Samsung Galaxy Tab S9
The latest iteration of Samsung’s S series tablet follows in the footsteps of its predecessors with an eye-watering price tag. It attempts to justify that premium price with a gorgeous AMOLED display, improved performance and battery life, a sharper front-facing camera, and the addition of dust- and water-proofing.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7
At launch, the Tab S7 was easily one of the best Android tablets on the market, and it’s aged fairly well in a number of ways - even the 2560x1600 TFT display still looks pretty sharp. That’s especially true considering that it’s now available at a significant discount compared to later generations.
The Galaxy Unpacked 2023 event unleashed the S9 series of tablets on the world, with a lineup including thevanilla S9, the middle S9+, and the big brother of the family, theTab S9 Ultra. While they generally look like solid upgrades to an already thriving line of tablets, they’re also fairly iterative, so you may be wondering if they’re worth paying the premium price for.
Perhaps you’re considering going back a couple generations and picking up the Tab S7, which can currently be had for a fraction of the price of the new releases (and was one of thebest Android tabletsat the time of its release) - or maybe you’re an existing Tab S7 user wondering it if’s time to throw down some cash on an upgrade.
We’ll break down all the pros and cons of both options to help you decide if Samsung’s latest can justify its steep price tag.
Price, availability, and specs
The Galaxy Tab S9 is widely available from Samsung and all the usual tech retailers, and will set you back a tidy $800 for an 8+128GB model - and $920 if you upgrade that to 12+256GB.
Finding a brand-new Tab S7 at this point can be something of a challenge, though the tablet is available on Amazon for a much-reduced $580. Renewed and rejuvenated models are widely available, and run even cheaper, so it’s not uncommon to find them for less than half of the new Tab S9’s MSRP.
The design of the two tablets hasn’t dramatically shifted across the intervening generations. The dimensions of both tablets are pretty similar, with 11-inch displays and the S9 coming in at a mere .4mm slimmer and 2 grams lighter. They both feature magnetic docks on the rear of the chassis to stow the S Pen (one of which is included with both tablets, though it’s worth noting that the S9 comes with the new, lower latency version).
The S7 has a continuous channel that links the magnetic dock directly to the rear-facing cameras; on the S9, the rear camera is fully separate from the dock.
One of the major upgrades of the Tab S9 family over previous generations is the display. While the resolution and refresh rate are the same between the Tab S9 and Tab S7, the Tab S9’s display is a crisp AMOLED panel (compared to the S7’s TFT LCD), meaning a wider color gamut and enhanced contrast ratio.
That said, even though the Tab S9’s display is clearly superior, the S7 still looks clear and sharp, so the differences to the naked eye aren’t that stark.
Software support is largely the same across both tablets, as Samsung does an admirable job of future-proofing its mobile devices to support later software upgrades. The company has committed to four years of Android updates and a fifth of security patches for all of its flagship devices manufactured from 2019 onward, which includes the S7 (released in August 2020). The processor isn’t so antiquated that it would be unable to run the vast majority of modern apps as well.
The difference of course is that since the Tab S9 is three years more recent, it will also receive software support for three years longer than the Tab S7 - all the way through to 2028.
Performance
Another key upgrade introduced in the S9 family is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset. This broadly means the S9 will deliver snappier performance and shorter load times compared to the older tablet, especially when paired with the upgraded RAM (the S9 comes with 8GB of RAM by default, against the Tab S7’s 6GB).
Even at launch, the S7 was a teensy bit more sluggish than other contemporary tablets, so the S9’s improved processor is a very welcome update.
Battery life
Although the Tab S7 was lauded around release for its excellent battery life, the Tab S9 packs an even more capacious 8,400 mAh battery (the Tab S7 clocks in at 8,000 mAh). However, the S9’s OLED panel draws more power than the Tab S7’s, which means that while the S9’s overall battery life is longer, it’s not a staggering improvement.
Both the Tab S7 and Tab S9 feature a 13MP rear main camera, and performanc between the two is largely similar. However, the S9’s front-facing camera is a significant upgrade from the S7’s. While the S7’s front-facing camera was a standard 8MP model, the S9’s has been updated to a 12MP ultrawide version for improved clarity and perspective.
One point in the old tablet’s favour is that the Tab S7 features an additional 5MP ultra-wide rear camera, but the Tab S9 has removed the second rear camera entirely, leaving only the single main camera on the back of the chassis.
Which is right for you?
While the Tab S9 is undeniably the better tablet, which will best suit you largely comes down to your priorities.
If you place significant value on the AMOLED screen, need top performance for demanding work or gaming, or don’t trust a tablet that isn’t waterproof, the Tab S9 is the only option. Just bear in mind that you’ll have to pay a premium for those features. The real deciding factor here is budget, and if getting a brand-new version of the latest device is important enough to outweigh spending hundreds more.
A beautiful, though iterative, inheritor of the S series throne
Ultimately price is the deciding factor here. If you may afford it, the Tab S9 is a clear improvement over previous generations, including the Tab S7. I just wish it were a more exciting upgrade to help justify the significant price difference.
The Tab S9 is the winner, though if you’re on a budget or already own the older device, the Tab S7 continues to be a great tablet that’s aged pretty gracefully, all things considered. Just bear in mind that it may require slightly more patience, given its older processor and smaller allotment of RAM, and, importantly, that you need to be a bit more gentle with it, as it’s not designed to withstand either dust or water.
Remains a reasonable choice for the value-conscious
For half the price (or less) of the Tab S9, the Tab S7 remains a solid Android tablet with most of the functionality available in its newer sibling. It even sports some features missing from the latest iteration, like an ultra-wide rear camera, though its performance may aggravate the less patient.
