Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ vs. Galaxy Tab S9+: Iterative upgrades

• 

  
  Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+
  

  Flagship performance

  The Galaxy Tab S10+ is Samsung’s latest high-end tablet. It has a MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ chip, a 12.4-inch display, and a 10,090mAh battery. It also comes with Galaxy AI out of the box.

  Pros

  • Seven years of software updates
  • Powerful processor
  • Slimmer and lighter chassis

  Cons

  • Not a lot different from the Tab S9+

• 

  
  Samsung Galaxy Tab S9+
  

  Last year’s best from Samsung

  $800 $1000 Save
  $200

  Despite being a year older, the Galaxy Tab S9+ remains a compelling choice for those seeking a high-end tablet. What sets it apart is its discounted price, making it a high-end option at a more affordable cost.

  Pros

  • Capable processor
  • Gorgeous display
  • Available at a discount

  Cons

  • Only three Android OS updates remaining

Samsung has long made some of the

best Android tablets
, but the generational upgrades among the company’s tablets continue to get smaller. The fresh-off-the-oven

Galaxy Tab S10+
is a prime example, packing an upgraded chip and coming with a promise of longer software support, but that’s about it.

So, if you’re in the market for a premium tablet, should you go for the Tab S10+, or will you be okay with the Tab S9+, which has most of the same internals, but will only get about three more Android updates? Let’s find out.

Price, availability, and specifications

The Galaxy Tab S10+ has the same launch price as the Tab S9+. Its Wi-Fi only variant costs $1,000 for the base 256GB model and $1,120 for the 512GB model. Want 5G, too? You’ll have to shell out $1,150 for the 256GB 5G variant, and, sadly, there is no 5G variant for the 512GB model. Being a brand-new tablet, it’s widely available from Amazon, Best Buy, Samsung.com, and carrier stores.

The Galaxy Tab S9+, as mentioned earlier, had the same price as the S10+ at launch. However, the tablet has since been discounted, and now you can find it for as low as $800 for the 256GB Wi-Fi only model and $919 for the 512GB Wi-Fi only model. The 5G model also received a similar price cut, but while you can still find the Wi-Fi only version of the S9+ widely, the 5G version is only sold by Verizon.

Here’s a look at the raw specifications of the two tablets.

• 	Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+	Samsung Galaxy Tab S9+
  SoC	MediaTek Dimensity 9300+	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
  Display type	120Hz, Dynamic AMOLED 2X with Anti Reflection	12.4-inch AMOLED, 120Hz
  Display dimensions	12.4″	12.4″
  Display resolution	2800 x 1752	2800 x 1752
  RAM	12GB	8/12GB
  Storage	Up to 512GB, microSD support up to 1.5TB	256GB/ 512GB (expandable with microSD)
  Battery	10,090mAh	10,090mAh
  Charging speed	45W	45W Fast charging
  Charge options	Wired	Wired
  Ports	USB-C	Type-C, USB 3.2 Gen 2
  Operating System	One UI 6.1.1, Android 14	Android 13, One UI 5.1.1
  Front Camera	12MP	12MP Ultrawide
  Rear Camera	13MP primary, 8MP ultrawide	13MP Wide + 13MP Ultrawide
  Cellular connectivity	5G (Sub-6/mmWave)	5G (Sub-6/mmWave)
  Wi-Fi connectivity	Wi-Fi 6E	Wi-Fi 6E
  Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.3
  Dimensions	185.4 X 285.4 X 5.6mm	285.4 x 185.4 x 5.64mm
  Weight	571g (Wi-Fi), 576g (5G)	581g (Wi-Fi), 586g (5G)
  IP rating	IP68	IP67
  Colors	Moonstone Gray, Platinum Silver	Beige, Graphite
  Stylus	S Pen included	S Pen included

Design and display

Barely any changes

Samsung has kept the same design for the Galaxy Tab S10+ as the Galaxy Tab S9+. Besides the color options that have changed from

Beige and Graphite
to Moonstone Gray and Platinum Silver, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a difference.

The only minor changes include a single millimeter difference in the thickness of the two tablets and the use of Enhanced Armor aluminum in the chassis of the S10+. This has made the S10+ about 15 grams lighter than its predecessor. However, it’s unclear exactly how much more durable the new aluminum makes the S10+.

Otherwise, both tablets have a glass front, an aluminum frame, an aluminum back, and are also

IP68 dust- and water-resistant
.

