up that to $749/£749/AU$ 1,449 if you want 256GB storage.

These are the prices for the basic Wi-Fi-only model, but for just £100/AU$ 200 you can add 5G compatibility if you're in the U.K. or Australia. Sadly, U.S. users don't have access to the 5G edition of the Plus model —you'll have to downsize to the regular Tab S10 FE if you want mobile data on the tablet.

This is $50 more than the Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus was last year, but that old model measures 12.4 inches, while the new one is noticeably larger at 13.1 inches. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus starts at $999/£999, and comes with several more features in accordance with its flagship status and price. But the Tab S10 Plus also measures 12.4 inches across, keeping the Tab S10 FE as the better one for cost to size ratio.

Looking beyond Samsung, the closest Apple-made rival, a 13-inch iPad Air, costs at least $799, and doesn't come with a bundled stylus like the Galaxy Tab does. The OnePlus Pad 2, our favorite Android tablet, costs $549, but uses a 12.1-inch display, and also comes without a stylus by default.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus: Design

The Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus does not deviate from Samsung's basic tablet design principles, with rounded corners, a landscape-first layout with the front camera on the long side of the tablet and the antenna lines on the back the only decoration along with the Samsung logo. There is no stripe down the back of the tablet following the rear camera downwards, but there are still magnets in this area, despite this, making it an ideal S Pen stylus storage location.

At 13.1 inches, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus is 0.7 inches larger than the Tab S9 FE Plus it replaces, giving you a whole lot of extra screen space for your money. But even with the extra room, the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus FE remains noticeably more rectangular than most tablets, especially compared to the square-ish 13-inch iPad Air.

But the Galaxy Tab and the iPad are equally thin at 0.24 inches thick, even if Samsung’s slate is about an ounce heavier. But the Samsung scores extra points by making its tablet's body more durable, with an IP68 rating against dust and water.

Coming in Gray, Silver or Blue, there's no particularly loud color option for the Tab S10 Plus FE. But I doubt that will be a dealbreaker for anyone.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus: Display

A 13.1-inch LCD panel covers the front of the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus, offering a 90Hz refresh rate like the previous Tab FE models. And in line with its predecessors, Samsung runs rings around the competition when it comes to brightness, color and color accuracy.

It's a shame that Samsung kept the anti-reflective coating exclusive for its non-FE Tab S models, because with that, the Tab S10 FE Plus would inarguably have one of the best tablet displays around.

As things stand, it's still brilliant for watching video or browsing, with the 90Hz refresh rate still high enough to keep things feeling responsive and smooth, unlike the 60Hz tech that Apple still uses on all its iPads except for the Pro models.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus: Performance

As one of the most expensive parts of any device, the chipset is normally a prime candidate for downgrading when trying to make a cheaper version, and that applies to the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus.

Samsung isn't using the capable Dimensity 9300 Plus from the regular Tab S10 models, but instead its own Exynos 1580. You can see how far behind that leaves it compared to the competition in the table below, where it lags on our three key benchmarks.

This was noticeable outside the formal tests, too. When I played Ex Astris, an RPG with demanding graphics, the Tab S10 FE couldn't keep up. Only taking my party indoors and into tight corridors helped bring the refresh rate back up, and even then, only until I started doing anything more involved than just moving around the rooms. The Tab S10 Plus FE isn't built for gaming.

On the plus side, Samsung doesn't shortchange you with memory. The basic spec for the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus FE is 8GB RAM with 128GB storage, but you can also get a 12GB RAM/256GB storage version that puts the tablet on par with the best Android slates in terms of memory space for multitasking or storing files. There's microSD card support too, giving up to another 2TB of swappable storage if you need it.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus: Audio

The stereo speakers on the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus offer reasonable power and audio definition. But it's still way behind premium tablets like Samsung's own Galaxy Tab S10 Plus.

Even at 50% volume, Roots Manuva's "Witness" was plenty loud enough for me on the Tab S10 FE Plus. The track's signature squish bass was as punchy as you'd want it to be, Root's lyrics were clear and the higher-pitched effects and percussion, while a little muted compared to the lower-frequency sounds, were still well represented.

