User Experience: Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is the flagship tablet from the South Korean company. It is a direct replacement for the 2022 Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. The Ultra line sits above the standard Tab S9 and Tab S9+ with the primary differences in screen size, maximum internal storage capacity, and battery capacity.

I have been particularly curious about the Ultra due to its 14.6-inch display. I mean how would someone need a tablet of this size? So I got my hands on this particular device and spent about 3 weeks with it to find out its charming points.

The Size

That goes without saying, that the key selling point for the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is its sheer size. Back in 2019, there’s a study found that a majority of users consume content on their smart devices. I kid you not, some of my friends don’t even own a TV or PC at home. Working adults tend to move around as they advance through their careers, hence a TV or PC is considered troublesome for them. That’s why many of them resort to smartphones or tablets as the device for content consumption.

Large-screen tablets play an important role for working adults as it is portable and at the same time provide an unprecedented viewing experience when compared with a small smartphone display. This is why tablets survived and flourished even though “experts” predicted their demise.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra with its magnificent 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel is an excellent device for all sorts of purposes. It has an 1848 x 2960 resolution and sports a 120Hz refresh rate. Whether you’re getting this for web browsing, work, Netflix, or gaming, this screen will not disappoint.

Besides, at the weight of 732 grams for the tablet alone, it is considerably lighter than many 14-inch laptops. So now you know why laptops are struggling with sales?

Now, back to the original question, why would anyone need a 14.6-inch tablet? Well, the question would be valid if we were to assume that we are going to use it single-handedly. In this case, I don’t think it is a major issue as the Ultra is primarily made as a hybrid tablet and laptop.

Exceptional Battery Life

Another advantage of a large device is a longer battery life. The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is powered by a large 11,200 mAh battery that supports 45W fast charging.

It can last for about 8 hours of normal web browsing with a mix of video playbacks and a lot of typing. Depending on the task and the content type, your battery life may vary. Besides, for a device of this capability, I think this is quite impressive.

Remarkable Performance

At the heart of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 flagship SoC. Unless you have been missing out on the mobile industry news, the 4nm Qualcomm chip fabricated by TSMC is the best SoC available for the Android platform so far.

You can literally throw any task at it and the chip will handle it like a champ. In my use case, I can use the tablet to run multiple games and Chrome browser windows at once. This level of multitasking is a huge win for an Android tablet.

DeX Mode

The primary reason why the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is capable of such a feat is largely due to the software. I mean anyone can make great hardware by purchasing the right components from the right factory. However, one of the most difficult aspects to nail is the software. It takes a long period of time and proper planning to form a solid structure for the software.

In this case, Samsung DeX is now 6 years old after they first announced the feature back in 2017. The DeX has more features and stable than before. If you’re used to the Windows platform, you will feel at home with the DeX home screen. The apps will run in windowed mode and you can even have multiple apps operating at the same time.

Despite so, I need to remind you that this is NOT a Windows device so you will not be able to install any of your .exe files.

The Book Cover Keyboard & S Pen

Speaking of the DeX mode, we must not forget that external accessories also play a vital role in completing the experience. With the inclusion of the Samsung Book Cover Keyboard, Samsung promises an all-in-one kind of solution – a combination of laptop and tablet.

The Book Cover is a two-piece set that you can use either just the back kickstand cover or both the kickstand cover and the keyboard. Combined with Samsung DeX, this is “almost” like a Microsoft Surface Pro.

The kickstand has a wide-range of adjustment to provide a flexible viewing angle.

As mentioned earlier, this is a hybrid experience whereby you can instantly switch between tablet mode and laptop mode. Even if you detach the keyboard, you are still able to use the DeX mode with touch screen and virtual keyboard.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of the keyboard and trackpad due to its weird latency that happening even it is connected physically to the tablet. Apparently this issue has been around since the Galaxy Tab S8 as reported by users on Reddit. Nonetheless the best alternative would be connecting any third-party keyboard or pointing devices via Bluetooth or USB hub with minimal delay.

The S Pen, on the other hand, is magnificent. I know, we are not Pablo Picasso nor Van Gogh but you could at least use it as a precision pointing device or jot down some hand-written notes.

This year, the magnet on the S Pen is considerably stronger than last year’s, holding to the tablet better during charging.

Conclusion

So, what is the cost of owning this flagship Samsung Android tablet?

• Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra 512GB with keyboard: RM7,149 (5G) / RM6,499 (Wi-Fi)
• Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra 256GB with keyboard: RM6,649 (5G) / RM5,999 (Wi-Fi)

Starting from RM5,999 up to RM7,149, this is comparable to many other premium Windows or Mac laptops. I know it may not be an apples-to-apples comparison especially when tablets have a few advantages over conventional laptops, namely the weight and ease of use. Some would definitely argue that laptops can do more things with their complex OS and advanced software applications.

The closer comparison would be the Microsoft Surface Pro line which is priced almost similarly and runs Microsoft Windows operating system. While the OS is the strong suit for the Surface Pro, however, it ultimately loses out when it comes to weight, noise and ease of use.

In short, if you need a device to fill in the gap between your smartphone and PC for light work and entertainment, then a tablet is definitely for you. If your budget approves, then there’s no stopping from getting a large display tablet like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra.