Galaxy Tab S9 FE hands-on: good enough?

There was no Fan Edition at all for the Galaxy Tab S8. With the Tab S9, Samsung brings two variants: the Tab S9 FE with 10.9 inches and the Tab S9 FE Plus with 12.4 inches. I tested the regular Tab S9 FE. The price difference from the same-sized 11-inch Tab S9 is €320 in the base version with 128 GB. You have to make compromises for that.

The most important compromises

• Display: LCD instead of OLED, with 90 instead of 120 Hz.
• Memory: only 6 GB RAM instead of 8 GB in the base version with 128 GB.
• Processor: an Exynos instead of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. That is the most striking difference.

How good is it in reality?

Reality looks different for everyone. If you are a gamer or creator and want to edit videos and photos with the S Pen, it looks bleak. If you need a device for browsing, for Netflix and YouTube and for notes with the included S Pen, it looks pretty rosy.

Display: Despite the LCD, I don’‘t see a very big difference. The picture is sharp, the colors are rich, and YouTube and Netflix are fun. You do notice the 90 Hz, though, for example when scrolling on web pages, especially if you just had a 120 Hz smartphone in your hand. The 10.9-inch display has FHD+ and up to 720 nits. I wouldn’’t lie in the blazing sun at the pool with it, even though the Tab S9 FE is protected against dust and water to IP68. For a lounger in the shade, the brightness is enough.

Performance: The Exynos handles email, calendar, notes in OneNote, Samsung Notes or Notion, browsing and document scans without problems and without stutter. If you use several apps at once and want to switch faster, you can pay €70 more for the variant with 256 GB and 8 GB RAM. In both cases, you can expand the storage with a microSD card of up to 1 TB.

Size and weight: I like how handy it is. The Tab S9 FE is one of the smaller models that still fit in my handbag. At 523 g, it is 25 g heavier than the same-sized Tab S9.

Battery: 8,000 mAh. With browsing and note-taking I get about 10 hours and easily make it through the day. It is fully charged in about two hours.

Cameras: There is only an 8-megapixel camera on the back and a 12-megapixel one on the front. I think that is clever, because I use the main camera at most to scan a document. I need the front camera for video conferences and video calls with my family, and it is entirely sufficient for that. I wouldn’’t record a YouTube video with it.

Materials and S Pen: For the price, I find it astonishing how high-quality the materials are. Visually, it is no different from the Tab S9. The S Pen is included. With the competition you pay €149 extra for that.

Ecosystem: I am extremely happy with the Samsung ecosystem. The Galaxy Buds switch seamlessly between tablet and smartphone, I take calls on the tablet, and I send documents and photos back and forth between the devices with Quick Share.

Who is the Tab S9 FE worth it for?

For a base price of €529, you get a high-quality-looking tablet that doesn’’t set the world on fire on paper but leaves you missing nothing in everyday use. I would claim that 80% of users are satisfied and that the Tab S9, which costs €320 more, is not necessary for most people.

Important: the Tab S9 FE is only worth it if you really use the S Pen. For browsing and watching videos, the Tab A8, which Samsung already sells very cheaply, is probably enough too. But then you have to do without the S Pen, and I couldn’’t do that anymore with my tablet.