The best SAMSUNG Galaxy Tab A9+ Tablet 2024 Review

Introducing the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ Tablet, where cutting-edge technology meets sleek design to elevate your digital experience.

Engineered for both productivity and entertainment, this versatile tablet boasts a stunning 11-inch display that brings your favorite content to life with vivid colors and sharp details.

Powered by a robust processor and equipped with ample storage, the Galaxy Tab A9+ ensures smooth multitasking and effortless performance for all your needs.

Whether you’re streaming, gaming, or working on the go, its long-lasting battery keeps you connected without interruption.

With an intuitive interface and enhanced features, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ is your ultimate companion for staying productive and entertained, wherever you are.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+, priced at $219.99, excels in every aspect expected from a budget-friendly tablet.

It features an expansive 11-inch display perfect for entertainment, a sleek and polished design, smooth performance, and includes a microSD slot for expandable storage. Although the base storage is somewhat limited, this minor drawback is easily forgiven given its affordability.

Due to its all-around excellence, the Galaxy Tab A9+ earns our Editors’ Choice award for budget Android tablets.

Stylish Design

Measuring 10.12 by 6.64 by 0.27 inches (HWD) and weighing 1.06 pounds, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ is slightly more compact and lighter than the $259.99 Lenovo Tab P11 Plus, which comes in at 10.17 by 6.42 by 0.30 inches and 1.08 pounds.

In comparison, Apple’s 10th-generation iPad, priced at $449, is shorter and lighter but thicker and wider, with dimensions of 9.79 by 7.07 by 0.28 inches and a weight of 1.05 pounds. The Tab A9+ offers a balanced feel, regardless of how you hold it.

True to Samsung’s standards, the Tab A9+ is built with high-quality materials.

The smooth plastic back and sides provide a sturdy feel, seamlessly joining together to give the tablet a premium look. However, the large bezels around the display hint at its budget-friendly nature, and it lacks an IP rating, unlike many other tablets in its category.

For those seeking water resistance, the more expensive Galaxy Tab S9 FE series, starting at $449.99, offers an IP68 rating.

On the right side, you’ll find a solid volume rocker and power button with good travel. The bottom edge features two small notches flanking pogo pin connectors, ideal for aligning and securing optional accessories.

The microSD card tray is conveniently located near the corner. The tablet has four speakers, with sound emanating through two grilles on the shorter sides.

One of these sides also houses a 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB-C (2.0) port. The back of the device is mostly plain, except for a single-lens camera module that protrudes slightly, by about a millimeter.

The sole biometric security option available on the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ is face recognition using the front-facing camera. While convenient, it’s inherently less secure compared to unlocking via a fingerprint scanner, a feature absent in the A9+.

This absence could result in slightly longer or more cumbersome authentication processes for certain apps and purchases.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ is available in Graphite (the variant I reviewed), Navy, or Silver color options. Notably, this device does not support the use of an S-Pen stylus, although a separate case can be purchased for $49.99.

Inside the box, you’ll find the tablet itself, along with a pin tool designed for the microSD card tray and a USB-C-to-C cable. However, it’s worth mentioning that a power adapter is not included.

An Optimal Display for Streaming Comfort

To maintain affordability, the A9+ is equipped with an LCD display rather than OLED. It boasts an expansive 11-inch size with a resolution of 1,920 by 1,200 pixels and features an adaptive refresh rate of 90Hz.

While small text readability can occasionally pose a challenge, media playback appears smooth with vibrant colors. The display performs well indoors, though direct sunlight may cause some washout.

In comparison, both the Tab P11 Plus and the iPad offer sharper displays: the Tab P11 Plus sports an 11-inch LCD with a resolution of 2,000 by 1,200 pixels, while the iPad features a 10.9-inch LCD with a resolution of 2,360 by 1,640 pixels.

However, they operate at a slower refresh rate of 60Hz. It’s essential to consider their aspect ratios: Samsung uses a 16:10 ratio, Lenovo opts for 5:3, and Apple utilizes 4:3. Due to its 16:10 ratio, the Tab A9+ is particularly well-suited for landscape-oriented video viewing.

Affordable Performance Excellence

The standard Galaxy Tab A9+ I tested is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 system on a chip (SoC), coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage.

There are two additional variants available at $269.99 each: one offering 5G connectivity while maintaining the same specifications, and the other boosting RAM and storage to 8GB and 128GB respectively, but without adding 5G support.

With the base model, users are left with approximately 48GB of usable storage. While this might suffice for streaming content primarily, those intending to store numerous games, movies, and music files may want to consider investing in a microSD card (supporting expansion up to 1TB).

