Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra vs Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra: Battle of the giants

The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is Samsung's latest flagship tablet, and it succeeds last year's gigantic Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. It is available for pre-order already. Although the new model looks extremely similar to the older one, it brings a few improvements in hardware and software. It has a faster processor, some tweaks to the screen and the S Pen, louder speakers, and a more durable design. So, deciding which tablet to get or whether to upgrade from the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra to the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra can be quite confusing.

In this article, we will lay down their specifications and compare them to help you in shaping your purchase decision.

Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra vs Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra: What has improved?

The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra and the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra sport 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x screens with QHD+ resolution, a 120Hz variable refresh rate, and an in-display fingerprint reader. The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra has Vision Booster, which helps in producing better colors in outdoor conditions. The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra also has a 20% louder quad-speaker setup.

Both tablets come bundled with the S Pen that attaches magnetically to the back for charging. However, only the one on the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. Moreover, it can charge regardless of its orientation.

Speaking of an IP68 rating, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is resistant to dust and water, so if you're someone who commutes a lot or spends time beside a pool or on a beach, Samsung's newest flagship tablet better suits your needs.

The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra comes equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 For Galaxy processor, up to 16GB RAM, up to 1TB storage, and a microSD card slot. The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra topped out at 16GB RAM and 512GB storage. The new chip, combined with an improved vapor chamber cooling system, offers better performance and, more importantly, more stable performance under sustained workloads like continuous gaming or 4K video editing.

The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra was launched with Android 12 onboard, while the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra comes pre-installed with Android 13-based One UI 5.1.1 software.

Samsung's new flagship tablet also comes with an 8MP ultrawide camera on the rear instead of a 6MP ultrawide camera on the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. The new tablet also features Bluetooth 5.3 and is compatible with the S Pen Creator Edition. The new and optional S Pen has a grippy surface and a wider tilt angle for better drawing.

Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra vs Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra: What has stayed the same?

A lot of features and specifications of the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra and the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra are similar. As we mentioned earlier, both tablets have 14.6-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X screens with a notch to accommodate a dual-12MP front-facing camera setup. They also have a 13MP rear-facing primary camera. Both the front and rear-facing cameras on the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra and the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra are capable of recording up to 4K 60fps videos.

As mentioned earlier, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra has a slightly higher resolution (8MP vs 6MP) ultrawide camera on the rear. The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra and the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra are eligible to receive four major Android OS updates and five years of security updates. Both devices are made using an aluminum unibody shell.

Both tablets also feature an in-display fingerprint reader, 5G connectivity (cellular models), GPS, Wi-Fi 6E, and a USB 3.2 Type-C port. Both tablets feature Samsung DeX (wired and wireless). They're powered by the same 11,200mAh battery that can fast-charge at 45W.

Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra vs Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra: Which one should you get?

If you absolutely want the smoothest performance or the IP68 rating, you should consider the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. However, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is good enough for most people. It has the same screen, enough RAM and storage, similar cameras, connectivity features, and battery capacity as the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, but it will now be available at a much lower price.

So, if you want to save some money, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is almost as good as the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra for a lot less. If you decide to get the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, though, you can pre-order it here and get the Slim Book Keyboard Cover worth £200 for free.

• Pre-order Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra

Samsung
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra

Select model SM-X910 Buy Full specs

Samsung
Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra

Select model SM-X900 Buy Full specs