Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Review

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 proves itself a worthy flagship tablet in our tests, boasting an 11-inch screen. The OLED display of this handy device is high-quality, offering superb brightness, vibrant colors, and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. The new MediaTek processor delivers top-notch performance that rivals even iPads. Battery life is also impressive, although it's not one of the tablet's standout features. The tablet comes well-equipped with modern features and familiar extras, such as a microSD card slot. Samsung promises software updates for seven years, until 2032.

A very bright 11-inch OLED display

Samsung has significantly improved the display brightness. In our measurements, the OLED panel now shines at up to 1,253 cd/m² (nits). This means the display remains easily readable even in direct sunlight. Furthermore, the effective anti-reflective coating prevents any additional distracting effects. The front camera is located at the edge of the display, so there is no notch.

Powerful processor performance for all situations

Last year, Samsung introduced MediaTek processors in its flagship tablets and has continued to do so: This time, the Galaxy Tab S11 features the high-end Dimensity 9400+ SoC, which performs admirably. In a direct comparison, it holds its own against Apple's current iPad processor, the M4. Using demanding apps, multitasking, and graphically intensive games is no problem; the MediaTek SoC shows no signs of bottlenecking.

In the GFXBench (Manhattan Onscreen) graphics benchmark, the processor's Mali graphics chip achieves the full 120 frames per second possible with the display's 120Hz refresh rate. 

Good battery life for everyday use

In terms of energy efficiency, the Galaxy Tab S11 can't quite keep up with Apple. With its 8,400 mAh battery, the tablet achieved a runtime of 12 hours and 18 minutes in our standard test of pure video playback. Simulated web browsing lasted 10 hours and 14 minutes. That's a solid result, but the comparable 11-inch iPad Pro (see review) adds a good 2 to 3 hours. 

Charging could also be a bit faster. While 30 minutes plugged in is enough to charge the battery by more than half, which is great, a full charge takes a rather lengthy 1 hour and 45 minutes. 

Slightly less equipment than the Ultra

Unlike the Ultra, the Galaxy Tab S11 doesn't use Wi-Fi 7; only Wi-Fi 6E is available. This doesn't make a significant difference, as you'll have a fast wireless connection either way. The second major difference is the cameras: the Ultra model features a dual main camera, while its smaller sibling has only a single camera on both the front and back. We found the image quality to be good to very good, but the previous-generation cameras appeared to be slightly better. It's unclear whether there have been any hardware changes.

Furthermore, the standard model boasts features comparable to high-end devices. It includes a fast USB-C port with USB 3.2 standard and Bluetooth 5.4. Samsung has retained the microSD card slot, allowing you to insert a microSD card. Internal storage options range from 128 GB to 512 GB. 12 GB of RAM is standard across all models. eSIM support for 5G mobile internet is available as an optional extra. The device also features a fingerprint scanner and four stereo speakers.

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