The Samsung Galaxy Tab Active5 Pro (starting at $659) is a rugged tablet designed for use in demanding environments. It delivers a full Android experience in a drop-resistant body, with a glove-friendly screen and physical buttons for navigating the software. We especially like its removable batteries, expandable storage, and lengthy update commitment from Samsung, all of which make it a cost-effective option for business users. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ (starting at $649.99) is our top pick for mainstream Android tablets thanks to its larger and more vibrant screen, but the Galaxy Tab Active5 Pro delivers similar performance in a practically unbreakable build, making it a solid alternative for anyone who needs something sturdier.

Design: Appropriately Bulky

The Galaxy Tab Active5 Pro is a tough, thick, and heavy tablet. Add its included case, and it gets even tougher, thicker, and heavier. Its design and materials make it clear that Samsung engineered the tablet to endure bumps, scrapes, and drops.

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

The tablet measures 6.70 by 9.56 by 0.40 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.5 pounds. The case adds 6.21 ounces to the package, making the combined weight 1.89 pounds. (Adding a 5G connectivity increases the weight negligibly.) The Active5 Pro is backward compatible with the Active4 Pro's accessories, which could help save some cash for those looking to upgrade.

In price and performance, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ and the Apple iPad Air (starting at $599) are the Active5 Pro's closest competitors. These are mass-market tablets, though, and not designed for tough, outdoor environments like worksites. Third-party case makers do offer ruggedized protection for the Tab S10 FE+ and iPad Air at an additional cost.

The Active5 Pro features an IP68 rating, which means it is resistant to dust and water. Its MIL-STD-810H certification ensures the device can withstand a drop of 5 feet 11 inches with its case or 4 feet 11 inches without. Samsung uses Gorilla Glass Victus+ to protect the screen. The Tab S10 FE+ also has an IP68 rating, while the iPad Air isn't IP-rated at all. 

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A thick black bezel surrounds the display and contains physical buttons for Android’s task switcher, home, and back functions. The home button doubles as a fingerprint sensor, which works well in testing. A power button, volume rocker, and an assignable lime green Active button are on the top edge. Speaker grilles are on the short edges. A USB-C (3.2 Gen 1) port and a 3.5mm headphone jack are on the right edge. Pogo pins are on the bottom edge for connecting select accessories. The frame is covered in textured plastic. 

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The back features a ridged pattern for added grip, a Samsung logo, a single camera with a flash, and an indent to pry off the flexible cover. Upon initial setup, you must install the two removable batteries, which are keyed, so they only fit one way. A microSD card slot sits to the left of the batteries.

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The asymmetrical case fits snugly, leaving the tablet's ports exposed through cutouts on the bottom and right side. Its thicker left edge makes the tablet easy to hold securely and has a slot for the included S Pen. Case-mounted buttons along the top operate the tablet’s physical controls with good responsiveness, and the case's matching lime-green Active button is easily visible.

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Samsung offers the Tab Active5 Pro exclusively in a dark shade of green. 

Display: Ready for Work

The Tab Active5 Pro has a 10.1-inch LCD with a resolution of 1,900 by 1,200 pixels, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a maximum brightness of 600 nits. The screen features a high-sensitivity mode, allowing it to recognize touch input even when you're wearing gloves.

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For comparison, the iPad Air features an 11-inch LCD with a resolution of 2,360 by 1,640 pixels, a refresh rate of 60Hz, and a peak brightness of 500 nits. Meanwhile, the Tab S10 FE+ has a 13.1-inch LCD with a resolution of 2,880 by 1,800 pixels, a variable refresh rate up to 90Hz, and a maximum brightness of 800 nits. Neither is glove-friendly.

The Active5 Pro’s LCD is easily visible indoors, though glare and its limited maximum brightness make the screen harder to see outdoors in bright sunlight.

Performance: Fast Enough for Productivity

The tablet is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip, the same one in Samsung’s rugged Galaxy XCover7 Pro phone ($599.99). It comes in two configurations: 6GB of RAM with 128GB of storage ($659) or 8GB of RAM with 256GB of storage ($729). You can also purchase a 5G-equipped version for $769 (128GB) or $839 (256GB). The tablet supports up to 2TB of additional storage via the microSD slot. 

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To objectively evaluate devices, I run a series of benchmarks. I tested the Active5 Pro against the Exynos 1580-equipped Tab S10 FE+ and the M3-powered iPad Air. I removed the case before running the benchmarks.

On Geekbench 6, which measures CPU power, the Tab Active5 Pro scored 1,161 on the single-core test and 3,349 on the multi-core test. The Tab S10 FE+ scored 1,358 and 3,886, while the iPad Air was far ahead at 2,001 and 10,839.

