Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra Review
Table of Contents
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series represents the brand’s direct competitor to Apple’s iPad Pro lineup. Leading the pack is the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, priced at $1,199.99, featuring an expansive 14.6-inch display that truly stands out. This powerhouse tablet includes the S Pen stylus, a cutting-edge processor, impressive battery life, and seamless integration with Samsung smartphones, making it a compelling choice for productivity on the go.
Although the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra carries a higher price tag than the base 12.9-inch Apple iPad Pro ($1,099) and the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 ($999), it remains the top choice for anyone seeking a premium Android tablet experience. However, Android’s functionality on tablets still has room for improvement, though Samsung has made commendable efforts to optimize the platform for its devices.
Go Big or Choose Something Smaller
The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra stands out as a sleek yet substantial tablet, packing a massive 14.6-inch display into a remarkably compact design. Its dimensions are 12.85 x 8.21 x 0.21 inches (HWD) and it weighs just 1.61 pounds. For comparison, the Lenovo Tab Extreme ($949) offers a slightly smaller 14.5-inch screen but fits into a larger frame, measuring 12.9 x 8.3 x 0.23 inches and weighing 1.63 pounds.
If the Ultra feels oversized, the Galaxy Tab S9+ provides a more manageable option with its 12.4-inch screen, measuring 11.23 x 7.30 x 0.22 inches and weighing 1.28 pounds. Meanwhile, the standard Galaxy Tab S9 delivers a compact experience with an 11-inch screen, dimensions of 10.01 x 6.53 x 0.23 inches, and a weight of just 1.10 pounds. The entire Tab S9 lineup is available in two stylish finishes: Beige and Graphite.
For the first time, the Galaxy Tab series and its bundled S Pen stylus boast an IP68 rating, making them both dustproof and waterproof. This means all three Tab S9 models can withstand submersion in water for up to 30 minutes and can be rinsed clean when needed. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, which, while not the newest version, offers durability to survive drops from nearly four feet onto hard surfaces and provides strong resistance against scratches.
Unlike the Lenovo Tab Extreme and Apple’s iPad Pro models, which lack official IP ratings, the Tab S9 series stands out with this feature, making it an ideal choice for use near water, whether by the pool or at the beach.
The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra features a stunning 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a resolution of 2,960 x 1,848 pixels, a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, and a peak brightness of 930 nits. Its 16:10 aspect ratio makes it ideal for a variety of uses. However, due to the screen’s large size and reflective nature, outdoor visibility in direct sunlight can be challenging. Indoors, the brightness is sufficient to perform well in standard lighting conditions.
The display also incorporates an in-screen fingerprint sensor located near the USB-C port, which proved to be reliable and efficient during testing.
The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra features a small notch along one of its longer edges, housing two 12MP front-facing cameras. One offers a standard view, while the other provides an ultra-wide perspective. If the notch bothers you, you can hide it by enabling a black bar across the top edge (navigate to Settings > Display > Camera cutout). However, this setting is app-specific, so you’ll need to configure it individually for each app.
In most cases, the notch is unobtrusive and doesn’t significantly disrupt the viewing experience, making it easy to overlook during regular use.
The power button and volume rocker are located on the top edge of the tablet, positioned to the left of the front-facing cameras, with a microSD card slot conveniently placed to their right. The device is equipped with four AKG-tuned speakers supporting Dolby Atmos, with two speaker grilles on each of the tablet’s shorter edges.
A USB-C (3.2 Gen 1) port for charging and data transfer is situated on one of the short edges. Meanwhile, the opposite long edge includes two indentations and three pogo plug connectors, designed for attaching optional accessories such as a keyboard.
The back of the tablet is dominated by a large, minimalist metal panel. Near the top, there’s a designated area where the included S Pen magnetically attaches and charges. This area also houses two camera lenses that extend slightly, about 1 to 2mm, from the metal surface. Beyond these features, the rear panel includes a camera flash, the Samsung logo, and a few visible antenna lines, maintaining a clean and understated design.
Samsung’s Ultra-branded devices are known for their exceptional build quality, and the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is no exception. The display takes center stage, commanding attention with its brilliance, while the overall design ensures minimal distractions. However, its large size can make it cumbersome to carry around, so investing in a folio case or similar protective accessory is highly recommended to keep it safe on the go.
Samsung’s Productivity Features Take the Spotlight
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra operates on Android 13 and is set to receive four major Android OS updates along with five years of security patches. Enhancing the experience is Samsung’s One UI, which overlays Android to offer seamless integration with Samsung devices. For example, if the tablet is connected to a Samsung smartphone, you can effortlessly answer calls or reply to text messages directly from the tablet—similar to the way iPhones and iPads interact within Apple’s ecosystem.
Samsung’s Multitasking Features Cater to Power Users
Samsung’s multitasking capabilities are designed with power users in mind. While stock Android supports two apps on the screen alongside a floating video window, Samsung takes it further by allowing up to three apps to be tiled simultaneously. One app can occupy half of the screen, while the other two share the remaining half equally.
Related article:https://yayahussein.com/
Users can also adjust the size of these apps to a certain extent, tailoring the layout to their preferences. Additionally, Samsung lets you save app pairs or trios directly to the desktop or taskbar, enabling you to launch them together instantly in your preferred configuration.
