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Important points of ZDNET
- Samsung’s 2023 Galaxy tablet comes in two sizes. 10.9 inch tab S9FE Retail price is $450. 12.4 inch tab S9 FE+ For $600.
- If you need a big tablet for watching movies and multitasking on the go, but want to save money, the Tab S9 FE+ is a solid choice.
- You may experience the usual quirks of Android tablets, such as apps stretching or occasional slowdowns.
The world of affordable Android tablets continues to grow as more companies try to appeal to people who aren’t willing to spend more than $1,000 on a good Netflix machine. Samsung is once again trying to make something happen in the upper midrange space with the Galaxy Tab S9 FE series. regular S9 FE and S9 FE+. I’m reviewing the latter, which normally sells for $599…and it’s pretty good!
Also: This Samsung phone is the one most people should buy (and it’s not a flagship)
I’m not saying this is the best tablet since sliced bread. This marks the return of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab FE series after a hiatus in 2022, but the company’s midrange tablet hasn’t changed much apart from a few tweaks here and there to bring it up to 2024 standards. . The S9 FE+ is a prime example, and while it’s a boring update, it’s still a great option if you’re looking for a larger screen and longer battery life.
What really sets the Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ apart is its screen. The Samsung has a 12.4-inch 16:10 IPS LCD, which to my eyes looks as close to an OLED as it gets, even if it’s not actually an OLED. The 2560 x 1600 resolution makes content look very sharp, while colors are vibrant and contrast is surprisingly spot on. From watching movies to reading articles, I enjoy doing almost everything with this tablet. It all looks great and is what you would expect from a Samsung tablet.
Is it as beautiful as an OLED panel? No, it’s not. It doesn’t help that when something very dark is on the screen (like a movie night) the gray tints appear, but it’s acceptable at this price.
Also: iPad Air (2024) review: Apple’s M2 tablet is the iPad most people should buy
The screen sits on the front of an aluminum chassis that Samsung offers in four colors: silver, gray, lavender, and mint (the one I bought, and yes, it’s the best). It shares many similarities with other members of the Galaxy Tab series, including flat sides, circular speaker grilles, and antenna stripes. This makes it look like Apple’s iPad. If you line them up, they won’t be visible.
The Tab S9 FE isn’t the most comfortable tablet to hold for long periods of time (no tablet has flat edges), but it’s at least thin and light enough to not be tiring. After a while, it starts to dig into your hands, which isn’t very good. Again, this is true of most modern tablets. At least the bezel is thick enough so you have somewhere to rest your thumb.
Samsung has an Exynos 1380 processor under the hood, but it’s a mid-range chipset that’s not good enough to compete with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2s and Apple M1s of the world. If anything, it’s a great processor for the Galaxy Tab S9 FE+, and it delivered generally reliable performance in our tests. Apps and games respond quickly, but switching quickly between apps only slows things down a bit.
My unit has 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, which is fine for most consumers. If you want more, 12GB RAM/256GB storage optionsIt gives you more headroom, which is useful if you’re serious about multitasking on your tablet.
Related article: How to test tablets on ZDNET in 2024
The device comes with Samsung’s One UI 5.1 in addition to the excellent operating system Android 13. The Tab S9 FE+ has the usual One UI aesthetic and an all-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to features and settings, including a suite of multitasking features such as split-screen, multi-window, and DeX, which offers a desktop. We are hiring. Something like an interface to get your work done. This feature is best paired with the keyboard and mouse that Samsung sells as the Book Cover Keyboard. I didn’t get a review, but I’m sure it’s comfortable in DeX mode.
Of course, this is Android on a tablet, so you have to deal with all the weird ways apps open and scale on the display. We know that app support isn’t as bad as it was a few years ago, thanks to Google pushing more developers to optimize their apps for larger devices.
Still, it’s not perfect, and popular apps like X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Slack either don’t stretch to fill the display or stretch too much, leaving a lot of white space. By the way, this is not Samsung’s fault. It’s a bigger issue with Android that I feel obligated to mention whenever I review an Android tablet.
Related article: The best cheap tablets to buy right now: Experts’ picks
Oh, there’s one more software feature I have to mention. It’s drawing. The Tab S9 FE+ comes with an S Pen that attaches magnetically to the back for charging. Write notes, sign documents, create drawings, and sketch quickly and efficiently. Samsung has been working on the S Pen for a while now, perfecting the technology.
The Tab S9 FE+ has good battery life, which is great. In my light usage, the built-in 10,090mAh battery lasts 2-3 days on a full charge. You can easily watch a movie or two, play a game, or read an e-book on a plane. Standby is also surprisingly good. I left this tablet at 100% overnight and it only dropped to 96% the next morning. It reminds me of the durability you get from the iPad Air.
ZDNET purchase advice
If you are considering adopting, Tab S9 FE+We recommend considering exactly what you need from your next tablet. This device is perfect if you’re looking for a large screen and long battery life.
If you’re okay with something smaller, or something that acts as a second device when not in use, pixel tablet Always a great option. It has a small 10.2-inch screen, a Tensor G2 processor, and comes with a speaker dock that turns your device into a smart display.
Interested in a big tablet that lets you watch movies and multitask on the go? Take control of your spending Tab S9 FE+. There’s nothing particularly special about this device, but it’s pretty good for a general everyday use tablet (which happens to be larger than average and comes with a stylus in the box).
Editor’s note: The Amazon Prime Day sale has officially ended, so we’ve updated this page to reflect the new prices. Both models may be even cheaper on Black Friday, so keep an eye out.
Sales may sell out or expire at any time, but ZDNET remains committed to finding, sharing, and updating the best product deals to help you get the most savings. Our team of experts regularly checks the deals we share to ensure they are still valid and available. We’re sorry if you missed a deal, but don’t worry. At ZDNET.com, we’re always finding new opportunities to save and share your deals.
