• 3 min read
Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 gets close to iPad Air
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S11 pairs premium hardware and strong battery life with a weaker display and a high price.
Image: TechRadar
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 aims squarely at the iPad Air — and in several ways, it gets surprisingly close. TechRadar describes it as the nearest Android equivalent to Apple’s mid-range tablet, with a premium metal build, strong all-round performance, and an included S Pen. The catch is the screen: despite its specs, the review says it lacks the fidelity and touch quality needed to beat Apple.
At $899.99 / £869 / AU$1,399, the 11-inch tablet is available now in Grey and Silver. The base model includes 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and every version ships with Samsung’s S Pen. Buyers wanting cellular support must pay an extra £50 / AU$250, while US customers only get the Wi‑Fi-only model.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 specs and display
The Tab S11 runs One UI 8.5 on a MediaTek Dimensity 9400+, with storage options of 128GB / 256GB / 512GB. Other key specs include an 11-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display at 1600 x 2560 and 120Hz, an 8,400mAh battery, 45W wired charging, a 13MP rear camera, 12MP front camera, Wi‑Fi 5, Bluetooth 5, and USB-C. It weighs 484g.
According to TechRadar, the display is the tablet’s weakest point. The panel is bright and colorful, but the review notes a slight softness in the UI and says Ultra HD video is not as sharp as expected. It also criticizes the thick bezel, a screen that attracts dust and debris, and a grabby touchscreen that makes gestures less pleasant than they should be.
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Design, software, and battery life
Where Samsung fares better is design. TechRadar praises the tablet’s one-piece metal chassis, saying it feels every bit as premium as Apple’s hardware, possibly more so. The downside is that the smooth back panel can feel slippery. The S Pen gets a more positive reception, with its hexagonal shape, responsive input, and magnetic attachment on both long sides of the tablet.
On software, Samsung preloads a large number of first-party apps, though TechRadar says many do little to outshine Google’s own tools. Some of the built-in AI image-editing features did impress the reviewer, particularly for removing objects from photos and adding new elements via text prompts. One UI 8.5 is described as clear, stable, and easy to navigate, though window switching in gesture mode was said to feel awkward.
Performance is solid across browsing, productivity, 4K streaming, and gaming, including Hitman: Blood Money — Reprisal, with only mild heat on the back. Battery life is another highlight: Samsung claims 18 hours of continuous streaming, versus about 10 hours for the iPad Air. In TechRadar’s testing, the tablet dropped to 30% after a couple of days of mixed use, and a full charge took about a couple of hours.
The review’s verdict is straightforward: the Galaxy Tab S11 is a polished, capable Android tablet with standout build quality and battery life, but its display and price make it harder to recommend over the iPad Air.
Computing Editor
Tomas lives in the terminal. He covers chips, laptops, and operating systems with a focus on performance and efficiency. He reads kernel changelogs the way other people read fiction, and he's always on the hunt for the perfect mechanical keyboard switch. If it processes data, Tomas has an opinion on it.
via TechRadar
