Samsung Tab S11 Ultra With Keyboard Case 12GB 256GB WiFi

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra Review – Build and Design

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is the successor to the earlier Tab S10 Ultra. Not only is the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra lighter, but thinner too at just 5.1mm and weighing in at just 692g; its predecessor was 5.4mm thin and weighed 718g. Even with the reduction in size and thickness, the tablet still maintains a robust IP68 dust and water resistance rating while retaining the same 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The new display is brighter too with 1,600 nits peak brightness for better clarity under sunlight conditions while retaining HDR10+ support and an anti-reflective coating that mitigates harsh glare. Like its predecessor, our Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review sample has a chassis made of Armor Aluminium, which offers a measure of increased resistance to minor drops, nicks and scratches.

The layout is similar to the older model with a volume rocker and power button emplaced on the left edge of the top portion of the tablet while a microSD card tray is placed on the opposite right edge. Both sides of the tablet are flanked by a pair of speaker slits while a USB-C slot is parked on the right side for charging duties. There’s also a magnetised portion up top for you to park the bundled S Pen stylus. You also get an under-display fingerprint sensor on the right quadrant which is ideally placed for right-handed users. Southpaws will just need to get used to using their offhand to unlock the tablet.

In terms of build and design, the tablet feels both slim and sturdy and is almost light enough to wield one-handed. Up front, the display has a tiny teardrop shaped notch to house the single 12MP selfie camera. The backplate is otherwise unremarkable save for the oblong-shaped camera housing on the rear that houses a 13MP and an 8MP ultra wide angle camera.

The keyboard case is a straightforward design that features both a Galaxy AI as well as a DeX mode shortcut key though it lacks a touchpad. Having a touchpad at the base would have been nice and would have made it look and feel more like a laptop replacement but it’s not a deal breaker. Like all Samsung flagships in the past several years, our Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review sample lacks a bundled charger though it does come with the USB-C charging cable. The keyboard case itself latches on magnetically to the tablet’s backplate with the bottom half swinging out to fit into an angled groove just above the keyboard when deployed which cants the tablet at about a fixed 35-degree angle. This angle makes it ideal for usage on a standard table as it matches an average user’s eyeline. Unfortunately, this limits its ability to be deployed at other angles like on your lap where you need a gentler incline.

That quibble aside, the bundled S Pen stylus now has an octagonal grip which prevents it from rolling around and has the same 4,096  levels of pressure sensitivity as its predecessor. However, this current generation is a passive, unpowered design so it lacks Bluetooth-connectivity and the ability to trigger Air Commands and gestures from a distance so it can’t act as a remote camera shutter release or to scroll through the interface from a distance.

Build quality overall is excellent and Samsung hasn’t skimped on features or materials with every aspect of the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra looking and feeling premium on top of having IP68 dust and water resistance in keeping with its status as Samsung’s premier tablet design for 2025.