Samsung Galaxy Tab S9
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 is the smallest member of the Tab S9 family, but arguably the best one to get thanks to its lower starting price and balanced feature set. At 11 inches, it’s still much larger than your phone while still being convenient to carry around. The AMOLED screen is excellent, and the included S Pen stylus is ideal for drawing, coloring, and taking notes.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 review: At a glance
- What is it? The Galaxy Tab S9 is the smallest member of Samsung’s new premium tablet lineup, sporting an 11-inch AMOLED display.
- What is the price? The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 starts at $799.99 for the version with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. You can upgrade to 12/256GB for $919.99.
- Where can you buy it? The Galaxy Tab S9 is available directly from Samsung, as well as from retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and more.
- How did we test it? I tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 for two weeks. The review unit was purchased by Android Authority.
- Is it worth it? If you want a premium Android tablet and don’t need it to be gigantic, the Galaxy Tab S9 is the one to get.
Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9?
Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority
Samsung is one of the few large OEMs that has consistently offered Android tablets, and even with new competition from the likes of OnePlus and Google, it’s still way out in front. Consequently, Samsung didn’t have to change much with its Galaxy Tab S9 family. In fact, the smallest member of the family, the Galaxy Tab S9, is the only model that saw a significant upgrade compared to the Tab S8 series. While the Tab S8 had the same 11-inch screen size, it was an LCD. Samsung gave the Tab S9 an AMOLED, matching the more expensive Tab S9 Plus and Tab S9 Ultra.
In the past, an 11-inch tablet would have seemed huge, but we live in a world of enormous phones and gargantuan tablets. The Tab S9 Ultra, for instance, has a whopping 14.6-inch screen. You can get phones that measure almost 7 inches, and a foldable like the Pixel Fold is 7.6 inches. If you’ve got one of these big phones, the 11-inch Tab S9 might seem a little small. It’s still plenty big enough to be useful, though it’s widescreen instead of a more square ratio like the OnePlus Pad or iPad. Even at 11 inches, that makes it somewhat awkward to use in portrait orientation.
The Galaxy Tab S9’s new AMOLED panel is just as good as Samsung’s other AMOLED tablets, just a bit smaller (and cheaper).
The new AMOLED panel is as good as Samsung’s other AMOLED tablets, just a bit smaller (and cheaper). It has excellent viewing angles, and it’s bright enough to use outdoors. The Tab S9 also has four Atmos-compatible speakers around the periphery, and they sound great for a tablet. In fact, they’re probably louder and clearer than the speakers on your laptop.
Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority
Unlike Samsung’s other 2023 tablets, the Tab S9 is compact enough that you won’t mind carrying it around. The durable aluminum chassis is just 5.9mm thick, and it weighs 498g (a little over one pound). There’s just enough bezel around the screen to hold the Tab S9 without accidentally touching the screen, and the lower mass makes it much more comfortable than the Tab S9 Ultra and S9 Plus (which are also impressively thin). The 8,400mAh battery is a bit larger than the one in last year’s tablet, and it does the Tab S9 good. It’ll last through a day of intense use with a little left in the tank. It’s not the most long-lived slate, but using it for an hour here and there will still get you multiple days of use, and it loses almost no juice sitting on the coffee table.
We’ve seen most Samsung phones gain water resistance over the years, but that’s still rare on tablets. Yet, the Galaxy Tab S9 does have an IP68 rating. It’s less likely to encounter water than a phone, but it’s still nice to have.
Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority
The Tab S9 is a good size if you need something bigger than your Android phone, and it has Samsung’s awesome multiwindow functionality to make the most of all that real estate. Android is still light on apps that are optimized for the big screen, but split-screen in One UI 5.1 saves the day. The Tab S9 is big enough that you can have three apps up at once, and they’ll all be usable. On foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 5, the three-up layout can be a bit cramped. Samsung also lets you have your favorite app groups for easy access. That makes the Tab S9 a real multitasking powerhouse, though it’s not as compact as a Z Fold.
Update support on Android tablets is a real crapshoot — even “important” devices like Lenovo’s flagship Tab P12 Pro, which was one of the few with an Android 12L beta, have languished on old versions of the OS. Samsung’s tablets get the same general update guarantee as its phones: five years of security patches and Android OS updates. The first round of updates later this year will bring Android 14 and One UI 6.0, but future update cycles will be a bit more delayed if past years are anything to go by.
Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority
Samsung includes the S Pen stylus with the Tab S9, making this device a great canvas for drawing, coloring, and taking notes. The S Pen is super-responsive thanks to the 120Hz display refresh, and it’s a joy to write on the screen. The S Pen’s soft tip is much easier to control on the glass display than the Apple Pencil on an iPad. However, you’re mostly limited to the S Pen-enabled apps that ship with the tablet. Very few apps in the Play Store will work properly with the S Pen.
Samsung includes the S Pen stylus with the Tab S9, making this device a great canvas for drawing, coloring, and taking notes.
The S Pen works as a stylus whether or not it’s charged, but keeping it topped up will enable some additional features like button shortcuts and gestures. Neither are must-haves, but it is easier to keep the pen charged with the Tab S9. Samsung made the magnetic S Pen holder on the back of the tablet work in either orientation, a nice upgrade from the confusing magnetic mount on the Tab S8.
Samsung sells a keyboard case for this tablet, which makes it almost a miniature laptop. The keys are a bit wobbly, and vertical travel is minimal, even for a laptop-style keyboard. It’s faster than typing on the screen, but the case does add a lot of bulk if you’re just looking to protect the tablet when not in use. The keyboard case is $140, and it will most likely only work for this tablet generation. That makes it a tough sell.
Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority
All versions of the Tab S9 have the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Samsung, which is clocked a touch higher than non-Samsung versions of the chip. Some Samsung phones throttle too heavily when they heat up, but the company’s tablets have a lot more thermal headroom. The Tab S9 only loses a little speed when it warms up, making it a good option for gaming, though peak performance for multitasking and professional design work is not remotely comparable to the Apple M-series iPads.
The Galaxy Tab S9 starts at $799.99 with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. A version with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage is available for $920, but we suggest you stick with the base model. You could spend more on the Tab S9 Plus or S9 Ultra, but you’re just getting the same experience in a larger, less convenient footprint.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9
IP68 rating • Updated S Pen • AMOLED display
The smallest member of the Galaxy Tab S9 family gets some big upgrades
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 gets an AMOLED makeover. The new display plus a premium aluminum frame, large speakers, Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset all make for a capable tablet.
What are the best Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 alternatives?
Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 (top) with Tab S9 Ultra (bottom) and Z Flip 5 (left).
Samsung makes several versions of the Tab S9, but there are a few non-Samsung tablets you might also consider if you don’t need the most premium piece of hardware.
- Google Pixel Tablet ($499 at Best Buy): Google’s first tablet in years offers the slick Pixel interface with Android 13 (soon to be Android 14). It’s also $300 cheaper than the Tab S9 and can double-up as a pseudo-smart display thanks to the bundled speaker dock. However, the display is a run-of-the-mill 60Hz LCD, and it doesn’t come with a stylus.
- OnePlus Pad ($479 at OnePlus): The OnePlus Pad is the company’s first tablet. It’s fast, attractive, and has a solid 144Hz LCD screen. There’s an included stylus, but it’s barely supported in software. The latest version of Oxygen OS lacks the advanced multitasking features of the Galaxy Tab S9, though.
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus ($999 at Amazon): The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus is essentially the same as the Tab S9 with a larger screen and higher price. Unless you need a tablet larger than 11 inches or a model with 5G support, there’s no reason to upgrade.
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra ($1119 at Samsung): The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is the largest member of the Tab S9 lineup, with a 14.6-inch AMOLED screen. It also has two front-facing and rear cameras. If the Tab S9 and Tab S9 Plus are both too small for what you have in mind, this $1,200 tablet is for you.
- Apple iPad Pro M2 ($786 at Amazon): The 11-inch iPad Pro requires a transition to iPadOS which doesn’t play quite as nicely with an Android phone, but it makes up for it with laptop-grade power and a more comprehensive software suite with exceptional app support and compatibility.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 specs
Galaxy Tab S9 | Galaxy Tab S9 Plus | Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra | |
---|---|---|---|
Display |
Galaxy Tab S9
11-inch Dynamic |
Galaxy Tab S9 Plus
12.4-inch Dynamic |
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
14.6-inch Dynamic |
Processor |
Galaxy Tab S9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy |
Galaxy Tab S9 Plus
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy |
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy |
RAM |
Galaxy Tab S9
8GB/12GB |
Galaxy Tab S9 Plus
12GB |
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
12GB/16GB |
Storage |
Galaxy Tab S9
128GB/256GB |
Galaxy Tab S9 Plus
256GB/512GB |
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
256GB/512GB/1TB |
Connectivity |
Galaxy Tab S9
5G/LTE |
Galaxy Tab S9 Plus
5G/LTE |
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
5G/LTE |
Audio |
Galaxy Tab S9
Quad Stereo Speakers with Sound by AKG |
Galaxy Tab S9 Plus
Quad Stereo Speakers with Sound by AKG |
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
Quad Stereo Speakers with Sound by AKG |
Cameras |
Galaxy Tab S9
Rear:
13MP AF Front: |
Galaxy Tab S9 Plus
Rear:
13MP AF + 8MP UW Front: |
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
Rear:
13MP AF + 8MP UW Front: |
Power |
Galaxy Tab S9 | Galaxy Tab S9 Plus
10,090mAh |
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
11,200mAh |
S Pen |
Galaxy Tab S9
Included |
Galaxy Tab S9 Plus
Included |
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
Included |
Durability |
Galaxy Tab S9
IP68 rating |
Galaxy Tab S9 Plus
IP68 rating |
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
IP68 rating |
Authentication |
Galaxy Tab S9
In-display Fingerprint Sensor |
Galaxy Tab S9 Plus
In-display Fingerprint Sensor |
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
In-display Fingerprint Sensor |
Software |
Galaxy Tab S9
Android 13 |
Galaxy Tab S9 Plus
Android 13 |
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
Android 13 |
Dimensions / weight |
Galaxy Tab S9
165.8 x 254.3 x 5.9mm |
Galaxy Tab S9 Plus
185.4 x 285.4 x 5.7mm |
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
208.6 x 326.4 x 5.5mm |
Colors |
Galaxy Tab S9
Beige, Graphite |
Galaxy Tab S9 Plus
Beige, Graphite |
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
Beige, Graphite |
Additional accessories |
Galaxy Tab S9
S Pen Creator Edition |
Galaxy Tab S9 Plus
S Pen Creator Edition |
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
S Pen Creator Edition |
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 review: FAQ
The Galaxy Tab S9 was released on August 11th, 2023.
Yes, the Galaxy Tab S9 has a microSD card slot supporting up to 2TB of added storage.
No, the Galaxy Tab S9 Plus is the only variant of Samsung’s 2023 flagship tablets with a mobile data (5G) option.
The Galaxy Tab S9 has an 11-inch AMOLED screen.
The Galaxy Tab S9 measures 254.3 x 165.8 x 5.9 mm and 498g.
Nope, the USB-C is the only port on the Galaxy Tab S9.