Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra review: The best tablet at multitasking

Between the Google Pixel Tablet, OnePlus Pad, and the Lenovo Tab Extreme — all surprisingly polished and well-performing tablets — Android tablets are having a banner year so far. While Apple tablets still lead in market shares, the iPad’s dominance is not as strong as before. This means now is as good a time as any for Samsung, which is currently in second place in the tablet market share wars, to try to make further gains. Samsung’s attempts this year include three tablets, and in this review, we’re going to take a look at the largest and most powerful one: the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra.

I reviewed the Tab S8 Ultra last year and liked that device a lot, so it’s probably not spoiling much to say I like the Tab S9 Ultra, too, especially since there really isn’t that much new. Much like Samsung’s other non-Flip products announced at the recent Unpacked, the Tab S9 Ultra is more of an incremental spec bump than a leap forward. But the tablet space isn’t nearly as hotly contested as the phone scene, so I’m OK with this.

While I’d still give the edge to the iPad Pro if you want a device for both work and play (especially with the recent addition of Final Cut Pro and improved multitasking), the Tab S9 Ultra is the best Android tablet if you want a powerful tablet that could do it all.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra: Pricing and availability

The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is available for preorder now and will go on sale officially on Aug. 11 worldwide at physical or online retailers. The official retail price is $1,199 for the 12GB/256GB model, $1,319 for the 12GB/512GB variant, or $1,469 for the 16GB/1TB model. In the U.S., there are a lot of great deals at Best Buy, Amazon, and Samsung’s online store, and they all provide various incentives.

Design and hardware

Big, wide, thin

The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is an unusually wide and thin slate compared to iPads and other Android tablets, with a 14.6-inch OLED screen with a 16:10 aspect ratio and a thickness of just 5.5mm. Overall dimensions are very similar to the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, but unfortunately, the cases for the Tab S8 Ultra will not fit on the S9 Ultra due to a slightly different camera layout. I suppose most people who own the Tab S8 Ultra would not be rushing to upgrade to the S9 Ultra, so this lack of backward compatibility is unlikely to bother a lot of consumers, but I still find this move petty.

The Tab S9 Ultra is mostly just a spec bump over the Tab S8 Ultra, so Samsung surely could have designed the S9 Ultra to still fit in a S8 case. In fact, let’s just get the differences between the S9 and S8 Ultra out of the way here:

• The S9 Ultra is slightly heavier at 1.62 pounds (734.8g) than the S8 Ultra, which weighs 1.6 pounds (725.7g)
• The S9 Ultra is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in its predecessor
• The S9 Ultra’s ultrawide camera from 6GB to 8GB
• The S9 Ultra’s display has a variable refresh rate between 60Hz and 120Hz, while the S8 Ultra’s screen was only 120Hz
• The S9 Ultra has an IP68 water and dust resistance rating, while the S8 Ultra had none

That’s it. Everything else, from display resolution to in-hand feel, battery size, and speaker layouts, are identical. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the Tab S8 Ultra was very good at what it did. The unibody construction feels premium, with tactile, clicky buttons, chamfered edges, and four speakers positioned symmetrically on the sides.

The tablet is a bit unwieldy to be used as a handheld for long. It’s not heavy, but its sheer length means it’s almost certainly a two-hand device. Honestly, I think this tablet was designed to be used on a tabletop paired with a keyboard. Samsung did not provide me with a keyboard case for review, so I spent a chunk of the review period paired to a generic brand foldable keyboard with a trackpad, and the experience was fine.

The quad speakers, which are apparently tuned by AKG, are awesome and pump out among the best audio in a mobile device. Haptics are solid, and the in-display fingerprint scanner worked well enough, too. I’m a fan of the fact the S Pen is included with the tablet as one package (unlike the Apple Pencil, which is a separate purchase from iPads). The S Pen is very useful on such a large canvas. The S Pen can attach magnetically to the top side of the tablet, but this method does not charge the stylus. It’s just an alternative housing method.

To charge the S Pen you have to stick it to the back of the tablet near the camera module. This position is scary if using the tablet naked because the stylus just falls off too easily. When I put the Tab S9 Ultra into my backpack or take it out, there’s a 90% chance the S Pen gets caught on the way and knocked loose. The good news is Samsung’s official keyboard case and some third-party cases have protective flaps that cover the stylus — further making me think this tablet is meant to be used with a keyboard case almost at all times.

