Samsung Galaxy Tab S9, Galaxy Tab S9+ and Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra: Flagship tablets unveiled with IP68 rating and AMOLED screens

After months of leaks and speculations, Samsung’s highly-anticipated trio of flagship tablets are finally here alongside the Galaxy Z Fold5, Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Watch6. As predicted earlier, the Galaxy Tab S9, Galaxy Tab S9+, and Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra all sport AMOLED screens and the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy SoC found on the Galaxy S23 series. Other changes are largely iterative, but the panel upgrade alone should be enough to drive more people towards the tablets.

Galaxy Tab S9

Starting with the Galaxy Tab S9, one gets a 10-inch AMOLED QHD+ WQXGA (1600 x 2560) HDR10+ AMOLED panel clocked at 120 Hz. At the back, there’s a solitary 13 MP camera sensor. A 12 MP sensor is at the front, adjacent to the volume and power rockers. Both sensors can record video at 4K 60 FPS. An 8,400 mAh tablet powers the Galaxy Tab S9, and one can charge it at up to 45 Watts.

The Galaxy Tab S9’s bezels are thick and encompass all four edges. It is available in two configurations, one with 8 GB RAM/128 GB storage and the other with 12 GB RAM/256 GB storage. There’s an included micro SD card slot for additional storage.

Galaxy Tab S9+

The middle-of-the-pack Galaxy Tab S9+ gets a 12.4-inch AMOLED panel with the same specifications as its non-Plus sibling. It ups the memory to 12 GB across all models. For storage, one can pick between 256 GB and 512 GB, with the option to expand it further. The tablet also packs two camera sensors at the back, 13 MP plus 8 MP ultra-wide, with the selfie camera being identical across both SKUs. Lastly, the Galaxy Tab S9+ gets a beefier 10,900 mAh battery.

Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra

On to the magnum opus, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. Like its predecessor, it gets a colossal 14.6-inch 16:10 120 Hz AMOLED screen and an 11,200 mAh battery. It adds a second 12 MP ultra-wide-angle lens to the front camera setup. At the back, it sports the same dual-camera layout as the Galaxy Tab S9+. It also adds a 1 TB storage/16 GB RAM variant on top of the 256 GB and 512 GB versions.

Galaxy Tab S9 series features

Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, along with a pogo-pin connector for keyboards. An under-display fingerprint sensor allows for biometric authentication. All three SKUs come with a S Pen silo with an indentation at the back that serves as its housing. Samsung has also included some productivity-focused apps such as Good Notes, Pop-up and ArcSite. Spilt-screen functionality is also included. Lastly, the rumours about them having an IP68 rating were accurate, with both the tablets and S-Pen being water and dust resistance.

Price and availability

One can buy the Galaxy Tab S9 starting at US$799, the Galaxy Tab S9+ at US$999 and the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra at US$1,199 on July 26. Samsung hasn’t revealed any pre-order bonuses yet, but those will likely differ on a region-by-region basis, so make sure to check your local Samsung website for more information.