Gadgets
Samsung unveils Galaxy Tab S9 FE series with S Pen starting at $450
Samsung’s affordable tablet packs in quite a punch.
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The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE is an affordable large-screen Android tablet with decent performance and battery life. Its highlights include a 12.4-inch LCD, S Pen support, and DeX desktop mode.
- Large, vibrant 12.4-inch LCD screen great for media at an affordable price.
- Comes with S Pen for drawing, note-taking, and precision work.
- DeX mode provides desktop-like experience by connecting to monitor.
- All-day battery life lets you stay productive on the go.
Samsung marked the launch of its FE devices back in 2020, but there has been only one FE series tablet in the past, the Galaxy Tab S7 FE, which launched back in 2021.
The company has now finally launched another set of Galaxy FE series tablets, the Galaxy Tab S9 FE, Tab S9 FE 5G, and Tab S9 FE Plus.
Here’s everything you need to know about Samsung’s budget-friendly tablet line, the Galaxy Tab S9 FE.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE design and features
As expected, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9 FE is a trimmed-down version of its premium Galaxy Tab S9. Likewise, the Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus is an affordable version of the Galaxy Tab S9 Plus.
While there’s no “Ultra” variant in the Galaxy Tab S9 FE series, there’s, however, a 5G variant of the Tab S9 FE.
Now, it shouldn’t come as a surprise the design of the Galaxy Tab S9 FE is quite similar to the original Tab S9, and lines up with the detailed leak we saw just a week earlier.
The standard Tab S9 FE sports a single camera module on the back with flat edges and a place to charge the S Pen. Its looks match up with the early Tab S9 FE leaked renders we saw about three months ago.
Meanwhile, the “Plus” variant is slightly larger, with a similar flat design. There’s a dual camera module on its back and a similar spot to charge the S Pen.
Surprisingly, the Galaxy Tab S9 FE series is just as durable as the premium Tab S9 series, with an IP68 dust and water resistance rating.
In terms of size, the standard Tab S9 FE sports a 10.9-inch display, while the Tab S9 FE has a bigger display at 12.4 inches. Both screens are LCDs with adaptive refresh rates from 48Hz up to 90Hz.
The company didn’t include OLED screens with its FE tablets. It did, however, equip the panels with Vision Booster. It’s Samsung’s proprietary technology that automatically adjusts brightness depending on ambient lighting.
The tablets come with Android 13 out-of-the-box, and the power button on both tablets doubles as a fingerprint sensor.
That said, Samsung definitely left the dimensions on the FE series tablets the same as the premium Tab S9, as you can use the scam accessories.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE specs
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE | Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus | |
Display | 10.9-inch LCD WUXGA+, 2304 x 1440, 90Hz | 12.4-inch LCD WQXGA, 2560 x 1600, 90Hz |
Chipset | Samsung Exynos 1380 | Samsung Exynos 1380 |
RAM & Storage | 6GB/8GB & 128GB/256GB microSD Slot (up to 1TB) | 8GB/12GB & 128GB/256GB microSD Slot (up to 1TB) |
GPU | Arm® Mali™-G68 | Arm® Mali™-G68 |
Camera | Rear: 8MP Front:12MP Ultrawide | Rear: 8MP primary + 8MP Ultrawide Front:12MP Ultrawide |
Battery | 8,000mAh | 10,090mAh |
Dust & Water-resistance | IP68 | IP68 |
Software | Android 13 | Android 13 |
Dimensions/Weight | 10.01 x 6.53 x 0.26in, 1.15lb (Wi-Fi),1.16lb (5G) | 11.24 x 7.3 x 0.26mm, 1.38lb (Wi-Fi) |
Colors | Gray, Silver, Mint, and Lavender | Gray, Silver, Mint, and Lavender |
Let’s start with the chipset and the performance. Unlike its premium variants, the new Galaxy Tab S9 FE tablet sports Samsung’s Exynos 1380 chip. It’s the company’s new 2023 chipset designed for mid-range devices.
That said, the new chipset pales in comparison to the high and mighty Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. In other words, if you are looking for raw processing power, skip the Tab S9 FE series.
Although, they are enough for entertainment consumption, some gaming, and all your usual productivity apps. The new Exynos chip has a max clock speed of 2.4GHz and is paired with an ARM Mali-G68 MP5 GPU.
In terms of other specs, the tablets (regular, 5G, plus) come with two storage variants: 128GB and 256GB. The standard model comes equipped with 6GB or 8GB of RAM, while the Plus offers 8GB or 12GB of RAM.
The camera arrangement is simple on both of these FE series tablets. So, expect an 8MP primary camera on the vanilla Galaxy Tab S9 FE, while a 12MP ultrawide sensor takes care of the selfies.
On the other hand, th “Plus” variant features dual cameras on the back: an 8MP primary and a 12MP ultrawide. The same 12MP ultrawide sensor takes care of the selfies as the standard model.
In regards to the battery, there’s nothing fancy. You will find an 8,000mAh battery powering the Tab S9 FE and a 10,090mAh battery in the Tab S9 FE Plus.
According to Samsung, the tablets employ the company’s Super Fast Charging technology and take about an hour and a half to fully charge. In terms of additional features, you get a microSD slot on both tablets, expanding the storage up to 1TB.
Both tablets support Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6.0; the 5G variant supports 5G.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE price, colors and availability
Samsung launched the Galaxy Tab S9 FE series on October 3, 2023, and the tablets are scheduled for sale on October 5 from select retail partners, with Samsung.com availability starting from October 10.
The tablets are available in four colorways: Gray, Silver, Mint, and Lavender, all of which were leaked a couple of weeks ago.
The base model starts at $449.99, featuring 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM. However, Samsung hasn’t revealed the pricing of the 5G variant. Fortunately, it’s not as high as seen in a previous Tab S9 FE pricing leak.
We also don’t know the European prices of the base Tab S9 FE, but we expect it to be €549.99 like the pricing leak had predicted.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE is an affordable large-screen Android tablet with decent performance and battery life. Its highlights include a 12.4-inch LCD, S Pen support, and DeX desktop mode.
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Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.