Samsung’s new Galaxy tablet wants to beat the iPad where it hurts for a bargain

Samsung is taking direct aim at Apple’s entry-level tablet by offering a smoother display, more extended software support, and deeper ecosystem perks.

By Shikhar Mehrotra Published December 31, 2025

Galaxy Tab A11+ featured image. — Samsung

Along with the Galaxy A17 5G, Samsung has launched its latest budget tablet, the Galaxy Tab A11+, in the United States, and it undercuts the baseline Apple iPad by $100.

Like the iPad, the Galaxy Tab A11+ also features a metal unibody (with an IP52 rating no less). However, its 11-inch TFT LCD screen supports a 90Hz refresh rate, making it smoother than the 60Hz iPad display. Besides the refresh rate, the screen has a resolution of 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA) and a peak brightness of 480 nits.

Where this budget tablet quietly beats the competition

Accompanying the display is a quad-speaker setup that supports Dolby Atmos output, making the Galaxy Tab A11+ a better option to consume content (like movies, OTT shows, or YouTube videos).

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Under its metallic exterior, the Galaxy Tab A11+ runs on an octa-core MediaTek (MT8775) chipset, which has a peak clock speed of 2.5 GHz. Alongside the processor, the tablet offers up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Even if you go with the baseline variant with 128GB of storage, you can expand it with a microSD card (up to 2TB).

Out of the box, Samsung’s budget tablet ships with One UI 8 (based on Android 16) and will receive major operating system updates for the next 7 years (on par with Samsung’s flagship products). Further, the tablet should also offer Galaxy AI and deep integration with Google Gemini.

Regarding optics, the device features an 8MP rear-facing and a 5MP front-facing camera. Powering the device is a 7,040 mAh battery rated for 15 hours of video playback. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth v5.3, USB 2.0 Type-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

If you have an Android smartphone and don’t want to compromise on inter-device connectivity, the Galaxy Tab A11+ is among the most affordable and compelling Android tablets on the market. It will be available to purchase in the United States from January 8, 2025 (Wi-Fi and 5G variants), at a starting price of $249.99.

Shikhar Mehrotra

News Writer

For more than five years, Shikhar has consistently simplified developments in the field of consumer tech and presented them…

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