Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Review

Last updated on 20 April 2026

I’ve been using the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 for about three months now. Not as a secondary device, but as something that slowly found its place in my daily routine. Writing, browsing, managing files, testing apps… and sometimes just scrolling through content without thinking too much.

This is not a device that impressed me on day one.
But over time, it became something more. It became… reliable.

Design and Daily Use

Samsung didn’t try to reinvent anything here—and honestly, I’m glad they didn’t. The Tab S11 is thin, light enough for long sessions, and feels exactly like a device that’s meant to be used every day. At 469 grams and just 5.5 mm thick, it’s easy to hold and doesn’t become tiring quickly.

The aluminum frame and back give it a solid, premium feel, and the IP68 rating adds a level of confidence you expect from a flagship tablet. That was one of the first things I liked about it, and it didn’t change.

I started using it almost entirely in landscape mode. On phones, portrait makes sense. On tablets, especially with a screen reader, that’s not always the case. With the Tab S11, I noticed that both TalkBack and Jieshuo gestures feel much more consistent in landscape.

Everything just aligns better; gesture areas, navigation flow, even general orientation. At this point, going back to portrait feels unnecessary.

That said, some apps are still not optimized for tablets. When you open them, they force the screen back into portrait mode. There is a workaround for this.

If you go to Settings > Advanced Features > Labs and Landscape view for portrait apps, you can force selected apps into landscape mode. Just keep in mind that not every app behaves correctly there—layout issues can happen.

Display Experience

The 11-inch display is exactly what you expect from a high-end Samsung tablet. Smooth, responsive, and consistent. You don’t really think about it after a while—and that’s a good thing.

For accessibility, this kind of stability matters more than raw specs. And the Tab S11 delivers that without drawing attention to itself.

Performance: The Real Upgrade

This is where things become very clear, especially if you’re coming from the Tab S9 FE. At first, I thought this would be a simple upgrade. But it really isn’t.

Moving from an Exynos 1380 with 6 GB RAM to a Dimensity 9400+ with 12 GB RAM changes the entire feel of the device. Everything is smoother—but more importantly, screen reader performance is noticeably better.

TalkBack and Jieshuo both feel faster, more stable, and more predictable. There’s less hesitation, fewer micro-delays, and a much cleaner navigation flow.

After a while, going back to the S9 FE feels… slow. And that’s not something I expected to say this clearly.

Speakers: A Real Upgrade

One area where the Tab S11 clearly stands out is the speaker system. Compared to the Tab S9 FE, this is a massive upgrade.

The Tab S11 comes with four speakers, and the sound quality is genuinely impressive. When you’re holding the tablet in landscape, audio feels properly positioned.

It’s one of those details that makes media consumption feel right.

Storage, Connectivity, and Real Usage

The unit I’ve been using is the 128 GB / 12 GB version. And interestingly, after three months, I sometimes think I should have gone for the 5G variant.

Not because I constantly need it—but because this tablet became something I rely on more than expected.

I occasionally connect USB drives through OTG. I’ve also used my Rode USB microphone and my JBL Quantum 350 headset via its wireless receiver. These are not things I used to do on the S9 FE.

And I think this comes down to one thing: how much the device invites you to use it. The S9 FE felt like a device that simply does its job. The Tab S11 feels like a device that pushes you to do more.

On the storage side, I’m now seriously considering getting a microSD card for this tablet. With storage prices going up, getting one now makes sense. But I don’t want to pair a device like this with a basic, slow card. If I’m going to use it seriously, the storage should match the device.

Keyboard and Workflow

A tablet without a keyboard is limited—especially for a blind user. With a physical keyboard, the Tab S11 becomes a completely different device.

Over time, this tablet didn’t just become something I use; it became part of how I work. I started using it as my main testing device instead of my Galaxy S25 Plus. That wasn’t planned, it just happened naturally.

Samsung has also added some flexibility on the keyboard side. There is now an AI key, accessible with CMD + O, where you can choose your assistant. Some CMD shortcuts can also be reassigned, which gives you room to shape your workflow.

If you’re using Jieshuo, I strongly recommend trying the setup prepared by Ronan, a fellow Accessible Android contributor. It genuinely makes daily usage much easier and takes your workflow to the next level.

At some point, I even bought a three-year Jieshuo license just for this tablet. That probably says enough.

S Pen: Not Essential, But Fine

As a blind user, I don’t rely on the S Pen. Some users are not happy with Samsung moving away from the Bluetooth-enabled S Pen, but for my use case, this change didn’t really affect anything.

I wasn’t using those features anyway. That said, when scrolling through Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts, using the pen actually feels… good.

Lightly touching and swiping between videos gives a more controlled and intentional feeling. Not essential—but still a nice detail.

Fingerprint Sensor: A Real Problem

This is one of the few areas where the Tab S11 feels like a downgrade compared to the S9 FE. The fingerprint sensor is now under the display.

TalkBack does provide guidance, which helps. But in practice, locating the fingerprint area can still be difficult at first. Without tactile or vibration feedback, you rely on estimation until you get used to the position.

But the bigger issue is not the placement. It’s what happens after you set it up.

Together with John Dyer, we discovered a serious problem. When fingerprint is enabled, multi-touch gestures and screen reader interactions don’t always behave as expected.

After restarting the device, everything works fine for a while, since you unlock it with a PIN.

But once you lock the screen and unlock it again, the problem comes back. From that point on, gestures become unreliable and the experience starts to break down.

At the moment, the only stable solution is to avoid using fingerprint entirely. Using PIN or face unlock keeps everything working as expected.

I expect a fix with One UI 8.5. When that happens, I’ll update this part.

Software and Updates

The Tab S11 ships with One UI 8 based on Android 16. When I first received the device in January, it was running the November 2025 security patch. Since then, the experience has remained stable.

Samsung is also promising seven major Android updates, which is a strong commitment.

Battery Life

The 8400 mAh battery holds up well in daily use. It easily gets through a full day, sometimes more depending on usage. And with 45W charging support, topping it up doesn’t take too long either.

Better yet, it’s predictable, you don’t have to think about it.

Final Thoughts

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 is not a revolutionary device. But it is a meaningful upgrade, especially from the Tab S9 FE in my case. It improves performance, sound, and overall responsiveness in ways that directly affect daily use. And ultimately, it’s a device that makes you want to use it.

There’s one thing I can’t ignore. Even though the Tab S11 is currently Samsung’s flagship tablet, the availability of cases and screen protectors is surprisingly limited.

When you look at accessories for iPads, you can find cases in all kinds of styles, colors, and even designs tailored to different users. With the Tab S11, however, most cases look very similar, and the overall variety feels quite limited.

Even websites that offer custom-designed cases for phones and tablets don’t seem to have options for the Tab S11 yet, which I found a bit disappointing.