Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra vs S10 Ultra: Is the Upgrade Worth It?

Samsung released the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra with notable upgrades over the S10 Ultra, but the changes come with tradeoffs that might surprise you. The newer model offers a faster processor, a brighter display, and a larger battery, yet removes features some users rely on daily. Let’s break down what changed and who benefits most from upgrading.​

Display and Brightness: How the S11 Ultra Shines Brighter

Both tablets rock a 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen with 2960×1848 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. They look identical at first glance. But the S11 Ultra cranks brightness up to 1,600 nits compared to the S10’s 920 nits.​​

That extra brightness makes a real difference outdoors. If you read articles on your deck or watch videos by the pool, the S11 Ultra screen stays visible in direct sunlight. The S10 struggled in those situations, even with its anti-reflective coating.​​

Both tablets use the same anti-reflective coating that reduces glare. The S11 also offers better HDR performance. When you stream movies with HDR content, colors pop more, and dark scenes show more detail.​​

One quirk with the S11 Ultra is that the screen gets a pink tint when viewed at steep angles. This tint vanishes when you look directly at the screen. The S10 Ultra does not show this pink shift.

Performance Boost: Dimensity 9400+ vs 9300+ 

The S11 Ultra runs on MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400 Plus processor, while the S10 uses the older 9300 Plus. Samsung claims the new chip delivers 24% faster CPU performance, 27% better graphics performance, and 33% faster AI processing.​​

Real-world tests back up those numbers. The S11 Ultra scored about 20% higher on Geekbench. Graphics benchmarks show even bigger gains with scores jumping from 12,000 to 20,000.​

What does that mean for daily use? Apps launch faster, games run smoother, and video editing happens quicker. If you edit 4K videos on your tablet, the S11 Ultra exports files noticeably faster than both the S10 and S9 Ultra.​ When exporting the same 4K H.264 video in LumaFusion, the S11 Ultra finished noticeably quicker than the S10 Ultra. 

Gaming sees serious improvements, too. The S11 Ultra handles graphics-intensive games at higher frame rates and in higher-quality settings. 

Thermal tests show both tablets manage heat well. Under sustained load, neither tablet throttled in a 20‑minute looped stress run, with the S10 Ultra showing slightly lower stability while the S11 Ultra held frames more consistently.​

Design and Build Quality: Subtle Yet Noticeable Changes

Samsung kept the overall size the same between models. Both tablets measure 326.4 x 208.6 mm. But the S11 Ultra drops to 5.1mm thick, compared with 5.4mm on the S10. That’s thin enough to feel in your hand.​​

Weight dropped from 723 grams to 690 grams. The difference isn’t huge, but every gram counts when you hold a 14.6-inch tablet for long reading sessions.​​

The front camera notch shrunk on the S11 Ultra. Samsung ditched the dual front cameras for a single 12MP ultrawide shooter. The smaller notch looks cleaner.

Both tablets maintain IP68 water- and dust-resistance. You can use them around the pool or in light rain without worry. The armor aluminum frame feels equally solid on both models.​​

Battery Life and Charging: Real-World Power Test Results

The S11 Ultra packs an 11,600 mAh battery compared to 11,200 mAh in the S10. That’s an extra 400 mAh of capacity. Combined with the more efficient processor, battery life jumps noticeably.​​

In drain tests conducted at 100% screen brightness, the S11 Ultra lasted about 8 hours. The S10 Ultra achieved a similar result. However, the S11 Ultra has a much brighter screen. If you turn down the S11 Ultra brightness, it will last longer than the S10 Ultra. Extended testing showed the S11 Ultra achieving over eight hours of screen-on time, compared to around 7 hours and 40 minutes for the S10 Ultra. If you frequently watch movies or media, the larger battery makes a big difference.

When it comes to charging, both tablets support 45-watt fast charging. Interestingly, the S11 Ultra finished charging faster than the S10 Ultra, even though it has a larger battery. The S11 Ultra charged to 100% in about 1 hour and 27 minutes. The S10 Ultra took 2 hours and 41 minutes using Samsung’s official charger. S11 Ultra handles heat better during charging, allowing it to maintain faster charge speeds.

S Pen Redesign: What You Gain and What You Lose

The S Pen underwent a significant change. This is one of the biggest reasons people wonder if they should upgrade.

Samsung completely redesigned the S Pen for the S11 Ultra. The new version has a hexagonal shape rather than a round one, and Samsung says it’s more comfortable.​

The hexagon design puts a flat surface under your thumb, no matter how you hold it. That makes the button easier to press consistently. The tip angle changed, too, letting you hold the pen at steeper angles for shading and drawing.​ However,  pressure sensitivity stays the same at 4096 levels.​

But Samsung removed all Bluetooth functionality from the S11’s S Pen. The S10’s pen worked as a remote control for the camera, media playback, and app shortcuts. Those features are gone.​

The docking location also changed. On the S10 Ultra, the S Pen charges magnetically on a strip on the back of the tablet. The S11 Ultra only connects on the side/top. You don’t need to charge the new S Pen, as it no longer requires Bluetooth charging.​​

Samsung did try to fix the loss of the Bluetooth remote actions. If you bring the new S Pen close to the S11 Ultra screen and press the button, a small menu pops up. This allows quick access to change pen thickness or color, or to switch between favorite pens. This new quick controller was not available on previous generations. It also gives you quick access to the new AI features, such as note summarization or translation.

