I Tried Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE: You Won’t Believe What I Found
Discover my hands-on review of Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE—find out if it's the mid-range tablet you've been waiting for!
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE is a 10.9-inch tablet with a sleek, flat-edged design, starting at $449/£449. It’s clearly aimed at competing with the iPad (2022), but unlike Apple, Samsung includes a stylus with every tablet.
While other brands like OnePlus and Lenovo are making Android tablets, Samsung remains the strongest alternative to Apple in the premium tablet market.
The previous FE tablet, Galaxy Tab S7 FE, had a high price and underwhelming performance. Now, after skipping a generation, Samsung is back with Galaxy Tab S9 FE. Has it finally created the perfect mid-range tablet?
Table of Contents
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Specification
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| 📅 Release Date | October 16, 2023 |
| ⚖️ Weight | 523g or 524g (1.15 lb) |
| 📏 Dimensions | 254.3 x 165.8 x 6.5 mm (10.01 x 6.53 x 0.26 in) |
| 🏗️ Build | Glass front, aluminum back, aluminum frame |
| 📱 SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM (cellular model only) |
| 🌊 Water Resistance | IP68 dust tight and water-resistant (immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
| 💻 Display Type | IPS LCD, 90Hz |
| 📏 Display Size | 10.9 inches (~81.7% screen-to-body ratio) |
| 🖥️ Display Resolution | 1440 x 2304 pixels, 16:10 ratio (~249 ppi density) |
| 🛠️ OS | Android 13, One UI 6, up to 4 major upgrades |
| 💻 Chipset | Exynos 1380 (5 nm) |
| 🔋 CPU | Octa-core (4×2.4 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| 🎮 GPU | Mali-G68 MP5 |
| 🧠 Memory | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| 💾 Card Slot | microSDXC (dedicated slot) |
| 📷 Main Camera | 8 MP (wide) |
| 🎥 Video Recording | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps |
| 🤳 Selfie Camera | 12 MP (ultrawide) |
| 🎥 Selfie Video | Yes |
| 🔊 Speakers | Stereo speakers, tuned by AKG |
| 🎧 3.5mm Jack | No |
| 📶 Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| 🌐 Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| 📍 GPS | GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, QZSS (cellular model only) |
| 🏷️ NFC | No |
| 🔌 USB | USB Type-C 2.0, magnetic connector |
| 🔒 Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, compass, proximity (accessories only) |
| 🔋 Battery Type | Li-Po 8000 mAh |
| ⚡ Charging | 45W wired, QC2.0 |
| 🎨 Colors | Mint, Silver, Gray, Lavender |
| 🛒 Models | SM-X510 (Wi-Fi), SM-X516B (5G) |
| 💰 Price | $314.98 |
| 🌍 SAR | 1.55 W/kg (body) |
| 🌍 SAR EU | 0.59 W/kg (body) |
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Price & Availability
You can buy Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE in the UK and US from Samsung website, Amazon and many other retailers. Starting price is $449/£449 for the Wi-Fi-only model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage.
For $519/£519 you can get 8GB/256GB Wi-Fi model. Adding £100 to price gives you 5G version, though in the USA, only 6GB/128GB model is available with 5G.
Samsung tablets are easy to find because they are widely accessible even in the US.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Design & Build
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE has a sleek, premium design that closely resembles an iPad. It features flat edges, a metal body and evenly spaced bezels, giving it a high-end feel. However, it stands out with IP68 water and dust resistance, a rare feature in tablets—even iPad (2022) doesn’t have it.
With a 10.9-inch display and a 16:10 aspect ratio, tablet is great for watching videos in landscape mode but feels slightly less comfortable for reading in portrait mode. It is 6.5mm thin and weighs 523g, making it lighter and slimmer than many competitors. Power button also functions as a fingerprint sensor which is a convenient upgrade from the previous Galaxy Tab S7 FE.
Samsung offers Tab S9 FE in Grey, Silver, Mint and Lavender, though the color options are not as vibrant as those of the iPad.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE S Pen – A Major Advantage
Samsung includes the S Pen with the Tab S9 FE, unlike Apple, which sells its stylus separately. S Pen attaches magnetically to the back of the tablet and is lightweight, durable and pressure-sensitive with 4,096 levels for a smooth writing experience.