The PCMark Work 3.0 test measures how well a device handles general tasks, and the Active5 Pro scored 14,436. It outperformed the Tab S10 FE+, which scored 13,361. Apple products can't run this test. 

To measure graphics performance, we use the GFXBench Aztec Ruins test. The Active5 Pro rendered 26 frames per second (fps), while the S10 FE+ reached 15fps. They both lag behind the iPad Air’s rate of 58.6fps. The Active5 Pro is not designed for gaming, but it can handle casual games without any issues. It easily runs standard productivity apps, like Gmail and Google Docs.

Battery: Lasts Longer Than a Business Day

Samsung states that the Tab Active5 Pro features a 10,100mAh battery, which is divided into two halves, each with a typical capacity of 5,050mAh. The batteries support charging up to 15W. 

In a battery rundown test, where I stream a 1080p video with the tablet's display set to full brightness, the Active5 Pro lasted 11 hours and 15 minutes, outperforming both the Tab S10 FE+ (7 hours, 45 minutes) and the iPad Air (6 hours, 47 minutes). 

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When plugged into a compatible fast charger, the Tab Active5 Pro reached an 11% charge in 15 minutes, 20% in 30 minutes, and 100% in three hours.

The Tab supports hot-swapping batteries—a feature we haven't seen in quite a while—so you don’t need to shut down the tablet when you change batteries. Remove one pack and the tablet becomes temporarily unusable; once you install the replacement, the tablet resumes where you left off. If needed, you can power the Active5 Pro via USB-C without batteries installed.

Connectivity: A Broad Selection of Radios

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The Tab Active5 Pro supports Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, and Wi-Fi 6E. The 5G-equipped version adds sub-6GHz and C-band radios, but not the fastest mmWave version of 5G. 

When connected to a Wi-Fi 6 router, the Active5 Pro achieved download speeds of 169Mbps and upload speeds of 22.2Mbps. A Tab S10 FE+ in the same spot achieved 151Mbps down and 21.8Mbps up. At the edge of my Wi-Fi coverage, the Active5 Pro dropped to 131Mbps down and 18.4Mbps up, while the Tab S10 FE+ performed slightly better at 132Mbps down and 21.8Mbps up. It's plenty quick enough for basic work tasks. I didn't get to test the 5G variant.

The Active5 Pro stayed connected throughout testing with no dropouts. 

Audio: Loud Speakers Ensure You Hear Everything

This tablet has stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support. Left, right, and center channels sound realistic when listening to Dolby content, though the tablet cannot recreate the sound of rear speakers. 

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Samsung warns against placing the tablet close to your ears when playing media files. After all, it is designed for use in noisy environments. I measure the maximum volume by placing a decibel meter six inches away from the speaker grille with the volume turned all the way up. I recorded a peak of 101dB when playing Metallica’s “Enter Sandman." This is loud enough to damage your hearing if listened to for extended periods. The tablet cannot reproduce the deepest bass notes of our test track, The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” but its speakers are powerful enough to fill a good-sized room and should be audible even in loud work environments, such as construction sites.

Cameras: Capture What You Need

The Tab Active5 Pro features a 12MP rear camera that's capable of recording video at up to 4K30. Its 8MP front-facing camera records video up to 1080p30.

Overall, images are bright with slightly oversaturated colors, which is in keeping with the standard Samsung look. The amount of visible detail is satisfactory, but the cameras cannot compete with the quality of those found on Samsung's smartphones. The Active5 Pro’s cameras are sufficient for taking quick snaps at your work site and conducting video conferencing, but not for Annie Leibovitz-level artistry. 

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

Software and Interface: Customized Android With Basic AI

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The Active5 Pro ships with Android 15 overlaid with Samsung One UI 7.0. This is a full generation behind the Android 16 base and One UI 8 layer of Samsung's latest devices. The tablet will receive security updates until May 31, 2033.

One UI enables features such as Edge Panels (a customizable taskbar), advanced multitasking capabilities, and Samsung’s DeX (a desktop-like user environment). While this tablet is designed for work, it also features some light AI capabilities for entertainment (although not the full suite of Galaxy AI tools). Circle to Search by Google, Object Eraser, and AI Select are on board for quick searches and image editing. 

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The physical buttons enable quick task switching and navigation, while the Active5 Pro also supports Android gestures, providing a second, swipe-based way to navigate. The Active button is customizable in Settings and can launch one app with a tap and another with a long press.

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The bundled S Pen works well, but its cylindrical design can sometimes make it difficult to locate the built-in button by touch—and you must take care that it doesn't roll away. A lanyard attachment point on the pen and case allows you to tether them together if desired.