Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review: Get down to business

An Android powerhouse designed for portable productivity, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is ready for action anywhere, anytime.

These days, it seems everyone wants to stay productive on the go, whether you’re working in the office, at home or on the road. Even though our smartphones keep getting smarter, often you need a larger screen when it’s time to get things done.

There was a time when productivity on the go called for a laptop running a desktop operating system like Windows or macOS. But as iOS and Android strengthened their productivity credentials, it opened the way for large tablets to replace laptops in our travel bags.

This is where the high-end of the Samsung Galaxy Tab Ultra range really shines, standing tall alongside the Microsoft Surface Pro and Apple iPad Pro – assuming, of course, that Android can meet all your productivity needs.

Table of contents

• First impressions
• Specifications and price
• Features and performance
• Who is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra for?

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra first impressions

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is a monster of a tablet, with a massive 14.6-inch display, which feels like it’s been torn off a notebook. That’s fantastic if you need a lot of screen real estate, but it might be overkill if you’re more concerned about portability.

As with most Android tablets, the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra sticks with a wide 16:10 aspect ratio. That’s great for watching movies, but it makes it a bit awkward to hold upright in portrait mode.

If you’re looking for a tablet to primarily hold, rather than sit on a flat surface, 14.6 inches is maybe too big and unwieldy. That’s why some alternatives, like the Apple iPad Pro, favour a slightly smaller display and the more productivity-friendly 4:3 aspect ratio, similar to an A4 sheet of paper.

Power up the S11 Ultra and you discover a stunning 2960 x 1848 pixel Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, offering a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling and HDR10+ for rich images with plenty of detail in the highlights and shadows. An increased peak brightness of 1,600 nits helps HDR content look its best, but, more importantly, makes the screen easier to read outside.

At this point, Samsung is honing the design rather than undergoing a major overhaul. The Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is practically the same as last year’s S10 Ultra, and even the S9 Ultra before that.

The Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra’s generous screen fits into an amazingly slender body, which tips the scales at only 692 grams. It’s a little lighter and thinner than its predecessors, although still a bit heavy for a tablet, so you need to decide if the screen size and spec sheet justify the bulk in your arms or carry bag.

The tablet features an Armour Aluminium frame and an IP68 ruggedness rating, but it’s worth noting that Samsung still doesn’t include a cover to protect that gorgeous screen from rough and tumble on the road. The Book Cover Keyboard Slim will set you back another $399, which is frustrating, but you face the same problem when buying an iPad or Surface.

From a productivity perspective, the keyboard cover is a wise investment, offering a decent full-sized keyboard without too much flex. It can also act as a somewhat awkward stand to keep the screen upright when using the tablet like a laptop. But without a laptop-style hinge, it’s very difficult to balance on your lap.

It’s a shame the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra doesn’t feature a Surface-style built-in rear kickstand or a place to slot the upgraded S-Pen stylus.

That S-Pen will be a big selling point for some people, attaching magnetically to the top right of the frame when not in use. It supports 4,096 pressure levels to meet the needs of digital artists, but the new version lacks Bluetooth.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra specifications and price

Features and performance

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra runs Android 16 with One UI 8.0 over the top. With this comes all the productivity extras available on Android tablets, like the ability to run apps side by side, along with Samsung tools such as the desktop-style Samsung DeX interface.

The tablet will get seven years of OS updates, along with seven years of security updates, which is the gold standard in the Android world. You’ve also got business-grade Samsung Knox mobile device security.

While you’re committing yourself to Android, through every step of the tablet’s setup process, Samsung is determined to cajole you into using Samsung tools rather than Google’s features.

It strongly encourages you to create a Samsung account and download a heap of Samsung apps, including productivity tools designed to replace Android’s defaults. It’s also keen for you to embrace Galaxy AI over Google Gemini.

When it comes to hardware, it’s a surprise to find an octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ chip under the bonnet rather than Qualcomm’s powerful Snapdragon. 

Don’t let that put you off, as the S10 also had a high-end Dimensity powerplant, and they’re becoming more common in top-shelf Android devices like the Oppo Find X9 Pro. 

The Dimensity silicon is accompanied by 12 or 16 GB of RAM, along with 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB of storage. If that’s not enough to meet your needs, you can boost the storage via the microSDXC slot.

Holding the tablet in landscape mode, you’ve got power and volume buttons at the top left. The power button doesn’t double as a fingerprint reader; instead, this is built into the screen on the right.

There’s also support for Face Unlock, with the webcam built into the long edge, another indication that Samsung expects you to use the S11 Ultra primarily in landscape mode. You’ve got a 12 MP ultrawide lens on the front, relying on a very slight notch, as well as 13 MP wide and 8 MP ultrawide at the rear.

When it comes to connectivity, there’s Wi-Fi 7, plus if you’re prepared to spend another $250, you can add 5G sub-6 (with support for nanoSIM and eSIM). As for ports, you’ll find a USB-C port on the right and a magnetic connector at the bottom for attaching accessories like a keyboard cover, but no old-school headphone jack.

A giant 11,200 mAh battery ensures you’ve got enough juice to work all day, and maybe all the next day. Samsung doesn’t include an AC charger, just a USB-C cable, and the continued lack of fast-charging is surprising considering it’s such a hefty battery to fill. 

When it comes to performance, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra doesn’t disappoint, with Geekbench 6 CPU results of 2,554 single-core and 9,046 multi-core. Add to that GPU OpenCL benchmarks of 20,581. That puts the latest Microsoft Surface Pro to shame, but it still can’t keep pace with the latest Apple iPad Pro.

Who is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra for?

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is an impressive piece of engineering, but it’s a specialist device and certainly not for everyone. It pays to do your due diligence before deciding whether it’s your one portable productivity device to rule them all.

Android can hold its own these days on the productivity front, but you need to be absolutely sure the S11 Ultra handles everything you need, and you won’t find yourself pining for specialist desktop features and software when you’re away from your desk.

Even if Android does meet your needs, if you’d mostly use it like a laptop – relying heavily on the keyboard cover – you need to consider what $2,500 will buy you in terms of a Windows machine or Apple MacBook.

Finally, if you’re only deterred by the S11 Ultra’s price tag, then perhaps consider the 11-inch standard Samsung Galaxy Tab S11.