Summary
- Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S10 FE series offers a cost-effective alternative to the pricier mainline Tab S10 models.
- The FE tablets feature an Exynos 1580 chip, AI capabilities, IP68 resistance, and a starting price of $500.
- While lacking OLED screens, the FE series compensates with 90Hz LCD displays and offers a more practical midrange option.
Tablets — you know ’em, you love ’em, you can… probably live without them. But that doesn’t stop this category from being some of the most fun gadgets on the market today, especially considering you can get a pretty solid price for not a ton of money. While Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S10 series represents two of the best Android tablets you can buy today — with the 11-inch model restricted to the Tab S9 — the sky-high prices likely keep those gorgeous, inky-black OLED panels locked away for most consumers.
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While Samsung’s Tab FE series isn’t quite as impressive as its flagship tablets, it provides much better bang-for-your-buck for most people, especially if you or someone you know is considering something like Apple’s latest iPad Air models. While it’s tricky to compare these on price alone — I’d expect the M3 Air to run circles around these devices in benchmarks — the Galaxy Tab S10 FE and FE+ are here to tempt you away from Apple and the rest of the field. And frankly, I think Samsung might pull it off.
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S10 FE looks like a solid mid-range offering
Just don’t expect everything from the mainline Tab S10 to cross over
At the risk of sounding reductive, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE sure looks like a Samsung-made tablet. Whether you pick up the 10.9-inch Tab S10 FE or the larger 13.1-inch FE+ — which sports a larger display than its predecessor — you’re buying a pretty standard looking slate. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, of course, but it does beg for your attention to look elsewhere; like, for example, the specs sheet.
I don’t have first-hand experience with the Exynos 1580 powering these tablets, but AP’s Stephen Radochia does through his time with the international variant of the Galaxy A56, and he says it’s a perfectly good chip. It maintains the improvements seen on performance and battery life from the Exynos 1480 while delivering smooth overall performance. Neither of these tablets are particularly “cheap,” but compared to the much more expensive Tab S10 series, this should be all the speed most typical users need.
Unfortunately, it’s not just a more powerful processor that you’re giving up by jumping on the cheaper FE series. As in previous models, Samsung has swapped out the gorgeous OLED panels seen on the mainline Tab S9 and S10 lineups for something decidedly more midrange. The 90Hz LCD panels here are unlikely to be bad — and with a newer 800 nits rating in high brightness mode, they should be much improved outside — but they’re unlikely to pop in the same sort of way.
There is one more change Samsung has made with these new FE tablets, though, and it’s IP68 water and dust resistance. That certification is one of my favorite features seen on the last couple of tablet generations from Samsung, and bizarrely, has yet to be copied by practically any of its competitors.
Samsung’s specs sheet distributed to members of the press ahead of today’s launch is fairly lacking in details, including information on display resolutions and whether or not the Tab S10 FE+ comes in a 5G version. We’ve reached out to Samsung for more detail and will update when they respond.
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Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ SoC Exynos 1580 Exynos 1580 Display type LCD, 90Hz LCD, 90Hz Display dimensions 10.9″ 13.1″ RAM 8GB/12GB 8GB/12GB Storage 128GB/256GB 128GB/256GB Battery 8,000mAh 10,090mAh Charging speed 45W 45W Charge options Wired Wired Ports USB-C USB-C SIM support Dual SIM (1 physical, 1 eSIM) Dual SIM (1 physical, 1 eSIM) Operating System Android 15 Android 15 Front Camera 12MP 12MP Rear Camera 13MP 13MP Cellular connectivity 5G 5G Wi-Fi connectivity Wi-Fi 6 Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.3 Bluetooth 5.3 Weight 499g 635g IP rating IP68 IP68 Colors Blue, silver, gray Blue, silver, gray Stylus Yes, bundled Yes, bundled Price $500 $650
On the software side, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE series is — surprise! — all about AI. Circle to Search, Object Eraser, Best Face, and plenty of other skills have made their way to these two tablets, as have features like Auto Trim for making highlight reels out of your video collection. Samsung is also taking a page or two out of Apple’s notebook, with Math Solver and Handwriting Assist both coming to the built-in notes app. Math Solver was previously added in an update back in February, though its ability to get correct responses has been called into question.
It’s also worth noting these tablets are the first from Samsung to launch running Android 15. Oddly, Samsung’s press release doesn’t specify which version of One UI is running on the Tab S10 FE series — just the Android version. While I’d usually just assume the One UI version that comes preloaded on this phone, One UI 7 has had such an odd, delayed launch that I’ve asked Samsung for clarification on this front.
Samsung’s latest tablets are coming sooner than you might think
And you can already save $50 right now
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S10 FE and FE+ are set to hit store shelves in the US on April 10th, both through the company’s online storefront and brick and mortar retailers. Rather than a preorder period, Samsung is allowing would-be owners to reserve the model ahead of its launch for a $50 credit. The Galaxy Tab S10 FE starts at $500 for the 128GB model, or $600 for the cellular-equipped 128GB variant. The Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ starts at $650 for 128GB.
Both tablets come in blue, silver, and gray — no fun color names this time around. If you order a Galaxy Tab S10 FE model in the first month, you can score “up to” 50 percent off a Book Cover Keyboard Slim to pair with your new tablet. Like those missing specs, I’ve asked what that offer specifically means, as well as for pricing on the 256GB models.
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Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE
Samsung’s latest midrange tablet isn’t just a spec bump. With a brighter display, new AI tools, and IP68 water and dust resistance, the Tab S10 FE could be one of the best value tablets around at just $500.
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Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+
$600 $650 Save
$50Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ pairs a larger, brighter display with a faster processor, more AI skills, and IP68 water and dust resistance. $650 isn’t cheap, but it’s a great alternative to Samsung’s more expensive flagships.
