Every year around this time, Samsung unveils new versions of its flagship Galaxy Tab S series tablets. For the past couple of years, the updates have been modest improvements, and this year's Galaxy Tab S11 is no different. There are some notable advancements, though, including a more powerful processor and a slightly slimmer design, which make an already impressive Android tablet that much better.
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One big change: While the Tab S11 line still comes in two sizes, Samsung kept the jumbo 14.6-inch Ultra but dropped the 12.4-inch Plus in favor of a smaller, more affordable 11-inch model. I like that move, as I tend to find the 14.6-inch model a little too big (and expensive) for my needs and prefer the more compact 11-inch size to the 12.4-inch size.
The price for the S11 Ultra hasn't changed. It starts at $1,200 with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. As for the 11-inch Tab S11, it starts at $800 with the same amount of RAM and storage. Both models retain their microSD card slots, so you can easily add more storage by buying a microSD card with up to a 2TB capacity (that's up from the 1.5TB capacity cards that the Tab S10 supported).
Enlarge Image The Tab S11 Ultra is slightly slimmer and lighter than the Tab S10 Ultra. David Carnoy/CNET
Slightly slimmer and lighter with smaller bezels
Samsung also highlights that both tablets are now slightly thinner and lighter than their predecessors. The Ultra's gone from 5.4 millimeters thick to 5.1 mm, while its bezel is now 5.2 mm compared to 5.3 mm for the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra. And its weight has gone from 718 grams to 692 grams. The Tab S11 is now 5.5 mm thick, compared to 5.9 mm for the Galaxy Tab S9. Its bezel has gone from 5.9 mm to 5.5 mm, and its weight has dropped from 498 grams (for the Tab S9) to 482 grams.
Watch this: Back to the Future: Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Returns To 11-inch Size 05:30
Those are relatively small changes, but the devices are a tad slimmer and lighter, and Samsung has also managed to cram a slightly larger battery into the Ultra: it's 11,600 milliamp hours compared to 11,200 mAh for the Tab S10. The Tab S11 has the same 8,400-mAh battery capacity found in the Tab S9.
The Tab S11 Ultra has an extra camera on the back but leaves off the extra front camera that was on the Tab S10 Ultra. Samsung's new Galaxy S25 FE smartphone is in the photo for size comparison. David Carnoy/CNET
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