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Samsung typically upgrades its top-tier tablets once per 18 months, but this year, we got a surprise annual update to the Tab S series. Well, not a full update — there's a Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra and Tab S10+, but the "smallest" one is still the Galaxy Tab S9.
OK, we are not here to spin tales and confuse you. In fact, quite the contrary — we are here to bring order to the mess and check out which the best Samsung tablets are. More importantly — which one is the best for you.
From the top-tier Android powerhouses to Samsung's quirky experiments with laptop-tablet hybrids, here they are:
The Galaxy Tab Ultra models are massive, and the Tab S10 Ultra is no exception. A 14.6-inch screen will give you more display than you know what to do with. It is, of course, an excellent AMOLED panel with a 120 Hz refresh rate.
The processor is a bit of a letdown, as Samsung went with a MediaTek Dimensity 9300+, just months before Qualcomm launched the Snapdragon 8 Elite and MediaTek launched the 9400.
For what it is, it's still the best Android tablet on the market, as other manufacturers have backed off, but Samsung is going full steam ahead with these. Excellent build with a very thin body, S Pen included in the box, quad speakers, and the massive OneUI which overhauls Android to make it a multitasking machine. And yes, the Book Cover Keyboard Folio can turn it into a laptop replacer of sorts!
Not a fan of paying north of $1k for a tablet? Do check out the Galaxy Tab S9 and Tab S9 Plus — no notch, same powerful hardware, more affordable prices! Grab any of them with the keyboard folio for a hybrid tablet-laptop experience.
These are still around and really don't feel much different than the Tab S10 Ultra. Yes, the newest model did get a slightly faster processor, but if we aren't looking at benchmarks, we can't find the difference between them. From the AMOLED screens, to the thin aluminum bodies with quad speakers, and S Pens, it feels like the Tab S9 Ultra and Tab S10 ultra are sharing parts!
And the good news is that, since the Tab S9 Ultra is technically discontinued, you will be finding it at a discount with many different retailers while stock depletes!
The Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is nice and all, but let's be real — it's kind of nuts. You do have the option of getting a Galaxy Tab S10+, but that's still quite hefty at 12.4 inches. The base model was not updated, so the 11-inch "flagship" tablet from Samsung is still the Galaxy Tab S9. And hey... it's still pretty good!
These come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and also have their S Pens to use, but they are a bit scaled down. The Galaxy Tab S9 will feel most comfortable for users that are looking for the classic tablet experience — portable, yet with an 11-inch screen large enough to enjoy videos and games. Still supports a keyboard, still has a 120 Hz AMOLED screen, and quad speakers.
The Galaxy Tab S9 FE and Tab S9 FE+ were an interesting entry in late 2023. They come with 90 Hz LCD displays and are powered by Samsung's own Exynos 1380 chips — a decidedly midrange performer.
You still get the S Pen in the box, more colorful options to pick from, dual speaker setup, and they fit in the same Book Cover Keyboard as the Tab S9 line. The Galaxy Tab S9 FE has a pretty generous 10.9-inch screen, but if you want to go even bigger, the 12.4-inch of the Tab S9 FE+ will be sublime overkill.
The latest and only midrange (or budget?) tablet from Samsung is the Galaxy Tab A9+. It rocks a Snapdragon 695 processor and its LCD screen still has a 90 Hz refresh rate, so it can run smooth enough, if you expectations are to get a multimedia machine / kids' gaming device.
If you simply want a tablet for media consumption, and you don’t care about S Pen shenanigans or productivity — the Galaxy Tab A9+ offers just that. A quad-speaker system provides full stereo sound in any orientation, and the 11-inch screen gives you plenty of real estate to watch movies or browse the Internet on. It's marketed as the kid-friendly tablet from Samsung, with One UI's excellent parental controls on board.
It's no productivity machine — no DeX here, but you can still use a Bluetooth keyboard with it, of course.
If you love Samsung hardware, but would rather use Windows with it — check out the Galaxy Book 360 series. These can be specced to come with a high-quality AMOLED screen and their keyboards fold backwards for a mixed laptop-tablet experience. And they come with Windows 11.
They can get pricey, but the hardware is nothing to snark at — Intel Core 7, 16 GB RAM and 512 GB storage on the base model, but the specs grow from there.
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Preslav, a member of the PhoneArena team since 2014, is a mobile technology enthusiast with a penchant for integrating tech into his hobbies and work. Whether it's writing articles on an iPad Pro, recording band rehearsals with multiple phones, or exploring the potential of mobile gaming through services like GeForce Now and Steam Link, Preslav's approach is hands-on and innovative. His balanced perspective allows him to appreciate both Android and iOS ecosystems, focusing on performance, camera quality, and user experience over brand loyalty.
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