Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series introduced with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy and IP68 ratings

Samsung has consistently refined its Galaxy Tab series for years and the latest additions are here with the Galaxy Tab S9 trio. Like last year, Samsung is bringing a vanilla tablet with an 11-inch screen and a plus-sized version with a 12.4-inch diagonal while the top-end Ultra model boasts a massive 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel.

Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra

At first glance, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra might not seem that much different from its predecessor, but Samsung managed to bring in several noteworthy upgrades. All three Galaxy Tab S9 models are now IP68 dust and water resistant making them the first mainstream Samsung tablets (there is also the rugged Tab Active line) to feature this level of ingress protection.

All three Galaxy Tab S9 models feature IP68 ratings and Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays

Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra brings a spacious 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 1,848 x 2,960px resolution and 120Hz variable refresh rate. The new bit here is Samsung’s Vision Booster, which is also present on the Galaxy S23 devices and improves display visibility and colors in extremely bright conditions. The notch cutout is still present and houses a pair of 12MP front-facing cameras – a regular wide and an ultrawide module. The quad speakers with AKG tuning are now 20% larger and the optical in-display fingerprint reader is also carried over.

The Galaxy Tab S9 series is equipped with the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset just like the Galaxy S23 series and the latest foldables from Samsung. Tab S9 Ultra can be configured with 12GB or 16GB RAM and 256/512GB or 1TB storage. Each Tab S9 device is also configurable in Wi-Fi only or 5G trims and supports microSD card expansion.

The back of the Tab S9 Ultra features a refined design with dual camera rings and an LED flash. There’s a 13MP main sensor with autofocus and 4K video recording capabilities up to 60fps. The secondary module is a 12MP ultrawide lens, which should be a notable upgrade from the 6MP unit on the Tab S8 Ultra.

Galaxy Tab S9 family

Tab S9 series boot Android 13 with Samsung One UI 5.1 on top and Samsung is also bringing continuity features for select flagship Galaxy phones including the new Flip5 which lets you use your phone as a companion display for your tablet in select apps while also offering a shared clipboard across your Galaxy devices. Samsung is also pledging four Android updates and five years of security updates.

Tab S9 series devices are also getting some exclusive apps and features like GoodNotes - one of the most popular iPad apps for taking notes, which is finally coming over to Android and it will be available exclusively on supported Samsung Galaxy Tab devices.

Galaxy Tab S9 continuity and GoodNotes

LumaFusion – the pro video editing app is getting a nice discount for Tab S9 owners with 50% off. Samsung is still bundling an S Pen stylus with all three tabs. Tab S9 Ultra also boasts an 11,200 mAh battery with 45W fast charging but you’ll have to supply your own brick as it is not included in the retail package.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra comes in Beige and Graphite colors and starts at $1,199/£1,199/€1,339. Pre-orders start today while open sales are set to begin on August 11.

Galaxy Tab S9 and Tab S9+

Unlike last year’s Galaxy Tab S8 which had an LCD, Samsung outfitted the vanilla Tab S9 with the same Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel as its larger siblings. The Tab S9 boasts an 11-inch diagonal with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, a single 12MP front facing cam and an UD fingerprint scanner.

Tab S9+ gets a 12.4-inch diagonal and the same refresh rate and it has dual 13MP + 8MP rear facing cameras just like on the Tab S9 Ultra. Samsung’s Vision Booster is also present on the Tab S9 and S9+ models.

Tab S9 and Tab S9+ are also equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset but the Tab S9 is only configurable with 8/12GB RAM and 128/256GB storage while the Plus gets 12GB RAM as standard and is configurable with 256/512GB storage.

The other point of difference comes in the battery department where the Tab S9 brings an 8,400 mAh battery while the Tab S9+ gets a 10,900 mAh cell. Both tablets support up to 45W fast charging. All Tab S9 models boot One UI 5.1 based on Android 13 and come bundled with S Pen styluses.

Galaxy Tab S9 series

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 starts at $799/£799/€899 while Tab S9+ will go from $999/£999/€1,199.Pre-orders start today while open sales are set to begin on August 11.

We've got the opportunity to spend some hands-on time with the brand-new Galaxy Tab S9 series which you can check out here.