Ultimately, the loss of Bluetooth Air Actions disappointed some users. But the new hexagon design, conical tip, and quick access menu offer compelling additions for artists and writers.

Accessory Compatibility: What No Longer Fits

Here’s a pain point. Samsung moved the accessory connector pins or pogo pins from the bottom edge to the back of the S11 Ultra. This means the old keyboard cases and accessories designed for the S10 Ultra will not work with the S11 Ultra. You must buy new accessories.

The magnetic attachment points shifted, too. Covers and cases designed for the S8, S9, and S10 Ultra don’t stick properly to the S11. Samsung redesigned all the official accessories.​

The new Book Cover Keyboard looks identical, but connects differently. It comes in slightly lighter gray. You’ll need to budget for new accessories if you upgrade.​​

Storage Options and Connectivity Upgrades Explained

Both tablets offer 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options with 12GB or 16GB RAM. Storage speed uses UFS 4.0 on both models. But the S11 Ultra accepts microSD cards up to 2TB instead of 1.5TB.​​

In terms of connectivity, both the S10 Ultra and S11 Ultra support Wi-Fi 7. File transfer tests show the S11 sustains around 300 megabytes per second. 

Most home internet connections won’t reach speeds where Wi-Fi 7 makes a significant difference; you typically need at least 2.5 Gbps internet to see benefits. However, for local network transfers from a NAS or downloading large game files, Wi-Fi 7 provides meaningful advantages on both tablets.

Audio Performance and Camera Improvements

Both tablets pack quad speakers with Dolby Atmos support. Two speakers sit on each long edge. The S11 Ultra sounds slightly louder and richer, but the difference isn’t dramatic.​

Rear cameras remained identical, with a 13MP wide-angle and 8MP ultrawide setup. Both shoot 4K video at 30fps. The photo and video quality look the same between models.​

The front camera changed from dual 12MP sensors to a single 12MP ultrawide on the S11. You lose the dedicated wide-angle option for video calls. But most people only use the ultrawide anyway for group calls.​​

Face tracking improves on the S11. It follows movement smoothly in calls, outperforming the S10’s laggy response. Audio captures a clear voice with minimal background noise on both. These suit quick scans or Zoom meetings, but grab your phone for pro shots.

Software and One UI 8.0 Experience: Samsung DeX Gets Smarter

The S11 Ultra launched with Android 16 and One UI 8.0. The S10 runs One UI 7.0 but will get updated to 8.0 later. Both tablets get seven years of software updates from Samsung.​​

One UI 8.0 transforms Samsung DeX on the S11 Ultra. Instead of a separate desktop mode, DeX now runs as multiple workspaces, accessible through the recents menu. You can now create up to four separate desktop workspaces and switch between them and your regular Android home screen instantly.

This unified approach makes DeX way more useful for productivity work. Switch between workspaces without leaving your current apps. Each workspace maintains its own open windows and layout.​

If you use your tablet often for productivity, this new Dex is a major advantage for the S11 Ultra.

The control panel got a visual refresh with better transparency and blur effects. Notifications pull down in a more compact format. These changes will eventually come to the S10, but the S11 gets them now.​

Galaxy AI features expand on both tablets. But the S11’s faster neural processor handles AI tasks 33% quicker. That speeds up things like photo editing, voice transcription, and translation.​

Button Layout and Usability Tweaks

Samsung swapped the power and volume buttons on the S11 Ultra. The new button placement now matches current Samsung phones.

This makes screenshots easier to take on the S11. The buttons sit right next to each other, rather than having the volume rocker between them. It’s a slight quality-of-life improvement.​

Missing Vibration Motor: A Small But Surprising Omission

The S11 Ultra lost its vibration motor. The S10 could vibrate for notifications and system feedback. Samsung removed that hardware completely.​

If you relied on vibration alerts while using your tablet, you’ll need to switch to audio notifications. Set notification sounds to a low volume to avoid disruption. This seems like an odd cost-cutting move on a premium tablet.​

Final Verdict: Is the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra Worth Upgrading?

If you are buying a tablet today and choosing between the two, go with the S11 Ultra. It is the superior product with the latest enhancements. But if you already own the S10 Ultra, stick with it unless you specifically need one of those top-tier improvements. The S10 Ultra handles most daily tasks just fine. Check Samsung’s trade-in deals, though. A great deal might tip the scales in favor of the newer model.

Recommended Reading

23 Essential Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra Tips You Need to Know
If you’re holding onto your S10 Ultra after reading this comparison, this guide helps you get the most out of it. Learn hidden One UI shortcuts, battery settings, and productivity tricks that keep your current tablet running smoother and smarter without rushing into an upgrade.

17 Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra S Pen Tips and Tricks

Curious how to make better use of your S10’s Bluetooth S Pen? This article dives into creative and practical uses, from camera gestures to drawing workflow improvements, that highlight what the older S Pen can still do better than the new non-Bluetooth version on the S11 Ultra.