Samsung once held a promising place in the tablet market, with 2020 marking a high point where Galaxy Tab shipments surged and optimism was high. Fast forward to today, however, and the company seems caught in a loop of strange decisions-none more baffling than its insistence on producing enormous ‘Ultra’ tablets that hardly anyone seems to want.
The newly leaked Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, like its predecessor, stretches usability with its comically large 14.6-inch display. 
While the rest of the industry has settled into a sensible 11 to 13-inch standard, Samsung appears determined to push tablets into laptop territory-only without the practicality of one.
This isn’t just a matter of size. The Tab S11 Ultra is expected to ship with a MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ processor instead of a Snapdragon chip. For a product that’s supposed to be ‘Ultra’, this feels like Samsung cutting corners where it should be doubling down. Consumers notice these things-especially when they’re being asked to fork over more than $1,000 for a premium device. Just imagine the outrage if the Galaxy S25 Ultra ran on MediaTek. Now apply that logic here.
Back in 2020, Samsung got it right with the Tab S7 and S7+. Those were elegant, capable tablets that didn’t try to reinvent the form factor. But since then, it seems Samsung has taken a turn for the impractical. There was no Tab S10. There reportedly won’t be a Tab S11 Plus. And the Ultra model continues to stand as a monument to ambition without direction.
Let’s be honest-very few people enjoy using a nearly 15-inch tablet. It’s not ergonomic, it’s awkward to carry, and it makes less sense for a product category meant to be portable and tactile. Add in a persistent screen notch that detracts from the premium look, and you’ve got a product that feels out of touch with what users actually want.
Some may argue that Samsung is simply offering options by covering more screen sizes. But offering too many options that nobody asked for is just as bad as not offering enough. Instead of iterating meaningfully or exploring new directions like ChromeOS hybrids with long-term support, Samsung seems stuck chasing a vision that few share.
Apple, by comparison, has doubled down on performance and standardization, bringing the M-series chips to iPads and streamlining its product line. Samsung, meanwhile, looks like it’s experimenting blindly-with the Ultra line becoming the unfortunate symbol of that confusion.
It’s not that the Tab S11 Ultra is doomed just because it’s big. It’s that it tries to be premium while making too many small compromises. And at this price point, that’s a deal-breaker. The Galaxy Tab lineup doesn’t need another Ultra-it needs clarity, purpose, and maybe just a little humility.