Samsung has just released a successor to last year’s Galaxy Tab S9 FE with the aptly named Tab S10 FE.
While we haven’t gotten our hands on the Galaxy Tab S10 FE yet, we have reviewed the Tab S9 FE and awarded the device a solid four-star rating. With this in mind, how does the Tab S10 FE’s updates compare to its predecessor?
We’ve compared the specs of both and highlighted the key differences between the two budget-friendly Samsung Galaxy Tabs right here to help you decide which is best for your needs. If you’re still not convinced by either Galaxy Tab, then our best tablets and best Android tablets guides will offer more inspiration.
Pricing and Availability
The newly launched Galaxy Tab S10 FE is available in two storage options, 128GB or 256GB, and has a starting RRP of £499 / $499.
At the time of writing, the Tab S9 FE is no longer available to buy directly from Samsung’s website. However, the tablet can still be found at retailers like Amazon and has a starting RRP of around £399. As it’s an older tablet, you will likely find a price drop for the Tab S9 FE too.
The Galaxy Tab S10 FE has a higher resolution front camera
While tablets are rarely designed to be the primary way you take photos, a decent camera is a useful addition if you’re ever caught in a pinch. Both the Galaxy Tab FEs here have an 8MP rear camera, although we hailed in our review of the S9 FE that this lens is “only moderate” and low-light images in particular were concluded to be poor.
Otherwise, the Tab S10 FE has a higher-resolution 13MP front lens whereas the S9 FE’s selfie camera is slightly lower at just 12MP. As we haven’t reviewed the Tab S10 FE yet, we can’t verify whether the slightly higher resolution makes much of a difference, however it’s worth noting that we did find the Tab S9 FE’s front camera to be “interesting” as there are standard and ultrawide fields of view available despite offering a single lens.
The Galaxy Tab S10 FE has a faster processor
As the newer of the two, it’s perhaps unsurprising that the Tab S10 FE sports a slightly better specced processor than its predecessor with the Exynos 1580. Found in the Samsung Galaxy A56, Exynos 1580 is a mid-range chipset that won’t compete with the flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite that’s found the in the flagship Galaxy S25 series, but should still hold its own when performing everyday tasks and, thanks to its larger vapour champer to its predecessor, will keep cool while gaming.
The Tab S9 FE on the other hand sports the 2023 mid-range Exynos 1380 chipset, which we concluded was “not nearly as punchy” as the likes of Dimensity 9000 or even the A13 Bionic chip and, while it could play tough games just fine, it did struggle to reach a consistent 60fps.
We also found that its responsiveness when flicking between apps wasn’t quite as seamless either, although the tablet never became too warm when in use.
The Galaxy Tab S10 FE is equipped with more RAM
Essentially the more Random Access Memory (RAM) a tablet has, the easier it can deal with performing tasks across multiple apps. While the two Tab FEs have options to choose from, the S10 FE boasts the higher of two with either 8GB or 12GB, with the latter being a higher offer than the iPad Air M2’s sole 8GB.
The S9 FE has slightly less RAM to play with, with just 6GB or 8GB options. Although considerably less than the 12GB S10 FE, it’s worth keeping in mind that even the smaller 6GB S9 FE sports more RAM than the iPad 10th Gen.
The Galaxy Tab S10 FE is lighter
If you’re looking for a tablet that you can easily carry with you while commuting or travelling, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE is slightly lighter than its predecessor, at just 497g compared to 523g.
Not only that, but at 6.5mm, the S9 FE is also slightly thicker than the S10 FE, which is impressively thin at just 6mm. Otherwise, the two sport the same 10.9-inch display.
The Galaxy Tab S10 FE boasts a slightly higher battery life
Although both tablets have an 8000mAh battery capacity, the S10 FE actually boasts a slightly higher battery life promise of 20 hours of video playback, whereas the S9 FE “only” offers 18 hours.
Both also offer up to 45W fast charging speeds. However, remember that to benefit from this, you’ll need to invest separately in a compatible charger. We found the Tab S9 FE took 104 minutes to charge from 1 to 100%, which although slightly less than the iPad 10’s 120 minutes, is still not as fast as the OnePlus Pad’s 64 minutes.
Early Verdict
Considering we gave the Galaxy Tab S9 FE a solid four-star rating and that you’re likely to find a price drop now that it’s slightly older, this remains a great choice if you’re looking for an affordable yet capable mid-ranger.
Having said that, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE promises a few useful upgrades, such as better battery life, a faster processor, and a better selfie camera for video calls.
We’ll refrain from giving a conclusive verdict until we review the Galaxy Tab S10 FE, however, so check back soon.
