If you buy an Android tablet today, it shouldn’t be one that costs more than about $500. That goes for Apple, too… most people shouldn’t buy an iPad costing more than that, either. The bottom line is that for the bulk of users, a tablet is a middling device — it just can’t replace your favorite Android phone or your computer. That said, there are downright excellent tablets priced at roughly $400 or $500, like the Google Pixel Tablet or the OnePlus Pad 2.
Even still, Samsung doubled down on the premium Android tablet sector with the Galaxy Tab S10 series last year. It didn’t release a base-model Galaxy Tab S10, instead choosing to only release Plus and Ultra models. That means the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus lineup starts at $1,000, with the highest-end Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra configuration — with 1TB of storage and 16GB RAM — costing a staggering $1,620.
That begs the question: Is the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus or Ultra worth double or triple the price of the Pixel Tablet or OnePlus Pad 2? Is it twice as good, or does it provide an experience that’s 2x better? Currently, the answer is a flat-out no. But if professional-grade apps start becoming a real part of Android — like Adobe’s planned mobile Photoshop suite — that answer can change very fast.
I spent weeks testing the iPad Pro M4 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus side-by-side, and both experiences were frustrating. Samsung seems to have the edge in multitasking, at least on paper, whereas Apple shines in app compatibility. Aside from Apple-owned apps Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro, the iPad Pro also supports the iPadOS version of Photoshop — which gets close to matching the functionality of the desktop client.
It was hard for me to take the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus seriously as a $1,000 tablet when it runs the same Photoshop or Adobe Express apps as a $100 Android device. The extra power might be there, but the software isn’t taking advantage of it. That’s why I’m particularly excited by the announcement that Adobe is bringing a true Photoshop app to Android.
Make no mistake, this isn’t an app on par with Photoshop’s desktop version. With that being said, there is definitely reason to get excited about the upcoming Photoshop on Android app. It includes full support for PSD files and cloud syncing, as well as precise selection and editing tools, including removing, recoloring, and replacing objects. Firefly AI will be there too, with Generative Fill, Generative Expand, and Text to Image, plus the Spot Healing and Brush tools.
Android tablets like the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus and Ultra will immediately become more competitive with the iPad Pro — and laptops in general — with a capable Photoshop client. Currently, all that’s available on Android tablets of all specs and price points is the weak Photoshop Express app, which pales in comparison to the rest of Adobe’s software and inherently limits the Galaxy Tab’s capabilities.
While Adobe’s blog post is light on details, I’m hopeful that the new mobile app and web client will help premium Android tablets offer a better value proposition. With the new Photoshop app structure for Apple products, the iPhone gets a capable photo editing app, and the iPad gets an even more capable version with extra features. In a perfect world, this arrangement can be mimicked by Android phones and high-end Android tablets in the future.
I’ve reached out to Adobe to confirm whether the upcoming Photoshop on Android app will have full support and optimization for various display sizes, including tablets and foldables. I’ll update this article when I hear back.
The good news is that even if support is spotty, Android users will always have sideloading and a web client to fall back on. No matter how this goes, the experience of photo editing on a premium Android tablet should be significantly improved.
As of now, I can’t be convinced that an Android tablet costing $1,000 or more is worth your money. Everyone has different needs and use cases, but fundamentally, there currently aren’t any professional or desktop-grade apps that can take advantage of the hardware a Galaxy Tab S10 Plus or Ultra offers. Yes, a Galaxy Tab S10 series device is great for content consumption, drawing or note-taking, and plenty of other things — but so could a OnePlus Pad 2 or Pixel Tablet costing half the price.
The dream scenario here is that Adobe sets an example for other Android developers, showing what’s possible on the platform. I’m not opposed to recommending expensive Android tablets, but they need to deliver experiences worthy of their price tag. Today, I’ll take a sub-$1,000 touchscreen laptop over a Galaxy Tab S10 Plus every single time.
If the Photoshop on Android app lives up to my expectations, and other devs follow in Adobe’s footsteps, I think high-end Android tablets can actually find a value proposition that makes sense.