The pop-up view feature lets you engage with additional apps by displaying a floating, resizable window or video player on top of your current screen. Meanwhile, the taskbar simplifies the process of accessing your favorite or most recently used apps, allowing you to quickly add them to the tiled layout or use them as pop-ups. It also makes switching between full-screen apps effortless.
While Samsung has made significant efforts to improve the tablet experience on Android, the operating system still doesn’t feel entirely optimized for such a large screen, especially in landscape mode. For instance, when you open an app like Google Docs in landscape, there’s a lot of unused space on both sides of the document. On a smaller screen, like the 7.8-inch display of the Galaxy Z Fold 5, running three apps at once may feel cramped, but on the 14.6-inch display, the space can actually feel excessive.
In portrait mode, however, the experience is much more favorable. The same Google Docs app in portrait orientation uses the screen more effectively, allowing you to see more at once, even with the on-screen keyboard active. As a comic book reader, the large screen beautifully displays artwork in stunning detail without needing to zoom in on each panel. However, holding such a large tablet in this position can be quite awkward.
The Ultimate Large Android Tablet
For anyone seeking a powerful, large-screen Android tablet for both productivity and multimedia, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is the top choice. It has everything you could want, though opting for the smaller, more affordable Tab S9+ or Tab S9 doesn’t mean compromising much—mainly just screen size. If you own other Samsung devices, the Tab S9 Ultra integrates smoothly with features like effortless file sharing and text messaging. Additionally, with Dex mode and Samsung’s multitasking enhancements to Android, the Tab S9 Ultra stands out as a more capable productivity tool compared to the Lenovo Tab Extreme.
That said, despite Samsung’s efforts, the Tab S9 Ultra still doesn’t fully replace a laptop, and some users in this price range may find the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 running Windows a better option, while others might prefer the iPad Pro with iOS 17. However, when it comes to large Android tablets, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is undoubtedly the best available.
Solid Camera Performance
In well-lit environments, the 13MP primary camera and the 8MP ultra-wide rear camera on the Tab S9 perform impressively. As is typical with Samsung devices, the colors can be a bit vivid, but the detail remains sharp and clear. However, in low-light conditions, the rear cameras don’t perform as well, with some details becoming blurry.
It’s also worth noting that using a tablet for photography is still a rare sight, and while taking sample photos with this large 14.6-inch device, even passersby in New York City couldn’t help but take notice of such an uncommon sight.
Fast Connections, Powerful Audio
The Tab S9 Ultra is equipped with Bluetooth 5.3, offering an upgrade over the Tab S8 Ultra’s Bluetooth 5.2, making it a great choice for wireless audio, especially since it lacks a headphone jack. It also supports Wi-Fi 6E for faster internet connectivity but does not feature NFC support. Among the three models, the Tab S9+ is the only variant with an optional 5G cellular radio for added connectivity on the go.
Impressive Performance
We tested the base model of the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, which features 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. Two other configurations are available: one with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage ($1,319.99) and another with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage ($1,619.99). All models are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy system on a chip (SoC).
The Tab S9 Ultra performed superbly during testing, handling all apps without any issues, and running multiple apps simultaneously without noticeable lag or stuttering. In Geekbench 6 benchmarks, which measure raw computing power, the Tab S9 Ultra scored 2,069 in the single-core test and 5,408 in the multi-core test. By comparison, the Lenovo Tab Extreme, which uses the MediaTek Dimensity 9000, scored 1,644 and 4,195 in the same tests. For context, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, which shares the same SoC as the Tab S9 Ultra, achieved scores of 2,058 (single-core) and 5,477 (multi-core). The 12.9-inch iPad Pro scored higher, with 2,545 in the single-core and 9,505 in the multi-core tests.
In the PCMark Work 3.0 test, which measures general mobile performance, the Tab S9 Ultra scored 15,606, surpassing the Tab Extreme’s score of 14,307, and slightly falling short of the Z Fold 5’s 15,854.
Battery Life and Charging Performance
In our battery endurance test, where we stream HD video over Wi-Fi with the screen set to full brightness, the Tab S9 Ultra’s 11,200mAh battery lasted for 9 hours and 30 minutes. For comparison, the Lenovo Tab Extreme, with its 12,300mAh battery, lasted 12 hours and 53 minutes, while the 12.9-inch Apple iPad Pro lasted just 5 hours and 28 minutes.
The Tab S9 Ultra does not come with a charger in the box, but it supports fast charging at up to 45W. During testing, we found that it took 1 hour and 40 minutes to fully charge from 0 to 100% using this fast charging speed. A 15-minute charge brought the tablet’s battery level up to 20%.
Final Thoughts
The 14.6-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra offers one of the biggest displays available on a tablet, combining this impressive size with exceptional performance and a smooth Android experience.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
pros cons
- Gorgeous screen Pricey
- Fast performance Size makes it awkward to handle
- Tight Samsung integration Android on tablets is still limiting
- Good productivity software
- IP68 rating BUY NOW AND CLICK THE LINK: https://amzn.to/4fVYmub
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra Specs
| Operating System | Android 13 |
| Dimensions | 12.85 by 8.21 by 0.21 inches |
| Weight | 1.6 lbs |