Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10+ SM-X828U Tablet 12.4" Review

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ is a premium Android tablet with a fantastic screen and a rare IP68 waterproof rating. Its performance is just average, powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chip and 12GB of RAM. With prices starting around $1,000, you're paying for durability and the included S Pen, not top-tier speed. It's a great pick for casual users who need a tough tablet, but power users should look elsewhere.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ is a bit of a puzzle. On paper, it's a premium 12.4-inch Android tablet with a sharp screen, a fresh S Pen, and a surprisingly rugged IP68 rating. That last one is a genuine rarity in the tablet world. But when you look at the hardware inside, you start to see where the compromises are. This isn't the top-tier powerhouse you might expect from a flagship 'S' series tablet. Instead, it feels like Samsung is betting big on its AI features and that water-resistant build to win you over. It's a tablet built for someone who wants a big, beautiful screen for media and light work, and who isn't afraid to take it out in the rain or by the pool. If you're an artist or a heavy multitasker, the specs might give you pause, but for casual use, there's a lot to like here. The included S Pen is a nice touch, and the new color-matched design is a small but welcome upgrade. Samsung is clearly trying to carve out a niche with durability in a market that's mostly about raw power and thinness. It's an interesting angle, but one that comes with some trade-offs under the hood. We'll get into those in a minute.

Let's talk about the numbers. The MediaTek Dimensity 6300 processor lands in the 44th percentile in our database. That's a solid middle-of-the-pack chip. For everyday tasks like web browsing, streaming video, and using social apps, it's perfectly fine. You won't notice any lag. But if you're thinking about heavy photo editing, complex drawing layers in an art app, or playing the latest 3D games at high settings, you'll hit its limits faster than you would on a tablet with a top-tier chip. The GPU performance is similarly average, sitting at the 46th percentile. This isn't a gaming tablet. The 12 GB of RAM is a bit underwhelming too, ranking in the 38th percentile. For a productivity device, that's enough for a few apps to stay open in the background, but don't expect to have a dozen Chrome tabs, a video editor, and Slack all running smoothly without some reloading. The real-world takeaway is simple: this tablet is built for moderate, not marathon, workloads. It's a companion device, not a laptop replacement.

Here's where things get weird. The price range we see across vendors is absolutely bonkers, from a plausible $1,047 to a completely nonsensical $285,380. Ignore the high end; that's clearly a data error or a placeholder. The real conversation starts around a thousand bucks. At that price, you're entering iPad Pro and high-end Surface Pro territory. For a tablet with a mid-range processor and average RAM, that's a tough sell on pure specs alone. Samsung is asking you to pay a premium for that IP68 rating and the included S Pen. If you truly need a waterproof tablet, this might be your only good option, and that justifies the cost. For everyone else, the value proposition gets shaky fast. You're trading raw performance for durability, and you have to decide if that's a trade you're willing to make.

This tablet sits in a crowded field. The Apple iPad Pro 11" with the M4 chip is in a completely different league performance-wise. It will run circles around the Tab S10+ in every task, but it's not water-resistant and the Apple Pencil is an extra cost. The Microsoft Surface Pro 13" is a full Windows machine, making it a true laptop replacement, but it's also more expensive and less portable as a pure tablet. The more direct Android competitor might be something like the Lenovo Idea Tab Pro 12.7". It likely offers similar or better specs for less money, but it won't have that IP68 rating. The choice boils down to this: do you want the absolute best performance (iPad Pro), a full desktop OS (Surface Pro), or a durable Android tablet that can survive a splash (Tab S10+)? The Tab S10+ carves its niche with durability, not dominance.

Hardcore mobile gamers and professional creatives should steer clear. The GPU and CPU scores are firmly in the middle of the pack, which means you'll be turning down settings in new games and waiting longer on exports in apps like DaVinci Resolve or Krita with large canvases. If your workflow depends on speed, this tablet will feel like a bottleneck. Also, if you need a tablet as a primary productivity machine with dozens of browser tabs and apps open simultaneously, the 12GB of RAM might hold you back. For those users, the Apple iPad Pro with an M-series chip or a Windows-based tablet like the Surface Pro will be a much better fit. This Samsung is built for resilience, not rendering.

If you're an artist, designer, or someone who needs a tablet for heavy, professional-grade work, you should probably skip this. The average CPU and GPU scores mean you'll be waiting on renders or struggling with complex files. Look at the iPad Pro or a Windows tablet instead. For everyone else, the Galaxy Tab S10+ makes sense in a few specific scenarios. If you're a student or a casual user who wants a big screen for Netflix, web browsing, and note-taking, and you're genuinely worried about spills or taking your tablet outdoors, this is a compelling, unique option. The included S Pen is great for jotting down ideas. Just go in knowing it's a premium-priced tablet for its durability and screen, not its processing muscle. Manage your expectations, and you might really enjoy it.