Michael Murtaugh/NYT WirecutterTop pickThe Samsung Galaxy S10 FE offers all the essential features you need in a tablet, with a large, sharp display, a solid processor for basic tasks, and excellent battery life that will easily power you through an entire day.The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE offers a great value if you’re looking for an everyday tablet that won’t break the bank. The 10.9-inch LCD screen is bright and vibrant enough for watching TV, editing content, or browsing the web, while the Samsung Exynos 1580 processor can easily juggle multiple apps simultaneously. The 8,000 mAh battery lasts through a full day (and then some) with ease.The Galaxy Tab S10 FE supports Android 16 with a new version of DeX Mode, Samsung’s productivity software that allows you to use your tablet like a PC, with the ability to open multiple apps simultaneously, resize windows, and access a task bar. It’s also one of the most durable tablets on the market. And it comes with Samsung’s S Pen stylus, so you can use it to jot down notes or to draw. The tablet will receive software and security updates until 2032.It’s a lot more durable than other tablets we’ve tested. The Galaxy Tab S10 FE has an IP68 rating for full dust protection and water resistance, which is uncommon for Android tablets. With this level of durability, the tablet can sustain being submerged in up to 5 feet of water for 30 minutes. Its aluminum frame and back are also able to withstand daily wear and tear. We used the tablet in a case and didn’t drop it, but the durability gave us peace of mind as we streamed content while getting ready in the bathroom, video chatted while cooking in the kitchen, and jostled it around in our bag while traveling. Although it’s a fingerprint magnet, we found that the back holds up well against scratches and scuffs. The S Pen attaches to the back of the tablet magnetically, making it easy to keep track of. Michael Murtaugh/NYT WirecutterIt supports useful multitasking and AI features. The tablet ships with Android 15, but you can update to Android 16 and Samsung’s One UI 8. With the latest software, you’ll have access to the new DeX mode, which transforms the tablet into a PC-like experience. When DeX Mode is on, you can use the tablet the same way you would a laptop — with a taskbar at the bottom of the screen, multiple floating windows (with the ability to resize them), and the option to drag and drop content. The latest version comes with two major improvements: the ability to create up to four different workspaces that you can easily switch between and Extend Mode, which runs DeX on your tablet and external monitor simultaneously.We mainly used the Tab S10 FE with a keyboard and mouse in DeX mode, making it easy to work on the tablet throughout the day without wanting to reach for our laptop. We used one workspace for Chrome, Gmail, Google Calendar, and Slack, while another workspace was reserved for Google Docs and Drive, and Spotify. Since you’re limited to five apps on each workspace, the ability to customize multiple spaces meant we didn’t have to open and close apps to access new ones.The tablet also comes with support for handy AI features — most of which are S-Pen centric — including Gemini Live, Circle to Search (which searches anything you circle on the screen), Instant Math Solutions (which uses AI to solve equations), and a couple of Samsung Notes features like Handwriting Help to fix your handwriting and Note Assist to summarize notes.With DeX Mode, you can have up to five apps open at once within each workspace. Michael Murtaugh/NYT WirecutterThe Galaxy Tab S10 FE comes with a fingerprint sensor built into the power button on the side. Michael Murtaugh/NYT WirecutterWith DeX Mode, you can have up to five apps open at once within each workspace. Michael Murtaugh/NYT WirecutterIt offers solid performance and excellent battery life. Under the hood is the Samsung Exynos 1580 processor and 8 GB of RAM. Performance felt smooth in daily use, whether we were using DeX mode, switching between apps, or editing videos in CapCut. It also comes with an 8,000 mAh battery, which Samsung claims will last up to 20 hours of video playback. That wasn’t our experience, but we did hit about 9.5 hours on a charge when using the tablet for web browsing and streaming content. On days when we only used the tablet for light web browsing and multitasking, we managed to stretch it to 12 hours.It has a sharp, vibrant display that’s solid for everyday tasks. The Galaxy Tab S10 FE has an 1800×2880 LCD panel with a 90 Hz refresh rate. It was bright and smooth enough for watching movies or YouTube videos, scrolling through social media, and getting work done. We used it for hours at a time to write in Google Docs, send emails, and take video calls. Although it’s not an OLED display, content on the tablet still looks crisp and vibrant. The screen reaches 800 nits peak brightness, which is plenty — we kept the screen set to 50% brightness for the most part, even while sitting next to a window.Samsung sells a larger S10 FE+, which has a 13-inch screen, but it’ll cost you an extra $200. The compact size of the 10.9-inch FE made it easy to tote around in a bag or backpack.The included S Pen stylus is great for note-taking and drawing. Included in the box is Samsung’s S Pen stylus, which attaches magnetically to the back of the tablet. We mainly used it for jotting down notes and to-do lists, but with both pressure and tilt sensitivity, it’s ideal for drawing or sketching as well. The button on the side is also customizable, so you can program it to launch different apps or tools. It doesn’t require Bluetooth pairing or charging, either, so you don’t have to worry about losing connectivity or battery life. The tablet comes with an S Pen, which you can use to take notes or draw. Michael Murtaugh/NYT WirecutterThe camera system is good enough for taking photos and video calls. The tablet has a 13-megapixel primary camera and a 12-megapixel lens on the front for selfies and video calls. Both are capable of taking decent, clear shots, and the quality is sharp enough for video calls. The tablet also comes with support for AI-powered camera features, including Remaster (which automatically enhances photos), Object Eraser (for removing unwanted objects, reflections, or shadows), and Erase Reflections (which analyzes each photo and automatically erases distracting reflections).Flaws but not dealbreakersIt has an LCD panel instead of OLED. Since this is a mid-range tablet, it makes sense that Samsung went with LCD over OLED — you’ll have to upgrade to one of the company’s high-end models like the Galaxy Tab S11 for a higher-quality screen. This means the Tab S10 FE’s display doesn’t have as wide a color gamut or as much color accuracy. While the display is plenty bright and colorful, it’s important to take into consideration if you plan on using the tablet for photo and video editing or streaming a lot of content.It’s more expensive than its predecessor, especially with accessories. With upgrades like a better processor, a higher resolution rear camera, and more RAM, Samsung increased the price of the base model Tab S10 FE by $50 from the previous model. This isn’t a huge price hike, but it does add up when you factor in the cost of accessories. While the tablet comes with an S Pen, Samsung’s Book Cover Keyboard costs $100, and the Smart Book Cover will set you back $80.The tablet charges slowly. The Tab S10 FE supports up to 45 W of fast charging (a charging brick isn’t included in the box). We found that the tablet typically took almost three hours to fully charge from 0% on a 65 W charging brick, even with fast charging enabled.
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