There are only so many ways to make a tablet. If you’re Acer, you give most of your new Iconia tablets kickstands. If you’re Apple, well, you just say it’s a new iPad and call it a day. And if you’re Samsung, you announce the new Galaxy Tab S11 and S11 Ultra and make everybody play a game of “spot the difference” between the two Android tablets.
At IFA 2025, Samsung debuted the two new tablets, and yes, you may need ChatGPT to create a table comparing the two to see what one has that the other doesn’t. Or you can just keep reading my blog post.
Galaxy Tab S11 vs. Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra
Let’s start with pricing because something that costs less usually tells you it has less, and that definitely applies here. The Tab S11 starts at $799.99 and comes with 128GB of storage with 12GB of RAM, and the Tab S11 Ultra starts at $1,119.99 and comes with 256GB with 16GB of RAM. Spec up the storage, and you’re looking at a wallet that’s going to feel it.
The Tab S11 also has a smaller 11-inch display versus the Tab S11 Ultra’s 14.6-inch screen. Like I said previously, the Tab S11 Ultra is a big ol’ tray of a tablet. That bigger screen also comes with an anti-reflective coating to reduce glare. Both screens at least support up to 120Hz refresh rates.
A bigger screen also means a larger body, which means more weight. As a result, the Tab S11 weighs 1.06 pounds compared to the 1.52 pounds for the Tab S11 Ultra. That extra weight on the Tab S11 Ultra isn’t just air—it’s a larger 11,600mAh battery versus the Tab S11’s 8,400mAh lithium-ion cell.
The rest of the tech specs for the two Samsung tablets are more or less identical. Both have the same MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ chipset, IP68 water- and dust-resistance, quad speakers, and in-display fingerprint readers. Both also have microSD card slots for expanding storage, and both support a redesigned S Pen stylus that has a hexagonal shape with flat sides that’s more like a pencil; it’s even included in the box.
The small differences are in the cameras and the Wi-Fi speeds. The Tab S11 has one 13-megapixel rear camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide selfie camera; the Tab S11 Ultra has two rear cameras (13-megapixel main and 8-megapixel ultrawide) and a 12-megapixel ultrawide selfie camera. For Wi-Fi, the Tab S11 is stuck with Wi-Fi 6E, while the Tab S11 Ultra supports the newest Wi-Fi 7.
Samsung DeX and Gemini
But the specs for a tablet barely even matter in 2025. It’s what software tricks they can do to help you be more productive that matters most. In that regard, the two Samsung tablets have an improved DeX mode, which switches their Android software from a tablet-optimized one to one that functions like a desktop computer. New for the Tab S11 and Tab S11 Ultra is an “Extended Mode” that lets you use DeX across two connected monitors instead of one. DeX also supports up to four desktop workspaces, so you can organize your app windows into spaces just like you could on macOS and Windows.
As for Gemini integration, there’s pretty much all the stuff seen in Samsung’s Galaxy S25 and new Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 foldables. You get features like Writing Assist to help you rewrite emails and messages in different tones, live translations, Circle to Search, and a slew of other camera and photo editing functionalities that use generative AI.
Galaxy Tab S11 and Tab S11 Ultra Release Date
Both the Tab S11 and Tab S11 Ultra will be available starting today, Sept. 4. The two tablets come in gray or silver.