I went hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE and Galaxy Tab S11 series — here's what's new

Samsung is ushering in the next wave of brand-new One UI 8 phones and tablets with the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 series. While the Galaxy S25 FE bears a striking resemblance to its predecessor, it does pack a sneaky set of upgrades including a new chip, upgraded front-facing camera, and a bigger battery with faster charging. For small tablet lovers, there's finally a new 11-inch Galaxy Tab S11 to go along with the behemoth Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE is the first Galaxy S25 phone to run One UI 8, based on Android 16. It's a small detail, and the other four Galaxy S25 devices will get the update eventually, but it goes to show how Samsung is bridging the gap between midrange and flagship territory with the Galaxy S25 FE. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is even thinner and sports a fresh processor as well.

I briefly went hands-on with Samsung's new phone and tablets at IFA 2025, and I have to admit, I'm excited. It's good to have a small, current-generation tablet in Samsung's lineup again, and it's great to see the Galaxy S25 FE fleshed out as a flagship-killer. Here's everything you need to know about them.

Specs

Samsung Galaxy S25 FE

When I first held the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE, it felt quite similar to the Galaxy S24 FE, but the differences became quickly apparent. The glossy back of the Galaxy S24 FE, which ended up being a fingerprint magnet, is now gone in favor of a smooth matte finish. It's available in Jetblack, Navy, Icyblue, and White, and I think the darker colors pair nicely with the silver aluminum side rails to create an excellent contrasting look.

The rear side of the phone has a basic triple-camera array, much like the three main Galaxy S25 models, albeit without the DSLR-style lens covers. It also doesn't have the oval-shaped camera bump riser we see on the Galaxy S25 Edge and Galaxy Z Fold 7. As such, the Galaxy S25 FE has managed to carve out a unique look despite existing in a crowded lineup of Samsung phones.

Thin feels like the name of the game for Samsung in 2025. The Galaxy S25 FE isn't breaking any records, but its thinner 7.4mm profile is certainly a welcomed addition compared to the 8mm thickness of its predecessor. On the design front, it's also 23 grams lighter than the previous model, weighing in at only 190 grams. Anytime you can get a 6.7-inch smartphone under 200 grams, it's worth taking note of — this is a difference you'll feel in both your hand and pocket.

Unfortunately, there's not much new about the display. The panel itself isn't bad at all; it's a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x screen with support for 120Hz refresh rates. However, the bezels on the Galaxy S25 FE still aren't uniform, leaving you with a larger "chin" below the bottom of the display. It's an unfortunate characteristic that may be distracting to some and makes the phone feel cheaper than it is.

The Galaxy S25 FE is now powered by the Samsung Exynos 2400 chip, a slight bump from the lower-spec Exynos 2400e found within the Galaxy S24 FE. You get the same 8GB of memory and 128GB of base storage, though it can be upgraded to 512GB for the first time.

There are clear performance limitations here, at least going off the spec sheet, but Samsung managed to cram even more AI features in the Galaxy S25 FE. It gets many of the best One UI 7 and One UI 8 tools, like the ProVisual Engine for the camera system and the Now Bar and Brief. Speaking of the cameras, the front-facing sensor is upgraded to 12MP on this year's model.

Battery capacity is upped to 4,900mAh and there's now support for 45W wired fast charging, which should help deliver all-day battery life.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11

If you recall, there was never a Samsung Galaxy Tab S10, so the Galaxy Tab S11 marks the first 11-inch flagship tablet from Samsung in over two years. In the time since the Galaxy Tab S9 released, a lot has changed and a bunch has stayed the same, too. The overall look and feel of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 is still here, but it's thinner at 5.5mm compared to 5.9mm.

Samsung kept the same display for the Galaxy Tab S11, an 11-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x panel with 120Hz support. There is a new stylus to pair with it, as Samsung redesigned the S Pen to be more ergonomic and add tilt-based writing and drawing features. The S Pen is now hexagon-shaped, with six flat sides that end in a cone-shaped tip for drawing.

This feels like using a standard pencil, and I find it more comfortable and natural to use than the old S Pen and the Apple Pencil — both only have one flat side. It's still included in the box, which is always great to see.

As someone who asked where the Samsung Galaxy S10 was, I love the compact form factor of the Galaxy S11. Paired with a chip upgrade to the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 Plus platform, this might be a good buy for people still holding onto a Tab S9 or older tablet.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra receives many of the same upgrades as the smaller model, with an identical MediaTek Dimensity 9400 Plus chip and the redesigned S Pen. There is a 16GB memory option, but it only comes with the 1TB storage configuration, so it'll be an expensive upgrade. There's no doubt that the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is powerful, and Samsung is trying to capitalize on that power in software this year.

You get a new version on Samsung DeX on both tablets called Extended Mode, which lets you take advantage of both your Galaxy Tab S11 screen and an external monitor. You can use this for multitasking, dragging and dropping content between screens, or present separate content on each display. Another new way to use Samsung DeX is with workspaces — you can create up to four separate desktop environments for different tasks in DeX mode.

Of course, these enhanced DeX features will be most useful on the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, which packs a 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x screen. It's designed to be paired with the Book Cover Keyboard Slim for those who want to turn the tablet into a laptop alternative. Personally, I find the sheer size of the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra to be daunting — it's too big for what I prefer to use tablets for. However, you might enjoy having that extra screen real estate for productivity and content consumption.

Finally, it's worth calling out that the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is now just 5.1mm thick, which is a crazy number. With that being said, I didn't get the same "wow" factor from holding the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra as I got from using the Galaxy S25 Edge. The thickness simply doesn't seem as big of a deal on a tablet compared to a phone, but it does matter if you like to use a case or keyboard cover attached.

Availability

The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE is available starting now, Sept. 4, in four colors: Jetblack, Navy, Icyblue, and White. It retails for $649.99 and comes with 128GB of storage. As a bonus, buyers get six free months of Gemini Advanced access with a new Galaxy S25 FE purchase.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 series is also available starting today, Sept. 4, and there are two models: the Galaxy Tab S11 and Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra. The former starts at $799.99, whereas the latter retails for $1,199.99. Both are available in only two colors, Grey and White. The Galaxy Tab S11 ships with 128GB of storage and can be upgraded to 512GB, while the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra starts with 256GB of storage and goes all the way up to 1TB.