Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 First Impressions: the $999.99 tablet that undercuts the iPad Pro by $199

By Merry

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 is the Android tablet for people who have already decided they want a pen — and do not want to pay for it twice. It costs $999.99 at Best Buy for the 128GB Wi-Fi model with the S Pen in the box, checked 14 November 2026. Its closest rival, the iPad Pro with the M5 chip, is $1,199.00 for the 11-inch 256GB model at Best Buy — $199.01 more, though with twice the storage. The Tab S11’s case rests on three things: an OLED screen Apple reserves for its Pro line, a stylus that costs nothing extra, and a chip Samsung did not make itself.

The screen is the argument

The display is an 11-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel at 2560×1600, with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness. That is the spec sheet of a tablet built for video first: deep blacks, fast scrolling, and enough brightness to stay readable away from a desk. The iPad Air M4, at $749.00, still uses an LCD — the OLED is what the $250.99 gap between the two actually buys. The tablet is 5.5mm thin, weighs 469g, and is IP68-rated, S Pen included. A tablet this thin that survives a spill is a practical point, not a showroom one.

A MediaTek chip in a flagship Galaxy Tab

The chip is the surprise. Samsung’s flagship tablets used to run Qualcomm or Samsung’s own Exynos silicon; the Tab S11 runs MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400+, a 3nm chip, with 12GB of RAM in every configuration. Storage is 128GB, 256GB or 512GB, and a microSD slot takes it to 2TB more — something no iPad offers at any price. On paper the chip is fast enough for Samsung DeX, Galaxy AI features and demanding games. We have not hands-on tested the tablet, and a first-time chip pairing in a flagship tablet is exactly the thing to watch in long-term reviews: the hardware is proven in phones, but sustained tablet workloads are a different test.

The pen is included, and it matters

The S Pen comes in the box, redesigned with a hexagonal body and a conical tip for better tilt control. It is IP68-rated like the tablet, and it works without charging. What it does not do any more is act as a remote: Samsung removed the Bluetooth functions, so there are no air gestures for presentations or camera shutters. That is a fair trade for most buyers — the pen’s job here is writing, sketching and annotating, and it does that from the moment the box opens. On the iPad side, the Pencil is a separate purchase on top of the tablet. Add Samsung Notes and DeX, which turns the tablet into a desktop-style workspace on an external display, and the productivity story is complete without a single accessory purchase.

Battery, and the missing charger

The battery is 8,400mAh, which Samsung rates at up to 18 hours of video playback, with 45W wired charging. The catch is in the box: there is no charger included, so the 45W figure needs a 45W charger bought separately. The cameras — a 13MP rear camera and a 12MP ultrawide front camera, with 4K video at 30fps — are fine for video calls and document scans, and nobody should buy this tablet for its cameras. It runs Android 16 with One UI 8, Galaxy AI and seven years of OS and security updates from Samsung.

At a glance

• 11-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2560×1600, 120Hz, up to 1,600 nits peak; 469g, 5.5mm, IP68.
• MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ (3nm), 12GB RAM, 128/256/512GB storage, microSD up to 2TB.
• S Pen included (redesigned hexagonal, no Bluetooth remote functions); Samsung DeX, Galaxy AI.
• 8,400mAh battery, up to 18 hours video playback per Samsung; 45W charging, no charger in the box.
• 13MP rear + 12MP ultrawide front camera; 4K video at 30fps; quad speakers with Dolby Atmos.
• $999.99 at Best Buy (128GB Wi-Fi with S Pen, Gray), in stock, checked 14 November 2026.

Pros

• An OLED 120Hz screen at a price where Apple still sells LCD — the display alone justifies the tablet.
• The S Pen is in the box, IP68-rated, and ready to write with; no accessory purchase needed.
• microSD expansion to 2TB and DeX make it the more flexible tablet for work and media.

Cons

• 128GB at $999.99 against the iPad Pro’s 256GB at $1,199.00 — the storage gap narrows the price advantage.
• The Dimensity 9400+ is unproven in a flagship tablet; sustained performance is still to be verified outside the lab.
• No charger in the box, and the S Pen has lost its Bluetooth remote functions.

Sources

• Samsung US: Galaxy Tab S11 specifications page (display, Dimensity 9400+, S Pen, battery, charging, cameras, IP68, dimensions, Android 16 / One UI 8, DeX, Galaxy AI).
• Best Buy US: Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 listing — $999.99, 128GB Wi-Fi with S Pen, Gray, in stock, checked 14 November 2026.
• Best Buy US: iPad Pro M5 11-inch listing — $1,199.00, 256GB Wi-Fi, Silver, checked 14 November 2026.
• Best Buy US: iPad Air M4 listing — $749.00, 11-inch 128GB Wi-Fi, Space Gray, checked 14 November 2026.
• CompareIdea US price watch, 14 November 2026 — all prices above verified live at Best Buy today.

All prices checked 14 November 2026.

Last updated: 14 November 2026