Samsung Galaxy Tab S9
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The latest Galaxy tablet delivers a couple notable upgrades, including the same custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 found in S23 smartphones, and a dynamic AMOLED display panel at long last. However, those are two of the only big changes worth noting.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8
Still outfitted with some of the best hardware found in an 11-inch tablet, the Galaxy Tab S8 has aged well since its February 2022 release. Its design, hardware, and user experience are all top notch, and pretty much neck and neck with the newer S9.
Samsung’s reputation as the manufacturer of thebest Android tabletswasn’t in doubt, but it updated its base model flagship anyway, resulting in the Galaxy Tab S9. In doing so, it erased the biggest quibble we had with theGalaxy Tab S8, which was its poor display quality. There are some other minor changes, too, like a Samsung-specific version of the popular Snapdragon Gen 2 chipset, but the differences just about stop there.
If you already own an S8, you might not need to upgrade, but the S9 is certainly an attractive beast if you’re not already using a high-end Samsung tablet. Whichever you choose, don’t forget to equip one of the varioushigh-quality screen protectorsanddurable casesavailable.
Price, specs & availability
The S8’s been around for over a year and is readily available at many major retailers. Its original price of $700 was never cheap, but it is a high-end tablet. The Tab S9 checks in at $800 this year, with preorders opening on July 26 and devices officially shipping on August 11. That’s not exactly the best value proposition due to the lack of mind-blowing improvements, but it is superior in some key ways. With the S9’s release, though, you’ll be able to find prices in the $600 range more often, which makes it worth considering the older model if you’re on a tighter budget.
Samsung’s S series tablets have long been among the thinnest and best-looking on the market. That hasn’t changed with the minor visual updates to the S9. To be clear, though, there isn’t much separating the two visually. The camera array changed shape, and the S Pen slot moved a hair, but there’s little difference otherwise. It still comes with the same lithe body, lightweight, and convenient form factor, all good things.
Oddly enough, the only other design change actually sees the S9 drop the Pink Gold, and Silver colors. You can still choose the same Graphite color as on the previous model, but the other two have been replaced by a nice-looking if somewhat bland, Beige. Ultimately, though, it’s mostly a tie in the design department.
While we did love the Tab S8, its LCD panel wasn’t nearly as bright or bold as its two larger siblings. Thankfully, Samsung’s squashed this most notable drawback with the S9. It now boasts the same dynamic AMOLED technology as the S9+ and Ultra, with identically bright and saturated colors. This big win brings it on par with the rest of the lineup and somewhat justifies the $100 price increase. And not only does it look a ton better than the S8, but its less energy-intensive display also helps eke out a little extra battery life.
It’s no secret that Samsung’s OneUI Android implementation is the best globally. It’s user-friendly, packed with powerful customization, and sports novel productivity features like Samsung Dex and the widely loved S Pen stylus.
Released with Android 12, the S8 currently runs Android 13 and will continue receiving full updates through Android 16 (or whatever it’s called). The Tab S9 hits the ground running with Android 13 and will then receive Samsung’s now-standard four years of OS updates, up to the faraway Android 17. Granted, either device will continue to work great even when it’s stopped getting new Android generations. Both will also continue to receive security patches after the Android updates stop. But the extra year of full updates is worth something which gives the Tab S9 a minor win in terms of software.
Performance
The Tab S8 was certainly no slouch, with plenty of RAM and storage, a highly capable Qualcomm processor, and the ever-coveted microSD card slot. It’s fast enough to play the most resource-intensive mobile games without breaking a sweat and can handle multitasking with even less difficulty.
The Tab S9 has a trick up its sleeve, though, in the form of a Qualcomm chipset custom-built for the Korean electronics giant. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 For Galaxy is an overclocked version of the base Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, much like the Gen 1+ had a slightly higher clock speed than the Gen 1. This slightly higher processor boost speed should lightly increase performance without efficiency taking a hit, and it’ll also ensure high-end performance down the line as smartphone apps continue to get more complex. In other words, the S9 steals a small victory in terms of performance longevity, and even if you won’t notice a massive side-by-side difference today, the difference is there.
However, one specific, performance-adjacent area where the S9 clearly wins is in the cellular connectivity department. The S9 has the same Wi-Fi 6E support and marginally better Bluetooth (5.3 vs. 5.2), but it’s also offered in a 5G/LTE version. As expected, it commands a higher price, but it’s worth it if you need constant internet access.
Battery life
We had nothing but good things to say about the Tab S8’s battery life, which only tends to get better with operating system updates. Sure, you could run out of the battery in just over a day if you use it heavily and keep the brightness up, but that’s pretty common with tablets.
Nonetheless, the S9’s battery lasts longer and better for multiple reasons. First, it’s 400 mAh bigger, although that’s just a 5% jump. Then there’s the AMOLED screen to consider, which increases efficiency, although not by a ton. More chiefly, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 For Galaxy SoC inside boasts up to 40% more energy savings (at least according to the manufacturer). While that doesn’t translate to a 40% longer battery life, it does ensure that your Tab S9’s battery will consistently last longer than the Tab S8’s.
If you’re buying a flagship Samsung tablet, you probably have a phone in your pocket already that can take killer pictures. That seems to be the thinking with most tablets, where camera quality is a bit of an afterthought. The Tab S8’s cameras were effective, but we wouldn’t go so far as to say they were amazing or even great. But they worked well for a tablet.
The S9 retains the same 13MP rear camera as its predecessor. However, it takes slightly better pictures now than it did on the S8’s release simply due to imaging algorithm improvements (which the S8 also benefits from). The more important upgrade is in the front-facing camera, which jumped in resolution from 6MP to 12MP. This is a little more important than it might seem at first because it makes videoconferencing or catching up with friends and family much more professional and pleasant. In the end, though, don’t expect anything more than a functional picture-taking and passable videoconferencing device; you’ll still get better pictures and video from even many midrange smartphones.
Which is right for you?
The truth is that both are excellent tablets. And while the S9 is $100 more at launch than its predecessor, it does include key hardware improvements plus an extra year of Android updates. If you don’t already own a high-end Android tablet, the S9 will serve you the best for the longest. It also offers considerably better display quality and battery life than the S8.
It’s only an iterative upgrade, but the Tab S9’s new AMOLED screen, improved battery life, slightly enhanced performance, and extra year of Android updates make it a slightly better buy than the S8.
But the S8’s not down for the count. It performs nearly the same, offers an identical software experience, and sports the refined and advanced features Samsung tablets are known for. It’s still a great option, and you might find it at a big discount as retailers offload their current stock. If you find a great deal, you’ll almost certainly be happy with the Tab S8 if you want to save money.
There wasn’t much wrong with it, and the Tab S8 remains an excellent tablet. Since the S9’s been released, you’ll be able to find it for considerably less. If the S9’s minor updates don’t mean a lot to you, the S8 is a very worthy competitor.
