The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Lite isn’t trying to dethrone the iPad. Instead, it’s making the case that South Africans can get a useful tablet for study, creativity, or light productivity without blowing a month’s rent.
That’s the thing with Samsung’s Lite range — it’s not flashy, but it tends to land where people actually live. In a market where most “affordable” tablets still feel like punishment devices, the Tab S10 Lite is surprisingly generous: a big 10.9-inch display that holds up outdoors, a battery that should get you through a day of lectures or Netflix binges, and an S Pen that’s included in the box rather than sold as a R2,000 add-on.
Samsung is also leaning on AI here. Circle to Search, handwriting-to-text, and instant equation solving might sound gimmicky, but for students and multitaskers, they could be the difference between “nice to have” and “actually useful.” Pair it with the optional Book Cover Keyboard and you’ve got a sort-of laptop alternative, even if it’s not going to replace your MacBook any time soon.
The broader point is this: affordable no longer has to mean compromised. We’ve already seen that with smartphones like the TECNO Spark Go 2S, which redefined what a budget phone could be. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Lite takes that same energy into tablets, delivering features that would’ve been locked behind flagship price tags a few years ago.
Of course, context matters. Huawei and HONOR are still pumping out aggressively priced tablets, and TECNO has been quietly chipping away at the low end. The Lite series is Samsung’s counter — a way to keep people in its ecosystem without forcing them into high-end Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra territory.
It’s not perfect. The screen is TFT rather than OLED, the cameras are there mostly so you can join a Teams call, and Android still isn’t as polished for tablets as iPadOS. But for South Africans who just want a capable, versatile device that balances work and play, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Lite might be exactly enough.
And you won’t have to wait long to find out. The tablet will roll out globally from 4 September 2025, and it will officially land in South Africa on 19 September 2025 in three colours: Gray, Silver, and Coral Red. Expect it to show up through Samsung’s online store and major local retailers.
Specifications
| Galaxy Tab S10 Lite | ||
| Display | 10.9-inch, 2112×1320 (WUXGA+), TFT | |
| * Measured diagonally as a full rectangle without accounting for the rounded corners. Actual viewable area is less due to the rounded corners and camera hole. | ||
| OS | Android 15.0 | |
| Dimensions | 165.8 x 254.3 x 6.6mm | |
| Weight | 524g (Wi-Fi, 5G) | |
| Camera | Rear | 8MP |
| Front | 5MP | |
| Memory & Storage* | 6GB+128GB 8GB+256GB microSD up to 2TB** | |
| * Storage availability may differ by market, model, color, or carrier. Actual storage space availability may vary depending on pre-installed software and by market, model, file size and format. ** MicroSD card sold separately. All models support microSD cards with up to 2 TB storage. External memory can be used to store media (photos, video and music files). Availability may vary by country and manufacturer. | ||
| AP | Exynos 1380 | |
| Battery* | 8,000mAh | |
| *Typical value tested under third-party laboratory condition. Typical value is the estimated average value considering the deviation in battery capacity among the battery samples tested under IEC 61960 standard. | ||
| Network & Connectivity | 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth® v 5.3 | |
| Colour | Gray, Silver, Coral Red | |
| Sound | 2EA (1.6W) | |