C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
The Galaxy Tab S11 and S11 Ultra are incremental upgrades over the last few generations of flagship tablets from Samsung, with brighter displays, faster processors, and the other improvements you’d expect from the latest in a long line of products. This year, though, there’s no Plus model, leaving the 11-inch Tab S11 and 14.6-inch S11 Ultra.
Last year’s Galaxy Tab S10 series made a similar move, dropping the base model and instead offering the 12.4-inch Plus and 14.6-inch Ultra, and I think that was a smarter move than what Samsung has opted to do with the S11 models. Last year’s Tab S10 Plus had the perfect size and specs for me, and I’m a bit angry at Samsung for skipping it this time around.
What is your ideal size for a Samsung tablet? 29 votes 11-inch base model 48 % 12.4-inch plus model 41 % 14.6-inch ultra model 10 %
The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus was the perfect middle ground
Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority The Tab S9 Ultra (right) looks identical to the Tab S10 Ultra (left).
11-inch tablets have been the standard for a long time now. They’re small enough to fit in a bag and light enough that they don’t feel fatiguing to hold and use over longer periods of time. But since I’ve started using a Galaxy Tab S10 Plus with its 12.4-inch screen, anything smaller than that can feel suffocating, especially as I constantly use split-screen and pop-up window multitasking on my tablet.
The S11 Ultra is a lesson in diminishing returns, and to me, it isn't worth it.
The Tab S11 Ultra has the opposite problem. I have plenty of screen space to stretch out, but the 692g weight makes it fatiguing to use hand-held, and the size of it means I’ll be doing a lot of hand-gymnastics to reach parts of the display when I’m on the move. However, put it on a stand or a dock, and suddenly the massive screen feels freeing for all you can do with it.
C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
The leap in size and weight between the S11 and S11 Ultra is enormous, too, going from 469g to 692g. Even during my brief time with the Tab S11 Ultra at Samsung’s hands-on event, I found it unwieldy and uncomfortable to use for more than a few minutes. Plus, all Samsung tablets, regardless of size, limit you to the same number of apps open in split-screen at once. That and the limiting ergonomics negate any benefit to the S11 Ultra’s size. Samsung’s mega-large Tab S11 model is honestly a lesson in diminishing returns, and to me, it isn’t worth it.
Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority
But what about stationary use? Well, I’ve used my Tab S10 Plus as a laptop replacement for a few weeks. It wasn’t perfect; the mobile version of Chrome isn’t the best at rendering WordPress, but I had no problems with the screen size. In fact, it’s 0.1 inches larger than the Google Pixelbook that’s been my work laptop since 2017, but it feels much better suited to the role thanks to a 16:10 aspect ratio versus the 3:2 of the Pixelbook. At no point did I wish that I had something larger. That 12.4-inch display was really the best of both worlds between portability and power.
The Galaxy Tab S11 is overkill and Samsung should’ve stuck with the Plus
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
Samsung makes too many tablets, almost more than I can count. On Samsung’s UK store, you can pick between four different tablets right now that fit into the 10- to 10.9-inch category, not including the new Tab S11 or S10 Lite. The one that stands out most is the Tab S10 FE, a cut-down version of last year’s flagship tablet that makes a few compromises in exchange for a lower price. Plus, I’ll bet you that most 11-inch tablet buyers aren’t looking for a high productivity machine and are unlikely to use DeX to turn them into laptop replacements. An 11-inch tablet is best for watching videos, browsing the web, and reading — things the Tab S10 FE already excels at for less money.
I’ve already called the Tab S11 Ultra a lesson in diminishing returns, but so is the Tab S11 when you compare it to the S10 FE and other cheaper 10- or 11-inch tablets Samsung has. The extra power and higher-quality display aren’t as noticeable on a tablet this small. And aren’t likely needed either. Anyone wanting a real workhorse will probably also look for a larger laptop-sized display, at 12 inches or more.
The absence of a Galaxy Tab S11 Plus leaves a hole in Samsung's portfolio.
The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus isn’t going anywhere. Samsung informed me at the hands-on event that the Tab S10 Plus will remain on sale for customers who want a flagship tablet at that size. That’s good news, but even so, the absence of a Galaxy Tab S11 Plus leaves a hole in Samsung’s portfolio… and my hands. I don’t really need an upgrade, but I want it for one particular reason — and those who never bought an S10 Plus deserve a newer version with this improvement too.
See, while most of the upgrades to the Tab S11 series are minor, there is one thing that immediately stood out to me: display brightness. My biggest complaint with my Tab S10 Plus is that it only reaches 650 nits, which gets washed out in bright rooms or direct sunlight, even with the anti-reflective coating. However, both the Galaxy Tab S11 and S11 Ultra can maintain 1,000 nits in high brightness mode, and that makes all the difference. The Tab S11 lacks the anti-reflective coating of the S10 Plus, but it was still easier to see and use under the bright studio lights. If Samsung had built a Galaxy Tab S11 Plus, it would’ve had this new, brighter display and the anti-reflective coating, for a gorgeous screen I could read and use anywhere. Ah, one can dream.
Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority
Flagship Android tablets, whatever size they are, aren’t sensible products. They’re beautiful pieces of hardware and are a joy to use, but they don’t offer value for their price in the way cheaper tablets do. The Galaxy Tab S11, though, provides the least value of any of Samsung’s tablets. If you’re already spending this much on a tablet, you might as well get one with a larger screen that lets you make the most from the powerful internals without breaking your wrists trying to hold the S11 Ultra.
What do you think? Should Samsung have stuck with a Plus and Ultra model for the S11 series, or are you happy to see the smaller model return? Let us know.
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