Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra vs. Tab S9 Ultra: Should you upgrade?

Samsung's devices have always been at the forefront of the Android tablet product segment, and the newly introduced Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is no exception. The uber-premium tablet is specifically designed for resource-heavy workflows and on-the-go productivity—offering everything from powerhouse hardware to full S Pen support—to help you do just that. Of course, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra has all of that as well, but the latest version does come with a few improvements over the last-gen model.

So, what are all these upgrades, and how significant are they? More importantly, if you already have the previous-gen model, should you even care?

Read on, as we take a comparative look at Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra vs. Tab S9 Ultra and answer those questions.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra vs. Tab S9 Ultra: Design and display

When viewed side by side, the two tablets are nearly impossible to tell apart. Except for being a little lighter and a tad slimmer, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is exactly the same as the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. You still get the same well-built aluminum chassis with flat sides, a dual-lens rear camera system, as well as an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. Other standout features—from the crisp quad-speaker array to the magnetic S Pen charging strip at the back—have also been carried forward from the last-gen model.

Flip over the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, and you'll notice it's a similar story. The tablet's business side is all about a gargantuan 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen, having a resolution of 2960x1848 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate. It's exactly the same superb display—complete with vibrant colors and great viewing angles—as the one on the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, but with one key difference.

The panel now comes with an anti-reflective coating (introduced with the Galaxy S24 Ultra) that helps a lot in reducing glare and enhancing overall visibility, as noted by Android Central's Andrew Myrick during his brief hands-on experience with the device. You also get fairly slim (for a tablet) uniform bezels on all sides, with only the notch for the dual-lens front camera setup breaking up the symmetry.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra vs. Tab S9 Ultra: Hardware and cameras

Complementing the stunning exterior of the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra are its top-tier innards, which are easily the best you can find in any Android-based tablet available in the market right now. The flagship slate is driven by the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 Plus chipset that—according to Samsung—delivers an 18 percent boost and a 28 percent jump in CPU and GPU performance, respectively. While we'll only be able to test out these claims once we review the tablet, it's worth noting that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC powering the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra continues to be capable of handling everything you throw at it without breaking a sweat.

Other hardware specifications remain unchanged, with both tablets offering up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of onboard storage. And if you need even more space, you'll be happy to know that the good ol' microSD card slot is still here.

The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra has a total of four cameras—two at the front and two on the rear — and all of them have been carried over from the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. The rear camera system is comprised of a 13MP wide-angle sensor and an 8MP ultrawide unit. On the other hand, the front camera setup is comprised of a 12MP wide-angle sensor and a 12MP ultrawide unit. There's support for 4K video recording as well.

A tablet—especially one that's this big—may not be everyone's first choice when it comes to capturing photos and videos, but it's good to have the option. We also think the overall quality is going to be more than decent, even if it doesn't come anywhere close to that of the best Android camera phones out there.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra vs. Tab S9 Ultra: Software, accessory support, and battery life

Being the latest model, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra comes with Android 14 preinstalled. While that's expected, what's important is the One UI 6.1.1 overlay, which makes it Samsung's first tablet to have Galaxy AI out of the box. Optimized for big screen(s), Galaxy AI introduces features like enhanced note-taking with auto summarization, split-view editing, and PDF translation. Apart from those, you also have goodies such as Google's 'Circle to Search' and generative photo editing. Needless to say, all these AI-powered tools will eventually come to the last-gen model too.

That said, the one thing that might just give the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra an edge over the previous-gen model is software support, as it's very much possible that it will be covered by the same excellent update policy as Samsung's newest flagship phones. Conversely, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra—which was launched with Android 13—is only eligible for four years of updates.

Now let's talk about accessories! Yeah, the bundled S Pen is great, but Samsung is also offering a number of accessories (e.g., rugged cases, keyboard covers) for the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra through its online storefront. And the best part is that nearly all of them are backwards compatible with the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra.

The 11,200mAh battery of the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra remains unchanged, as does the 45W fast wired charging support. That being said, the use of newer and more power-efficient internals could result in better endurance as compared to the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra vs. Tab S9 Ultra: Should you upgrade?

There's no denying that the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is one of the best Android tablets you can get today. But then, so is the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, even if it's a bit old at this point. Sure, the refreshed anti-reflective display and the new MediaTek hardware are awesome, but these are only minor updates. Moreover, now that the Tab S10 Ultra is here, it's only a matter of time before the Tab S9 Ultra sees a reduction in its price(s).

Our suggestion is simple! If you're planning to get a new premium tablet and money is no object, go ahead and get the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra. You'll get the newest thing in town, along with slightly faster performance and longer software support. However, if you already have the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, an upgrade just isn't worth it. Even if you decide to take advantage of the pre-order deals and trade in your last-gen tablet (in mint condition), you'll have to pay $400 out of your pocket, so it's better to save your money.