Samsung Galaxy Tab S9: release date, price, features
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 line was revealed in July of 2023. Originally, it featured three tablets in three sizes, offering different premium features at different price tiers. The Galaxy Tab S9, Galaxy Tab S9+, and Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra were among the best Android tablets you can buy, certainly the most powerful ones. They are still pretty good, but since then, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S10+ were launched to replace the top-tier Samsung slates.
Samsung also launched two more models in the Tab S9 family — the Galaxy Tab S9 FE, Galaxy Tab S9 FE+. These are less powerful, and have lower-quality LCD screens, but offer the big canvas and the S Pen experience at a much more affordable price point.
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Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 release date
Samsung does seem to take its time when refreshing its tablets — the gap between the Tab S7 and the Tab S8 series was a year and a half. That’s how much we had to wait for the current Tab S9 line, announced on July 26, 2023. They then launched on August 11.
| Device family | Announcement | Market release |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 | July 31, 2019 | August 9, 2019 |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 | August 5, 2020 | August 21, 2020 |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 | February 9, 2022 | February 25, 2022 |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 | July 26, 2023 | August 11, 2023 |
In October, Samsung released two more models in the Tab S9 family — the affordable Galaxy Tab S9 FE and Galaxy Tab S9 FE+
| Device | Release date |
|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE | October 3, 2023 |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ | October 3, 2023 |
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 price
The Galaxy Tab S9 series is the premium line of Samsung tablets. Thankfully, if you only want the S Pen and big screen, and not the super-powerful hardware, the new Galaxy Tab S9 FE models give you just that!
| Model | Starting price |
|---|---|
| Galaxy Tab S9 | $799.99 |
| Galaxy Tab S9+ | $999.99 |
| Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra | $1,199.99 |
| Galaxy Tab S9 FE | $449.99 |
| Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ | $599.99 |
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 specs
All three original Galaxy Tab S9 models are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Made for Galaxy — a slightly overclocked version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. They sport vapor cooling chambers to keep performance going for long stretches. The Tab S9+ and Tab S9 Ultra start at 256 GB of storage, the Tab S9 starts off with 128 GB at the cheapest tier.
Galaxy Tab S9 storage capacity:
- 128 GB / 8 GB RAM
- 256 GB / 12 GB RAM
Galaxy Tab S9+ storage capacity:
- 256 GB / 12 GB RAM
- 512 GB / 12 GB RAM
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra storage capacity:
- 256 GB / 12 GB RAM
- 512 GB / 12 GB RAM
- 1 TB / 16 GB RAM
The Galaxy Tab S9 FE cuts some corners with the processor and memory, so it can deliver the big screen and S Pen experience at a lower price point. They are powered by Samsung's in-house Exynos 1380 chip (quite a downgrade, it's comparable to Snapdragon 778G from 2021).
Galaxy Tab S9 FE storage capacity:
Galaxy Tab S9 FE storage capacity:
- 128 GB / 6 GB RAM
- 256 GB / 8 GB RAM
Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ storage capacity:
- 128 GB / 8 GB RAM
- 256 GB / 12 GB RAM
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 reviews
The trio of Galaxy Tab S9 has arrived at our office and we have put them through our tests. Here are our Galaxy Tab S9 reviews:
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Review - now that the Tab S9 has an AMOLED screen, it's the perfect tablet for almost anyone. Its size is just right to make it portable, yet has enough screen real estate for most needs. Its performance is optimal and lends itself for gaming really well. Still, it comes with an S Pen.
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus Review - for anyone who feels they need more screen without the crazy specs of the Ultra. The Plus is a nice middle variant with the extra battery life and display size that will make media consumers happy. The bigger canvas for S Pen fans really works well with this one, and its size is still kind of manageable.
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra review - insanely big tablet that's meant to be used on a table. It's basically the size of a laptop and its thin bezels make it hard to carry around and work on the go. But that huge screen is gorgeous and works for drawing, multi-tasking, and viewing media extremely well.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 comparisons
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra vs Galaxy Tab S9+ - it's generally a simple question — do you want to go big or do you want to go super big? We feel like the Tab S9+ has all the features you might need, but the Ultra delivers that "extra" for the devout tablet fans.
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus vs Galaxy Tab S9 - the Galaxy Tab S9 may be the cheapest, but it doesn't get outpaced by its siblings. If you go for the 128 GB variant, you forego the UFS4.0 upgrade — and that's quite a significant change in storage read and write speeds. That aside, the rest of the tablet works just like the bigger one, it's just in a more compact side.
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra vs Apple iPad Pro 12.9 - Apple still has a better handle on smooth UI operation and the App Store still has more high-quality apps, especially when it comes to niche creative jobs. That said, the Tab S9 Ultra trumps it in terms of multi-tasking, and the S Pen is just as good as —if not better than — the Apple Pencil (vice-versa, actually, the S Pen was first to arrive to market, years ago).
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra vs Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra - the new Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is pretty much a copy-paste of the Tab S8 Ultra. Yes, the hardware inside is upgraded, of course, but if you find a Tab S8 Ultra at a bargain price — just grab that one.
In what colors is the Galaxy Tab S9 available?
The Galaxy Tab S9 tablets are barely vibrant. The official Galaxy Tab S9 colors are Beige and Graphite. Thankfully, the recently-released Galaxy Tab S9 FE colors are more variable and fun.
What is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 battery capacity?
More size means more room for a battery, of course. On the flip side, bigger screens draw more energy. So, a battery size is not the end-all be-all of battery life. That said, it's not like it doesn't matter at all! Here are the Galaxy Tab S9 battery sizes:
| Galaxy Tab S9 | Galaxy Tab S9+ | Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra | Galaxy Tab S9 FE | Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8,400 mAh | 10,090 mAh | 11,200 mAh | 8,000 mAh | 10,090 mAh |
The best Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 accessories
The good news is that the Galaxy Tab S9 line already comes with its best accessory in the box - the S Pen. It's a very accurate active stylus with palm rejection and a rubber tip, which provides a natural-feeling friction against the glass screen.
The official Samsung Keyboard Folios for Galaxy phones are also excellent keyboards that fit just right on their respective tablets.
The official Samsung Keyboard Folios for Galaxy phones are also excellent keyboards that fit just right on their respective tablets.
Should I get the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9?
The Galaxy Tab S9, Tab S9+ and Tab S9 Ultra look like worthy successors to the Tab S8 line – they offer serious fun and productivity capabilities, housed in a stylish design. If you have a Tab S8, you should be fine — the new models don't change that much. But for first entries, or if you are coming from an older or weaker tablet — they are excellent!
The new Galaxy Tab S9 FE line is a middle-of-the-road solution. If you don't need all the power of a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, but want the S Pen, huge screen, and modern design — they are great options!
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