Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra vs Galaxy Tab S11: Ultra big!
Samsung has released its next-generation flagship tablets. What are the expected differences between the two models? Read on to find out!
Samsung unveiled its next tablet series, the Galaxy Tab S11, and the two models we got are aimed at a different audience. The humongous 14.6-inch Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is set to replace your laptop, while the regular Galaxy Tab S11 is gunning for a much wider tablet crowd with its 11-inch screen.
What are the specific differences, though, and which one should you choose? We'll try to answer these questions in this comparison. We managed to take both tablets for a short hands-on test run, so these are our initial impressions.
We will update the article with all the necessary tests, benchmarks, and samples once the devices land in our lab. With this out of the way, let's get to it.
What are the specific differences, though, and which one should you choose? We'll try to answer these questions in this comparison. We managed to take both tablets for a short hands-on test run, so these are our initial impressions.
Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra vs Galaxy Tab S11 differences:
| Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra | Galaxy Tab S11 |
|---|---|
| Much bigger and heavier device | Compact and lighter |
| 14.6-inch display, OLED, 120Hz refresh rate | 11-inch display, OLED, 120Hz refresh rate |
| 1848 x 2960 pixels, 239 PPI pixel density | 1600 x 2560 pixels, 274 PPI pixel density |
| Mediatek Dimensity 9400 (3 nm) | The same chipset here |
| 12/128GB base configuration up to 16/1TB | The storage caps at 512GB and 12GB of RAM |
| Dual camera system on the back and on the front | The same main camera system, but only one selfie camera |
| 11,600 mAh battery, 45W wireless charging | 8,400 mAh battery, same wired charging speeds |
Design and Display
Bordering laptop territory
The big (pun intended) difference between these two is obviously the size. The Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is a monster with its 14.6-inch display, actually larger than the screen of the laptop this comparison is being written on. With great size comes great weight (yep, that's our variation of the famous Spiderman quote) when we're in the land of tablets.
The Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra weighs just shy of 700 grams, which is a lot for a tablet but quite good for a laptop. If we include a keyboard accessory, the weight will probably be under a kilo still, so not bad as a laptop replacement.
The vanilla Galaxy Tab S11, on the other hand, relies on a much more popular 11-inch form factor and thus weighs less. The scales show around 500 grams, which is 200 grams less than the Ultra variant, so a substantially lighter device. In terms of materials, both tablets use the same aluminum unibody design with tempered glass on top.
The design itself is similar to the last generation, but there are subtle differences between the regular Tab S11 and the Ultra model. The Ultra variant has two cameras on its back, while the smaller S11 has only one.
Moving to the display part of the equation, the bezels on the vanilla Galaxy Tab S11 look bigger, but this might be an illusion born from the sheer difference in size. Both displays are OLED panels with a 120 Hz refresh rate, but the resolutions are slightly different. The pixel density is in favor of the smaller Galaxy Tab S11, but the difference is not that big.
Our display tests will solve the riddle of how bright these two can get and whether or not there's a difference between the vanilla and the Ultra models, so stay tuned for that. In terms of biometrics, both devices feature under-display optical fingerprint scanners, just like their respective predecessors.
The vanilla Galaxy Tab S11, on the other hand, relies on a much more popular 11-inch form factor and thus weighs less. The scales show around 500 grams, which is 200 grams less than the Ultra variant, so a substantially lighter device. In terms of materials, both tablets use the same aluminum unibody design with tempered glass on top.
The design itself is similar to the last generation, but there are subtle differences between the regular Tab S11 and the Ultra model. The Ultra variant has two cameras on its back, while the smaller S11 has only one.
Our display tests will solve the riddle of how bright these two can get and whether or not there's a difference between the vanilla and the Ultra models, so stay tuned for that. In terms of biometrics, both devices feature under-display optical fingerprint scanners, just like their respective predecessors.
Keyboard and Stylus
Both devices feature Samsung's latest version of the S Pen, despite current rumors that the Korean company is looking to phase the accessory out. As far as keyboards are concerned the Book Cover Keyboard models from last gen work with both of these, and we still don't know if Samsung is planning to refresh the accessory with a new version to go with the Tab S11 lineup. Some information suggests we'll get a new Book Cover Keyboard next year, but Samsung reps were silent on the matter when we asked around.
Performance & Benchmarks
Dimensity goes 3nm
Both the Galaxy Tab S11 and the Tab S11 Ultra come with MediaTek's Dimensity 9400 chipset on board, with a slightly overclocked plus version inside the Ultra model. It's an octa-core chipset with 1x3.63 GHz Cortex-X925 & 3x3.3 GHz Cortex-X4 & 4x2.4 GHz Cortex-A720 cores inside.
We're familiar with this chip, made by TSMC using a 3 nm manufacturing process, and expect great things from both tablets. This silicon appeared inside the Vivo X200 Pro and scored very close to the Snapdragon 8 Elite. We managed to run some early benchmarks (while Samsung reps weren't watching), so check out the results below.
