TechComputers & PCsLaptopsSamsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra review: mega-tablet is an ideal laptop alternativeThe Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is a powerful slate with a massive 14.6-inch screenWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Samsung)T3 VerdictThanks to its 14.6-inch screen and top-of-the-range processor, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is good enough to be a laptop replacement – not only an amazing big-screen tablet. It’ll be able to cope with all sorts of creative and practical tasks, too, thanks to the inclusion of the S Pen stylus. Plus it’ll look good doing it all the while – although it does come at a rather hefty price.Reasons to buy+Impressive 14.6-inch AMOLED display – it’s huge!+IP68 waterproof rating for durability+S Pen stylus included in the box+Long-lasting batteryReasons to avoid-That display is prone to fingerprint marks-No keyboard included (you can buy one)-Simply too big for mobile games-Expensive for a tabletWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
TechComputers & PCsLaptopsSamsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra review: mega-tablet is an ideal laptop alternativeThe Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is a powerful slate with a massive 14.6-inch screenWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Samsung)T3 VerdictThanks to its 14.6-inch screen and top-of-the-range processor, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is good enough to be a laptop replacement – not only an amazing big-screen tablet. It’ll be able to cope with all sorts of creative and practical tasks, too, thanks to the inclusion of the S Pen stylus. Plus it’ll look good doing it all the while – although it does come at a rather hefty price.Reasons to buy+Impressive 14.6-inch AMOLED display – it’s huge!+IP68 waterproof rating for durability+S Pen stylus included in the box+Long-lasting batteryReasons to avoid-That display is prone to fingerprint marks-No keyboard included (you can buy one)-Simply too big for mobile games-Expensive for a tabletWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is a powerful slate with a massive 14.6-inch screen
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Samsung)T3 VerdictThanks to its 14.6-inch screen and top-of-the-range processor, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is good enough to be a laptop replacement – not only an amazing big-screen tablet. It’ll be able to cope with all sorts of creative and practical tasks, too, thanks to the inclusion of the S Pen stylus. Plus it’ll look good doing it all the while – although it does come at a rather hefty price.Reasons to buy+Impressive 14.6-inch AMOLED display – it’s huge!+IP68 waterproof rating for durability+S Pen stylus included in the box+Long-lasting batteryReasons to avoid-That display is prone to fingerprint marks-No keyboard included (you can buy one)-Simply too big for mobile games-Expensive for a tablet
(Image credit: Samsung)
(Image credit: Samsung)
T3 VerdictThanks to its 14.6-inch screen and top-of-the-range processor, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is good enough to be a laptop replacement – not only an amazing big-screen tablet. It’ll be able to cope with all sorts of creative and practical tasks, too, thanks to the inclusion of the S Pen stylus. Plus it’ll look good doing it all the while – although it does come at a rather hefty price.Reasons to buy+Impressive 14.6-inch AMOLED display – it’s huge!+IP68 waterproof rating for durability+S Pen stylus included in the box+Long-lasting batteryReasons to avoid-That display is prone to fingerprint marks-No keyboard included (you can buy one)-Simply too big for mobile games-Expensive for a tablet
T3 VerdictThanks to its 14.6-inch screen and top-of-the-range processor, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is good enough to be a laptop replacement – not only an amazing big-screen tablet. It’ll be able to cope with all sorts of creative and practical tasks, too, thanks to the inclusion of the S Pen stylus. Plus it’ll look good doing it all the while – although it does come at a rather hefty price.
T3 Verdict
Thanks to its 14.6-inch screen and top-of-the-range processor, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is good enough to be a laptop replacement – not only an amazing big-screen tablet. It’ll be able to cope with all sorts of creative and practical tasks, too, thanks to the inclusion of the S Pen stylus. Plus it’ll look good doing it all the while – although it does come at a rather hefty price.
Reasons to buy+Impressive 14.6-inch AMOLED display – it’s huge!+IP68 waterproof rating for durability+S Pen stylus included in the box+Long-lasting batteryReasons to avoid-That display is prone to fingerprint marks-No keyboard included (you can buy one)-Simply too big for mobile games-Expensive for a tablet
Reasons to buy+Impressive 14.6-inch AMOLED display – it’s huge!+IP68 waterproof rating for durability+S Pen stylus included in the box+Long-lasting battery
Impressive 14.6-inch AMOLED display – it’s huge!
