The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is the largest and most powerful Android tablet ever made. It has a stunning 14.6-inch OLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, 12GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, a 10,090mAh battery, and IP68 water and dust resistance. It also comes with an S Pen stylus and supports various accessories such as a keyboard cover and a wireless mouse.
Display
The display is the main attraction of the Tab S9 Ultra. It has a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, a refresh rate of 120Hz, and HDR10+ support. It is bright, colorful, sharp, and smooth. It is ideal for watching movies, playing games, reading comics, or browsing the web. The display also supports Samsung’s DeX mode, which transforms the tablet into a desktop-like interface with multiple windows and a taskbar.
Design
The design of the Tab S9 Ultra is sleek and premium. It has a metal frame and a glass back, with minimal bezels around the screen. It weighs 650 grams and measures 11.2mm thick, which makes it quite heavy and bulky for a tablet. It has four speakers tuned by AKG and Dolby Atmos, a USB-C port, a microSD card slot, and a magnetic connector for the keyboard cover. It does not have a headphone jack or a fingerprint scanner.
Software
The Tab S9 Ultra runs on Android 13 with Samsung’s One UI 5.1.1 skin on top. It has many features and optimizations that make use of the large screen and the S Pen. For example, it has split-screen multitasking, pop-up windows, edge panels, air commands, screen-off memo, live messages, AR doodle, and more. It also has Samsung’s ecosystem services such as SmartThings, Bixby, Samsung Pay, Samsung Health, Samsung Notes, etc.
Performance
The performance of the Tab S9 Ultra is impressive. It can handle any task or app without lag or stutter. It can run multiple apps at once, stream high-quality videos, play demanding games, and edit photos or videos with ease. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip is fast and efficient, and it supports 5G connectivity and Wi-Fi 6E. The 12GB of RAM ensures smooth multitasking and switching between apps.
Battery
The battery life of the Tab S9 Ultra is decent but not exceptional. It has a large 10,090mAh battery that can last for about 10 hours of mixed usage or 8 hours of video playback. It supports fast charging up to 45W with an optional adapter (the included one is only 25W), as well as wireless charging and reverse wireless charging for other devices. However, the battery life can vary depending on the brightness level, refresh rate setting, network conditions, etc.
Accessories
The Tab S9 Ultra can be paired with various accessories to enhance its functionality and productivity. The most important one is the S Pen stylus, which is included in the box. The S Pen has a soft tip that mimics the feel of writing on paper. It has pressure sensitivity, tilt recognition, gesture control, and Bluetooth connectivity. It can be used for taking notes, drawing sketches, annotating documents, signing contracts, etc.
Another accessory is the keyboard cover (sold separately), which attaches to the tablet via magnets and adds a full-size keyboard and a trackpad. The keyboard cover also doubles as a stand that can prop up the tablet at different angles. The keyboard cover is thin and light but also flimsy and cramped. The keys have shallow travel and low feedback, while the trackpad is small and imprecise.
A third accessory is the wireless mouse (also sold separately), which connects to the tablet via Bluetooth or USB dongle. The wireless mouse can be used to navigate the DeX mode or any app that supports mouse input. The wireless mouse is ergonomic and responsive but also expensive and redundant.
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Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra vs iPad Pro — which tablet wins? | Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is a 14.6-inch tablet with a Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, 12GB or 16GB of RAM, and IP68 water resistance. It competes with Apple’s iPad Pro, which has a 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED display, an Apple M2 chip, 8GB or 16GB of RAM, and a Thunderbolt 4 port. Both tablets come with a stylus and support various accessories. Which one should you buy? By Tony Polanco, a writer for Tom’s Guide who covers gaming, tech, and entertainment |
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra – Full tablet specifications | Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is an upcoming Android tablet that is expected to have a 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 1848 x 2960 pixels resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset with 12GB or 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage, a dual rear camera setup with a 13MP main sensor and an 8MP ultra-wide sensor, a dual front camera setup with a 12MP main sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide sensor, a USB Type-C port with Thunderbolt 4 support, a microSD card slot, an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, and a 11200mAh battery with fast charging and wireless charging capabilities. It will also come with an S Pen stylus that has Bluetooth integration and gesture control. It will run on Android 13 with One UI 5.1 skin on top |
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is an amazing gadget that does more than everything you would expect from a tablet. It has a gorgeous display, blazing performance, great audio quality, water resistance, and many features that make it versatile and fun to use.
However, it is also very expensive ($1,499 for the base model), very heavy and bulky for a tablet, and not very practical for most people’s needs. It is not a laptop replacement nor an iPad killer. It is simply too much of a good thing.
If you are looking for a high-end Android tablet, you might be better off with the smaller and cheaper Tab S9 or Tab S9 Plus, which offer almost the same experience as the Tab S9 Ultra but in more manageable sizes and prices. Or you might want to consider other options such as the iPad Pro, the Lenovo Tab Extreme, or even a Chromebook or a Windows laptop.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is a tablet for enthusiasts and die-hard fans who want the biggest and the best of everything. It is a tablet that will impress you and everyone around you, but it is also a tablet that you probably don’t need.