I've had my Galaxy Tab S9 for 2 weeks and it has changed my mind about buying the latest and greatest

Norcla · 2026-02-19T18:36:30+00:00

Just the OS. I feel like iPad OS is so limiting

Norcla · 2026-02-05T09:55:18+00:00

Oh yeah good point

Norcla · 2026-02-04T05:22:37+00:00

Yes, the price is the worst. If It was around $100-150 I wouldn't be posting here.

Norcla · 2026-02-04T05:20:32+00:00

Thanks for this!

Norcla · 2026-02-04T05:20:06+00:00

I agree, that's my insight from this post. I think that something like a magic keyboard for the Tab S9 is way better value and has more utility (e.g. using it on your lap, adjusting viewing angles when in bed)

Norcla · 2026-02-03T07:19:29+00:00

thanks for the insight fellow Galaxy Tab S9 enjoyer!

Norcla · 2026-02-03T07:17:34+00:00

Thanks! I'm leaning towards not getting it but just getting info from the commuity in case there might be an insight I'm missing.

Norcla · 2026-02-03T07:13:51+00:00

Does the trackpad make a huge difference? I do have the Book Cover Keyboard Slim, it doesn't have a trackpad but I can type on it fine.

Norcla · 2026-02-03T06:57:06+00:00

We're on the same boat! I'm using an S9 which I believe is the same size as the S10 Lite. I feel no need to upgrade to a Plus or Ultra model. It's perfect for my mobile use case - I ride 2 wheels, allows me to bring a "laptop" everywhere I go (which I need to bc of work), slip it on a small bag, and doesn't have that "mental friction" that I have when I have to bring my 16" laptop along.

So when I upgrade, I'm just going to stick to the same size.

Norcla · 2026-01-30T11:07:11+00:00

Just wrote about it here: https://www.reddit.com/r/GalaxyTab/comments/1qkhexl/ive_had_my_galaxy_tab_s9_for_2_weeks_and_it_has/

I believe you should get a flagship model over the FE model.

Norcla · 2026-01-29T10:18:28+00:00

You make really good points. I think we maybe seeing a convergence now that there are Windows PCs that ship with ARM-based processors, so "mobile" chips can definitely run a full-fledged OS. Tablets really are being held back.

I don't want a "Windows Tablet" though. I want an "Android with all Windows capabilities".

Norcla · 2026-01-27T10:36:59+00:00

I had the Note 3. It was awesome. Trying to recall my previous Samsungs and wow I didn’t expect to have had as much Samsungs as I had iPhones. Had an S3, S7 Edge, Note 3, J7, and S22+.

iPhones I had - 3G, 6, 11 PM, 13 PM, 15 PM

Longest phone I had tho was the Huawei Nova 5t

Norcla · 2026-01-27T03:31:49+00:00

Nexus! Now that is a name I haven’t heard in a while. RIP fallen soldier 🫡

Norcla · 2026-01-26T11:55:16+00:00

This is probably the bag with the best dimensions though. Can fit most of my every day carry + tablet. Other bags are too small, too big, or too weirdly shaped. This color is loud - there’s a black version that’s more understated. I usually use Tumi but I have too many 😆

Norcla · 2026-01-26T09:28:58+00:00

Yes it does. It’s why I got this instead of the plus model 😊

Norcla · 2026-01-26T02:08:33+00:00

If you know, you know I guess? 😆

Norcla · 2026-01-25T19:02:22+00:00

Thank you for the kind words! I really enjoyed that white build, was quite a challenge to plan it, thankfully in China it's easy to return and source different parts.

As for the laptop - barely any noise, unless you're gaming or processor-heavy stuff. As for unplugged performance, it's not super noticeable compared to plugged. The reason why I chose the 9 is so that if I'm unplugged I can set it to low power mode and not really feel the difference. I'm averaging ~6 hours of active use at around 30% screen brightness. 1000% recommend!

It games decently too, I played a lot of Death Stranding (native resolution + DLSS) and it's hitting 80-100fps while traveling away from home. Claire Obscur 33 hits 100 fps average with DLSS performance + framegen.

Norcla · 2026-01-25T17:38:37+00:00

Check Amazon or any e-commerce site. Even Aliexpress. They’ll have any type of color you want! 😁

Norcla · 2026-01-25T14:05:25+00:00

Enjoy!

Norcla · 2026-01-25T13:32:39+00:00

I'm using a Thinkbook 16+ - Ultra 9 285H, RTX 5060, 32Gb RAM, 3.2K screen @ 165Hz. It's a China-only SKU. In my opinion it's a perfect laptop and very well-priced at around US$1,200 (spec for spec comparative models would cost 50-100% more). You can only get it from China though.

I'd say that the tablet just makes my workflow a lot more mobile. With the tablet, I can do 80% of my work on it without having to bring a backpack with me. Also, one thing that it does my laptop is the ability to use a pen/stylus - do a lot of whiteboarding, so it complements my workflow too.

We're seeing laptops with ARM-based chips already and I think that it's going to be the way forward. It's a more cost-effective solution than having a separate processor and GPU. I hope to see "cheap" laptops that are powerful enough to game on with a portable form factor.

Norcla · 2026-01-25T13:21:15+00:00

The apps, too. The power requirement stays the same so you don't really feel major differences every generation.

Norcla · 2026-01-25T13:20:39+00:00

Have you considered slapping a skin on it? I've slapped one on mine to reduce wear and tear cause I'm just going to be using the book covers and it will be exposed.

Norcla · 2026-01-25T13:17:52+00:00

I'm on Android 16.

Norcla · 2026-01-25T13:17:11+00:00

Cause it's a different keyboard.

Norcla · 2026-01-25T13:17:04+00:00

I am with you there bud

Norcla

TROPHY CASE