IP68 waterproof rating for durability
S Pen stylus included in the box
Long-lasting battery
Reasons to avoid-That display is prone to fingerprint marks-No keyboard included (you can buy one)-Simply too big for mobile games-Expensive for a tablet
That display is prone to fingerprint marks
No keyboard included (you can buy one)
Simply too big for mobile games
Expensive for a tablet
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra deals
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First revealed at aSamsung Galaxy Unpacked event in August 2023, the shiny new Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series includes three devices: the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, Tab S9+ and Tab S9. It’s the Ultra model on review here is the biggest of the lot, as you might have guessed from the name.
I’ve been using the Samsung Galaxy S9 Ultra for a week for this test and here you’ll be able to find out exactly what I thought about it – pros, cons, quirks and all – before you decide whether to take the plunge and buy one or not. It’s a big decision at this kind of price, after all…
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra: price & what’s new?
Today’s best Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra deals$626.74View$1,219$999.95ViewLow Stock$999.95ViewShow More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra deals$626.74View$1,219$999.95ViewLow Stock$999.95ViewShow More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra deals
$626.74View$1,219$999.95ViewLow Stock$999.95View
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You’ll be able to buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra with 5G connectivity for £1349/$1349, or if you want to save some cash you can also buy a Wi-Fi-only version, which will set you back £1199/$1199 for the base configuration with 256GB of storage. It is slightly pricier than the previous generation was at launch, which begs the question, what’s changed?
Perhaps the most significant difference is that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra now comes with anIP68 rating– which means it’s now fully water- and dust-proof. To add to that, there’s now a Beige colourway as well as the standard Graphite, the latestQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processorpowers the slate, and there’s a new 1TB storage option if you’re feeling very flush.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra review: design & display
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
The design of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra doesn’t look that different to the previous S8 Ultra model, especially from the front. It’s a big slim slate with a 14.6-inch display, super thin bezels and a small camera notch with two lenses across the top.
Flip the device over and you’ll see the Armor Aluminium body, which feels tough and looks premium – I tried out the Graphite, as you can see from the pictures, but would have liked to see the Beige model. There are two camera lenses that stick out from the top right-hand side of the tablet, placed next to a magnetic wireless charging strip for the S Pen stylus – which is helpfully included in the box.
Around the frame, Samsung has kept things pretty simple: all you get is a USB-C port, the power button, a volume rocker, plus the magnetic attachment for accessories like the optional Slim Book Cover Keyboard which you can buy separately.
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
The screen itself is a 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 2960 x 1848 resolution (WQXGA+). And just like its predecessor, it’s a stunner. Crystal clear, glossy, bright and colourful, it’s fantastic for everything from streaming blockbusters and online shopping to tablet art and photo editing. The only qualms I had with it were that it’s prone to dirty fingerprint marks – which could be a pain to wipe away – and in bright sunlight it created a lot of glare which made it quite difficult to see.
To unlock the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, there’s an in-display fingerprint sensor which worked quickly and efficiently each time I went to use it. You can also use facial recognition, a PIN or a pattern to get into the tablet. Choices, choices.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra review: features & cameras
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra runs on theAndroid13 operating system with Samsung’s One UI 5.1.1 over the top. For those whodointend to use this like a laptop, the interface looks like a cross between Android and Windows because you navigate largely from a taskbar at the bottom of the screen. You’ll also get Samsung’s DeX mode which transforms the interface into an even more desktop-like experience – although not all Android apps are optimised for it just yet.
The S Pen is undoubtedly one of the best tablet styluses around because it does feel quite lifelike, more like pen to paper. It’s sensitive to both pressure and tilt which means you can draw and write on the tablet super accurately with your usual style of handwriting, and it even makes a sound that replicates pen on paper which I found pretty satisfying. Not only that but you can also turn your handwriting from the S Pen into typed text in a lot of Google apps including Gmail, Messages and Maps.
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
If you plan to use this as a laptop then you will undoubtedly need to buy the Slim Book Cover Keyboard which doesn’t come included in the box. It is a bit of a shame because it’ll set you back an extra £/$200 – which isn’t cheap when you add up the full package cost!
