First Look: Samsung's Galaxy Tab S9 Series Goes All-In on OLED

pcmag.com:

At first glance, Samsung's new Galaxy Tab S9 tablets don’t seem all that different from those in the Tab S8 lineup. But a closer look reveals the 11-inch Tab S9 (starting at $799.99), the 12.4-inch Tab S9+ (starting at $999.99), and the 14.6-inch Tab S9 Ultra (starting at $1,199.99) all feature updated OLED panels with a 120Hz refresh rate, run on the latest chips, and offer impressive durability.

These are promising upgrades, but note that each variant comes at a $100 premium over its counterpart from the previous generation. We plan to fully evaluate their respective value when we get the tablets in for testing nearer to their August 11 launch, but in the meantime, we have some initial impressions after handling the slates briefly ahead of Samsung's Unpacked event.

All three tablets use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip, which proved more than powerful enough to quickly launch apps and make everything feel responsive in our time with them. I anticipate the tablets to be excellent for gaming, as this is the same high-end SoC as in the Galaxy S23 phones.

Each model feels premium, has comfortably rounded corners, and distributes its weight well. Their designs aren't revolutionary, but they never distract from the stars of the show—the vibrant, sharp OLED screens. As for color options, beige or graphite are your only choices.

Each tablet includes a fingerprint sensor under the display, has a microSD card slot that supports up to 1TB of storage, and comes with an S-Pen stylus. An IP68 rating means they can fully resist dust ingress and survive submersion at depths of up to 3 meters—even the bundled S-Pen has an IP68 rating. For reference, none of Apple's iPads offer an IP rating.

Every member of the Tab S9