Samsung 13.1" Blue Review
Samsung's Tab S10 FE+ offers a giant screen and an S Pen for a reasonable price, but its mid-range chip makes it a media tablet, not a productivity powerhouse.
The 30-Second Version
The Tab S10 FE+ is a big-screen media tablet with a great included S Pen. Its mid-tier chip holds it back from real productivity. Worth it for casual use, but power users should look elsewhere.
Overview
The Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ is Samsung's big-screen budget play. It gives you a massive 13.1-inch display, an included S Pen, and a water-resistant build for a price that undercuts its flagship siblings.
But you're getting a mid-tier Exynos chip and a basic LCD screen to hit that price. It's built for media binges and casual note-taking, not for heavy lifting. Think of it as a comfy couch companion, not a laptop replacement.
Performance
Performance is fine for the basics. The Exynos 1580 and 12GB of RAM handle streaming, web browsing, and light gaming without much fuss. Our database puts its CPU and GPU performance in the low 40th percentile, though, so don't expect it to keep up with an iPad Pro or a Snapdragon X Elite tablet. The battery life is average, landing right in the middle of the pack. It'll get you through a day, but it's not setting any records.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Huge 13.1-inch screen is great for media. 85th
- S Pen is included and feels good to write with. 83th
- IP68 water and dust resistance is rare for tablets. 75th
- 12GB of RAM is generous for multitasking.
Cons
- Mid-tier chipset struggles with heavy apps. 20th
- LCD display lacks the punch of OLED rivals. 25th
- Productivity scores are very low in our tests.
- It's big and heavy at 41 grams.
Specifications
Full Specifications
Memory & Storage
| RAM | 12 GB |
| Storage | 256 GB |
Display
| Size | 13.1" |
| Resolution | 2880 |
| Panel | LCD |
Physical
| Weight | 0.7 kg / 1.5 lbs |
| OS | Android 15 |
Value & Pricing
At around $750, the value is a mixed bag. You get a lot of tablet for the money—big screen, included pen, good RAM—which is hard to find elsewhere. But that mid-range chip is a real compromise. You're paying for size and features, not raw power. If your main use is watching videos and scribbling notes, it's a fair deal. If you need performance, it's not.
Price History
vs Competition
Stack it up and the trade-offs are clear. The base iPad Pro with an M5 chip runs circles around it for speed, but you'll pay more and lose the included stylus and waterproofing. The Microsoft Surface Pro is a full Windows laptop replacement, while this is strictly an Android tablet. Even Samsung's own Galaxy Tab S10+ has a better OLED screen and a faster chip. The FE+ wins on screen size and bundled S Pen at this price, but loses on almost every performance metric.
| Spec | Samsung 13.1" | Apple iPad Pro Apple 11" iPad Pro M4 Chip (Standard Glass, 2TB, | Microsoft Surface Pro Microsoft - Surface Pro - Copilot+ PC - 13” OLED | Lenovo Idea Tab Lenovo - Idea Tab Pro - 12.7" 3K Tablet - 8GB RAM | Xiaomi Pad 7 PRO Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro Ai WiFi Version Global (No Calls | Teclast TECLAST T65PLUS 13.4-Inch Android 15 Tablet 2025, |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Samsung Exynos 1580 (S5E8855) | Apple M4 | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100 | MediaTek Dimensity | 3 GHz | 2.2 GHz |
| RAM (GB) | 12 | 16 | 32 | 8 | 12 | 8 |
| Storage (GB) | 256 | 2048 | 1000 | 256 | 512 | 256 |
| Screen | 13.1" 2880x1800 | 11" 2420x1668 | 13" 2880x1920 | 12.7" 2944x1840 | 11.2" 3200x2136 | 13.4" 1920x1200 |
| OS | Android 15 | iPadOS | Windows 11 Home | Android 14 | Android 14 HyperOS | Android 15 |
| Stylus | false | true | false | true | false | false |
| Cellular | false | false | false | false | false | true |
| Battery (Wh) | - | 31 | 53 | - | - | - |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | Cpu | Gpu | Ram | Screen | Battery | Feature | Storage | Connectivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung 13.1" | 44.2 | 45.8 | 84.9 | 83.2 | 46.1 | 24.9 | 74.8 | 20.4 |
| Apple iPad Pro 11" M4 Chip Compare | 93.5 | 92.4 | 90.8 | 98.4 | 97.6 | 98.1 | 99.4 | 89.5 |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 13” Compare | 99.6 | 98.3 | 98.3 | 97.9 | 99.8 | 60.8 | 94.3 | 89.5 |
| Lenovo Idea Tab Pro 12.7" 3K Compare | 44.2 | 45.8 | 75 | 92.1 | 94.7 | 95.6 | 74.8 | 96.1 |
| Xiaomi Pad 7 PRO Pad 7 Pro Ai Compare | 82.1 | 82.3 | 84.9 | 99.1 | 46.1 | 54.2 | 88.6 | 54.6 |
| Teclast T65PLUS 13.4-Inch Android 15 Tablet 2025 Compare | 74.5 | 75.1 | 75 | 45.4 | 94.5 | 24.9 | 74.8 | 92.5 |
Common Questions
Q: Can this tablet replace my laptop?
Not really. Our performance scoring shows it's very weak for productivity tasks. It's best for media consumption and light note-taking with the S Pen.
Q: How good is the S Pen?
It's included and feels responsive, like writing on paper. Features like Circle to Search and Handwriting Assist are genuinely useful for quick notes and web searches.
Q: Is the screen good for watching movies?
Yes, the 13.1-inch size is immersive, but it's a standard LCD, not OLED. It's good, but don't expect the deep blacks and vibrant colors of more expensive tablets.
Who Should Skip This
Skip this if you need a tablet for real work. Our data shows its productivity score is abysmal (27.6/100). If you're editing documents, doing complex multitasking, or using professional apps, the underpowered Exynos chip will frustrate you. Look at an iPad Pro or a Surface Pro instead.
Verdict
Buy this if you want a giant screen for Netflix and YouTube, you love using a stylus for notes and doodles, and you don't need to run demanding apps. The included S Pen and IP68 rating are legit perks you won't find on many other tablets. Just go in knowing it's a leisure device, not a workhorse.