When it comes to the best tablets, most people will jump straight to an iPad. Apple weren't the first on the scene, but they definitely re-shaped the view of tablets and brought them squarely into mainstream consciousness.
Today, the range is massive. Users can snag everything from the entry-level iPad (10th generation) right up to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, with a host of options in-between.
When looking for iPad competitors at the higher end, Samsung is undoubtedly one of the most prolific. The current generation Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra bagged a five-star review when we tested it last year, impressing with a crisp display and an array of features that make working on the device a breeze.
Now, specs have leaked for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra – and it sounds even better. The information comes from Ice Universe, a highly-regarded tipster with particular expertise when it comes to Samsung products.
So what's new? Honestly, not a great deal. The formula from the Tab S8 Ultra is present and correct here, with identical dimensions, the same screen resolution and the same size battery.
Ice does mention the RAM, which is 16GB of LPDDR5X. That should make everything a bit snappier, and should also improve the power efficiency overall. Following the same theme, the tablet is expected to come with a Galaxy variant of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor.
That's what I'm personally most excited about here. I recently got hands on with the Xiaomi 13, a phone which uses that chipset, and it's staggeringly good. It improves on its predecessor in pretty much every aspect, offering more power in the CPU and the GPU, while also boosting power efficiency.
My hope is that the increased efficiency of the processor and the RAM can give battery life a boost. Ultimately, while the S8 Ultra was no slouch on the battery life front, it could still do with a bit more juice, to keep up with impressive figures on Apple devices.
There's no mention of a release date for the S9 Ultra. However, based on historical releases – Samsung seem to operate on an 18 month schedule with these tablets – we could see it around August.
