Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra hands-on review: go big or go home

No, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra isn’t compensating for something. Samsung’s latest hero tablet is about as big as they come, and has the heavyweight internals to back it up. The 14.6in slate dwarfs the largest iPad Pro, and wants to usurp your laptop as a do-it-all machine for work and play. It’s the headline act of a new three-model range, which includes the 12.4in Tab S9+, and 11in Tab S9.

With a bundled S Pen stylus, gorgeous AMOLED screen, and huge battery, there’s an awful lot to like – but it isn’t the only big-screen Android tablet in town any more. The Lenovo Tab Extreme is equally well-endowed, and can be had for significantly less cash. Has Samsung done enough to come out on top – and maybe even worry Apple? We got the chance to try all three models out ahead of their official unveiling to find out.

Design & build: svelte stunner

At a scant 5.9mm, the Tab S9 Ultra is a seriously slim tablet. Sure, those two rear camera lenses protrude out a bit, as does the magnetically stashed S Pen, but this sliver of aluminium is as skinny as they come. And yet it feels wonderfully sturdy, with Gorilla Glass up front to keep the expansive screen free from scrapes and scratches. It’s a bit unwieldy, but at 732g isn’t so heavy you can’t hold it with one hand. The smaller Tab S9+ and Tab S9 are admittedly more manageable, though.

More impressive is the fact Samsung has added IP68 water resistance, meaning you can fully dunk the thing in the drink and it’ll emerge no worse for wear. It’s the only mainstream tab that can pull this off (until now only specific, ruggedised models were waterproof), and while we doubt many owners are going to be sketching or scribbling from the swimming pool, you’ll be fully protected from accidental drink spills or surprise rain showers.

The overall look hasn’t changed from last year’s Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, meaning clean lines, rounded corners and minimal branding. The distinctive angular display notch also returns, to make room for a pair of 12MP selfie cams (one ultrawide, one less so). We didn’t find it too distracting during our time with the Tab, especially as most 16:9 videos added a bit of letterboxing, rendering it largely invisible.

We like Samsung has made the built-in S Pen charger bidirectional now, so it doesn’t matter which way round you put it back after taking notes or drawing. The magnets are as strong as ever, so should keep the Pen in place if you slide the Tab into your bag. Pogo pins on the bottom edge are ready to dock with Samsung’s official keyboard cover, which was a breeze to type on and had a handful of useful shortcut keys.

There’s an under-display fingerprint sensor for security, though we didn’t get the chance to register our digits and check how quickly it could recognise them. Based on previous Samsung tablets, we’re expecting it to be nothing if not speedy.

Screen & sound: Atmos-pheric

Yes, it’s absolutely huge, but that wasn’t our biggest takeaway from Tab S9 Ultra’s screen. We were more impressed by the superb fidelity and impactful colours, courtesy of the 2960×1848 resolution AMOLED panel. Still images had real impact, and HDR content (even stuff streamed via YouTube) had plenty of depth.

Text looks pin-sharp, and the 16:10 aspect ratio should be expansive enough to read ebooks and digital magazines without constantly having to pinch in for smaller text boxes. Two apps comfortably fit side-by-side in split view, too.

The dynamic 120Hz refresh rate ensured web pages scrolled seamlessly, and helps the S Pen feel even more responsive, with next to no delay between making each stroke and it appearing onscreen. The slim screen bezels don’t leave much room for your hands, so we found writing and drawing was best done with the tablet laid flat on a table, or propped up at an angle using one of the optional folio cases.

Samsung has boosted brightness this year, which should help it better compete with the current crop of Apple iPad Pros. A side-by-side comparison will have to wait until a full review, though.

We didn’t get the chance to properly crank the Tab S9 Ultra’s quad speakers, which are about 20% larger than the ones found in last year’s model. They support Dolby Atmos spatial audio, but so do plenty of lesser gadgets – we’ll wait until we get one in the office to see if it actually adds any dimension to movies or games.

