The Galaxy Tab S11 family is here, but should you upgrade from your older Galaxy tablet?

While many of us still upgrade smartphones every 2–4 years on average, tablets tend to have a much longer shelf life. They’re typically used less often and for narrower purposes like video consumption or light productivity. With the arrival of the Galaxy Tab S11 and Tab S11 Ultra, you might be wondering whether now is finally the right time to replace your aging Galaxy tablet. The answer here isn’t so cut and dry.

It’s really less about age and more about whether the new models deliver a meaningful improvement to your existing experience. Let’s dive in a bit deeper and take a look at some of the past models to get a better idea of whether an upgrade is right for you.

The Tab S11 and S11 Ultra add some refinements like an improved S Pen and a slimmer, more compact design. However, there isn’t enough here to justify spending at least $800 just a year after buying a Tab S10. In fact, it’s not all upgrades as the smaller bezel comes at the cost of the secondary front camera found on the Tab S10 Plus and Ultra. Beyond that, specs remain almost identical, with only minor across-the-board improvements.

If you own a member of the Galaxy Tab S10 family, you’ll likely see very little reason to upgrade. The calculus changes somewhat for owners of the Tab S9 and earlier models.

For those who aren’t aware, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S series has seen a fair share of shakeups in recent years. Most notably, the Tab S10 series dropped Snapdragon chips for MediaTek’s Dimensity line and discontinued the standard Tab S10. Both of these are moves that didn’t sit well with some users. Many Tab S owners who might have considered an upgrade skipped the Tab S10 series entirely because of this.

At launch, some people felt like the Galaxy Tab S10 series was a bit of a sidegrade more than a true successor, largely due to the SoC swap. The Galaxy Tab S11 might not be powered by a Snapdragon processor,  but the newer Mediatek Dimensity 9400 Plus still outperforms the Galaxy Tab S9’s aging SoC. Likewise, you’ll find the Tab S11 and Tab S11 Ultra have much smaller and lighter chassis than their older counterparts.

Many of the rest of its specs aren’t massively different. You’ll still get an AMOLED display with the same resolution and storage configurations, but there are minor upgrades to the battery, base RAM size, and a few other small improvements. There’s even a minor sidegrade in the fact that the S Pen no longer supports Bluetooth. This isn’t a major feature for most users anymore, but it certainly matters if you’re a stylus fan.

Let’s be honest, for many Tab S9 owners, the newer model won’t be worth an upgrade. The Tab S11 might be slightly faster, but the S9 is still a very capable performer with two OS upgrades ahead of it. Unless you are the kind that must upgrade every two years or so, you will likely be better off holding out for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 series.

Considering the three-year gap between them, it’s pretty obvious that the Galaxy Tab S11 is a much more powerful device. There are at least slightly improved specs across almost every metric, including a roughly 400mAh battery increase across all models, slightly more base RAM, and a few camera tweaks. You also get a much sleeker and lighter design.

That said, none of these things provides a massively superior day-to-day experience. Even newer software upgrades will eventually trickle down to the Tab S8, which is set to have its final Android update sometime in 2026.

Should you upgrade? It depends on the model:

• Tab S8 Plus and Ultra owners: There is little reason to upgrade, as these devices still hold up well despite some spec differences.
• Standard Tab S8 owners: There is a stronger case for upgrading. The Tab S11’s AMOLED panel is a huge leap from the S8’s aging TFT LCD, delivering brighter visuals, easier use outdoors, and a much better media/gaming experience.

If you own a Galaxy Tab A, budget is likely your top concern. The Tab S11 starts at $800, or $1,199.99 for the Ultra. That’s far more than most Tab A users want to spend. The Tab A9, by contrast, retails for $199 and often sells for less.

Upgrading only makes sense if your Tab A feels too sluggish for your needs. In that case, the Tab S11 will be a massive leap forward, even compared to the still-current Tab A9.

While the Galaxy Tab S8 still has software updates ahead thanks to Samsung’s extended policy, the same isn’t true for older models. If you have anything earlier than the S8, you’ll likely see several tangible benefits to upgrading:

• Guaranteed improvements to CPU and GPU performance, plus smaller but meaningful gains in battery life, RAM configurations, and other core specs.
• Newer AI features that the Tab S7 series and older don’t support.
• The Galaxy Tab S11 is the first standard to have AMOLED, so you’ll see a big upgrade here. That said, older Plus and Ultra models already offered this.
• Anything older than the Tab S8 is basically winding down support or has already lost it. Meanwhile, the Tab S11 family is slated for seven years of OS upgrades and security patches.

Of course, there are reasons you wouldn’t want to upgrade. For example, if you mostly use your tablet for very basic and low-risk tasks like media consumption and reading books, you can probably stretch things a bit longer here. Still, once official updates end, it’s wise to plan an upgrade sooner rather than later.

If you still find your tablet mostly gets the job done but just want to ensure stability, one easy option is to simply pick up the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 Plus or another mid-range tablet. You’ll pay less and yet still end up with an experience similar to or even better than your aging device.