When Samsung introduced the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra in 2022, it turned more than a few heads. The company took the humble Android tablet to a place it’d never been before, with a huge 14.6-inch display and powerful specs within an incredibly thin and light chassis.
There are some notable improvements on its successor this year, with the processor, speakers and durability all improved for the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. But it’s still fundamentally the same device, meaning the same shortcomings remain.
DESIGN
Let’s get one thing out of the way first: the Tab S9 Ultra is huge. It might not be immediately obvious from photos, but a 14.6-inch display makes it larger than many laptops. Among tablets, it feels significantly bigger than even the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
Despite an impressively slim (and consistent) bezel, that makes it a challenge to hold. It feels like you have a giant monitor in your hands – which you do, essentially.
The only difference is that Samsung has managed to cram all the necessary components into a chassis which is just 5.5mm thick – a real feat of engineering. However, it’s not easy to use. I had to adjust my grip multiple times to reach some content, and it never felt comfortable. Tasks such as browsing the web, scrolling social media and typing were all awkward without a cover or keyboard.
The official Book Cover Keyboard, which introduces the possibility of the S9 Ultra being a laptop replacement, costs an extra £339. It also adds 644g onto the initial 732g (737g for 5G) weight,
