Samsung Galaxy Tab S9: Everything you need to know

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S range might not be quite as dominant as its Galaxy S smartphone stablemate, but if you’re looking for a premium Android tablet that isn’t an iPad, it’s an excellent option. New reports indicate that you might want to hold off buying the current iteration though, as an updated version could be arriving soon. Here’s all we know so far about the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9.

When will the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 be released?

There’s been no official word from Samsung at the time of writing, so we’ll need to look at the past models, as well as rumours doing the rounds, for when we might see the new hardware make its debut.

Here’s when the previous Galaxy Tab iterations were released:

• Samsung Galaxy S8 – Feb 2022
• Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus – Feb 2022
• Samsung Galaxy S8 Ultra – Feb 2022
• Samsung Galaxy S7 FE – May 2021
• Samsung Galaxy S7 – Aug 2020
• Samsung Galaxy S7 Plus – Aug 2020
• Samsung Galaxy S6 – Aug 2019

The S8 range was a bit of a departure from form, moving the traditional summer release forward to February. With that month now gone, we won’t be seeing a repeat in 2023.

As we’ve already seen rumours about some technical aspects of the Tab S9, it still looks like Samsung intends to release the new generation soon, so we’d expect a return to the July/August 2023 window.

GalaxyClub in the Netherlands, which covers Samsung devices, has reported that we should see the return of the three models for 2023, including the Galaxy Tab S9, S9 Plus and S9 Ultra, each coming in Wi-Fi-only or 5G variants.

How much will the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 cost?

Again, Samsung has yet to confirm a price on the new tablet, so looking back should give us some clues.

Here’s the launch prices for the last few Samsung tablets:

• Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 – $699/£649
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus – $899/£849
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra – $1,099/£999
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 – $649/£619
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus – $849/£799
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE – $529/£449

We’d say it’s reasonable to expect the Galaxy Tab S9 range to come in at around the same price as the S8 models, albeit with the potential for a slight increase as the financial situation around the world remains somewhat challenging for both manufacturers and customers.

What new features will there be in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9?

We’re still a little in the dark on any specific upgrades that may come with the arrival of the Tab S9, but one feature that’s been widely reported is the introduction of an IP67 waterproof rating. This would mark a significant improvement, as even the iPad Pros don’t feature this kind of protection for water or dust. With an IP rating of 67, this would mean the Galaxy Tab S9 would be safe from dust and survive immersion of up to a maximum of 1 meter for 30 minutes. Not that we’d advise trying it out, but at least if the tablet should take an accidental tumble into the bath or kitchen sink, then it shouldn’t turn out to be an expensive mistake.

Another surprise that was reported by tech leaker Digital Chat Station, is that the Tab S9 range won’t come with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipsets that many people expected. That’s not to say that the new tablets won’t be upgraded, it’s just that the processors of choice appear to be the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 instead. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 came with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, and the Plus variant does offer some decent performance improvements, but it won’t be the bleeding edge that Samsung fans often have lavished upon them.

The reasons for this choice, according to Digital Chat Station, is that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 platform is too expensive, while the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is ‘enough for Android tablet productivity’. This is true, as the Plus chipset can handle plenty of the workload you might require when using the tablet for laptop-style tasks. But we think it’s still possible that the Galaxy Tab S9 may arrive loaded with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Time will tell.

Aside from these choice morsels, there’s nothing else being reported so far about the new tablets, although the reported release dates mean things shouldn’t stay a mystery for long. In the meantime, check out our roundups of the best Android tablets and best tablets to see which other devices are out there.

Author: Martyn Casserly, Contributor