Display

Could be problematic for some

Samsung’s decision to use a widescreen 16:10 aspect ratio would usually bother me, as I prefer my tablet or computer to have a taller screen (like the iPad’s 3:2). But because the Tab S9 Ultra screen is so large, there’s enough vertical space despite the widescreen. I never felt the urge to turn the tablet to portrait orientation, which I often do with widescreen devices like the Pixel Fold or Google Pixel Tablet.

Otherwise, the 14.6-inch Super AMOLED panel looks gorgeous to my eyes, producing vivid colors with a respectable maximum brightness of 950 nits. Notice I emphasized “my” here because, during the review period, I learned that Samsung’s choice of display tech could affect a small group of users with PWM sensitivity. Basically, a device’s pulse width modulation (PWM) dimming frequency refers to how often a display’s light-emitting diodes will turn themselves on and off to recreate the effects of a dim screen. The action is so fast that it normally can’t be perceived by human eyes (although cameras can pick it up). However, a small percentage of humans are still sensitive to them, which results in headaches and nausea.

This can be an issue with any OLED panel, but the one Samsung used here has one of the lowest PWM frequencies (240Hz) among flagship products, which means worse flickering. Granted, this will still be an issue for only a small percentage of users, but Chinese smartphone brands are putting efforts into using higher PWM frequencies to make screens more comfortable for all, so Samsung should look into this for future devices.

Cameras

For video calls only

The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra packs two cameras on the back: a 13MP rear-facing “main” camera and an 8MP ultrawide. On the front, located in an unsightly notch, are a pair of 12MP wide and ultrawide cameras. The rear cameras are fine for tablets, and I suppose casual users won’t mind them. However, the tablet is just too unwieldy to hold for snapping photos, and photo quality isn’t going to beat any smartphone camera above $400.

The front-facing cameras fare better: they’re good for tablets and maybe even phones too. The exposure is on point, and my skin tone is accurate. Samsung also put the front-facing cameras in the upper middle of the tablet instead of on the side like iPads. You can also control the camera shutter button with an open palm hand gesture or with the click of the button on the S Pen, so this is quite a capable front-facing camera system.

Still, for a device this big and likely desk-bound, the main use of the cameras will still likely be for video calls. The front-facing camera can shoot respectable 1080p footage with solid audio pickup.

Software and performance

Samsung’s OneUI is the new king of multitasking

The software experience has traditionally been the Achilles’ heel of Android tablets because so many Android apps are not optimized for large or wide screens. Instagram and YouTube Studios, for example, will open sideways on widescreens because the apps have been written to only show in portrait orientation.

Samsung had already been one of the better OEMs at addressing this with a capable multitasking system that allows apps to launch in split-screen or floating window mode. Samsung also built a DeX Mode for its tablets, which essentially turns what is normally an Android UI into something resembling a Windows homescreen, with all apps opening in window mode.

When I reviewed the Tab S8 Ultra, I called it the best device for multitasking, and Samsung has improved things more for this year’s tablet. The OneUI 5.1 that runs here has an even more robust multitasking system, including advanced gestures that let me quickly turn an app from full-screen view to window view with just a swipe. I can also resize the app window anytime, including bringing it back to full-screen mode.

To be clear, OneUI has been able to launch apps in window mode for a few years, but what used to take a series of taps and long presses now is just a finger swipe away. The animations of apps shifting in size have been improved drastically too, resulting in a more seamless experience.

One UI is now so good at multitasking that it makes DeX mode redundant. The entire Tab S9 Ultra homescreen is a free canvas onto which I can lay out apps however I like. I mean, just look at the screenshot below. No other tablet lets me multitask to this degree right now.

As an experiment, I used the Tab S9 Ultra to do most of my work over a four-day span, and it went mostly well. I was able to use XDA’s CMS on Chrome without issues, writing chunks of some articles (including this one) with Slack opened in a corner and Spotify streaming in the background. I did think Samsung’s mouse arrow cursor is a bit too jumpy for some CMS elements, like when I needed to insert photos in a gallery instead of individually. I find the iPad’s mouse cursor to be able to handle this finicky on-screen button a bit easier. However, I am using a third-party keyboard, so perhaps Samsung’s official keyboard would fare better.

