Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 10.5 inches, 256GB WiFi Review
The Galaxy Tab S6 is a budget-friendly media tablet with a stunning screen, but its age shows. It's a good buy only if you plan to just watch videos.
Overview
The Galaxy Tab S6 is a weird one. It's a perfectly fine Android tablet that's been left behind by its own family. The one thing to know? You're buying a deeply discounted, older device that's still decent for media, but don't expect it to be a laptop replacement. The '2-in-1' PC desktop mode is more of a neat party trick than a serious productivity tool.
Performance
Honestly, nothing here is a shocker. The specs are middle-of-the-road across the board, which is exactly what you'd expect from a tablet in this price bracket now. It's fast enough for Netflix and light gaming, but you'll feel the age if you try to push it. The battery life is just okay, and the connectivity is actually below average.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Strong screen (67th percentile) 95th
Cons
- Below average feature (21th percentile)
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| CPU | 2.42 GHz |
| GPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 |
Memory & Storage
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Storage | 256 GB |
Display
| Size | 10.5" |
| Resolution | 1600 |
Features
| Stylus Support | Yes |
Physical
| Weight | 0.7 kg / 1.5 lbs |
| OS | Android |
Value & Pricing
At $250, it's a good deal if you just want a nice screen for videos and light web browsing. You're not getting a powerhouse, but you're also not paying for one. For this price, you can't really complain.
Price History
vs Competition
The obvious competitor is a used or refurbished iPad. For the same money, an older iPad will have better app support and a smoother overall experience, but you lose the included stylus and that beautiful OLED screen. If you're in the Android ecosystem and want a bigger, newer tablet, even the base Galaxy Tab S9 FE smokes this in performance, but it costs more. This Tab S6 sits in a niche: it's for the Android die-hard who values that OLED display above all else and is on a tight budget.
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 10.5 inches, 256GB WiFi | Apple iPad Pro Apple 11" iPad Pro M5 Chip (Standard Glass, 512GB, | Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Samsung 12.4" Galaxy Tab S10+ 256GB Multi-Touch | Microsoft Surface Pro Microsoft - Surface Pro - Copilot+ PC - 13” OLED | Lenovo Yoga Tab Series Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus | Xenarc Xenarc 10.1" RT101-PRO 256GB Tablet (Wi-Fi, 4G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 2.42 GHz | Apple M5 | MediaTek 9300 | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100 | Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 8 Gen 3, QCM8650 | 8-Core: Up to GHz |
| RAM (GB) | 8 | 12 | 12 | 32 | 16 | 8 |
| Storage (GB) | 256 | 512 | 256 | 1000 | 256 | 256 |
| Screen | 10.5" 1600x2560 | 11" 2420x1668 | 12.4" 2800x1752 | 13" 2880x1920 | 12.7" 2944x1840 | 10.1" 1920x1200 |
| OS | Android | iPadOS | Android 14 | Windows 11 Home | Android 14 | Android 13 |
| Stylus | true | true | true | false | false | false |
| Cellular | false | false | false | false | false | true |
Verdict
Buy it as a dedicated media tablet, and nothing more. If you want to watch shows in bed or on a plane, this is a fantastic pick for the price. If you have any thoughts of using it for real work, or you want the latest games, look elsewhere. It's a one-trick pony, but that one trick—a beautiful screen—is done well.