Why I recommend this Samsung tablet over the iPad Air – especially at this price

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ is at present $70 off at Finest Purchase, bringing its beginning worth to simply $580.

I just like the portability of a pill versus a heavy, bulkier laptop computer. I take pleasure in engaged on the iPad Air each day, so I’ve regarded ahead to testing the brand new Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ since its launch. This pill is a direct competitor to the M3 iPad Air that Apple simply launched, which has turn out to be my pill of selection for writing, studying, and leisure. 

However whereas the Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ is similar to the iPad Air in some methods, it exceeds Apple’s pill’s capabilities in others. 

The FE collection of Samsung gadgets is an inexpensive different to its flagship gadgets. Identical to there’s a lineup of FE Galaxy smartphones, Samsung makes FE options to its flagship tablets. I’ve examined the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Extremely and S10 Extremely, so I used to be wanting to see how the S10 FE+ compares. 

I’ve additionally not too long ago examined a number of comparably priced tablets, just like the Honor Pad V9 and the most recent iPad Mini, and the Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ fared properly. 

The Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ has an Exynos 1580 chip, which Samsung says makes the pill about 32% sooner than its predecessor, the Tab S9 FE+. This is not a high-end processor, nevertheless it’s nice for on a regular basis duties and is one among Samsung’s compromises with its FE gadgets. 

This pill can deal with on a regular basis media and work duties, and the included S Pen is useful for notetaking and inventive work. The Tab S10 FE+ is not constructed for energy customers however is ideal for mild work, together with video calls, photograph enhancing, messaging, and utilizing Samsung DeX. 

The 13.1-inch show is a dimension improve from the earlier Tab S9 FE+, which had a 12.4-inch display screen. The bigger display screen affords extra space for multitasking with cut up display screen, media streaming, gaming, and inventive work like sketching. 

The battery life is reliably good, particularly if you use this pill for leisure. The S10 FE+ has a big, 10,090 mAh battery, and its environment friendly efficiency ensures it lasts a full workday. For comparability, the longest battery life I’ve examined on a pill up to now is the Honor Pad V9, which has a ten,100 mAh battery. The 2024 iPad Professional has an 8,160 mAh battery, and the 13-inch iPad Air M3 has a 9.705 mAh battery, for reference.

I like that Samsung’s newer tablets are IP68-rated for water and mud resistance. This will not sound like an enormous deal, however as somebody who’s gotten used to carrying my pill round in every single place with me, it’s. I’ve usually needed to dry my pill after an unintended water spill or unknowingly placing it on a moist floor. 

The panic that programs by way of me as I frantically dry my pill every time it touches moisture is simply understood by anybody who has misplaced a tool to water or had smartphones over ten years in the past (RIP to my BlackBerry Daring, on each accounts). 

Whilst you cannot (and should not) swim with the Tab S10 FE+, you’ll be able to breathe slightly simpler when it will get moist and transfer on to dry it with out experiencing throat-clenching nervousness. The IP68 ranking is not there to encourage you to deliver your pill if you go scuba diving, however to guard your funding. 

In benchmark testing, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ proved way more primary than the comparably priced iPad Air from 2024 (M2) and 2025 (M3). If you happen to’re in search of a pill to change between heavy apps or demanding video enhancing, you’d do higher with an iPad Air. However in case you’re in search of one with an extended battery life, an included stylus, and water resistance, then the Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ is greatest. 

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ is a good midrange pill for leisure, so media fanatics can rejoice in its giant 13.1-inch show and 90Hz refresh fee. However creators, college students, and professionals alike may profit from it, particularly these in search of an on a regular basis pill throughout the Galaxy ecosystem that does not attain premium costs. 

The Tab S10 FE+ is slim and really light-weight. It is also waterproof and comes with an S Pen, making it higher fitted to portability than different comparable choices. You’ll be able to take this pill with you virtually anyplace and use it for leisure, notetaking, or work with out second ideas concerning the parts you may expose it to.

This story was first revealed on April 22, 2025, and was up to date on July 8, 2025, to mirror the Finest Purchase deal.