The S Pen is actually useful here

I have always looked at Samsung’s S Pen for its slab phones as a cute gimmick. It’s fun to play on the first day, and then I shove it back in its slot and almost never use it again. I just don’t find the S Pen experience on phones like the Galaxy S23 Ultra enjoyable because the pen is too thin, and the screen isn’t big enough. But the S Pen for a giant-sized tablet makes a lot of sense.

The Tab S9 Ultra version of the S Pen is much bigger than the one made for phones and feels closer to a normal pen, and the larger screen provides a lot of room to get creative. Samsung’s software is well optimized for it, too, including mostly accurate handwriting recognition, so I can write out a word and have it turn to digital form. I find this mostly pointless for English words, but I find the handwriting feature very useful for Chinese characters, which can be complicated to type on a keyboard.

The large canvas and low stylus latency also encourage me to revisit my childhood hobby of drawing. It’s also practical to use the S Pen to scroll or tap on the screen when I’m using the tablet on a table.

Performance

With a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip and either 12GB or 16GB of RAM (my review unit has 12GB), the Tab S9 Ultra is definitely a great performer, particularly if you’re just using it as a gigantic Android phone. The “for Galaxy” branding on the Snapdragon chip doesn’t mean much — it only means the chip is slightly overclocked. In fact, some Android flagships shipping later this year are getting the same chip without the branding.

In terms of raw processing power, the Tab S9 Ultra sits at the top of the Android mountain, but the chip still falls short of Apple’s M2, which can be found in Apple’s latest iPad Pro. You’re not going to see differences running basic apps, but if you do video editing, graphics work, or look at benchmark numbers, the M2 chip handily beats the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy.

The speakers are awesome, and the screen is big, so Netflix and YouTube video sessions are great. I like being able to use the S Pen to control video playback, so I can rewind or skip ahead without needing to use my finger. Any Android game can run perfectly fine on a machine with these flagship specs, so this could be an excellent gaming machine, too, provided you’re playing games that don’t require holding the tablet and moving it around (like some racing games would).

The battery life on the Tab S9 Ultra is excellent as well. A three-hour work session in which I had multiple apps opened at all times drained only 28% battery, which means I could go at least 10 hours of such use. Watching videos with screen brightness at 60% drained only about 7-9% of juice an hour, so this tablet can definitely play four to five feature-length films during a long-haul flight.

Charging is done via USB-C (there is no wireless charging), maxing out at 45W, which by my test, takes about 75 minutes to charge from 7% to full (sorry, I did not do a 0-100 test). This type of charging time is fine for a big tablet, though I do wish it could be charged faster like OnePlus’ tablet.

Should you buy the Galaxy Tab S9 UItra?

You should buy the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra if:

• You want a tablet that can credibly be an on-the-go work machine
• You want the most powerful and capable Android tablet
• You want the largest screen possible for Android apps

You should not buy the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra if:

• You already own the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
• You prefer to hand-hold your tablet for most tasks
• You may be PWM sensitive

The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is the biggest and best Android tablet right now. While Lenovo’s Tab Extreme offers a similar screen size and is cheaper, it’s running on an older chip, with software not as optimized for multitasking. Other tablets from OnePlus or Google are excellent, but their screen sizes are much smaller. The only credible threat to the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which has a better app ecosystem and more powerful chip, but can’t multitask as well, costs a bit more, and has a smaller screen. Until Apple releases that rumored 15-inch iPad Pro, the Tab S9 Ultra has an edge in sheer screen size.

However, the Tab S9 Ultra isn’t a big enough improvement over the Tab S8 Ultra — the software improvements should roll out to the S8 Ultra soon — so those who already own that machine should probably save their money. There’s still the display flickering issue which has affected some users, so if you know you’re PWM sensitive, I’d imagine having such a larger screen would make the effects worse.

Ultimately, I like the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra a lot, and were it not for the fact I edit videos on Final Cut Pro very regularly, I would totally use it as my on-the-go work machine. I am someone who enjoys working out of coffee shops and packing light when I travel, so having one machine that excels in work and play is quite appealing, and it could be for you too.