Best Samsung tablet 2024

Android tablets have waned in popularity over the past few years, leading many companies to all but abandon them. But no one gave Samsung the memo: It regularly releases new tablet options every year with killer hardware while channeling its Android know-how into respectable software. 

There are a few things to look for when picking the best Samsung tablet. These include screen size, processing power, and of course, price. You'll find many of the same features across all of Samsung's high-end tablets, while the more budget options offer a slightly more traditional experience.

Whether you choose our top overall pick — the Galaxy Tab S9 Plus — or any other option in this roundup, the best Samsung tablets all have plenty to set them apart compared to iPads, Fire tablets, and other popular brands.

Andrew Myrick

Andrew Myrick is a senior editor at Android Central. In between figuring out ways to put retro emulators on everything, Andrew thoroughly enjoys exploring what's possible with Android tablets. He's constantly looking for new and different ways to use tablets, such as replacing his laptop or turning tablets into smart home dashboards.

At a glance

Best overall

The Galaxy Tab S9 Plus takes the winning formula from its predecessors and makes subtle improvements to keep its place as the best Android tablet money can buy. It has the same 12.4-inch AMOLED 120Hz display, a lightweight design (for its size), quad Dolby Atmos speakers, and dependable battery life. To improve, it adds the same flagship processor as the Galaxy S23 series, a wider selfie camera, Wi-Fi 6E support, and an extra 2GB of RAM. 

Then again, both the Galaxy Tab S9 and Tab S9 Ultra share most of these perks. The Tab S9+ lacks the laptop-replacing size and memory upgrades of the desk-bound Tab S9 Ultra and the superior portability and price of the 11-inch Galaxy Tab S9. So why do we consider the Tab S9+ the best of the lot?

Primarily thanks to One UI 5, which adds even more of seamless multitasking tools. Android apps blown up to tablet size look fairly ugly, but the new OS lets you slide pinned apps from a hidden taskbar onto the display, side-by-side with one another so you can use three (or more) at once. Or you can use DeX mode, which uses a PC-like interface and works best with a laptop and mouse. 

Whichever mode you prefer, you'll want a large display that gives several apps room to breathe. Both the Tab S9+ and S9 Ultra fit the bill here, but the Tab S9+ is just compact enough that you can also use it as a handheld tablet — while the Ultra is way too large. 

For that reason, the Plus-sized Tab is the model we wholeheartedly recommend as the best Android tablet available today.

Best entry-level flagship

One major upside of the Galaxy Tab S9 series, compared to Samsung's usual strategy with its phones, is that it doesn't reserve as many premium features for the most expensive models. The base Tab S9 has the same 120Hz refresh rate, quad speakers, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with 8GB of RAM, a 12MP wide-angle selfie camera for video calling, and thin bezels as its more expensive siblings. All while costing $200-$400 less than the Plus and Ultra.

You could even argue that the Galaxy Tab S9 saw the biggest upgrade over its predecessor, as Samsung finally made the move from LCD to OLED. This gives you darker blacks and richer colors, without feeling like a "second-class citizen." 

The true downside here, as previously mentioned, is that you have less room for multitasking on the Tab S9. It's better for casual use like streaming and gaming in bed than it is for DeX mode, and you may not want to pay a premium for that. But if you keep in mind that it'll get five years of support, this Tab will give you more than its money's worth over time. 

Best cheap tablet

Just as with Samsung smartphones, Galaxy S tablets typically crush their Galaxy A Tab counterparts. But if you're in the market for a cheap Android tablet that doesn't make too many compromises, the Galaxy Tab A9 is your best bet to compete with Amazon or Lenovo tablets built for the budget market. It's incredibly affordable, with the excellent app library Fire Tablets lack, plus the Samsung tools and tricks you know and love. 

Keep in mind that this is truly a "budget" tablet. Its Snapdragon 695 chipset is solid but nothing to write home about. With a 1920 x 1200 LCD display, you'll miss out on a higher-quality display compared to others on this list. But Samsung also slimmed down the bezels to bring the design more in line with the likes of the Tab S9.

You'll get decently long-lasting battery life, dual stereo speakers, 15W fast charging, expandable storage up to 1TB, Android 13 out of the box, and up to 8GB of RAM — equal to the base RAM of more expensive Samsung tablets. The biggest downside is that the Tab A9 Plus isn't compatible with the S Pen, but considering this is more for casual users, it's not a complete deal breaker.

Best premium tablet

When it comes to the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, you're getting something no other Android tablet can come close to offering. At 14.6 inches, you get an incredible amount of display space with the same smooth refresh rate as a much smaller flagship phone. There's a tiny notch that you'll quickly grow accustomed to ignoring, and with extra RAM, it's perfectly equipped for productivity in DeX mode or while juggling multiple apps.

Our reviewer particularly loved using the Tab S9 Ultra as a second screen with his other devices, and its size works well for that. Or, on its own, it can work as well as any laptop, with the same thin bezels you'd see on a much more expensive device. And you get the benefit of the S Pen, which has super-low latency and works great for note-taking or swiping through information.

