Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 vs. S9+ vs. S9 Ultra: What’s the Difference?

Alongside new phones and watches, Samsung announced an updated lineup of premium tablets at its Unpacked event: the Galaxy Tab S9 ($799.99), the Tab S9+ ($999.99), and the Tab S9 Ultra ($1,199.99). These are pricey slates to be sure, but they’re clearly meant to compete against Apple’s line of high-end iPads.

Each of these Samsung tablets offers top-notch specs and a classy, durable design. Here, we cover their differences to help guide your purchase. In addition to our spec comparison below, make sure to check out our hands-on experience with the Tab S9 tablets ahead of Samsung’s Unpacked event. And we plan to fully test these tablets to coincide with their Aug. 11 launch (pre-orders are up), so make sure to check back for our full reviews.

Galaxy Tab S9 vs. Tab S9+ vs. Tab S9 Ultra: Configurations and Colors

The Tab S9 starts at $799.99 and comes with 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. Doubling the storage adds $120 to the price. These are the only configurations that come in under $1,000.

The base Tab S9+ with 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM goes for $999.99, but you can again double the storage for an extra $120. A 5G variant of this model with the base specs costs $1,149.99.

Front to back: Galaxy Tab S9, S9+, S9 Ultra (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

Samsung charges $1,199.99 for the Tab S9 Ultra with 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM. From there, you can upgrade to 512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM ($1,319.99) or 1TB of storage and 16GB of RAM ($1,6619.99).

Beige or graphite are your only options in terms of colors.

Galaxy Tab S9 vs. Tab S9+ vs. Tab S9 Ultra: Size, Screens, and Build Quality

These tablets take after the Galaxy S23 lineup in that the highest-end models are the largest. The Tab S9 measures 10.01 by 6.53 by 0.23 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.1 pounds. The Tab S9+ comes in at 11.23 by 7.30 by 0.22 inches and 1.3 pounds. The Tab S9 Ultra is by far the largest at 12.85 by 8.21 by 0.21 inches and 1.6 pounds. The larger two tablets are slightly slimmer than the S9, but they get progressively taller and wider. None is particularly suitable for one-hand use like the iPad mini or the Amazon Fire HD 8, but their rounded corners at least make for a sleek aesthetic.

Galaxy Tab S9 (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

As you might guess, the larger devices also have bigger screens: The Tab S9, S9+, and S9 Ultra respectively have 11.0-inch (2,560-by-1,600-pixel), 12.4-inch (2,800-by-1,752-pixel), and 14.6-inch (2,960-by-1,848-pixel) displays. Their pixel densities get progressively lower as the screen size increases, but those differences shouldn’t be too noticeable in real-world use. All the panels use Dynamic AMOLED 2X tech and have a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. For reference, Apple’s iPad Pro lineup doesn’t offer anything in the same size class as the Tab S9 Ultra.

Each device has a USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1 port, a fingerprint sensor under the display, and a microSD card slot that supports up to 1TB of extra storage. They each sport an IP68 rating, which means they are fully dustproof and can survive submersion at depths of up to 3 meters (about 10 feet). None of Apple’s iPads even come close to matching that last spec.

Galaxy Tab S9 vs. Tab S9+ vs. Tab S9 Ultra: Processing Power and Battery Life

All three tablets use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor, as do Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 phones. It’s a powerful, top-of-the-line chip for Android devices that first debuted in the Galaxy S23 lineup. We can’t extrapolate and say that the performance will be the same across all these devices, so we plan to run our full suite of tests during our upcoming reviews.

Front to back: Galaxy Tab S9, S9+, S9 Ultra (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

Respectively, the Tab S9, S9+, and S9 Ultra use 8,400mAh, 10,090mAh, and 11,200mAh batteries. We can’t be sure how these capacities translate into real-world results until we fully test them, but for reference, the Tab S8 ran for 7 hours and 25 minutes in our rundown test with an 11-inch screen and an 8,000mAh battery. GSMArena(Opens in a new window) reports 45W wired charging for all the devices. You get a USB-C charging cable in the box, but no power adapter, so make sure to get one that can handle that throughput.

Galaxy Tab S9 vs. Tab S9+ vs. Tab S9 Ultra: Cameras

Samsung saves its best cameras for its phones, so don’t expect much here. The Tab S9 Ultra has the best imaging capabilities of the group: a 13MP camera with autofocus and an 8MP ultra-wide camera on the rear, as well as dual front-facing 12MP sensors (with standard and ultra-wide views). The Tab S9+ gets the Ultra’s dual-camera array on the back, but only the ultra-wide selfie camera. The Tab S9 offers just the standard 13MP rear camera and the 12MP ultra-wide front camera.

Galaxy Tab S9 vs. Tab S9+ vs. Tab S9 Ultra: Connectivity and Software

All three tablets work with Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E. If you want 5G though, you need to get the Tab S9+.

The slates run Android 13 with Samsung’s OneUI overlay. The company promises four OS upgrades for the devices along with five years of security patches. Like older Samsung tablets, these can act more like a traditional computer via Samsung’s DeX mode, thus making them particularly good for productivity tasks.

Front to back: Galaxy Tab S9, S9+, S9 Ultra (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)

Galaxy Tab S9 vs. Tab S9+ vs. Tab S9 Ultra: Speakers and Accessories

New for this generation of Galaxy Tabs is an AKG-tuned quad-speaker array with support for Dolby Atmos. We’ll be sure to test the tablets’ audio quality in our reviews, as well as how the output compares with the Pixel Tablet and its Speaker Dock.

Each tablet ships with the S Pen stylus, which has an IP68 rating. The S Pen makes these tablets excellent for both artists and notetakers. Like Apple does for its iPads, Samsung sells a whole range of accessories for the tablets including various protective and keyboard covers. We recommend you pick up a keyboard case if you’re serious about getting work done.

Which Galaxy Tab S9 Is Right for You?

The Galaxy Tab S9, S9+, and S9 Ultra are all high-end tablets, but Samsung has a clear audience in mind for each.

The Tab S9’s size and price puts it in direct competition with the iPad Air; it’s worth considering if you want an Android tablet that can handle any media or games you throw at it. Meanwhile, the bigger Tab S9+ supports more RAM, offers better cameras, and distinguishes itself as the only 5G-capable model in the lineup. Finally, the S9 Ultra’s expansive screen should tempt artists and movie lovers in equal measure.

That said, don’t rule out the standard $449 Apple iPad; it’s excellent for entertainment and doesn’t cost nearly as much. If you’re looking to spend even less and just want a tablet to watch videos and browse the web, the $149.99 Amazon Fire HD 10 is also worth a look.

Want to keep up with all our latest Samsung coverage? Check out our Unpacked landing page.