Galaxy Tab A9 vs Tab A9+: More than just a size difference

Samsung's new budget tablets, called Galaxy Tab A9 and Galaxy Tab A9+, went on sale globally at the beginning of the week. Their names suggest that one is bigger than the other, but in reality, there's more that sets them apart.

On the surface, the stand-out difference between the Galaxy Tab A9 and A9+ is that the former is smaller than the latter. The standard version has an 8.7-inch screen, while the Plus model has an 11-inch panel. However, the Galaxy Tab A9+ also has a higher resolution display and a 90Hz refresh rate instead of locking out at 60Hz.

It's not hard to differentiate between the two tablets, either. The standard Tab A9 has thicker side bezels (in landscape orientation), whereas the Galaxy Tab A9+ has uniform bezels all around the display.

This bezel design makes the Galaxy A9+ look more up-to-date than its cheaper and smaller sibling. Uniform bezels have become a staple of costlier modern tablets, and the Tab A9+ looks more appealing thanks to its forward-thinking design.

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Galaxy Tab A9+ is a more powerful tablet

Samsung doesn't usually make its “Plus” devices more powerful than the standard versions. Galaxy devices carrying the Plus label can have extra features and improvements in some areas compared to standard versions, but the chipset is shared across one device series.

For example, all three Galaxy Tab S9 high-end tablets are powered by the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. And both the Galaxy Tab S9 FE and S9 FE+ rely on the Exynos 1380 chip. Not so with the Galaxy Tab A9 duo.

While the Galaxy Tab A9 is powered by the MediaTek Helio G99 chip, the Galaxy Tab A9+ sports the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 solution. The Snapdragon SoC is more powerful and performs better in mobile games.

Memory options are identical across both tablet variants, and the primary camera is, too. But the Galaxy Tab A9+ has a 5MP selfie sensor rather than a 2MP one, and it boasts four stereo speakers instead of two. It also packs a larger 7,040mAh battery instead of a 5,100mAh unit, but it may or may not offer improved battery autonomy, given its bigger screen. The bigger battery might even out with the larger display, and the tablet might post similar battery life results.

All things considered, the Galaxy Tab A9+ is not just a bigger Galaxy Tab A9. It looks different than the base model, has more power, a better screen, better speakers, and a higher resolution selfie camera. It's objectively a better tablet, and not just because it offers more screen real estate.

The Galaxy Tab A9 or Tab A9+ should serve you well as a basic multimedia tablet (A9+ more than the other). But if you're looking for a tablet with a bit more power and extra features than the Tab A9 series, you could consider the Galaxy Tab S9 FE or Tab S9 FE+.

Samsung
Galaxy Tab A9

Select model SM-X110 Buy Full specs

Samsung
Galaxy Tab A9+

Select model SM-X210 Buy Full specs