What you need to know
- The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra could get an overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.
- It will supposedly be the same processor found on Samsung's latest flagship phone series.
- The tablet is also rumored to include the same battery capacity as last year's model.
Samsung's upcoming top-tier tablet model could get exclusive dibs on an overclocked variant of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which also powers the company's latest and greatest Android phones.
According to a leaker who goes by the handle @Tech_Reve on Twitter, the custom SoC will appear in the next-generation Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, making it the Android powerhouse tablet of 2023. If this is accurate, the highest-end variant of the Galaxy Tab S9 series could be exactly what Samsung needs to catch up with Apple's iPad Pro models when it comes to performance.
Breaking!!Galaxy Tab S9 UltraSnapDragon 8 Gen2+,10880mAhMarch 16, 2023
For the uninitiated, the custom SoC has the upper hand over the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip primarily due to its accelerated CPU and GPU performance. For context, the Galaxy S23's Kryo CPU core has been overclocked to 3.36GHz versus the regular version's 3.2GHz, and its Adreno GPU is cranked up to 719MHz compared to 680MHz on the standard variant.
That said, the overclocked chip has the same AI and feature improvements as the standard one, including FastConnect 7800 for Wi-Fi 7 support and hardware-accelerated ray tracing in games.
The tipster refers to the custom chip as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2+, but SamMobile notes that this could have been a translation error, implying that this is the same "for Galaxy" version of Qualcomm's most powerful mobile platform to date. That said, this does not rule out the possibility of Qualcomm releasing a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2 chipset in the future.
There's a big caveat, though. While these enhancements should lead to a faster and more powerful performance for the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, they'll also most likely be responsible for any overheating or excessive battery drain. Still, the prospect of an overclocked chip for the upcoming tablet will be appealing to most consumers.
However, the battery department is unlikely to see any upgrade. The leaker claims that the tablet will pack a 10,880mAh battery (rated capacity), which is also found on the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. Given that the upcoming tablet is supposed to use an overclocked SoC, we expect to see better power efficiency and improved battery life.
We'd expect the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra and its smaller siblings to arrive in August alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5, seeing as Samsung has apparently pushed back the launch of its 2023 flagship tablet lineup. That means it could take a while before we can confirm or refute these rumors and then see whether the tablet should make it to our top picks for the best Android tablets.
To enjoy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, you do not need to own a Samsung Galaxy device. Creative professionals will appreciate all of the features and software trials included, but it's also excellent for business and productivity. However, it may be more than some users require.
