Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 5G 11" 9+ 5G 11” Gray 2024

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 5G is a budget-friendly 11-inch Android tablet with a 90Hz display, Snapdragon 695 chip, and quad speakers. It's great for streaming, browsing, and light productivity, especially at the $178 renewed price. Battery life is the main wildcard, with some users reporting disappointing longevity.

The Snapdragon 695 5G is a 6nm octa-core chip that lands in the 84th percentile for CPU performance among tablets in our database. That's well above average for this price bracket. In practice, apps open quickly, the 90Hz display keeps animations fluid, and you can bounce between a few apps without the thing grinding to a halt. The Mali G52 MP2 GPU sits at the 81st percentile, which means casual games and streaming are fine, but don't expect to crank up Genshin Impact or any demanding 3D titles.

The 4GB of RAM is where things get tight. It's in the 31st percentile, which is mediocre for a modern tablet. You'll notice apps reloading if you have more than a handful open, and heavy multitasking with split-screen will push it. The 64GB of storage is also on the low side at the 30th percentile, but the microSD slot supports up to 1TB, so you can fix that cheaply. Just know that 64GB fills up fast if you're downloading movies and games.

Stacked against the Apple iPad Air M3, the Tab A9+ obviously loses on raw power and display quality. The iPad Air's M3 chip is in a different universe, and its screen is sharper and more color-accurate. But the iPad Air costs three to four times as much, so that's not really a fair fight. If you just want a big screen for streaming and browsing, the A9+ gets you 80% of the experience for a fraction of the price.

The Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus and Xiaomi Pad 7 both offer better specs on paper, with more RAM and faster processors. The Xiaomi Pad 7 in particular has a nicer display and more storage at its base config. But those tablets are harder to find renewed, and their prices creep up quickly. The UMIDIGI Active T1 and Vekfulpc T60 Pro are cheaper Android options, but they cut corners on build quality and software support. The A9+ sits in a sweet spot: recognizable brand, decent specs, and a price that doesn't hurt.

At $178 for a renewed unit, the Galaxy Tab A9+ 5G is hard to argue with. You're getting a Snapdragon 695, 5G connectivity, a 90Hz display, and quad speakers for less than most budget phones. Compare that to the Apple iPad Air M3, which starts several times higher, or even the Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus, and the value proposition is clear. The Xiaomi Pad 7 offers better specs in some areas but typically costs more and isn't as easy to find renewed. For the money, this is one of the best budget tablet deals around, assuming you're on AT&T or fine with Wi-Fi.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 5G is a mid-range Android tablet that sits in the budget-friendly zone, especially if you grab a renewed unit like the one floating around for $178. It's an 11-inch slab with a Snapdragon 695 5G chip, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage, running Android 13 with One UI 5.1. For families, casual media watchers, and anyone who wants a bigger screen without spending iPad money, this thing checks a lot of boxes.

People searching for an affordable 11-inch tablet for streaming and light productivity will find the A9+ answers that question pretty well. The 90Hz refresh rate makes scrolling feel smoother than you'd expect at this price, and the quad speakers with Dolby Atmos give it more audio punch than most budget tablets. It's not going to replace a laptop, but for Netflix, YouTube, web browsing, and some light multitasking, it's a solid pick.

One thing to know upfront: this specific model is locked to AT&T's network. That means it'll work with AT&T and its MVNOs like Cricket, but not T-Mobile or Verizon. If you're not on AT&T, you'll want the Wi-Fi-only version or a different carrier model.

Skip the Galaxy Tab A9+ if you need serious multitasking power or plan to do heavy gaming. The 4GB of RAM will frustrate you if you're constantly switching between demanding apps, and the Mali G52 GPU isn't built for 3D titles. If you're not on AT&T, the carrier lock is a dealbreaker, so look at the Wi-Fi-only version or a different tablet entirely. And if battery anxiety keeps you up at night, the inconsistent battery reports might push you toward the iPad Air M3 or Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus, both of which offer more predictable longevity.

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 5G? If you're on AT&T, want a big screen for media and light productivity, and don't want to spend more than $200, yes. It's a reliable mid-range tablet that punches above its price, especially as a renewed unit. The display is bright, the speakers are good, and the Snapdragon 695 keeps things moving.

But if battery life is a dealbreaker, be careful. Some users report excellent longevity, while others say they're charging after three hours of video. That variability is concerning, and it's the one thing that keeps this from being an unconditional recommendation. If you need all-day battery without anxiety, the iPad Air M3 or a higher-end Android tablet might be worth the extra cash.