Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ review: big-screen tablet for streaming

In the heady world of tablet computers, there are plenty of slick-looking designs on offer – but which is worth your hard-earned cash?

While Apple’s iPads sit in a category all of its own, the more competitive Android market has a shifting set of leading brands. Sitting peachy at the top? Samsung.

The tech giant offers it all, from home appliances and handsets to, of course, tablets. Called the Tab, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ is the latest arrival to join the family, and amongst its biggest draws is its XL screen. Add in a suite of nifty AI features, an impressive processor and an ultra-slim design at a cost in line with the mid-range tablet market and it sounds like a pretty easy pill to swallow.

But is the tablet all it’s cracked up to be? I took it for a spin and listed my thoughts below.

A generous screen yet with only 6mm depth and weighing 664g makes this slate large yet lightweight and portable at the same time.

It feels sturdy, but you wouldn’t want this to slip from your hands, especially if you’re standing on concrete or stone outside. A padded cover, if you plan to take it out and about, feels like a prudent investment.

It is IP68-rated water and dust resistant, adding some peace of mind if you’re taking this tech adventuring. It comes in a grey, silver or blue body, none of which is visible when viewing it from the front, so it’s just a question of preference.

The display size, the largest on a Galaxy Tab FE Series, is substantial, with nearly 13.2 inches to gaze at.

As a side note, I’ve been warned I have dry eyes (an occupational hazard when you’re in front of a screen all day), so I appreciated room for my eyes to roam across such a generous display instead of being fixed in one small spot.

If you own Samsung’s latest handsets, you’ll be familiar with Gemini AI. This tablet can do everything those phones can, just on a larger scale, including running up to three apps on one screen (one of my favourite features).

You can record a meeting and then have the AI transcribe it into easy notes for you to look over. There’s the Google-powered Circle to Search, which made it easy to find obscure homewares on Pinterest or quickly look up the meaning of something without losing my spot on the page.

The included stylus makes it easy to get maths, history and science answers: just scribble across the screen, and the genie inside the tablet will answer. If you’ve got school-age kids, perhaps don’t let them do their homework on this, but for anyone whose classroom days are a distant, dusty memory, you might find it helpful. The stylus is also helpful if you’re into drawing, allowing you to pen your designs straight onto the screen, ready for editing. It attaches to the back of the tablet magnetically, so there’s less chance of losing it.

There are two front and rear cameras: 12MP and 13MP, respectively. Camera wizardry includes Object Eraser to get rid of unwanted items from snaps easily and Best Face, which selects the best bits of the same group photo, stitching them together to present the best version.

While they capture content in vibrant colour and detail, they are somewhat awkward to do given the sheer size of this tablet. I’d say that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ is a device best used for browsing, streaming and gaming rather than unleashing your inner Testino.

Decent speakers support crisp visuals boosted by a 90Hz refresh rate (that’s more than the iPad Air which has 60Hz, but less than the iPad Pro which has 120Hz), tested by playing Dadi Freyr’s Think About Things video, a song that I have no doubt would have won Iceland the Eurovision 2020 trophy were it not for Covid. Moving onto a documentary, the content rolled along glitch-free and with clear audio, as though I was watching it on a proper TV.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ is incredibly bright, a feature Samsung has proudly shouted about in its promotional material. You can use it outside, with the 800 nits coping in the bright, direct sunlight we’ve been enjoying lately. Given that such sunny weather is a rare occurrence here in England, it’ll be fine in a shady or sundappled spot too.

If you’re a Samsung fan, you can pair it with the brand’s other devices, adding to its seamlessness or connect it to a wireless keyboard to create a remote workstation. Battery power, you ask? It’s admirable, lasting a few days even with frequent use before it needs a full recharge.

The pricing is in line with most mid-range tablets, but the design makes it appear quite high-end: the only real giveaway is the single rear camera. While £649 isn’t a small sum, if you value supersized screen real estate and AI features, Samsung’s tablet is a great addition to your tech suite. And if you don’t need such a large screen, the previous S9 FE+ model offers broadly the same features on a slightly smaller 12.4-inch screen for a lot less (£419, Amazon).

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ shines best when used for browsing or streaming, so if you’re looking for travel entertainment or for using squint-free beside the pool, you’ll have a winner in your hands here.