Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus Review: Larger screen, fewer cameras, but great value

Samsung just released two brand-new tablets to make us company this April––the Galaxy Tab S10 FE and Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus are now here!

Reserve your Galaxy Tab S10 FE or Tab S10 FE+

Starting today, you can reserve a Galaxy Tab S10 FE or Tab S10 FE+ at the official Samsung Store. All you have to do is submit your email, name, and mobile number (optional). By reserving now, you’ll receive a $50 credit when you purchase either of the upcoming Galaxy tablets.

Reserve at Samsung

The device is yet another standard aluminum slate with fairly thick bezels, a magnetically attachable S Pen at the back, as well as a single rear camera. No display notches or anything interfering with the display, which is good. 

One thing that has changed is the screen size. The Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus has a 13.1-inch screen, a small but noteworthy upgrade over the previous Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus’ display that measured 12.4 inches across. The peak brightness is apparently around 800 nits in high-brightness mode here. 

Speaking of the screen, it is still an IPS LCD one. Those are arguably inferior when compared to the domineering OLED screens on higher-tier tablets, but many mid-range and entry-level tablets still use such screens with less impressive contrast and lower peak brightness––it’s just a compromise we have to accept. The display is a 90Hz one and features a resolution of 2880 by 1800 pixels––it sounds lowish for a 13-inch display, but is decent enough. 

Our tests reveal that this one is a fairly bright LCD screen with decent color accuracy and great viewing angles. 

As mentioned, full S Pen support is coming to this device, and just like before, the S Pen is available in the box. 

The difference between these two is that the regular Book Cover Keyboard is a slightly more premium one and has a built-in trackpad. The other one lacks this feature, but is slightly more compact and easier to carry. The regular Book Cover Keyboard is a two-element one, consisting of a detachable full QWERTY keyboard with a trackpad and a case with a kickstand at the back. It normally sells for$200.

The Slim version is a magnetically attached case-like accessory which lacks the trackpad, but is more compact and easier to lug around. It will set you back $140.

Samsung has once again included an S Pen stylus in the box, as the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus is completely compatible with this accessory.

Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus Performance & Benchmarks

Exynos on deck

When it comes to graphics performance, however, things aren’t looking too good for the Samsung device. It simply is not good enough for gaming, and will struggle with heavier games, though you might not have an issue with lighter titles. Your mileage may and will vary. 

The tablet comes in two versions, a 128GB one with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB one with 12GB of RAM. Both have expandable storage, with a microSD card up to 2TB in size. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3 are also on deck. 

Interestingly, this one is only available with Wi-Fi on board. If you want a 5G-enabled version, you will have to go with the smaller model.

The Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus comes with Android 15 and One UI 7out of the box. Samsung is about to release One UI 7 in early April, but only for ex-flagship phones, so tablets will probably have to wait a little longer for the newest software. Given the potential market positioning of this tablet, it might have the older software at launch.

• Circle to Search––The latest trend in searching with Google is available right out of the box. 
• Solve Math––Similar to iPadOS and the latest additions to Apple’s Notes app, Samsung’s latest large tablet lets you easily solve math equations in Samsung Notes, without switching apps.
• Handwriting Help––This feature aims to tidy up your handwriting and improve your note-taking. 
• Galaxy AI Key––A dedicated Galaxy AI key on the optional Samsung keyboard accessories lets you quickly launch the AI assistant of your choice
• Object Eraser––This one is familiar and lets you quickly remove unwanted objects from your photos. 
• Best Face––Automatically selects and combines your best facial expressions from a series of photos.  
• Auto Trim––Creates highlight reels from your videos. 

Some pre-loaded apps on the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus include LumaFusion, Goodnotes, Clip Studio Paint, Noteshelf 3, Sketchbook, and Picsart. 

The tablet will enjoy a lengthy seven-year software support period, matching Samsung’s phones.

Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus Camera

Not half-bad!

The Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus features just a single 13MP rear camera. That’s right, the 8MP ultrawide of its predecessor has been axed. 

The front camera, on the other hand, is a 12MP ultra-wide one, and it’s arguably more important, as you use it for video calls. It will probably fare pretty well in the occasional video call. 

The image quality is great here and not too shabby at all. Sharpness and dynamic range look good with both the front and rear cameras. 

Video quality is pretty decent as well. Both cameras can take 4K videos at up to 30fps, and the quality is pretty good.

Should you buy it?

This new Samsung tablet is more than adequate alternative to Samsung’s flagship tablets and to Apple’s similarly priced iPads. 

Sure, it lacks the raw performance, and features some cut corners in comparison with its competitors, but it has a lot of strengths as well, like the decent camera and speaker quality, as well as the fairly compact design. 

In terms of pricing, prepare to spend $50 extra in comparison with the previous generation, as the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus costs $650 and arrives April 10 in the US.