Samsung just unveiled its new flagship tablets, which, as with its last generation, feature top-tier internals across two distinct sizes.
And the highlight of the Galaxy Tab S11 series , the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra gives us more of what the line has come to be known for. But I feel that one of its defining traits, if transposed elsewhere within the company’s tablet portfolio, could be a success story of its own.
Samsung’s Ultra Tabs are big – comically big when compared to the 11-inch regular Galaxy Tab S11 – with an expansive 14.6-inch panel, offering up a vivid, media-focused 16:10 120Hz HDR10+ AMOLED viewing experience. There’s also no Tab S11+ , so the difference between the two models is more dramatic.
For the right kind of user, that is one killer display. However, when it comes attached to a flagship-spec slate that starts at a not-insignificant £1,199/$1,199, the appeal of owning a tablet like this becomes, at least in my eyes, decidedly more niche. At the other end of the scale, Samsung offers up its Galaxy Tab A series (‘A’ officially stands for ‘Alpha’ but unofficially could be thought to mean ‘Affordable’). While we haven’t seen an entry in the series since 2023’s Galaxy Tab A9 and A9+ (Samsung has instead focused on mid-range FE-branded Galaxy Tabs in the meantime), I think now would be the perfect time to bring them back, but with a twist.
Overkill in the kitchen
Despite its abilities as an excellent multitasker that’s equipped to handle feats as challenging as video editing (via apps like LumaFusion), my Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra spends 99% of its time on my kitchen countertop.
Although I have other, smaller slates that I’ll happily carry around the house or even slip into my bag to take out and about, the Ultra’s huge size means it’s just too unwieldy and weighty for portable use.
Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd
By being practically anchored to my laminate, however, I’ve found that it makes for the perfect home slate instead. That 14.6-inch panel means it’s easy to read recipes or stream shows while I’m whipping up an omelette, and Samsung’s Daily Board app is perfect for turning the Ultra into a picture frame, memo board, calendar or full-screen media player – complete with album art and Spotify compatibility. It doubles as an excellent smart home hub, thanks to the large on-screen controls, not to mention there’s voice command support too.
In essence, Samsung has created the tablet experience the Google Pixel Tablet (and dock) promised, but ultimately under-delivered on. All that said, I don’t think I could convince anyone to spend over £1000 on a tablet that you shouldn’t carry around with you. Drop that asking price by, say £700/£800, though? Now, that might be a home slate I could recommend.
What to cut?
I propose that Samsung pair its Ultra-line’s huge display size with Galaxy Tab A-class internals, with a price to match. It would need Daily Board, I’d suggest it retain a decently-sharp and bright AMOLED screen, and the company should offer a bundle with a charging dock. Beyond that, they could trim fat in all sorts of ways to hit a significantly lower price point.
S Pen support? Ditch it. A mid-range chipset? Fine. Only 128GB of storage? No sweat. 15W charging? It’s seldom going to be unplugged. A shorter period of software support? Acceptable, if the price is low enough.
Learning from others’ mistakes
While Google’s Pixel Tablet is the most recent slate in this market to have failed to capture people’s attention, it’s not alone.
Samsung tried to offer us a big-screen experience with 2015’s Galaxy View and 2019’s Galaxy View 2, but the combination of larger screens, a plastic-heavy design that focused on portability, and a price point that was just too high (considering the rest of the specs on offer) meant that they fell by the wayside.
Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd
Lenovo’s Tab M series was onto something when it came paired with a speaker dock, but that tablet line has also been decommissioned. Samsung has the infrastructure, experience and market understanding to develop a Galaxy Tab A series entry for the home, with an Ultra viewing experience. All it has to do is put the pieces together, and I think it has the makings of a winner.
Prefer a new phone? Read our thoughts on the new Galaxy S25 FE . You can also read up the Tab S11 Plus being missing from the line-up .
Author: Alex Walker-Todd, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Having covered every smartphone, tablet and wearable worth shouting about over the past ten years, Alex lives and breathes tech.
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