At first glance, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 (starting at $799) may not seem like a significant upgrade from last year's Samsung Galaxy Tab S8.

In some respects that is true, but Samsung has nonetheless given this tablet a much-needed upgrade. In fact, this tablet has definitely received more improvements over its siblings, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, than the S8.

So what's new in the Galaxy Tab S9? For starters, it now has an OLED display like the premium Tab S9 Plus and Tab S9 Ultra. It also has a more rugged design that is dust and water resistant, an improved rear camera, and a faster chipset.

I've had a chance to touch the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 in person and it is just as impressive as last year's model. I think it has the makings of being one of the best Android and best Samsung tablets on the market right now. This preview will show you why.

Recent leaks suggest that the Galaxy Tab S9 FE could join Samsung's other new tablets.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 is currently available for pre-order starting at $799 and will be available on August 11. This model comes with 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. The tablet can be configured with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

Samsung is offering up to $650 off the Galaxy Tab S9 tablet with a qualifying trade-in. Also, pre-order any of the Tab S9 tablets and receive 50% off the purchase of the Book Cover Keyboard Slim. In addition, pre-order the Galaxy Tab S9 tablet on Samsung's website or the Shop Samsung app and receive $40 off a pair of Galaxy Buds2 Pro.

At $799, the new Galaxy Tab S9 is $100 more expensive than the Tab S8. While the price increase is not ideal, it is not exorbitant.

At 10.01 x 6.53 x 0.23 inches and weighing 1.10 pounds, the Galaxy Tab S9 is nearly identical to the previous model in terms of size and weight. It is an elegant slab of aluminum that is sturdy and holds up wonderfully. It is thin and lightweight and should be comfortable to hold for extended periods of time.

As before, there is a slight bump on the back of the device, with a rear camera and a magnetic strip for attaching and charging the S Pen. There is one USB-C port on the bottom edge and a port on the left edge for attaching the Book Cover Keyboard Slim. The power button, volume rocker, and microSD card slot are all on the right edge of the tablet. There is no headphone jack.

The new OLED display looks phenomenal on the Tab S9. To my eyes, it is much more colorful and vibrant than the previous model. The video I saw during my hands-on looked very detailed with good separation between dark and bright areas.

We'll know more about this display's performance when we bring the Tab S9 into our test lab, but for me, the vivid display is a nice improvement over the Tab S8.

Like the rest of the Galaxy Tab S9 line, the Galaxy Tab S9 is powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor found in the company's Samsung Galaxy S23 smartphone series. Besides, the new slate runs on Android 13.

As with the display, measuring the tablet's overall performance requires taking it to a test lab. However, in our brief hands-on time with it, we found the interface to be fast and snappy. Although we did notice a drop in game resolution, "Phantom of the Opera" ran smoothly enough. Watching videos and browsing web pages was seamless.

If you write or draw on your tablet, all Galaxy Tab S9 tablets come bundled with the S Pen.

The latency of the S Pen is now 2.8 ms and the pressure sensitive buttons are higher. Another new feature is that the stylus charges the magnetic strip whether it is facing up or down. If you want to use the tablet by the pool or on the beach, you can rest assured that both the S Pen and the tablet have an IP68 waterproof rating. According to a Samsung spokesperson, the tablet and pen can be used in up to 3 feet of water for 30 minutes.

As noted in our hands-on preview of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, the updated S Pen feels as comfortable to hold as its predecessor, thanks to its thickness and sturdy construction. Writing with the pen feels intuitive, but it will take some more use of the pen and tablet to see if the overall writing experience is improved over the previous model.

The Galaxy Tab S9 has an 8,400mAh battery, up from the Galaxy Tab S8's 8,000mAh.

In our battery tests, the Tab S8 lasted an impressive 12 hours and 52 minutes. The new tablet's powerful processor and OLED panel may affect how long it lasts on a single charge. However, the tablet's superior battery could balance the scales. Let's see how our tests turn out.

It's great to see that Samsung's Galaxy Tab S9 has an OLED display and a faster chipset than the previous model. These improvements make it feel like a more premium product. [Thanks to its sturdy build, slim design, and sharp, vibrant display, the Galaxy Tab S9 could be one of the best tablets of 2023. We felt that the Galaxy Tab S8, released last year, set a new standard for Android tablets, but when the Tab S9 hits store shelves, that standard will probably be shattered.

We'll find out soon enough when we get a chance to review the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9.