Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 and Ultra hands-on: Thinner than ever

Samsung has officially unveiled the Galaxy Tab S11 series, and this time it comes in just two models: the Tab S11 and the Tab S11 Ultra. The company has ditched the “Plus” version, streamlining the lineup while refining design and productivity features.

The standard Tab S11 is a solid entry point, with its 11-inch display and lighter frame making it well-suited for media consumption. But it’s the Tab S11 Ultra that commands attention, offering some of the most dramatic design upgrades Samsung has ever made to a tablet.

Both tablets are slimmer and lighter than before, but the Tab S11 Ultra stands out at just 5.1mm thick and 692g, remarkably light for a 14.6-inch device. Bezels have been trimmed, giving the Ultra a more compact feel, and the front camera notch is now reduced to a subtle blip instead of the cutout seen before.

Samsung has also improved the Ultra’s massive AMOLED display, which now reaches 1,600 nits of peak brightness. That boost should make outdoor productivity and entertainment much more practical.

Samsung is doubling down on tablets as laptop replacements. The new DeX experience blends the classic and modern versions, letting you set up multiple customizable desktops directly on the tablet. Switching between DeX on the tablet and on an external monitor is now smoother, with support for dragging apps and moving the mouse fluidly across screens.

Keyboard covers remain a big part of that ecosystem, but this year Samsung has moved the pogo pin connectors to the back of the tablet. That means older covers won’t work and new ones will be required for the S11 series.

There’s one controversial shift: Samsung has removed Bluetooth support from the S Pen, meaning air gestures are gone. The pen no longer charges on the back of the tablet either. In exchange, it’s been redesigned with a hexagonal shape and new tip, making it more comfortable and precise for writing and drawing during longer sessions.

Camera hardware remains minimal. The Tab S11 gets a single rear camera, while the Ultra adds a dual-camera setup for extra flexibility. On the front, however, Samsung has cut back to a single selfie camera in the notch, an aesthetic choice that looks cleaner, though it sacrifices the dual front setup of past Ultras.

Both tablets are powered by MediaTek’s new 3nm Dimensity 9400+ chip, offering CPU, GPU, and AI efficiency improvements over last year’s model. It’s capable, but some may find it underwhelming compared to Apple’s M-series chips or Samsung’s own Snapdragon-powered Galaxy Book laptops.

Battery life, however, looks promising. The Ultra packs a massive 11,600mAh cell, larger than before, without adding weight. Paired with the efficiency gains from the Dimensity processor, it should deliver solid all-day performance.

The Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is the real star here, with its thinner and lighter build, brighter display, and refined productivity tools. The base Tab S11 holds its own as a compact media device, but the Ultra feels like the model pushing Samsung’s vision of tablets as laptop replacements. Losing Bluetooth functionality on the S Pen stings, yet the ergonomic redesign helps soften the blow.

If Samsung’s mantra this year is “thinner, lighter, smaller bezels,” then the Tab S11 series fits the bill perfectly.