Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE – an Android tablet that doesn't cost all the money in the world for work and entertainment

Samsung is actively developing its line of Android tablets, which has recently expanded with the Galaxy Tab S10 FE model. The new product was released a little later than the flagship Tab S10+ and S10 Ultra and became an update to the Fan Edition series, familiar to us from Samsung smartphones (and even headphones and watches). The FE prefix is used by the manufacturer to designate models that are simplified compared to the flagships but still have a good set of features and some advanced capabilities. In this review, I will tell you what has been simplified in the Galaxy Tab S10 FE and how the tablet compares to its older models.

Features of Galaxy Tab S10 FE

Design and materials

The Galaxy Tab S10 FE looks almost identical to its predecessor, the Tab S9 FE, as Samsung has not made any radical changes to the design. Since the entire front panel of modern tablets is occupied by the display, this leaves little room for innovation. Moreover, thickness and weight remain more important to users, and the Tab S10 FE does well in this regard. The tablet's aluminum body is only 6 mm thick and weighs 497 grams, making it relatively light for an 11-inch model. Thanks to the medium width of the screen bezels, the tablet is comfortable to hold, and your fingers don't accidentally touch the sensor. The flat edges are a little sharp to the touch, but the tablet is comfortable to hold and doesn't slip out of your hands.

Despite its more affordable price, the quality of materials in the Galaxy Tab S10 FE is on par with flagship models. The body also has IP68 water and dust protection, which is not even found in significantly more expensive competitors. This makes the Tab S10 FE an attractive option not only for home use, but also, for example, in manufacturing or outdoors, where accidental water exposure will not disable it.

When held in landscape orientation, the tablet has stereo speakers and a USB-C port on its side edges. The top edge has volume and power buttons with a built-in fingerprint scanner. The bottom edge has a magnetic Pogo connector for connecting the branded keyboard cover.

It is also worth noting that the S Pen comes with the tablet and is attached to the back of the case next to the camera in a special magnetic slot. There is no built-in compartment, but the magnets are strong enough to prevent the pen from getting lost in your bag. Like the tablet itself, the S Pen is IP68 water-resistant, so you can write with it in the rain or in a dusty industrial environment.

Display and S Pen

The Galaxy Tab S10 FE features a 10.9-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2304×1440, a density of 260 ppi, and a refresh rate of up to 90 Hz. Although the matrix is not OLED, it is very high quality for IPS: the image is clear, with a peak brightness of up to 800 nits in sunlight, wide viewing angles, and rich colors. In the settings, you can choose a natural or vivid color profile, adjust the color temperature, and other typical options found in Samsung devices. Compared to the AMOLED screens of the flagship Tab S10+, the display here is simpler with less smoothness and contrast, and the anti-glare coating is worse. However, it is quite sufficient for reading, watching videos, and even drawing.

Another feature of the display is its 16:10 aspect ratio. The tablet is quite elongated, so it is less comfortable to hold in portrait orientation, but in landscape orientation it is perfect for videos and work tasks with a keyboard.

The S Pen in the Galaxy Tab S10 FE deserves special attention. The pen has a thin tip (0.7 mm) and recognizes 4096 pressure levels, ensuring high accuracy and sensitivity. Importantly, the pen is passive, meaning it does not contain a battery and does not need to be recharged. When using the pen, there is virtually no lag, so you can write or draw just as quickly as with a regular pen on paper. Handwriting is automatically recognized and can be converted to printed text (Ukrainian, English, and other languages are supported).

In addition, the Samsung Notes app offers a wide range of features, from taking lecture notes and commenting on PDF documents to drawing diagrams with automatic shape recognition and solving mathematical formulas (Math Solver feature). Overall, the pen capabilities are the same as those of the older Tab S10 Ultra model, which is definitely a plus for the Galaxy Tab S10 FE.

Platform and performance

The Galaxy Tab S10 FE uses Samsung's new Exynos 1580 single-chip system for tablets. This chip is manufactured using a 4nm process and is designed for mid-range devices and has already appeared in the Galaxy A56 smartphones. Compared to the Tab S9 FE with an Exynos 1380 processor, there is a noticeable performance increase of approximately 30%.

In the test configuration with 8 GB of RAM, the tablet demonstrates smooth interface performance without noticeable slowdowns. Basic everyday tasks, such as using a browser, social networks, messengers, YouTube, and office applications, can be performed without any problems. The RAM size in this model can be 12 GB for the version with 256 GB of storage, but even the basic 8 GB allows you to keep several apps open using split screen or pop-up windows, and the One UI 7 system handles multitasking without any problems. The test version, which is also the base model for the Tab S10 FE, has 128 GB of internal storage, but this can be expanded via a microSD card slot. This is handy if you need to store a large archive of photos and videos.

This model also supports Samsung DeX, which provides a Windows-like interface with separate windows that can be resized and arranged side by side. Despite concerns that DeX might be too heavy for this model, the tablet handles it quite well. There are slight pauses, for example, when opening the app menu, but the apps themselves work correctly, which improves productivity in some cases. Unfortunately, due to the limitations of the USB-C port (standard 2.0), the Tab S10 FE cannot transfer images to an external screen via cable; video output is simply not supported by the hardware. This is a shame, as older Tab S models allow you to connect a monitor and work on a larger screen.