But at the same volume, the Tab S10 Plus was way louder and had a superior soundstage with its quad speaker set-up. And all at the same quality, too. It's not a big enough difference for me to feel poorly served by the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus. But it is still a mid-tier tablet, and premium slates have all kinds of advantages you may not expect.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus: Battery and charging

Although Samsung enlarged the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus compared to the Tab S9 FE Plus, it still uses the same 10,090 mAh battery capacity. On our custom battery test, the Tab S10 FE Plus lasted 15 hours and 43 minutes with its adaptive refresh rate. That's nearly two and a half hours shorter than the Tab S9 FE Plus, but close to two hours longer than the 14:08 result of the OnePlus Pad 2.

Samsung also kept the same 45W wired charging system for the latest generation of Tab S FE. It fills the tablet from empty to 8% in 15 minutes and 16% after half an hour. The OnePlus Pad managed to reach 36% after half an hour of charging, showing how Samsung still lags behind on refuelling, even if its tablets do well on efficiency.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus: Cameras

A simple duo of 13MP main and 12MP selfie cameras serves the Galaxy Tab S10 FE. Those are the same as you get on the Galaxy Tab S10, so we shouldn't see much difference between the photos I took on both tablets.

There's enough detail to show off your face or what's in front of you while you're on a video call. But these are not designed for proper photography, and given the size of the tablet, it's not practical to even try.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus: Accessories

Samsung’s main tablet accessory is the S Pen, which, in usual Samsung fashion, comes in the Tab S10 FE Plus’ box as part of the entry price. There are no Bluetooth features available for this stylus, but the built-in button and fine, rubbery tip make it an excellent precision writing or drawing tool.

There are also several case and cover options that Samsung will sell you. You can get a simple Smart Book Cover, which acts as a stand or screen protector as needed. There are also two keyboard covers — an all-in-one style without a trackpad, and one with a trackpad that has separate stand and keyboard elements for greater flexibility.

I didn't get to try any of these cases, but going by previous Samsung tablet keyboard cases I've used, they are useful, albeit somewhat expensive, additions that make the tablet more suitable for work or school.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus: Software and AI features

One UI 7 brings a fresh look to the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus' interface, in keeping with the regular Galaxy Tab S10 series and the Galaxy S25 line of phones. But this resemblance is somewhat skin-deep, as a lot of the Galaxy AI features found on these devices aren't available on the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus.

You still get Circle to Search, the visual Google Search tool to help find out more about what's on your screen. And inside the Notes app, you can use the Solve Math feature to help with equations, or adjust your handwriting with the app's Handwriting Help tools to tidy up your notes. But this isn't designed to be an AI-focused device, unlike the iPad Air, which can use all the same Apple Intelligence features as other recent Apple devices.

Samsung's DeX desktop mode is still present on the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus, as it has been on previous Galaxy Tab generations. Turning this mode on makes the tablet more laptop-like when required, and is ideal for use with a keyboard case or a separate keyboard and mouse.

While Samsung's flagship tablets get seven years of full update support, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus gets six years of full support, along with six generations of Android. This is one of the best offers for software longevity in the tablet space, with most iPads getting around five years of support, and the OnePlus Pad 2 only getting three years of Android updates and four years of security updates guaranteed.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus review: Verdict

Samsung's been generous with how much the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus offers, except in two key areas. Performance is one — this isn't a machine for high-fidelity gaming, or for work beyond some typing or spreadsheet editing. The other is the lack of AI features, which you'd perhaps expect on a tablet of this price in 2025, but may not matter too much given the Tab S10 FE Plus isn't focused on productivity.

The Tab S10 FE Plus' display size and quality, its strong battery life and the value for money for its hardware (plus the bundled stylus) make it a better mid-range tablet than others. It's just the right combination of features for anyone who wants something better than a standard iPad or Galaxy Tab A series model, but finds the laptop-grade M3 chip in the iPad Air excessive, let alone the price.

The OnePlus Pad 2 remains our top Android tablet pick for its overall performance and value for money. But if you're happy trading away some power and features for a longer battery life and extra display quality, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus might be the ideal middle ground for you.