Samsung's new iPad rivals beat Apple to AI punch – and include a stylus in the box

When it comes to the best tablets, it's clear that Apple has been a dominant force in the game with a successful slew of amazing iPads. But Samsung is the leader in the Android slate space, with its Galaxy Tab line proving a strong alternative – and its latest models have beaten Apple to the artificial intelligence punch, too.

The new Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus and S10 Ultra are the latest in Samsung's long lineage of tablets, delivering 12.4-inch and 14.6-inch OLED displays respectively, while upgrading the performance compared to the Tab S9 Plus and Tab S9 Ultra predecessors. We particularly loved the Ultra here at T3, the mega-tablet proving to be mega-impressive. 

You're likely either going to be on team iPad or team Android when it comes to your ecosystem, but Samsung is offering a compelling high-end option in these new tablets – in particular thanks to the bundled S Pen stylus that comes in that box. That will give these new slates more intended purpose from the off – something that some Android tablet competitors haven't capitalised on so well. 

The two new Galaxy Tab S10 slates offer more power – 18% CPU uplift and 28% GPU boost according to Samsung, if you get excited by percentages – but that additional power is there for a distinctive purpose. Yes, it's for better AI performance, with a 14% NPU (that's neural processing unit) improvement on the score sheet too. Apple Intelligence hasn't yet rolled out in full, so Samsung is clearly strong-arming its approach here. 

In some respects the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus and S10 Ultra are like giant versions of the best Android phones. You get access to the full Google Play Store suite of productivity and Android games, plus Samsung's Galaxy AI features for better productivity across photo editing, transcriptions, summaries and suggestions. 

Specific headline features include Note Assist, which can automatically transcribe PDFs and tweak your handwriting for greater legibility; Sketch to Image, an AI image generating app; Circle to Search for easy S Pen-based search based on anything on-screen you wish to circle for context; and Samsung's Air Command with AI adding a pop-up menu so you can easily navigate between apps without the usual Android rigmarole. 

Interestingly there is also a certified IP-rating, meaning these new Galaxy Tabs can resist a splash, downpour, or even dousing in sand or dust. Samsung's enhanced Armour Aluminium promises further robustness, too, if you're a bit handsy with your tablet treatment. 

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus and S10 Ultra will be available from 4 October, in Moonstone Grey or Platinum Silver finishes. There are Wi-Fi only and 5G variants. Pricing for the 5G range starts at £1149 ($1530 / AU$2240) for the Plus and £1349 ($1800 / AU$2635) for the Ultra (noting those regional prices are equivalents by currency conversion – official US and AU pricing is forthcoming). Wi-Fi variants start at £999 ($1335 / AU$1940) for the Plus and £1199 ($1600 / AU$2330) for the Ultra.