For instance, installing Genshin Impact along with several benchmark apps nearly filled up the available storage.

In testing, the Galaxy Tab A9+ handled light tasks such as web browsing, social media scrolling, and media streaming admirably.

Samsung’s default launcher animations ran smoothly, albeit not exceptionally fast, and switching between multiple open apps didn’t exhibit much lag. Overall, the performance is commensurate with its price point.

Objective performance assessments were conducted using various benchmarks. On GeekBench 6, measuring raw computing power, the Galaxy Tab A9+ scored 908 in the single-core test and 1,975 in the multi-core test.

While the Tab S9 FE+ performed similarly in the single-core test (1,011), it excelled in the multi-core test (2,897). In comparison, the midrange Google Pixel Tablet ($499), featuring Google’s Tensor G2 SoC, outperformed both with scores of 1,415 and 3,658 respectively.

On the PCMark Work 3.0 test, evaluating general mobile tasks, the A9+ scored 10,243. Although the Tab S9 FE+ achieved a higher score of 12,223, the Pixel Tablet narrowly edged ahead with a result of 10,386.

Assessing gaming performance, the GFXBench Aztec Ruins test was conducted at a resolution of 1,920 by 1,180 pixels. The Tab A9+ delivered 12fps, matching the performance of the Galaxy Tab S9 FE+, but falling short of the Pixel Tablet’s 29fps.

While the benchmark results of the Tab A9+ are not outstanding, they demonstrate its capability to approach the performance of higher-priced alternatives.

Genshin Impact ran smoothly on default or medium settings at 60fps, although high settings induced some slowdowns. Casual games like Mario Kart Tour and Alto’s Odyssey performed flawlessly.

Notably, the device remained cool during extensive usage, making it a capable choice for gaming, although perhaps not the top pick.

Standard Battery Performance

The Tab A9+ features a 7,040mAh battery and offers the convenience of charging other devices via USB-C. It supports 15W wired charging; however, it’s important to note that a charger is not included in the box.

In our battery assessment, which entails streaming a 1080p video at full brightness, the Tab A9+ endured for approximately seven hours.

Replenishing the device from 0 to 100% took approximately 2 hours and 35 minutes with a 15W charger. Even a brief 15-minute charging session boosted the A9+ to 8%, while after 30 minutes, it reached 20%.

Comparatively, both the Tab P11 Plus (lasting 7 hours and 58 minutes) and the Tab S9 FE+ (lasting 7 hours and 23 minutes) surpassed the Tab A9+ slightly in battery endurance.

Meanwhile, the Pixel Tablet trailed behind, managing only 5 hours and 25 minutes on the same test.

The Tab A9+ is equipped with a 7,040mAh battery and offers the convenience of charging other devices via USB-C. It supports 15W wired charging; however, it’s important to note that a charger is not included in the box.

In our battery assessment, which involves streaming a 1080p video at full brightness, the Tab A9+ maintained approximately seven hours of usage.

Recharging the device from 0 to 100% with a 15W charger took around 2 hours and 35 minutes. Impressively, a brief 15-minute charging session boosted the A9+ to 8%, while reaching 20% after just 30 minutes.

In comparison, both the Tab P11 Plus (lasting 7 hours and 58 minutes) and the Tab S9 FE+ (lasting 7 hours and 23 minutes) slightly outperformed the Tab A9+. Conversely, the Pixel Tablet ran for only 5 hours and 25 minutes on the same test.

Robust Wi-Fi Connectivity, Impressive Speaker Volume

In terms of connectivity, the Tab A9+ supports Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1 standards, without NFC for mobile payments. Optional 5G (sub-6GHz only) support is available for an additional $50.

When connected to a Wi-Fi 6 access point, the tablet achieved impressive speeds of up to 440Mbps down and 6.09Mbps up.

For comparison, the Galaxy Tab S9 FE+, which supports Wi-Fi 6, attained speeds of 382Mbps down and 4.60Mbps up. Notably, slower upload speeds are influenced by the internet service provider rather than the tablets.

In a distance test, with both tablets pushed to the limits of connectivity in my apartment, the Tab A9+ delivered download and upload speeds of 173Mbps and 3.72Mbps respectively, while the Tab S9 FE+ performed slightly better with 252Mbps down and 4.21Mbps up.

The tablet’s quad-speaker setup offers impressive volume output. Testing with Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” recorded a peak volume of 103.8dB, surpassing both the Tab S9 FE+ (95.3dB) and the Pixel Tablet (97.5dB).

