Samsung has announced the Galaxy Tab A9+, a budget alternative to its flagship Tab S9 tablets launched earlier in the year.
Size and value are the two main attributes of the Tab A9+, a multimedia device that starts at $379, making it even cheaper than the S9 FE devices. At 11 inches, it has the biggest screen included on an A-series tablet from Samsung. Understandably at this price, you don’t get the AMOLED technology of the S9 range, but the LCD display does support a reasonably smooth 90Hz refresh rate. At the time of writing, Samsung hadn’t published the screen resolution.
If you spend a bit more, you can also get the 5G-compatible A9+, making it the first time Samsung’s budget tablet series includes the higher-speed network technology. You will need to have a 5G-compatible SIM card to get the full benefit, though.
On the inside, the Tab A9+ houses an octa-core processor and up to 8GB of RAM depending on the storage configuration. At the 64GB storage level, you get 4GB of RAM, while the 128GB model benefits from the higher 8GB count. It’s not a huge amount of onboard storage, but you can add up to 1TB more via a Micro SD card.
It’s not just about what you can do on the device that counts. Samsung, like many other major brands, highlights the multitasking abilities of its devices. This includes the brand’s DeX software that lets you cast content on external displays while still using the tablet normally.
With a 7040mAh battery capacity, the Samsung Tab A9+ holds less charge than the base Tab S9, which has an 8400mAh capacity. Although tricky to tell purely based on specifications, the actual battery life in terms of hours may be similar due to the A9+ using a lower-powered processor.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ release date and price
Overseas, Samsung announced a ‘non-plus’ version of the Tab A9, although it appears just the larger tablet is coming to Australia at this stage. It’s arriving in November, with a specific date to be confirmed closer to launch, and pricing as follows:
- Wi-Fi with 4GB RAM / 64GB storage: $379
- Wi-Fi with 8GB RAM / 128GB storage: $479
- 5G with 4GB RAM / 64GB storage: $529
- 5G with 8GB RAM / 128GB storage: $629
Ultimately, it’s a tablet aimed at those who don’t need the raw power of a Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. Schoolwork, streaming media, and cloud-based productivity tasks would all go nicely on the more affordable device.
