Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 (Ultra) in the short test: The case is the highlight

Many Samsung fans had already expected the successor to the Galaxy Tab S8 to be presented in February when the Galaxy S23 was launched. But Samsung took until the summer to release the Galaxy Tab S9.

That is new

At first glance, however, the South Korean manufacturer did not make intensive use of the longer development period. Compared to the Tab S8, there are only a few innovations:

• The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra and its sister models are now protected against dust and water according to IP68. It can even be temporarily submerged. Until now, Samsung only offered this protection for its outdoor tablets from the Galaxy Tab Active series.
• Samsung wants to have enlarged the speakers by 20 percent. We weren’t able to carry out a sound test at the unpacked event, so we’ll do that in the detailed test in the editorial office.
• Samsung is now cooperating with Good Notes. The popular note app is pre-installed on the devices of the Galaxy Tab S9 series and can be used free of charge for one year. There is also a 20 percent discount for the following year.
• In addition, there are the usual improvements on the hardware side: Instead of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 now acts as the processor.
• It is positive that Samsung is now also equipping the basic model of the series with an AMOLED display, previously an LCD screen was installed here.

While the devices themselves haven’t changed that much, the ecosystem has been expanded quite a bit. For example, Samsung is now offering a new outdoor cover for the Tab S9 series. But we really liked the so-called Notepaper Screen cover. This is reminiscent of a clip binder in terms of appearance.

Clip binder case provides a more natural writing experience

However, it is not only there to protect the tablets, but also serves a practical purpose. You can write with the S Pen on the transparent cover of the case. It should feel like writing on paper. In fact, the experience came very close to this in the short test.

Display foils for a more natural writing experience on the tablet display are nothing new, but until now they had to be firmly attached. With Samsung, you can only use them when needed thanks to the folding mechanism. Unfortunately, the South Korean manufacturer does not provide any information on the price of the accessory.

price and availability

The Galaxy Tab S9 series is available for pre-order now. Prices start at 899 euros. Numerous discounts await pre-orderers at various retailers.

network world means

The Tab S9 series is more of a small upgrade for Samsung’s premium tablet. Only the accessories really impressed us in the short test. If you can do without the water protection, the models of the Tab S8 series are a cheap alternative.

In addition to the Tab S9, Samsung also presented the Galaxy Z Flip 5, the Z Fold 5 and the Galaxy Watch 6 (Classic) at its Unpacked event in July 2023.