Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE 10.9" 2025, Samsung Exynos 1580, 8GB, 128GB, Gray

Great specs on paper, but owners aren't happy. The IP68 rating and included S Pen are the only reasons to pick this over an iPad Air M4.

The Exynos 1580 handles everyday tasks without breaking a sweat. We're talking 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which is a comfortable middle ground for multitasking, streaming, and light gaming. The 8000mAh battery lands in the 80th percentile, so you'll get through a full day of lectures or Netflix binges without hunting for a charger. What surprised us most is the feature set at this price point. The S Pen support, expandable storage, fingerprint reader, face unlock, and keyboard connector all show up, and that's a lot of hardware for a tablet that starts around USD 300. The 10.9-inch LCD display is fine, but it's not going to blow anyone away. Sharpness and eye comfort both sit around the 48th percentile, which means it's perfectly serviceable but not a reason to buy.

The iPad Air M4 is the elephant in the room. It costs more, but the display quality, performance, and app ecosystem are simply better. If you're already in the Apple ecosystem, the S10 FE doesn't make a strong case for switching. The Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus is another interesting alternative, especially if you want a bigger screen and a built-in kickstand for media consumption. The Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro offers similar specs at a lower price in some markets, though availability in the US is spotty. The S10 FE's real differentiator is the IP68 rating and the included S Pen. If those two things matter to you, none of the competitors match it.

The price spread across US vendors is wild, ranging from USD 300 to USD 550 for what appears to be the same configuration. At USD 300, this is a compelling buy. At USD 550, you're getting into iPad Air M4 territory and that's a much harder sell. Best Buy has the Geek Squad Certified Refurbished option at the lower end of that range, and that's the one to grab if you're set on this tablet. Just don't pay full retail for it.

The Galaxy Tab S10 FE is Samsung's mid-range tablet that punches way above its weight in a few key areas. The big story here is the IP68 water and dust resistance, which sits in the 98th percentile and makes this one of the only tablets you can actually take into the bath without a minor panic attack. You also get the S Pen in the box, a solid Exynos 1580 chip, and a clean Android 15 experience. But the user sentiment score is sitting at a brutal 7th percentile, and that mismatch between spec sheet and real-world satisfaction is worth digging into.

If you're looking for a premium display or a tablet for serious reading, this isn't it. The screen is mediocre and the reading experience scores just 53.6 out of 100. Go get an iPad Air M4 if you want a better display, or a Kindle if reading is your main use case. And if you're not specifically drawn to the water resistance or the included S Pen, there are cheaper Android tablets that will do the job just as well.

The Galaxy Tab S10 FE is a good tablet with one glaring problem: the user sentiment score is terrible, and that's hard to ignore. The specs are solid, the S Pen is a genuine bonus, and the water resistance is best-in-class. But when actual owners are this unhappy, something isn't translating from spec sheet to real life. If you can find it at the USD 300 end of the price range and you specifically need water resistance plus stylus support, it's worth considering. Otherwise, save up for the iPad Air M4 or grab a cheaper Android tablet and skip the frustration.