Performance & battery life: doesn’t get quicker

Samsung has expanded its partnership with Qualcomm from smartphones to tablets, meaning all three Tab S9 models are powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy. This custom-tuned chip runs faster than the regular one used by rival tech firms, and because it has more room for cooling than a phone, it’ll keep that pace up for longer.

With just a handful of preinstalled apps on offer, there wasn’t the chance to properly push the Tab S9 Ultra during our hands-on session; benchmarks, games and serious testing will have to wait. But we had no complaints in how well it launched apps, managed multitasking and swiped through home screens. The 12GB or 16GB of RAM certainly helps, depending on which model you go for.

Will it be able to maintain that performance for days at a time? The 11,200mAh battery might be unchanged from last year, but the more efficient CPU hopefully means the Tab S9 Ultra should outlast its predecessor, which managed several days of casual use and about 10 hours of continuous video playback in our testing.

Charging should still be a fairly zippy 45W, although you don’t get a charger included in the box any more.

Software experience: DEX-trous

Android has always lagged behind iPadOS when it comes to productivity, but combined efforts by Google and Samsung are helping to turn that around. Popular iOS note-taking app GoodNotes makes the leap this year, joining other big hitters like the LumaFusion video editor, Clip Studio Paint art program, and ArcSite CAD design tool. Samsung has snapped up the lot as “top picks” for the Tab S9 series.

It helps that the latest version of OneUI continues to be the best take on tablet productivity you’ll find on any Android device. The always-present taskbar lets you quickly jump into different apps or launch split-screen multitasking, and the S Pen brings more precision than your fingers. DEX mode also makes a return, so you can hook the tablet up to an external monitor, keyboard and mouse for a desktop-like experience.

We’ve yet to see Multi-control, which lets you manage your Samsung smartphone using the tablet, in action. It’s supposed to speed up file sharing and save you from constantly swapping between devices, which could be handy if you snap a lot of photos or shoot video while on the move.

Cameras: double the fun

Tablets almost always play second fiddle to smartphones when it comes to cameras, even when you’re paying some serious wedge. We won’t be able to judge the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra’s image quality until we get one in for review, but Samsung has at least given it some capable hardware.

At the back there’s a 13MP main sensor with autofocus, plus an 8MP ultrawide – a step up from the 6MP one seen in last year’s Tab S8 Ultra. On the front there are two 12MP sensors, which get Samsung’s take on the subject tracking Center Stage feature found on recent iPad Pros.

The camera app also has most of the shooting modes you’ll find on Samsung’s phones, including Portrait, Pro and Night modes. The firm has some of the best image processing around, and we thought that last year’s Tab S8 Ultra’s cameras held their own in the tablet world, so are expecting similar results here.

Opting for one of the other Tab S9 models means a slightly different camera setup. The Tab S9+ keeps the second rear lens but drops down to a single front-facing one (and loses the notch in the process); the Tab S9 has a single snapper on each side.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra initial verdict

Samsung was already most people’s top pick for a cutting-edge Android tablet. That isn’t going to change now the Tab S9 Ultra has arrived. On first impression it’s an absolute powerhouse, with a gorgeous screen and very slick software. You’d hope as much, given the price, but there’s enough functionality that many people could happily replace their laptop with one.

All three Tab S9 models undercut their closest-matched iPad Pro to varying amounts, and don’t make you pay extra for a stylus, but Android still feels a step behind on third-party software support. Can it convince creative pros, who would normally default to an Apple tablet? That remains to be seen.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra technical specifications

Screen	14.6in 2960×1848 AMOLED w/ 120Hz
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
Memory	12/16GB RAM
Cameras	13MP main + 8MP ultrawide rear 12MP + 12MP ultrawide front
Storage	256GB/512GB/1TB
Operating system	Android 13 w/ OneUI
Battery	11,200mAh
Dimensions	209x326x5.5mm, 732g (Wi-Fi) / 737g (5G)