Samsung’s latest Galaxy duo is a more affordable Galaxy S phone and a more expensive Galaxy Tab. Here’s my early thoughts, plus details on Australian pricing, availability and specifications.
At IFA, Samsung’s just announced the Galaxy S25 FE, Galaxy Tab S11, Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra and Galaxy Buds 3 FE.
Ahead of IFA, I had some very brief hands-on time with the new Samsung gadgets – far from any kind of time where I could properly evaluate their capabilities, that’ll hopefully happen in due course – but enough to get an idea of where Samsung’s headed in the premium tablet space and high-mid range (or low premium, opinions vary) phone space.
But before we get to that, let’s answer some basic questions.
How much do the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 and Galaxy Tab S11 cost in Australia?
As you might expect, it depends on the precise configuration you want.
Here’s the full pricing breakdown for all models being sold down under:
What colours do the Galaxy Tab S11 and Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra come in?
In Australia, you can buy the Galaxy Tab S11 or Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra in Grey and… that’s it.
One colour, and it’s not even “Amazing Grey” or “Gregorious Grey” or anything of the sort. It’s just Grey, at least according to Samsung’s official specifications for the Australian models.
OK, smart guy. What about the specifications?
Here’s the full specs rundown for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 and Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, as per Samsung:
When can I buy the Galaxy Tab S11 / Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra in Australia?
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 and Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra will go on sale in Australia from the 26th of September, though pre-orders should have opened by the time you read this.
Also read:
What about the Galaxy S25 FE? What colours does it come in?
There you do get a few more choices, with your pick of Icyblue, Jetblack and Navy.
Yes, Icyblue and Jetblack are spelled that way by Samsung, it’s like they’ve never heard of putting spaces between words or something. Don’t blame me.
You are, however, quite obsessed with colour.
There are other details to know about Samsung’s new phone, you know.
Fair enough. How much does the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE cost in Australia?
If you’re curious as to how that compares with last year’s rather excellent Galaxy S24 FE when it came out, well, have I got a table for you…
When can I buy the Galaxy S25 FE in Australia?
Like the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 series, the Galaxy S25 FE will go on sale in Australia from the 26th of September, though pre-orders should have opened up through Samsung and its retail partners by the time you read this.
Can I have a Galaxy S25 FE Specifications table? Please?
OK, but only because you asked so nicely.
See, what your mum told you about manners was true.
If you’re curious as to how that compares with the Galaxy S24 FE, here’s how the two phones stack up:
Enough tables, Alex. What did you think of Samsung’s shiny new gadgets?
The S25 FE certainly is shiny – in some hues – though the you-can-have-any-colour-as-long-as-it’s-grey Tab S11/Ultra, less so.
On the phone front, it’s nice to see no jump up in price for the S25 Ultra, though it would be an even more compelling device at a sub-$1,000 price point.
I did really like the S24 FE, easily my favourite Galaxy phone last year and one of my favourite phones from any brand period too, so the S25 FE has a lot to live up to.
My own hands-on time revealed to me a phone that, to the surprise of nobody, pretty closely plays to the S25 design playbook, because that’s what FE devices do; they mirror the more expensive models with slightly cut-down specifications, and it’s a question of whether those compromises make enough sense to make them worth buying. For the S24 FE that was an easy recommendation; the lighter upgrades applied to the S25 FE however do give me some pause for thought.
The reality here is that we’re about 4 months away from when Samsung will most likely announce the Galaxy S26 series, and I’m already seeing existing Galaxy S26 phones – the full fat ones, as it were – selling for prices near the Galaxy S25 FE’s asking price.
I mean, I can’t guarantee stock will last, but here’s an (affiliate, transparency matters!) link to a Galaxy S26 for under $1,000.
My understanding (with the limited details I’ve got to hand) is that some of Samsung’s retail partners may be doing pre-order deals that bring the Galaxy S25 FE’s price point down to just $849; if that’s the case then it becomes a very different sales proposition.
At full price, however, the cheaper prices of the existing S25 stock do present a tough proposition for the S25 FE to take on, though I am keen to see if it’s got hidden depths that entice me.
As it’s a 2025 smartphone, you do of course get AI built in, both Samsung’s Galaxy AI and Google’s Gemini AI. One nice bonus here as per Samsung is that the Galaxy S25 FE will come with six months of access to Google’s Gemini Pro AI for free; a nice freebie if you’re going to use those features.
On the Galaxy Tab S11 front, I do like the fact that Samsung’s still offering up higher-power Android tablets to take on both Apple’s iPad Pro and Microsoft’s Surface lineup.
There’s a fair bit in the Tab S11/Ultra that is, once again, iteratively upgraded, though the new, more pencil-shaped S-Pen is an interesting take, albeit not an entirely original one. The origami folding case is also quite neat, though I did struggle at first to work out how to fold it up to make it into a stand for the Tab S11.
Of the two tablets, I’d generally gravitate towards the smaller model, but that’s very much personal taste as I find very large tablets somewhat unwieldy for my purposes. It is interesting — and a little annoying — to note that the differences between the two go well beyond just screen size.
The larger Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra gets more cameras and better Wi-Fi connectivity, making it a better professional tool.
I totally get that some folks love a larger tablet, but I can’t quite see why the smaller tablet couldn’t manage both of those features as well, leaving the larger screen and battery capacity of the Ultra model as their particular selling points.
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[kofi]
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