We're familiar with this chip, made by TSMC using a 3 nm manufacturing process, and expect great things from both tablets. This silicon appeared inside the Vivo X200 Pro and scored very close to the Snapdragon 8 Elite. We managed to run some early benchmarks (while Samsung reps weren't watching), so check out the results below.
These early benchmark scores are quite promising! CPU scores are close to the leader in the Android world in terms of silicon, the Snapdragon 8 Elite, and the GPU performance is even better at times with very consistent results and sustained performance under heavy load.
The storage and memory situation is similar; both tablets start at 128GB of onboard storage and 12GB of RAM, but the Ultra goes up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, while the vanilla version tops out at 12GB/512GB.
The storage and memory situation is similar; both tablets start at 128GB of onboard storage and 12GB of RAM, but the Ultra goes up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, while the vanilla version tops out at 12GB/512GB.
Software
The Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra and the vanilla Tab S11 launched with OneUI 8 straight out of the box, sprinkled with Galaxy AI. Most of the AI features from the Galaxy S-series can be found on both of these tablets, but we need to spend more time to give you a detailed breakdown of everything software-related.
In terms of software updates, these are top-of-the-line models in Samsung's tablet portfolio, and they enjoy the same seven-year software support that Samsung offers on other flagship devices.
Audio Quality
Samsung has extended its collaboration with AKG and equipped the Galaxy Tab S11 and Tab S11 Ultra with four AKG-tuned speakers in a stereo setup. We were pleasantly surprised by the sound of the system inside - the sound was loud and clear, with no distortion and rich soundscape on both models.
In terms of haptics, tablets normally do that kind of feedback a bit weirdly, again due to the size, but the haptic motors inside the Galaxy Tab S11 and Tab S11 Ultra are pretty decent. Initially, we found the vibration nice and strong but more testing is needed to pass a verdict on that.
In terms of haptics, tablets normally do that kind of feedback a bit weirdly, again due to the size, but the haptic motors inside the Galaxy Tab S11 and Tab S11 Ultra are pretty decent. Initially, we found the vibration nice and strong but more testing is needed to pass a verdict on that.
Battery and Charging
The exact battery capacities of these two are as follows: 11,600 mAh for the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra and 8,400 mAh for the vanilla Tab S11. This is a slight upgrade compared to the last generation and a logical difference between the two, considering the size of both devices.
In terms of charging, both tablets top out at 45W of wired power, which is not too bad, but don't expect charging times under one hour, given the large battery capacities. We will include detailed battery and charging tests once we finish the reviews of both tablets.
In terms of charging, both tablets top out at 45W of wired power, which is not too bad, but don't expect charging times under one hour, given the large battery capacities. We will include detailed battery and charging tests once we finish the reviews of both tablets.
Camera
No such thing as a camera tablet
Smartphone photography is blooming, but there's no such thing as tablet photography. Given the big size of these devices, using them as a dedicated camera is far from ideal. That said, there are instances where a good camera can be a godsend in the tablet realm, especially when we talk about front-facing cameras.
In the modern virtual working environment, meetings are held online; hence, the need for a decent front-facing camera. The Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra actually gets a downgrade—it now features only a single selfie camera, a 12MP ultrawide, down from the dual system (12MP wide + 12MP ultrawide) on the previous generation.
Samsung explains the downgrade with usage data showing people are using just the ultrawide selfie camera, so apparently there's no need for a second one.The vanilla Tab S11 comes equipped with a single front-facing camera, the same 12MP snapper as the Ultra model.
Both tablets carry over the back camera systems from their respective predecessors. We will update the comparison with side-by-side samples once we lay our hands on the Galaxy Tab S11 series.
Samsung explains the downgrade with usage data showing people are using just the ultrawide selfie camera, so apparently there's no need for a second one.The vanilla Tab S11 comes equipped with a single front-facing camera, the same 12MP snapper as the Ultra model.
Both tablets carry over the back camera systems from their respective predecessors. We will update the comparison with side-by-side samples once we lay our hands on the Galaxy Tab S11 series.
Which one should you buy?
The differences between the Galaxy Tab S11 and Tab S11 Ultra mainly boil down to the size. The bigger Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra comes equipped with a laptop-like 14.6-inch display and a bigger battery. This model also has а slightly faster Dimensity 9400+ silicon. There's also a 16GB/1TB memory option, but that pretty much concludes the differences.
The vanilla Galaxy Tab S11 comes in a smaller package and weighs less. The battery is smaller, but this comes from the size. If you don't need the huge screen estate of the Ultra, and you like to travel light, the Tab S11 might be the better choice. Stay tuned for a final verdict soon.
The vanilla Galaxy Tab S11 comes in a smaller package and weighs less. The battery is smaller, but this comes from the size. If you don't need the huge screen estate of the Ultra, and you like to travel light, the Tab S11 might be the better choice. Stay tuned for a final verdict soon.
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