While this is sufficient for filling a small room with sound, the device struggles to reproduce lower frequencies adequately. For instance, bass notes in The Knife’s “Silent Shout” were barely discernible. To enhance audio quality, users can opt for wired headphones or Bluetooth earbuds.

Basic Camera Features

Reflecting its affordable price point, the tablet is equipped with just two basic cameras: an 8MP f/2 rear shooter and a 5MP f/2.2 front-facing camera, sans flash module.

Photos taken with the main camera exhibit slightly subdued colors compared to reality, which is unexpected given Samsung’s tendency to oversaturate colors in its Galaxy phones. Nevertheless, details remain reasonably clear.

Selfies from the front-facing camera, positioned centrally along the long edge, display good color reproduction but tend to have softer details. Portrait mode functions adequately, although it may unintentionally blur delicate areas like hair.

Both cameras support video capture up to 1080p resolution at 30fps, lacking image stabilization. Even in well-lit conditions, video footage exhibits muddy colors and noticeable grain.

For optimal video call quality, it’s advisable to keep the A9+ steady and ensure ample lighting. Low-light video recordings suffer from considerable graininess. However, the camera’s positioning facilitates convenient video chats.

Reflecting its affordable price point, the tablet is equipped with just two basic cameras: an 8MP f/2 rear shooter and a 5MP f/2.2 front-facing camera, sans flash module.

Both cameras support video capture up to 1080p resolution at 30fps, lacking image stabilization. Even in well-lit conditions, video footage exhibits muddy colors and noticeable grain.

Robust Android Software Experience

The A9+ comes pre-installed with Android 13 and Samsung’s One UI 6.0 layered over it, with the option to upgrade to Android 14, as I did during my testing.

Samsung pledges to provide OS and security updates for the device until fall 2027, ensuring continued support for several more years. In comparison, Lenovo has ceased updates for the Tab P11 Plus, while Apple’s 10th-gen iPad and Google’s Pixel Tablet are expected to receive similar support timelines.

Using Android on larger screens can sometimes be challenging due to app scaling issues, a common concern across Android tablets, including the A9+.

However, Samsung’s One UI offers significant enhancements. It incorporates productivity features such as a customizable taskbar, multi-app usage, and seamless connectivity with other Samsung devices for content sharing.

Unlike stock Android’s limitation of three tiled apps and a pop-over video player, Samsung’s multitasking optimizations allow for three tiled apps, a pop-up Google Maps window, a pop-up CPU-Z window, and a pop-over video player to run simultaneously.

Furthermore, One UI introduces Samsung’s desktop-like experience mode, DeX, which can be activated from the quick settings menu.

DeX can be utilized either directly on the tablet’s screen or when connected to an external display via USB-C or wirelessly. It presents a taskbar at the bottom of the screen, enabling app launches in separate windows.

Unlike the standard Android interface where the most recent app remains on top, DeX ensures that selecting an app brings it into focus.

Touch input is supported through the tablet itself, while external keyboards and mice can be connected via Bluetooth or the USB-C port.

Samsung’s productivity enhancements, particularly DeX, prove to be genuinely beneficial.

Although DeX may not fully replace comprehensive operating systems like ChromeOS or Windows, it significantly facilitates productivity tasks.

The Leading Budget-Friendly Android Tablet

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ presents a remarkable value proposition. With Samsung’s software optimizations, it seamlessly manages daily productivity tasks, excels in streaming media playback, and handles even demanding gaming experiences admirably.

For users requiring cellular connectivity, there’s an option for a 5G-compatible version. While improvements could be made in battery life and base storage capacity, these factors don’t detract from the Tab A9+’s merits, leading us to award it our Editors’ Choice accolade for budget-friendly Android tablets.

Certainly! The SAMSUNG Galaxy Tab A9+ Tablet offers an impressive combination of performance and affordability.

With its sleek design and expansive 11-inch display, it’s perfect for both entertainment and productivity tasks. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC and featuring Samsung’s One UI software, it delivers smooth performance for everyday use and handles streaming and gaming with ease.

While its battery life and base storage could be improved, the Tab A9+ remains a top choice for those seeking a budget-friendly Android tablet.

PROS

Affordable
Large screen
Good performance
Expandable storage
Software aids productivity

CONS

No fingerprint sensor
Low base storage

SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB A9+ SPECS

Operating System	Android 13
Dimensions	10.1 by 6.6 by 0.3 inches
Weight	1.06 lbs

Price : $215.51

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The best SAMSUNG Galaxy Tab A9+ Tablet 2024 Review