I don't think tablets can get any better than the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra. So what's next for Samsung?

As the resident "tablet guy" around these parts, I've seen almost every kind of tablet come across my desk. There are a few exceptions, but none that would be able to match up with Samsung's flagship tablet lineup.

Since the first Ultra Galaxy Tab was released with the Tab S8 series, I've considered the line to be the absolute best that money can buy. And it appears, at least from Brady's initial impressions, that will continue with the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra once it's released.

There's just something about the almost 15-inch display that draws me in, combined with the premium design, S Pen, and expandable storage. The Tab S11 Ultra checks all of those boxes yet again, managing to get even slimmer than before, while retaining most of the same features as before, save for the move back to a single selfie camera.

Now, a question pops into my head that I haven't been able to really answer: what can Samsung possibly do next? There are some outside-the-box ideas that come to mind, such as turning it into a foldable device, similar to Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Fold, that runs Android.

Perhaps that's the most logical next move, because I don't really think Samsung, or any other company, can do anything else that would be considered "ground-breaking." At least not with keeping the "traditional" slab of glass or aluminum. I mean, the Tab S11 Ultra is just 5.1mm thin, which is 0.3mm thinner than last year's model, and now matches up with the 13-inch M4 iPad Pro.

It's a weird thought to have, realizing that at least when it comes to the absolute best of the best, the ceiling has likely been reached. Provided that Samsung keeps the Ultra line around, I suspect we're in store for a bunch of minimal design changes (if any), paired with a spec bump and whatever potential changes to Android may be in store.

Where else can Samsung improve?

So if this is "it" for the design, what's next?

I'm glad you asked! For one, I'd absolutely love to see Samsung stop gate-keeping RAM options for the 1TB model. With the Tab S11 Ultra, you have 12GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage. The only way to get 16GB of RAM is to spring for 1TB of storage, and vice versa, and it's just maddening.

I understand profit margins and all that jazz, but come on now. Stick to one RAM config and make everyone happy. Maybe it wouldn't bother me as much if this were a one-off, but it's not. Samsung does the same thing with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, as the only way to get the most RAM is to also get the highest storage capacity.

Besides that little frustration, the only other hardware change I'd like to see is for there to be a cellular option here in the States. As it's been done in years prior, the only way to get the Tab S Ultra with cellular connectivity is to import a model released in another country. Samsung isn't even offering a cellular Galaxy Tab S11 model, and instead is leaving the Tab S10 Plus to serve as the connected option, which is an odd choice.

There is one more thing that I'd love, and I mean LOVE, to see Samsung do, and it doesn't even need to wait until the Tab S12 to do it: steal the iPad Pro keyboard design. If I'm working at a desk or table at the coffee shop, there's really nothing wrong with the Smart Cover Keyboard.

But the instant that I want to sit on the couch and use the tablet as a laptop with the keyboard, it turns into a balancing act. I like the idea of the removable back cover that doubles as a stand, but the actual keyboard portion is just not great. It's flimsy to the point that I accidentally click the trackpad if I push down too hard on one side or the other.

None of those are problems with the iPad Pro keyboard, and it's frustrating that Samsung hasn't even really tried changing things up with the design. And no, adding a dedicated AI key doesn't count, nor does offering the Book Cover Keyboard Slim, as it lacks a trackpad.

I mean, Samsung charges as much as some Chromebooks, just for the Book Cover Keyboard ($350). Is it too much to ask for a keyboard case that lets me turn a laptop-sized tablet into an Android laptop?

Not to mention that there isn't even a new Book Cover Keyboard launching with the Tab S11 Ultra, with only the Slim version being announced. What I'm hoping for is that Samsung has been working on a redesign that solves my complaints for good, and it just wasn't ready yet.

Then again, maybe that's just wishful thinking.