New Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series tablets feature Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset and IP68 rating so you can write underwater

Samsung’s latest Galaxy Unpacked 2023 event in Korea certainly impressed from the more powerful Galaxy Z Fold5 and the larger Flex Window cover screen of the Galaxy Z Flip5 but the new Galaxy Tab S9 series are the proverbial dark horses of the show with a host of interesting enhancements from within and without that make it more durable and more effective in the bargain.

What’s special about the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series?

In the unlikely event that you need to take notes or even play a movie underwater, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series is right up your alley as it has IP68 water resistance for both the tablets and their accompanying S Pen stylus across the range.

This means that the tablet can and will survive in up to 1.5 meters of clear water for up to 30 minutes so you’d likely be able to squeeze in a quick episode of the Mandalorian in the pool. Literally. 

The Galaxy Tab S9 series tablets all also use tough Armor Aluminum for the chassis to resist drops and nicks while being exceptionally thin.

The new Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series ships with an S Pen as standard

The bundled IP68 rated S Pen stylus is standard issue for the entire Galaxy Tab S9 series and charges off a cradle on the back of the tablets without any issues on orientation as it’ll charge whether you plonk it with the tip pointed left or right which was a pickle in older versions.

The new S Pen also has updated functionality too with the ability to write in search bars, browsers and app stores to find what you want rather than having to type it out. Should the stock S Pen not appeal, Samsung also issues a top-shelf S Pen Creator Edition that’s larger, has a more textured grip and a wider tilt angle for better doodling.

On top of bundling the S Pen as standard issue, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series also features a copy of GoodNotes which is an iOS favourite app finally making its way to Android, a free trial subscription to the LumaFusion editing app and a complimentary subscription to Clip Studio Paint too.

What’s the hardware running on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series?

On top of making it tougher and enhancing the functionality of the S Pen, the new Galaxy Tab S9 series runs the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor along with an accompanying large vapour chamber – the first for a Samsung Galaxy tablet – for sustained performance.

Astute readers will note that this processor was first used on the Galaxy S23 Ultra that launched earlier this year and, to date, remains the most powerful Snapdragon processor currently in the market at this point in time. In keeping with tradition, the tablets also come in WiFi 6E only and 5G enabled models with the latter costing more.

The Galaxy Tab S9 series all use the same high quality Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays with dynamic 60-120Hz refresh rates, reduced low blue light emissions by 70% to make it easier on the eyes as well as a tall 16:10 aspect ratio to make them easier to read website and documents on. Also common to all of the Galaxy Tab S9 series are quad speakers placed in the sides tuned by AKG for better sound quality in games and movies alike. Screen sizes differ between all three models along with RAM, storage,cameras and battery size too.

The baseline Galaxy Tab S9 has an 11-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, has either 8GB or 12GB RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of expandable storage via a microSD card slot.

The tablet uses an 8,400mAh battery. The mainline Galaxy Tab S9+ has a 12.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, has 12GB RAM as standard, either 256GB or 512GB of storage and has a larger 10,090mAh battery. 

The top of the line variant, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra has a 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, has either 12GB or 16GB RAM and options for 256GB and 512GB storage as well as a large 11,200mAh battery.

In terms of pricing for Malaysia, the Galaxy Tab S9 series differs on account of various permutations of storage, whether it is WiFi only or has 5G and whether it ships with or without a keyboard case. For Malaysia, the Galaxy Tab S9 128GB costs RM3,699 while the top of the line Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra 5G with 512GB storage and a keyboard costs a princely RM7,149.

For more details and to acquire Samsung’s latest tablet, check out their official Malaysia website here.