Like the design, Samsung has used the same display panel as the Galaxy S9+ in the S10+. The two tablets have a 12.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 1752 x 2800 pixels. Both screens also have an under-display fingerprint sensor and thick bezels. However, the Tab S10+ gets a new anti-reflective layer to reduce glare, which isn’t available in the Tab S9+.

The

OLED
panel, as you can expect, is gorgeous, and produces inky black and lifelike colors.

Software

The same reliable Samsung software

The Galaxy Tab S10+ comes with

Android 14
and One UI 6.1.1 out of the box, and it’s pretty much the same software you’ll get on the Tab S9+ right now. Although introduced with

Android 13
, the S9+ has received Android 14 and One UI 6.1.1 through updates. So, your software experience, regardless of the tablet you pick, isn’t going to be different.

Much of Tab S10+’s marketing is centered on it coming out of the box with Galaxy AI. While that’s true, most Galaxy AI tools, such as Note Assist, Photo Assist, Chat Assist, Interpreter, and so on, are already available on the Tab S9+. You also get Circle to Search, Portrait Studio, and Sketch to Image on the Tab S9+.

The same software aside, the One UI 6.1.1 is excellent on tablets, and you get plenty of tools to get the most out of the giant screens on both Samsung slates.

Although the software of the two tablets may not be very different, their software support period certainly is. Samsung has promised to release Android OS and security updates for the Tab S10+ for seven years, the same as the Galaxy S-series smartphones. This is a big step up from the four major Android updates and five years of security patches promised for the S9+. The Tab S9+ has already received one major Android update, Android 14.

Performance and battery

An upgrade to MediaTek

One of the only significant changes between the Galaxy Tab S10+ and the Tab S9+ is the chip on board. Instead of going with Qualcomm Snapdragon, Samsung used MediaTek’s Dimensity 9300+ in the Tab S10+. It’s a very capable chip that shows in the day-to-day performance of the slate.

As we noted in our review, the tablet is responsive and snappy; the Dimensity chip holds its own against just about anything you throw at it, including graphic-intensive games. So, if you were unsure about the presence of a MediaTek chip, you can rest easy.

The Galaxy Tab S9+ is powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which is another fantastic chip. It may not be Qualcomm’s latest and greatest, but it delivers solid performance if you’re browsing, streaming media, or gaming.

The battery is another area that remains unchanged between the Tab S9+ and the S10+, as both have a 10,090mAh battery that delivers multi-day backup and 45W fast charging support. You’ll be pretty happy with either tablet when it comes to battery performance.

Among other highlights, the Tab S10+ and the Tab S9+ have

Wi-Fi 6E
, Bluetooth 5.3, a USB 3.2 Type-C port, quad speakers, and a microSD card slot. Both tablets also come bundled with an S Pen, which is great for drawing, doodling, and taking notes. Plus, you can use the magnetic slot on the back to attach and charge the S Pen.

Cameras

Nothing to brag about

Like many other features, the cameras on the Galaxy Tab S10+ are the same as the Galaxy Tab S9+. You get a 13MP primary shooter, an 8MP ultrawide camera, and a 12MP ultrawide front camera.

All three cameras have nothing inspiring about them. The rear shooters take okay photos that will be fine in a crunch situation. But don’t expect too much from them, as they allow a ton of noise to creep in, even during well-lit situations. Most people will use these for document scanning and random snaps, so they will suffice.

The front shooter is fine for video calls, but you’ll be better off clicking selfies on your smartphone.

Which should you buy?

If budget is not a concern, despite the iterative upgrades, the Galaxy Tab S10+ is a better buy in 2024. Most importantly, it gets a much longer software support period, allowing you to use the tablet for a long time. Most people don’t upgrade their tablets as often as their phones, so the seven years of software updates is a big advantage.

Moreover, you get an upgraded chip and a slightly slimmer and lighter chassis, both of which are good to have. Other features, despite being the same as the Tab S9+, are also excellent. Finally, its 5G variant is more widely available.

However, the Galaxy Tab S9+ is a capable alternative if you want to save money. It has the same gorgeous display as the S10+, a powerful Snapdragon processor, a long battery life, and the same premium design. Sure, you will only get three more Android updates and less than four more years of security updates, but that’s also a decent support period.

If you already own a Galaxy Tab S9+, there’s little reason to upgrade to the Tab S10+, as the upgrades are simply not enough. You can probably wait for a generation or two.