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As far as tablets go, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is huge—not surprising for a laptop replacement, but the large screen is both a blessing and a curse. We all love huge screens, but 14” is probably a little bit of an overkill for a tablet, as it also means that it loses the portability and convenience of a smaller tablet.
That said, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is truly one of, if not the best, premium Android tablets out there. Here’s our review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9!
Build and Design
As I’ve mentioned, there’s only one word for the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra: HUGE. It is, in fact, bigger and heavier than my 14” laptop (when used with the bundled keyboard case), making it feel less like a tablet and more like a laptop—except it runs on Android, has only one port, and comes with cameras in the back.
That said, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is a really well-built tablet all-in-all. It’s slim and sleek, built with Armor Aluminum which is very durable. It’s also IP68 certified, which means it’s not only resistant to dust but can also withstand being submerged in water. In fact, we’ve tried using the Galaxy Tab S9 underwater, and it works magnificently!
Now, the tablet on its own is not really that heavy—still large, but the build is pretty light and slim—but the magnetic keyboard and case add quite a considerable weight to the tablet. The keyboard and book cover come included with the Galaxy Tab S9, which is great as you’ll want it, along with the S Pen, to make the most out of the tablet.
Display
The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra boasts a massive 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display that really gives you an immersive visual experience like no other. With a resolution of 1848 x 2960, every image is rendered with crystal-clear clarity, vibrant colours, and sharp contrasts.
Given its propensity for size, it’s a great tablet for creative tasks like drawing and graphic designing, as it provides pretty accurate colour representation in all its brilliance. The 120Hz refresh rate ensures that everything, from scrolling through web pages to playing videos, is buttery smooth.
Besides that, the tablet sports a peak brightness of 930 nits, with an intelligent outdoor algorithm is a thoughtful addition. It adjusts the screen's brightness based on the surrounding light conditions, ensuring optimal visibility and reducing eye strain. This, combined with the blue light protection, makes for a display that's not just stunning to look at but also gentle on the eyes.
Performance
Under the hood, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. This is currently the most powerful processor available in mobile devices, and the same processor that is found on Samsung’s flagship smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Thanks to this, the Galaxy Tab S9 is pretty powerful. Whether you're editing videos on Luma Fusion, playing graphics-intensive games, or multitasking with multiple apps, the tablet ensures a smooth performance without any significant lags or stutters. But while it’s good as a laptop replacement, it’s not really up to par for actual PC AAA titles, so if you're looking for that, it might be better to invest in a proper gaming laptop!
If you’re used to Samsung’s UI, then the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra’s interface will feel very very familiar. Even if you’re not, it’s intuitive enough that just about anyone can pick up. One thing though: running on Android means that the tablet relies on Google Play Store for apps, and unfortunately, most Google Play Store apps are not optimized for larger screens, especially not one as large as the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. This results in some weirdly stretched apps.
The Galaxy Ecosystem
Another thing notable is the Galaxy Ecosystem. The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, just like all Galaxy devices, is designed to be used in the same ecosystem as other devices. Features like multi-control, clipboard sharing, and seamless device integration mean that the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra can function as a central hub that can give you two-way communication with your phone, making sharing files, answering calls, and continuing tasks from another device quick and efficient.
The seamless integration between the phone and tablet is truly a dream come true. Just log into your Samsung account on both devices, and they're instantly linked.
But that's not all. With Nearby Share, transferring files between devices is a breeze. While it might not be as fast as some other methods, its versatility (it works with any Android device!) more than makes up for it.
And then there's the second screen feature, which might seem less flashy compared to the others, but it offers its own set of benefits. It allows you to extend the display of your computer or even phone, giving you more screen real estate to work with.
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