When it comes to gaming, the situation is predictable: heavy games are difficult to run on a tablet. Games like Fortnite or Genshin Impact can be launched, but either with low graphics settings or with FPS drops. However, for casual games, the performance is more than enough. And if the tablet is intended for work and study, the Tab S10 FE offers sufficient performance and is unlikely to disappoint.

Compared to Samsung's top-of-the-line tablets, the lower performance has its advantages: the Tab S10 does not heat up during operation and demonstrates a high level of system stability in the 3DMark stress test.

Another pleasant feature is the availability of an LTE/5G version. Samsung traditionally offers an optional tablet model with support for mobile operator networks. This version costs about $100 more, but Android-based competitors rarely have LTE modems in the mid-range segment, so if you need internet without being tied to Wi-Fi, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE 5G has this advantage.

Samsung Tab S10 FE Book Cover Keyboard

For the Galaxy Tab S10 FE, Samsung offers a branded Book Cover Keyboard (model number EF-DX725). This is a full-fledged 2-in-1 accessory: you get a protective cover with a flip stand for your tablet and a detachable keyboard with a trackpad that attaches magnetically via a Pogo connector. The design is well thought out: the back of the case is securely attached and allows you to set the tablet at different angles (like a stand), and the keyboard can be detached at any time when not needed. The keyboard connects instantly via a proprietary interface (not Bluetooth) and is powered by the tablet, so it does not require a separate charger.

Book Cover Keyboard has a standard island-style QWERTY layout with a key travel range similar to that of a laptop. On the 11-inch version, the keys are, of course, slightly smaller than on a desktop, but after a few hours of getting used to it, you can type with almost no mistakes. The keys have a pleasant feel with a clear tactile response, and the trackpad supports gestures, which simplifies navigation through the interface.

The keyboard is equipped with a number of function keys (F1–F12) for quick access to volume control, brightness, media control, and more. A new feature is the Galaxy AI key for calling up the AI assistant. This button can be set to launch Google Gemini chatbot by default and use it to answer questions or generate text.

It should be noted that the Book Cover Keyboard for the Tab S10 FE is sold separately, with an official price of around 9,500 UAH, but Samsung sometimes offers discounts. At the time of writing, the price of the keyboard cover was 6,500 UAH. There is also a simplified version of the Book Cover Keyboard Slim, which is thinner and lighter but does not have a touchpad.

Audio and cameras

The tablet has two AKG-tuned stereo speakers located on opposite sides of the body. When held horizontally, this provides a decent stereo effect, and the speakers are loud, support Dolby Atmos, and create a sense of surround sound. Of course, flagships (such as the Tab S10+) are equipped with four speakers and deliver even better sound, but for the mid-range segment, the Tab S10 FE holds its own. The maximum volume is sufficient for watching movies or YouTube in a noisy room. If you buy a stand, the tablet can easily serve as a small smart display or portable speaker—for example, in the kitchen for recipes or background music. There is no 3.5 mm headphone jack (nor was there one on the predecessor), so a USB-C adapter is required for wired connection.

Cameras in tablets traditionally play a secondary role. The Galaxy Tab S10 FE has one module on the back panel – 13 MP, instead of 8 MP in the Tab S9 FE. Despite the increase in megapixels, you shouldn't expect any miracles from this camera. During the day, in good lighting, it is still capable of taking more or less clear pictures, but as conditions deteriorate, the quality drops noticeably. Physically, the module is simple, with no optical stabilization, an average aperture, and no night mode as such. Therefore, the main camera is only suitable for everyday tasks such as photographing documents, schedules on a board, receipts, or notes. The tablet can handle this, but any modern smartphone in the same price range will do it better. The Tab S10 FE is definitely not the right tool for photo/video creativity.

The 12 MP front camera is ultra-wide angle and located on the long side of the screen (i.e., optimal for video calls in landscape mode). It transmits voice and images in video chats with high quality: the viewing angle is wide enough to fit several people in the frame, and even in mediocre lighting, the sensor provides a clear enough picture for Zoom or Google Meet. This camera is also suitable for selfies, although the quality is inferior to smartphone selfie cameras. Overall, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE's front camera is reliable for its intended use – remote learning, work calls, and streaming. I would add that face unlock also works, but it is 2D (via the camera) and is not as reliable as the fingerprint scanner built into the power button.

Galaxy Tab S10 FE battery life

The Galaxy Tab S10 FE has an 8000 mAh battery and, thanks to the more energy-efficient Exynos 1580 chip, the tablet shows good battery life. Unfortunately, the PCMark Work 3.0 test failed to complete for some reason, but both times I recorded a discharge of 20% over 13 hours, which is only an hour less than the larger Tab S9 FE+. In practice, this means that under moderate load (reading, web browsing, note-taking, watching a few videos), the Tab S10 FE can easily last 2–3 days without recharging. If you load it more heavily, for example, take it to the office for a full day of constant work on the Internet, documents, and video calls, the tablet will last all day and still have some charge left in the evening.

The Tab S10 FE supports 45W fast charging (Power Delivery PPS), but the power adapter is not included, so you will have to buy it separately. With the proprietary 45W adapter, a full charge takes about 2 hours, which is pretty fast for a battery of this size. A 30-minute charge from zero provides approximately 30–35% capacity. As expected, there is no wireless charging.