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

When it comes to the Android tablet space, Samsung's devices have always been at the forefront, with the latest Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra being no different. Specifically designed for resource-intensive workflows and mobile productivity, the top-tier tablet offers everything from cutting-edge hardware to versatile software in a premium chassis. But then, all that (still) holds true for the last-gen Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra as well, even if the newer model does come with a few improvements.

So what exactly are all these upgrades, and are they really that significant? Even more importantly, if already have the previous-gen tablet, should you even bother?

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

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

Viewed side by side, the two tablets are nigh 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 previous-gen tablet.

Flip over the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, and you'll notice 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 the same fantastic display—complete with vibrant colors and great viewing angles—as the one you'd find the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, but with one key enhancement.

The panel now comes with an anti-reflective coating (introduced with the Galaxy S24 Ultra) that helps quite 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 overall visual symmetry.

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

Perfectly complementing the stunning exterior of the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra are its top-tier innards, which are easily among the best you can find in any Android-based tablet available in the market at the moment. The flagship slate is powered 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 it's true that specs aren't everything, it's worth noting that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC powering the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra still continues to be more than capable of handling everything you throw at it without breaking a sweat.

Other hardware specifications largely remain unchanged, with both tablets offering up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of onboard storage. And should you need even more storage 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. As you'd expect, there's support for 4K video recording too.

A tablet—especially one that's this big—may not be the ideal choice when it comes to capturing photos and videos but it's good to have the option, if needed. We also think the overall photo and video 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 newest thing in town, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra gets Android 14 preinstalled on it. 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 large screen(s), Galaxy AI packs in 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 via a software update.

That being said, one thing that might just give the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra a slight edge over its predecessor is software support, as it's entirely possible that it will be covered by the same industry-best update commitment as some of Samsung's newer flagship phones. Conversely, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra—which launched with Android 13—is only going to be eligible for four years of updates, unless Samsung decides to support it for longer.

Now let's talk about accessories! Of course, 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 backward-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. However, the inclusion 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 anti-reflective display and the new MediaTek hardware that you get with the newer model are awesome, but these are only minor updates. Moreover, now that the Tab S10 Ultra is here, you can get the the Tab S9 Ultra at a reduced price, even more so if you go the refurbished route.

Our suggestion here is very simple! If you're thinking of getting a new premium tablet and money is no object, just go ahead and buy the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra. You'll get the newest product, 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 trade-in offer and exchange the last-gen tablet (in mint condition), you'll still be paying $400 out of your pocket, so it's better to save your money.