I tried Samsung's huge new tablet and need one – The Tab S11 Ultra is an expensive but epic iPad Pro challenger

If you're in the market for one of the best tablets then, well, many people opt for an Apple iPad. But if you're on team Android than rather than team iOS, then Samsung's variety of slates represents the best alternatives you can buy.

Case in point: the giant-scale Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, which the Korean brand has just revealed as an update to the Tab S10 Ultra – that I got to try out ahead of time – which brings a 14.6-inch display that is, frankly, massive.

As you can see from my semi-awkward photograph at the top of this very article, this slate is so considerable that it barely fits on my lap. It's a display scale bigger than many of the best laptops, representing an all-encompassing experience – but it's a versatile one, too.

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While it's certainly large scale, one of the headline features Samsung has delivered in the Tab S11 Ultra is a slimmed-down design, marking it as the range's thinnest ever design. Pair it with an optional keyboard and it effectively becomes a laptop replacement.

From day one both tablets ship with Google's Android 16 and Samsung's One UI 8 software, bringing the latest in multi-tasking updates, more effective artificial intelligence (AI), and the latest visual aesthetic. Android is slowly catching up in this space, if you want a tablet that does more than just act as a display for the best streaming services.

Samsung's DeX is also upgraded in this latest software, so if you plug into an additional display you'll get an even more desktop-like experience. For some, this will offset the need to ever buy a laptop – the tablet can do it all, with the right accessories. There's also Extend Mode for drag-and-drop simplicity between your Android devices.

All-new S Pen could be the biggest benefit

While the Tab S11 Ultra brings some new features over its predecessor – Samsung has elected for a MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ processor rather than its own Exynos silicon, for example, while the battery capacity is also larger, at 11,600mAh (up from 11,200) – it's the all-new S Pen that many will find most interesting.

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As you can see from my gallery of images, above, the new S Pen features a cone-shaped tip, which provides greater versatility in concert with different 'virtual nib' types. Drawing, sketching, calligraphy; all will be improved as a result.

The new S Pen is more comfortable to hold, in my view, as it does away with the rounded finish. However, I've never held a pen/pencil in the 'proper' way, so that viewpoint may be contested. It's a good size, similar to a real pencil, so nothing like the super-trim S Pen stylus that you'll find embedded in the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

The Tab S11 Ultra features a magnetic strip across its top edge, which is where the S Pen comfortably clips into place. There's no stowage, as the tablet is simply too thin, so if you think you're likely to lose it then I'd advise buying a suitable cover/case/keyboard-combo.

Overall, the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra impresses, just as its predecessors have. It doesn't come cheap, mind, priced from £1199 (EUR 1339) for the Wi-Fi only model (it's from £1349 (EUR 1489) for the 5G variant). It will also be available in the USA and Australia, but I'm yet to receive those prices.

Price irrelevant, though, I already want one. The Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra looks like the ultimate tablet – one that can do it all. I want it for streaming, I want it for work. But if it's too big for your tastes, then the 11-inch base Tab S11 is a great alternative – and not quite as costly either.