Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra

One thing is for certain, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9Ultra is the best tablet for someone who is looking for a huge tablet. This tablet is definitely an upgrade from what we have seen from the previous model like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra and the major upgrade that we see is with the display screen a 14.6-inch OLED display coupled with an overall slim design that is powerful thanks to the processor found inside this tablet. Let us dive into this review to determine if this device is worth the starting price tag of  Ksh 185,000.

Design

Let’s start off by discussing the overall design of this tablet, as soon as you remove it from the box you will be mesmerized by how huge yet slim the design of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is with the dimensions of 326.4 x 208.6 x 5.5 mm you are able to tell how huge the design is but at the same time, the tablet weighs only 732 g  making it light for your hands. One disadvantage with the design of this tablet is as much as it is light you will need to hold it with your two hands while operating it. On the right side of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, you will see a  microSD card slot at the bottom of the right side while the power button and the buttons for adjusting the volume are on the upper side. When you flip the tablet to the back you are able to see two rear camera lenses plus a magnetic strip that you can use to hold and charge the Spen.

At the bottom, we find the quad speakers that have been tuned by AKG ensuring that you get an amazing audible experience when using the device. On the front, we have an in-display fingerprint scanner that is quite responsive and my favorite bit was to see the SPen magnetically attach itself to the top side of the tablet when you don’t want to place it behind next to the strip.

One would argue that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is expensive Besides the premium build of the aluminum and glass material, this tablet’s costs are high because of the the  IP68 waterproof rating found on the device that is able to resist both dust and water for up to 1.5m for 30 min. This is a protection that we haven’t seen in any other tablets making it a better upgrade from last year’s Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. If you are feeling adventurous, try out the IP68 resistant by using your tablet in the pool or even submerging it under water. For the amount you are spending in getting this device, that wouldn’t be a wise move. My favorite feature about the Tab S9 Ultra has to be the S Pen, Yes, every Galaxy tab especially from the S9 model does come with an S Pen as an accessory. But one thing that I love is the fact that every year with new released of tablets, Samsung has found ways of improving the S Pen. The S Pen can easily be charged by sticking it to the back near the dual camera module.

Display

Samsung’s main selling point this year was the expansive screen of the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra with a 14.6-inch AMOLED 2X display, This tablet will give you stunning quality of content you view on your device. Not forgetting to mention the 120Hz refresh rate that will ensure you play games smoothly on your Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra and if you want to save on your battery life on the tablet you can always lower the refresh rate of the tablet to 60 Hz.

The bigger upgrade of the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra from its predecessor the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is the Dynamic AMOLED 2X that simply makes the content displayed on the screen, vibrant and gorgeous. The display also has a screen resolution of 2960 x 1848 pixels and is compliance with HDR10 making the content displayed on the screen sharp. 

One thing is for sure you are going to enjoy viewing the content from your favorite platform be it Youtube or Netflix because of the amazing picture content provided by the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra as a result of the Vision Booster feature found on he display of all the Tab S9 series. The Vision Booster feature is able to detect the quality of light around where you are and then it will adjust the brightness level on the display automatically ensuring that you are constantly enjoying amazing colors and the saturation level is the same.

Performance

When it comes the performance, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra has Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor that runs on Android 13. This is the same processor that I have seen in other Galaxy devices that were launched this year such as a Samsung Galaxy S23 series the Z Flip 5 and the Z Fold 5. That being said, the performance of the Tab S9 Ultra is nothing to brag about, as much as you will be getting a snappier response and it will be smooth for you to transition between applications Plus it will make multi-tasking quite a breeze with this tablet.

Speaking of multitasking, Samsung One UI 5.1 that has been included in this tablet has made it easier for you to perform basic android multitasking tools such as opening two applications side by side while having a third application popping up in a window or hovering around items that are on your screen. One thing that ti loved is the ability to drag and drop images or copy text in between applications.

You have an option of purchasing this device in two memory storage options, 12GB RAM that comes with an internal storage of 256GB ROM or  512GB ROM. Alternatively, you can add a few thousand Kenyan shillings to purchase the 16GB of RAM with 1TB of internal storage. This storage option will ensure that you experience zero hiccups while using your tablet. But you have to remember that this tablet comes with a Micro SD slot that you can use to expand your storage option depending on the tablet model that you buy.

S Pen

Earlier on we had mentioned that the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra comes with an S Pen that is handy when it comes to doodling or taking notes on your tablet. One thing that I loved was seeing the whole S9 line S Pen is water resistant and dustproof, giving you peace of mind when you are using the tablet outside with the stylus, this is a major improvement done by Samsung.

When you are not using your pen, you have an option of storing the Samsung Galaxy S Pen stylus in two ways, either at the backside, next to the camera where it is magnetically held to the tablet, or at the tip edge of the galaxy tablet where it is held in place thanks to the magnetic nature of the body of the tablet.

Battery

When it comes to the battery the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra packs a massive 11200 mAh battery that can last you for up to 9 hours when the device is being used with a refresh rate of 60Hz when the refresh rate is at full capacity the battery will last you 20 minutes lesser while using the device on WIFI and the display screen setting being 150 nits of brightness. If you happen to run out of power, don’t worry, because this device comes with a 45W charger that can charge your phone from 0 to  41% in 30 minutes.

Camera

Nobody really uses their tablet, especially for a device this big to capture images and video with, but, since the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra comes with a dual rear camera of a 13 MP wide camera and an 8 MP ultrawide camera let us discuss what they can do. For starters, you are able to capture video up to 4K with a resolution of  30/60 frames per second. The images captured from the tablet will give you sharp and vibrant images that capture details perfectly. At the front, you get a 12MP ultrawide camera that can come in handy when doing video calls or capturing selfies.

Conclusion

If you are still not sure if you should purchase the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, then I am here to tell you yes. This is the best and biggest tablet there is, as the ultra name suggests with the only competitor being the 12.9-inch iPad Pro simply because it provides a powerful chip and the application ecosystem is better compared to what we see on the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra.

This tablet is still everything that one would want to have in a tablet, if you add a keyboard and a mouse, the tablet can easily replace the need of having a laptop plus it provides an amazing AMOLED display ensuring that you get an ultra experience when viewing content from your device. If you are looking for a cheaper alternative then consider getting the  Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra. 

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