But you'll have to accept some obvious downsides with a device of this size. The official Book Cover Keyboard accessory is extremely expensive on top of the Tab S9 Ultra's already high price. Regular apps look extremely blown up and ugly when not multitasking, and not taking advantage of the space. If you're normally spending this much on a device, you'd want a more polished experience like Windows or ChromeOS. 

Still, as an Android tablet, the Tab S9 Ultra has no rivals for truly premium performance.

Best for students

It came as a little bit of a surprise to see Samsung skip a potential Galaxy Tab S8 FE in 2022, but the company made up for that with the Galaxy Tab S9 FE. This is Samsung's most recent tablet release, aiming to give potential buyers the looks of the Tab S9 without the higher price tag. 

One of the first things people ask about when it comes to Samsung's newest tablets is whether it includes an S Pen. Thankfully, the Tab S9 FE and Tab S9 FE+ include one in the box, which is a trend that we really wish more tablet makers would adopt. Even if you still have to buy a keyboard case (or even just a regular case), separately.

Samsung has been on a roll in recent years when it comes to software updates, and that trend continues with the Tab S9 FE. This tablet launched with Android 13 out of the box, but, Android 14 arrived in late December 2023. This provides more stability, new features, and removes any worries about whether Samsung would fall behind with updates for its lower-end devices.

While the build and design are practically identical, including the IP68 certification, the Tab S9 FE might not be for everyone. Samsung's Exynos 1380 chip falls a bit short when compared to similar Qualcomm offerings. That's not to say it's not performant, but you definitely won't get the same experience that you would find on the regular Galaxy Tab S9.

Best large tablet value

While large tablets aren't for everyone, a lot of people really enjoy the larger size, and this 12.4-inch Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus is a good fit for many with a reasonable price. It keeps most of the same internals as the above Tab S9 FE with the same Exynos 1380 SoC, it gets an upgrade in RAM with 8GB included with the 128GB version and 12GB with the 256GB version. If you don't need the RAM, you can save by getting the version with less storage and adding a microSD card.

The display is the star of the show with this large tablet at 12.4 inches with a high 2560x1600 resolution. It refreshed at up to 90Hz, so navigation feels smooth as well. If you're sensitive to display types, you'll surely notice the downgrade to a TFT LCD panel from the AMOLED on the main line Galaxy Tab S9, but it's a far cry from the washed out TFT panels of old and looked nice in our hand-on with the Tab S9 FE Plus.

Another benefit of the larger size is a larger battery. This tablet comes with a 10,900mAh battery, which is a lot, especially when you remember this tablet uses a fairly low-power Exynos SoC. When it comes time to charge, you also get fairly quick 45W speeds. While yours may come out of the box with Android 13, an update to Android 14 is ready to download as soon as you get set up.

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How to choose

When it comes to picking the best Samsung tablet, there are a few key factors to consider. Arguably the biggest factor comes down to how you plan on using your tablet. If you want something to replace an aging laptop, then you wouldn't want to pick something like the Galaxy Tab A9 Plus. And in the same vein, if you just want to read books or play some of the best Android games, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra might not be right for you.

There's also the question of software features and support. Compared to other Android tablets on the market, Samsung is without a doubt the industry leader in both departments. Many of the latest Samsung tablets include an S Pen in the box, giving you a tool to jot down notes, navigate the interface, or draw on, without needing to buy something extra. With Samsung DeX Mode, you can take that boring Android interface and transform it into something akin to a traditional desktop like you would find with a Windows or macOS computer.

You'll also want to take into consideration the available accessories for any given device. There are plenty of great case options for the Galaxy Tab S9, given its popularity, but the same can't be said for other tablets on this list. Before you hit that "purchase" button, you'll want to make sure you have the right questions with the right answers to make your decision. 

How we test

When using and reviewing each of these tablets, we put them through a series of tests, with the goal of sharing how they work in the "real world." This includes things like battery life, seeing how long it takes for the tablet to get juiced back up, and trying out different workflows to find out how hard you can push a tablet's performance.

Considering that Samsung makes some of the best Android tablets, it's important to put these devices through their paces with various apps. But there are also other "intangible" features to look for, such as whether you can use DeX mode, or the type of S Pen is included, if applicable. All of these play a part in deciding what Samsung tablet you should consider.

Bottom line

Samsung's lineup of Android tablets is rather impressive, seeing as hardly anyone else supports the form factor. Looking through its list of available options, we have to give our highest recommendation to the Galaxy Tab S9 Plus.

The Tab S9 Plus has a great set of specs with plenty of power to back up the massive 2960 x 1848 resolution of the display. This hardware bundles these components up in a really nice design and comes in at a price tag that's pretty fair when you consider everything you're getting — a 120Hz display, high-quality S Pen, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, and so on.

There are other options out there if you have different tastes and budgets, but overall, the Galaxy Tab S9 Plus strikes that balance of being the Samsung tablet to get, especially if you're already used to the way Samsung's platform works.

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