Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ 12.4" Gray 2023

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ is a mid-range Android tablet that punches above its weight for note-taking, drawing, and media consumption. The S Pen is included, the battery is excellent, and the IP68 rating adds real durability. At USD 399 to USD 500, it's one of the best value picks for students and artists who don't need iPad Pro performance.

The Exynos 1380 inside the Tab S9 FE+ lands in the 95th percentile for CPU performance among tablets in our database. That's a bit surprising for a mid-range chip, but it speaks to how well Samsung has optimized this thing. In practice, apps open quickly, split-screen multitasking doesn't stutter, and even light photo editing feels smooth. The 8GB of RAM helps here, though it's only in the 66th percentile, so don't expect to keep 40 Chrome tabs alive while running a game in the background.

The 12.4-inch LCD panel runs at 2560x1600 with a 90Hz refresh rate. Screen quality sits in the 79th percentile, which translates to a display that's well above average but not quite OLED territory. Colors are vibrant, text is crisp, and the 90Hz makes scrolling feel fluid. For watching movies or sketching, it's a genuinely nice panel. The GPU performance is a standout at the 94th percentile, so casual gaming and drawing apps run without hiccups. Just don't expect it to crush Genshin Impact at max settings.

Stacked against the Apple iPad Pro M5, the Tab S9 FE+ loses on raw power and display quality. The iPad Pro's M5 chip and OLED screen are in another league entirely, but you're paying two to three times the price. For most people, that extra performance is wasted on note-taking and streaming. The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is a closer philosophical match, since both aim to replace a laptop, but the Surface runs full Windows and costs significantly more. If you need desktop apps, the Surface wins. If you just need a big screen for notes, drawing, and media, the Samsung is the smarter buy.

The Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus and Xiaomi Pad 7 are the more direct Android competitors. The Lenovo has a unique design with a built-in kickstand and bigger battery, but its software support isn't as polished as Samsung's. The Xiaomi Pad 7 offers similar specs for less money in some regions, but availability in North America is spotty and the S Pen equivalent isn't always bundled. Samsung's advantage is consistency: you know what you're getting, the software is clean, and the S Pen experience is the best on Android.

Value is where the Tab S9 FE+ gets interesting. In the US, we're seeing prices from USD 399 to USD 500 across five listings, with the best deal currently at the lower end of that range. At USD 399, this tablet is a steal. At USD 500, it's still competitive but you start bumping into refurbished iPad Air territory. The included S Pen is a big deal here, since Apple charges extra for the Apple Pencil and Microsoft does the same with the Surface Pen. If you're a student or artist on a budget, the math works out in Samsung's favor. The CAD 800 listing in Canada is less exciting, but that's a different market with different taxes and import costs.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ sits in that interesting middle ground of the Android tablet world. It's not trying to be a flagship killer, but it's also way more than a budget throwaway. With a 12.4-inch display, S Pen included, and an IP68 rating, Samsung is clearly aiming this at students, artists, and anyone who wants a big screen for notes and Netflix without dropping iPad Pro money. Prices in our database bounce around a bit, from USD 399 to USD 500 depending on the vendor, which makes it a pretty tempting option in the mid-range space.

People searching for this tablet usually want to know one thing: is it good for note-taking and drawing? The short answer is yes. The S Pen comes in the box, the screen is big and sharp, and the 90Hz refresh rate keeps things feeling responsive. It's also built to survive a coffee spill or a dusty backpack, which is more than you can say for most laptops. The Exynos 1380 chip won't blow anyone's socks off on paper, but for everyday tasks it gets the job done without drama.

We've seen this tablet show up in a lot of "best tablets for students" conversations, and honestly, it earns its spot. The 10090mAh battery is a real workhorse, and Samsung's software has come a long way for multitasking. It's not perfect, and we'll get into the rough edges, but for the price bracket it's a seriously solid pick.

Skip the Tab S9 FE+ if you're a serious mobile gamer. The 626g weight and 12.4-inch size make handheld play uncomfortable, and while the GPU is strong for casual games, it's not built for sustained high-end gaming sessions. Also skip it if you need a true laptop replacement with desktop apps, the Surface Pro 11 or a traditional laptop will serve you better. And if you're an artist who needs the absolute best pen latency and color accuracy, the iPad Pro M5 with its OLED display is still the gold standard, just be ready to pay for it.

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE+? If you're a student, artist, or casual user who wants a big screen for notes, drawing, and streaming without spending iPad money, then yes, absolutely. The S Pen is included, the battery lasts all day, and the IP68 rating means you don't have to baby it. It's one of the best mid-range tablets we've seen for creative work, and our database backs that up with an 81.1 out of 100 score for art and design.

But if you're a gamer who wants to hold a tablet in landscape mode for hours, the size and weight will wear on you. And if you need a true laptop replacement with desktop software, the Surface Pro 11 is the better call. For everyone else, this is a lot of tablet for the money, especially at the USD 399 end of the price range.