When it comes to cameras, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra has two 12MP shooters on the front, with a 13MP main camera and an 8MP ultrawide lens on the back. For video calling and the occasional selfie, the front cameras do plenty. The images they produce are sharp with decent colours which are true to life. The same can’t be said for the rear cameras, though, as the results are a little disappointing – they will hardly match up to shots taken on your smartphone.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra review: performance & battery
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
To compare it more accurately to the previous generation, I ran the Geekbench 5 benchmarking test on it. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra picked up scores of 1,221 single-core and 3,334 in multi-core, while the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra has clearly taken things up a notch with its scores of 2,135 and 5,643 respectively.
With this jump in performance, Samsung’s tablets have managed to keep up withApple’s top devices. In the same test, theApple iPad Air (2022)got 1,713 for single-core performance and 7,274 for multi-core, while theApple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2021)picked up scores of 1,720 and 6,869 respectively.
In real-world terms, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra will be able to manage all sorts of tasks whether that’s a shedload of mobile gaming, a busy workload, or simply a lot of open apps at once. It means you’ll be able to comfortably use this as an alternative to one of thebest laptopsif you wanted because it will be able to handle it.
To complement that, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra has the latest Wi-Fi 6E connectivity as well as 5G to stay connected when you’re out and about, should you want to, which you can access using an eSIM.
Charging it up again took just over 2 hours using a 30W charger. It does support up to 45W charging, although there’s no adaptor included in the box, you only get the USB-C cable itself.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra review: verdict
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Anyone considering buying a tablet to replace their laptop should keep the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra in mind – whether this 5G model on review, or the slightly more affordable (but still expensive) Wi-Fi-only version.
Whether you need it for work or play, the Tab S9 Ultra’s 14.6-inch screen is big enough for just about any task, be that organising your spreadsheets, typing out documents, drawing detailed masterpieces, or multitasking across a number of apps at once. Although admittedly, it might be too big for some people, particularly if you plan to play lots of games or if you want something you can easily slot into your bag on the move.
The hardware undeniably helps make this a good alternative to a laptop, ensuring enough power to get you smoothly through the day, while the array of features across Android 13 and Samsung’s One UI means you can get everything done in the most practical way possible.
Having the S Pen included in the box is another perk, especially for notetaking and creative work, but to make the most out of the tablet’s capabilities you should definitely spend the extra cash on the keyboard cover.
Granted there haven’t been tonnes of changes to the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra over the older S8 Ultra model, so it’s not really one for upgraders. But the few adjustments there have been, like the improved processor and the new waterproof rating, make this a much better buy for first-timers. And if you’re already a Samsung user then it’s a no-brainer to choose a Samsung Tab because the ecosystem ties in really well together.
Also consider
For those who are set on buying a tablet that transforms into a laptop, theMicrosoft Surface Pro 8could be the best choice. Like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, this one lets you use it both with and without a keyboard but this one feels a bit more like a computer to use because it runs on the Windows 11 operating system.
If you don’t mind splashing out, and you already own aniPhone, then you should look into theApple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2022). iPads don’t get better than this especially if you plan to do anything demanding like photo or video editing, it’s seriously quick to use and the screen is absolutely amazing as well.
Today’s best Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, Microsoft Surface Pro 8 and Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2022) dealsSamsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra$1,219$999.95ViewSee all pricesMicrosoft Surface Pro 8$789$743.99ViewSee all pricesApple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2022)$1,194.95ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, Microsoft Surface Pro 8 and Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2022) dealsSamsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra$1,219$999.95ViewSee all pricesMicrosoft Surface Pro 8$789$743.99ViewSee all pricesApple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2022)$1,194.95ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, Microsoft Surface Pro 8 and Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2022) dealsSamsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra$1,219$999.95ViewSee all pricesMicrosoft Surface Pro 8$789$743.99ViewSee all pricesApple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2022)$1,194.95ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, Microsoft Surface Pro 8 and Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2022) deals
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra$1,219$999.95ViewSee all pricesMicrosoft Surface Pro 8$789$743.99ViewSee all pricesApple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2022)$1,194.95ViewSee all prices
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra$1,219$999.95ViewSee all prices
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra$1,219$999.95ViewSee all prices
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
$1,219$999.95View
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Microsoft Surface Pro 8$789$743.99ViewSee all prices
Microsoft Surface Pro 8$789$743.99ViewSee all prices
Microsoft Surface Pro 8
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Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2022)$1,194.95ViewSee all prices
Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2022)$1,194.95ViewSee all prices
Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2022)
Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2022)
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Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra: Price Comparison
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