Introduction
Samsung released its second Ultra tablet—Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra—in mid-2023. The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is the company's top-tier flagship tablet that succeeds the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. It has many of the same design traits and specifications as its predecessor. It has a massive 14.6-inch display, a dual-front camera setup, and a generous battery. Overall, it is a refined version of the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra.
Design
The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra looks identical to the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, featuring the same Armor Aluminum unibody design and a notched screen. However, it brings a vital improvement: an IP68 rating. Yes, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is the first Ultra tablet from Samsung to feature dust and water resistance. Even the S Pen is IP68-rated for dust and water resistance.
The Tab S9 Ultra has two rear-facing cameras next to a magnetic strip for the accompanying S Pen. The cameras now have individual rings rather than an island, and the whole camera design strategy is similar to the Galaxy S23 and other phones Samsung released in 2023. The S Pen charges wirelessly when it is attached to the back of the tablet. The S Pen charges regardless of its orientation, which is an improvement over the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra's S Pen.
Specifications
Samsung's flagship tablet for 2023 features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 For Galaxy chipset, much like the Galaxy S23 smartphones. It has higher frequencies for the primary CPU core and the GPU and some improvements to the ISP compared to the regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
Storage and RAM options include the following:
- 12GB RAM + 256GB storage
- 12GB RAM + 512GB storage
- 16GB RAM + 1TB storage
On top of generous internal storage, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra has a microSD card slot for storage expansion.
Other specs include an 11,200mAh battery with 45W wired charging capabilities, four speakers (which are now 20% larger than Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra), and compatibility with Samsung Keyboard attachments. The tablet ships with an S Pen, but it is also compatible with the new S Pen Creator Edition, which is more grippy and has a wider tilt angle. The input device has a low 2.8ms input latency.
Display and Cameras
The 2023 flagship tablet from Samsung has a 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel featuring QHD+ resolution (2,960 x 1,848 pixels), a 120Hz refresh rate, and HDR10+. The screen also features Vision Booster, which adjusts contrast and gamma curve to display more accurate colors in bright (such as under direct sunlight) conditions.
The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra has reused the same 12MP+12MP dual camera from the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra on the front. One of them has a wide-angle lens, while the other has an ultrawide lens. Both front-facing cameras can record up to 4K 60fps videos. On the rear, too, the new tablet has reused its predecessor's 13MP primary camera. The second rear-facing camera has been upgraded from 6MP resolution to 8MP resolution and features an ultrawide lens. The rear-facing primary camera record up to 4K 60fps videos as well.
Software and features
Samsung has shipped the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra with Android 13 and One UI 5.1.1. This new version of One UI brings several improvements to multitasking and productivity. The tablet will get four major Android OS updates and five years of security updates.
Software features consist of the usual S Pen suite, complete with Samsung Notes, PENUP, and other writing and drawing tools, as well as productivity features such as multi-window and Samsung DeX (wired and wireless).
Availability and price
Samsung unveiled Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra in July 2023. Prices start at $1,199, £1,199, and €1,339 in the US, the UK, and Europe, respectively. The tablet became available for pre-order on the same day as its announcement and will reach stores on August 11, 2023, in most countries.
Downloads and resources
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