Samsung’s software is well-optimized for stylus use. You can quickly take notes by tapping the pen button or access shortcuts using the floating S Pen menu. The overall experience is seamless, making the Tab S9 FE a great choice for students, artists and note-takers.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Display & Audio
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE features a 10.9-inch TFT LCD with a 1440 x 2304 resolution. While it lacks an AMOLED panel, it still delivers good color accuracy and solid brightness of 562 nits making it brighter than many competitors. However, it’s not the sharpest screen in this price range.
One notable advantage is the 90Hz refresh rate, which provides smoother scrolling and animations. This is better than the 60Hz iPad (2022) but falls short of the 144Hz OnePlus Pad. Adaptive refresh mode automatically adjusts up to 90Hz when needed.
For audio, Tab S9 FE has stereo speakers tuned by AKG. While it doesn’t have a quad-speaker setup like some premium tablets, speakers are loud, clear and good for watching movies. Though it lacks Dolby Atmos tricks or deep bass, it still delivers a solid audio experience.
A 5G cellular option is another feature that Samsung provides that many Android tablets do not.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Performance & Storage
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE is powered by the Exynos 1380 chip, which is also used in the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G. This chip provides smooth performance for everyday tasks making it reliable for media and web use.
It comes with 6GB RAM in the base model, which is a bit low for this price range, but upgrading to 8GB RAM and 256GB storage (plus microSD expansion) offers more room for apps and multitasking.
In benchmarks, Tab S9 FE outperforms Lenovo Tab P12 but its quicker MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chip lets it lag behind OnePlus Pad. While it performs decently on Medium settings, it has trouble with demanding games like Genshin Impact on High settings.
Additionally, 5G cellular option is available for an extra $100 which is a nice perk compared to other tablets.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Cameras
Galaxy Tab S9 FE has a simple 8MP rear camera and a 12MP front camera. These cameras are basic, typical for a mid-range tablet.
The rear camera takes decent photos but can sometimes be soft or overexposed. The front camera is fine for video calls but produces washed-out selfies. Both cameras offer 4K video recording.
Cameras are not great but are acceptable for everyday use, with a bit of extra color vibrancy from Samsung’s processing.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Battery Life & Charging
Galaxy Tab S9 FE’s 8000mAh battery offers strong performance for everyday activities like streaming, online surfing and light gaming. Although it’s smaller than other competitors, it still lasts for a few days of light use.
With a battery life of 10 hours and 31 minutes under normal work conditions such as browsing, editing, and writing, tablet fared well for more demanding jobs. It lasted considerably longer when the screen was set to 60Hz, which made it a good option for all-day use.
Charging-wise, the tablet supports 45W charging. While there’s no charger in the box, it can charge quickly. It reached 21% in 15 minutes and 42% in 30 minutes with a fast charger. A full charge takes around 1 hour 30 minutes.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Software Experience and Apps
Galaxy Tab S9 FE is powered by One UI 5.1 and Android 13. Some people love it for its many customization options, split-screen multitasking, and seamless S Pen integration, especially with Samsung Notes for sketching.
However, the software can feel crowded, with extra apps like Samsung Internet (instead of Google Chrome) and Microsoft Outlook alongside Gmail. For some, this makes the system feel busy, and the look hasn’t changed much in recent years.
On the plus side, Samsung provides long-term software support with four OS updates and five years of security updates, making this one of the best-supported tablets at this price.
Is Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Worth Buying?
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE is a solid mid-range tablet improving on previous Galaxy S7 FE. While it doesn’t have the sharp display of the Lenovo Tab P12 or the fast performance of the OnePlus Pad, it offers its own strengths like a waterproof design and a great stylus included.
Screen is bright and smooth, and the performance is dependable. Battery life is also good, providing enough power for everyday use. For $450/£450, Galaxy Tab S9 FE is a well-rounded tablet that performs everyday tasks with ease and will last for years.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Pros and Cons
| ✅Pros | ❌Cons |
|---|---|
| 🏆 Well-built, IP68 certified | 📉 Not the sharpest screen |
| ✍️ Great S Pen experience | ⚙️ One UI may not be for everyone |
| 🔊 Good stereo speakers | 🖥️ Performance is decent, not amazing |
| 🌈 Bright, colorful screen | ❌ |
Conclusion
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE is a well-made, reasonably priced tablet with excellent pen mechanism and a vivid display. Its general performance & versatility are its strongest points even though it might not provide greatest media or gaming experience at this budget.
