Intro
Summer is upon us, which means one thing and one thing only––Samsung is about to make the the upcoming weeks quite hot by unveiling a whole flurry of exciting new devices.
The Galaxy Tab S9+, likely striking the best balance between (rumored) available features and potential pricing, making it the tablet you probably should be considering.
So, what’s the deal with the upcoming Galaxy Tab S9+, and what new features is Samsung seemingly throwing in?
What’s new about the device
- Fast new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset
- Galaxy S23-like rear camera design
- IP67 water resistance
- New 8MP secondary camera
- Dual selfie camera
Table of Contents:
Galaxy Tab S9+ Specs
Little changes
| Specs | Galaxy Tab S9+ |
|---|---|
| Size and Weight | 185.0 x 285.0 x 5.7 mm, 567gr |
| Display | 12.4-inch, 2800 x 1752 pixels, Super AMOLED, 120Hz |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy |
| RAM, Storage and Price | 8GB RAM/128 GB storage for $899 |
| Software | OneUI 5.1 |
| Cameras | 13MP wide-angle camera 8MP ultra wide-angle camera |
| Battery Size | 10,090mAh |
| Charging Speeds | 45W wired charging |
Galaxy Tab S9+ Design & Colors
No major differences
Judging from all the rumors and leaked renders out there, there wouldn’t be any major differences in terms of the overall design. Actually, from the looks of it, you might as well mistake the Galaxy Tab S9+ for the Galaxy Tab S8+, as there are few if any changes in the design language. Possibly the biggest inter-generational change is the rear camera assembly of the upcoming Galaxy Tab S9+, which will be styled after the Galaxy S23 series and feature isolated pop-out camera lens.
With rumored dimensions of 285.4 x 185.4 x 5.6mm, the Tab S9+ will be just as large as its predecessor, and likely weigh just as much––567gr.
This also means that the svelte and stylish body of Samsung’s mid-sized tablet is still as premium and as compact as it gets, with a thin body and premium materials used in the mix. One big change could be the arrival of IP67 dust- and water-resistance on the device, which would be a first for a Samsung tablet. Although good, IP67 isn’t as all-encompassing as the IP68 rating; with IP67, you can expect the device to be protected for up to 30 minutes in up to 1 meter of water.
In terms of colors, rumors have it that Samsung could play things extremely conservative and only offer the Galaxy Tab S9+ in Silver and Beige colors. That could be a change for the bad in comparison with the Galaxy Tab S8 series, which were available in Graphite, Silver, Pink, and Gold, while the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra was only available in Graphite.
Galaxy Tab S9+ Display
There probably wouldn’t be any major changes with the Galaxy Tab S9+ display, which would probably inherit most of the specs from its predecessor.
So, we are most certainly getting a 12.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with up to 120Hz refresh rate, which would make things super-smooth. With a resolution of 2800 by 1752 pixels, the tablet’s screen will be sharp enough, but don’t expect it to blow you out of the water with its sharpness. Still, perfectly good for regular usage.
There are rumors that the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra would support 120% of the DCI-P3 color profile, which would make it extremely color-accurate. Chances are that this feature wouldn’t trickle down to the Galaxy Tab S9+, though we definitely hope it does.
Just like the Tab S8+, the Galaxy Tab S9+ would most certainly feature an in-display optical fingerprint scanner which would act as the main biometric method of choice on the tablet. 2D-based picture face unlock will likely make the rounds as well.
Galaxy Tab S9+ Camera
Little changes
While tablet cameras are almost always an afterthought, merely existing at the back of our tablets and only used occasionally in some situations. It doesn’t seem like the Galaxy Tab S9+ will be the device to break away from this vicious cycle, and honestly, nobody expects it to do so.
The front camera is much more important as it is often used in video calls, and we’re hopeful that the Galaxy Tab S9+ will retain the 12MP front snapper of the Tab S8+, which was actually pretty decent as far as image quality goes.
Galaxy Tab S9+ Performance & Benchmarks
Snapdragon on steroids
Just like the Galaxy S23 series, the Galaxy Tab S9 series will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset. This one is a slightly souped-up version of the chip, which has a slightly higher maximum clock rate of 3.36GHz, a 0.16GHz increase over the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, which runs at 3.2GHz at the maximum.
In terms of storage, the Galaxy Tab S9+ is likely coming with 8GB of RAM and probably starts at 128GB of native storage. We have high hopes that the microSD card slot will be retained on the Tab S9+, so that you would be able to pop an extra storage card in and offload some data.
Galaxy Tab S9+ OS / Android version
The Galaxy Tab S9+ will most probably arrive with Android 13 with Samsung’s own One UI 5.1 interface running atop. Full of extra features and refinements over stock Android, Samsung’s custom interface is definitely in its current best state right now, with lots and lots of useful additions that set it apart from the competition.
Galaxy Tab S9+ Battery
Samesies
As per the leaked specs of the tablet, Samsung will grace the Galaxy Tab S9+ with the same-sized battery as the one that made an appearance inside the Tab S8+. A 10,090mAh battery will be powering the device, which fills us with high hopes about the potential endurance of the upcoming device. Paired with a faster, and therefore more efficient chip, the Galaxy S9+ will likely outlast its predecessor.
Galaxy Tab S9+ Charging Speeds
The Galaxy Tab S9+ will support 45W charging speeds, which should provide a relatively speedy top-up of the tablet. As the Galaxy Tab S8 series skipped wall adapters inside the box, we are sceptic that Samsung would include the essential accessory inside the Galaxy Tab S9 series.
Galaxy Tab S9+ Models
The Galaxy Tab S9+ is coming alongside the Galaxy Tab S9 and the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, but Samsung will also be releasing the Galaxy Tab S9 FE and Galaxy Tab S9 FE+.
The Tab S9 will be a slightly smaller version of the Galaxy Tab S9+, while the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra will have the best specs and be much larger than the other two.
Galaxy Tab S9+ Competitors
The Galaxy Tab S9+ is certainly beefing up with multiple devices.
Chief among these are a selection of iPads, chief among which is the iPad Pro 12.9-inch. With a slightly larger display, it’s a Pro device with superb performance, a very decent 120Hz mini-LED display, and finally, Apple Pencil support as well as an optional Magic Keyboard accessory. Definitely a worthy competitor to consider.
The iPad Air 5th Gen, with the M1 chip inside, is another potential rival. But so are Samsung’s older Galaxy Tab S+ tablets, like the Galaxy Tab S8+ and the Galaxy Tab S7+. Even though they might not come with the latest hardware, both of those older devices are still very, very capable of handling most tasks you might throw at them, including all of your media and productivity needs.
Galaxy Tab S9+ Summary and Final Verdict
The Galaxy Tab S9+ is shaping up to be a mild refresh of Samsung’s existing tablet lineup. It took two years for Samsung to follow up its Galaxy Tab S8 series, and the improvements are likely very minimal. This is only an attestation to how decent Samsung’s tablets have been, at least in the eyes of Samsung, that is.
We have high hopes for the upcoming S Pen-wielding tablet, and judging from previous years, Samsung is unlikely to disappoint us.
