So, we thought Samsung was done for the year, but no, they surprised us with three new devices: the Galaxy S24 FE and two new tablets, the Galaxy Tab S10+ and the Tab S10 Ultra.
But is this really the upgrade that everyone has been waiting for, or is there a catch? Well, I’ve uncovered some details that could change your decision, because there’s something unexpected about these devices that might change your mind. So, here’s everything you need to know.
Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
Compared to the two tablets, I was surprised by this announcement because the FE, or the Fan Edition, was not something that is guaranteed every single year. Remember how there was no Galaxy S22 FE? It went straight from the S21 FE to the S23 FE instead. So, I was really happy to hear that this FE version is available for the S24 series as well.
In terms of where it is positioned in the S24 series lineup, Samsung has placed it between the base Galaxy S24 and the Galaxy S24 Plus. Based on what I saw, I do agree with them. So, let’s get into what you get on the Galaxy S24 FE.
Design-wise, it looks very similar to the Galaxy S24 series, with a similar boxy form factor at the sides. It also has an IP68 rating, and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus Plus for both the front and the backplate of the phone—a big upgrade compared to version 5 on the Galaxy S23 FE.
But the bigger improvement, literally, is on the phone’s display, which comes with a slightly larger 6.7-inch screen compared to last year’s 6.4-inch on the Galaxy S23 FE. It is still using the Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with the same refresh rate ranging from 60 Hz to 120 Hz, so it’s not like the LTPO display where it goes down to 1 Hz. But considering this is not the flagship phone and it is the FE variant, that is to be expected. As usual, the displays were really nice, as expected from Samsung.
In terms of size and weight, last year’s Galaxy S23 FE was slightly lighter at 209 g because of its smaller 6.4-inch display. The Galaxy S24 FE, on the other hand, weighs about 213 grams, and that is, of course, due to its bigger 6.7-inch screen. Now, it’s not too much of a difference if you look at the numbers, so if you’re used to the S23 FE, you can easily transition to this particular S24 FE.
As for the cameras, both the Galaxy S23 FE and the Galaxy S24 FE share the same camera setup, including the front-facing cameras. There’s a 12MP ultrawide, a 50MP main, and a dedicated 8MP telephoto lens, while the front camera is a 10MP camera.
Based on my in-depth camera test last year, the Galaxy S23 FE looked great, so you can expect the same great camera performance on this new phone. But, of course, I’ll do a further in-depth camera test when I get my hands on this phone.
Regarding the phone’s chipset, it comes with the new Exynos 2400e chipset, compared to last year’s Galaxy S23 FE, which used the older Exynos 2200 chipset. And no, there are no such issues as mentioned by some people about the Exynos 2200 chipset, so keep that in mind.
It comes with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. The 128 GB variant is not coming to Malaysia, which I don’t mind because who uses 128 GB of storage these days? Oh wait, some still do.
Battery life is another area where the Galaxy S24 FE slightly edges out the S23 FE. Last year, it came with a 4,500 mAh battery, which was pretty reliable, providing about 6 hours of screen-on time during daily use. The Galaxy S24 FE comes with a larger 4,700 mAh battery, so I’m quite sure it will offer even more battery life. Just like last year, the rear is made of glass, so yes, wireless charging is supported.
As for the software, it ships with One UI version 6.1 on top of Android 14, and it comes with a massive 7 years of software and security updates. Since Galaxy AI is already here, you don’t have to wait. Samsung has decided to include all of the Galaxy AI features that we know and love, like Call Assist, Chat Assist, Interpreter, Transcript Assist, and more, into the Galaxy S24 FE as well.
As for the colors, which a lot of people seem to love, it is available in Blue Gray, where the gray color leans more towards white. There’s also Graphite and Mint as well.
Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra & Tab S10 Ultra
Now, onto the brand-new tablets. What’s interesting is that last time, Samsung released their Tab S9 series together with the Galaxy Z Flip5 and the Galaxy Z Fold5. Since these tablets weren’t released together with the Z Flip6 and the Z Fold6 several months ago, we were all wondering where they were. Well, they are here now.
The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra comes with a massive 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a resolution of 2960 x 1848 and a 120 Hz refresh rate. The display hits a peak brightness of 930 nits. While on paper it may not seem as bright, trust me, during my hands-on with this tablet, not only was the display huge, but it was super bright and vibrant, even under direct sunlight in the hands-on area.
Samsung has also added an anti-reflective coating. While it’s not a matte finish, it kept the overall glare to a minimum.
The Galaxy Tab S10+ has a smaller 12.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with the same 120 Hz refresh rate. While its peak brightness of 650 nits may not sound too impressive on paper, it still looks fantastic under bright light. It also comes with a similar anti-reflective coating.
Since the Tab S10 Ultra is larger, it weighs 718 g for the Wi-Fi variant and 723 g for the 5G model. As for the Tab S10+, it’s more portable, weighing 571 g for the Wi-Fi version and 576 g for the 5G variant. So, if you’re someone who is always on the go, the S10+ might be a bit more manageable.
In terms of durability, both tablets are built with Armor Aluminum and have an IP68 rating, which not a lot of tablets can claim. This was really nice to know.
Both tablets also come with quad speakers, though I couldn’t do a proper audio test during my hands-on session. However, even playing some video over there produced really loud audio from the devices, especially from the Tab S10 Ultra.
Camera-wise, both have a 13MP primary camera and an 8MP ultra-wide camera on the rear. The front is where things get interesting. The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra has dual front camera setups, with a 12MP main and a 12MP ultra-wide camera—perfect for group video chats with family or general video calls. I can’t wait to get my hands on this tablet to test it further, especially with the new Intelligent Dialogue Booster, which uses AI.
What’s surprising is that the Tab S10 Ultra uses the MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ chipset, not a Snapdragon or Exynos chip. It comes with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, expandable up to 1.5 TB via microSD, which was great to see that Samsung kept expandable storage.
Battery-wise, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra comes with a massive 11,200 mAh battery, while the Tab S10+ has a slightly smaller 10,090 mAh battery. Both support fast charging, but the Ultra goes up to 45 watts.
For connectivity, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra supports Wi-Fi 7, compared to Wi-Fi 6 on the Tab S10+. Both tablets have a 5G variant as well.
As for accessories, the keyboards are not included in the box. There are two variants: one with a trackpad and a dedicated Galaxy AI button on the top-right of the trackpad…
and the other without a trackpad, though it still includes the Galaxy AI button.
Both tablets feature every Galaxy AI function, which was great to know, especially on a large-screen tablet like this. You can use tools like Advanced Search with Google, Sketch to Image, and Interpreter, which works similarly on these devices.
Pricing & Availability:
Galaxy S24 FE
https://www.samsung.com/my/smartphones/galaxy-s24-fe/buy/
Available for order in Malaysia starting from 11pm, 26 Sep 2024 (Available in Blue, Graphite, Gray, Mint)
- Galaxy S24 FE (256GB) – RM3,299
- Galaxy S24 FE (512GB) – RM3,899
Galaxy Tab S10 Series
https://www.samsung.com/my/tablets/galaxy-tab-s/
Launching in Malaysia on 3 Oct 2024 (Available in Moonstone Gray and Platinum Silver) Launch deals including a Free Book Cover Keyboard Slim (AI Key) and RM500 instant rebate when you trade in your old device.
- Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra 5G (12GB/256GB) – RM6,649
- Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra (12GB/256GB) – RM5,999
- Galaxy Tab S10+ 5G (12GB/256GB) – RM5,249
- Galaxy Tab S10+ (12GB/256GB) – RM4,599
