Samsung Tab S9 Ultra Review: DeX Makes It A Work Machine

I've been using the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra for work for the past six days, and I am so glad Samsung DeX exists. The Tab S9 Ultra is also an excellent media consumption machine, with a 14.9-inch OLED screen and a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. However, the the machine may be a tad too big for Android gaming.
#samsung

[@nihalk6105]

Good looking stories indeed 😅. Great video Ben.

[@Udayveer_Singh]

😂😂😂

[@arvandvarahram]

HI Ben, thank you for the video. If I may: the touch pad gesture is not a contradiction, it is just an additional one. You still have the same gesture also with your touchpad, or your mouse: point the mouspointer where you usually swipe up, press the left button and swipe up. It minimizes the current app. In general, the gestures are the same with mouse or your fingers ... just hold the mouse button pressed. Another remark: at 4:41 you use the S Pen while trying not to touch the screen with your thumb. You can put your thumb directly on the screen. One UI just ignores it and you can do still everything with the S Pen. DeX is simply genius. The best thing is that no Apps need to support the tablet mode because each App can open in the native size it wants. This means, out of the box, all Apps are always optimised for tablets when running under Dex.

[@tytownsend8219]

💯

[@Movie101yt]

Samsung blows my mind everytime...i love their tablets and phones

[@williamg7138]

How did this blow your mind? It's not very different from Tab S8 ultra lmao

[@Movie101yt]

@@williamg7138 Yo prolly an iPad fan,the 2020,21,22 ipad pro all looks and performs the same,if it were to be it,you wouldn't have complained but when it comes to Samsung you all shows up like "who gives a fuck,the tab s9 and tab s8 are literally the same".

[@carstenb23]

@@williamg7138 what else could they have upgraded? I really can’t think of anything important they could’ve added

[@williamg7138]

@carstenb23 I'm not criticizing the tablet itself. All I asked is how does it blow his mind? It's not that different 😂

[@williamg7138]

@@Movie101yt lmao nah ive had samsungs for the last 10 years 😂

[@arushshourie]

I believe even if you need a tab for content consumption, there is nothing available similar to Samsung, you're getting a much improved AMOLED screen (dynamic 2x) which makes watching movies just surreal

[@jimbob8992]

Cheers Ben, this is great review for something ive been waiting for.

[@anders95]

Dex is amazing. Incredibly underrated.

[@zuneid375]

The best feature in the Galaxy, I use it on a daily basis

[@swekiwi4517]

But.. it puts this huge bar on top that makes the apps view smaller, that.. sucks?

[@thantzinaung6899]

The one I'm most looking forward is Tab S9. Enough screen estate for productivity, mobile gaming and multimedia consumption, powerful chip and the most important... DYNAMIC AMOLED 2X. I've been hesitating to buy Tab S8 for having IPS but now, await is over.

[@Yos115]

What's wrong with IPS? Isn't it supposed to last longer than amoled?

[@george293]

Got mine arriving in a couple of hours, very excited.

[@esem718]

Great news about the battery life. So with mixed (light to medium) usage it can get you 10 and more.

[@chandrakaladhar1182]

Another awesome 👍 review Ben

[@neilbissett1240]

Great as ever 👏😎

[@_truthful_q_]

Interesting...I need to travel for a while, and I'd forgotten about using a tablet. There are so many options nowadays....I think getting to a shop and playing with a few different devices is probably the best option. Thanks for the review.

[@MichalKralik._]

Hi Ben, great summary, thank you for that! I was wondering what is the name of the foldable keyboard and of the stand? Looks pretty cool. Thanks

[@tahsin_hassan_akash]

Another great video ❤💜💚

[@JoshuaElorm]

Man!! Ti's tab is so intuitive, going to get one for me and my kids....

[@localblackman427]

I need the @ of the first good looking instagram story 😂😂😂😂 great review as always. Ill be sticking w my tab s8 ultra but the silver looks niccceee

[@relentlesslove7432]

You are so lovely. I absolutley love your energy. Bless you, live long and prosper.

[@ninjanerdstudent6937]

This is a tablet worthy of the name.

[@hudsonm2010]

Only Android tablets apps need to be ultra now like the lumia fusion that has arrived for us

[@_wlc]

Nice work dude, I will buy it soon and I will make it like my pc lol.

[@AlisonTarrayo]

Love the keyboard! What is the portable keyboard you are using? Could you please send me amazon link. Thanks!

[@duesenantrieb8272]

its actually pretty nice that they use the oposite gestures while using the trackpad, its the same as on pc trackpads and it would be super wierd to use if they did the opposite.

[@FernandocraftAnimador13]

I bought the tab s7 (base, not plus) a couple years ago thinking that I could use it a little bit for school and some stuff, little did I know that I was going to end up using it even more than my phone and my laptop. I absolutely love it and regret not getting the plus. Now that I know how good they are and how much I actually use it for work, school, and personal I have decided to buy the new one. So I just ordered the S9 Ultra with 1TB of storage and 16GB of RAM and I'm very excited! I want to try it out now! Specially the dynamic amoled screen (because the base s7 is not amoled) I also order one of those paperfeel panels that you can put on and take off for when you need it, that looks pretty cool as well! Nice video btw

[@tyustarks]

Enjoy it!!! I loved mine. (S8 ultra) i caved in and did a trade resulting for my s9 ultra 1TB for only 800 (tax in cali is outrageous)

[@daisyjoyce9970]

I'm in the same position! I bought the s7 and used it every single day for college but im going to uni soon and thinking of upgrading to the s9+ or s9 ultra. How are you finding it? Would you say the upgrade was worth it? And how is the paper feel screen?

[@FernandocraftAnimador13]

@daisyjoyce9970 I freaking love it!! The upgrade is definitely worth it for me at least, the screen is way better (cause it's amoled) haven't really tested it a lot because I have only had it for two days and I'm still on vacation from college but so far I'm really impressed. You will notice a huge difference in size if you go with the ultra. The paper feel panel feels just like any other paper feel screen protector but the difference is that you can take it off and put it back on whenever you want! So you can use it at school for studying and taking notes like I do and then take it off at home to watch a movie or do other stuff and that way you will not lose any quality of the beautiful display. In my opinion the paper feel panel is really good and useful, if you do a lot of note taking you should definitely buy it. And the slim book cover is really good as well but there is a big downside, the slim version does not have a trackpad so just be aware of that. But so far I don't think i will ever regret buying this tablet and hopefully it will last me a few years.

[@daisyjoyce9970]

@FernandocraftAnimador13 Thank you so much for the advice! I slightly missed out on the mega low pre order price just because I had issues with klarna but I ended up paying £680 for the tab s9+ and slim keyboard cover! (It was originally £620 but I missed it) so I'm pretty happy about it! I've also bought the note paper protector along with it so I'm very excited to try that about as well. I used my s7 every single day for hours and hours each day and got me through college so I know that this will be used tons too and I'm glad I have the confidence that this tab will last me all the way through uni too! I got 512gb storage, my s7 has 256gb and I honestly didn't get half way to filling that up in the 2 years I used it so I'm pretty confident with 512 and I'm so so glad I decided to get my hands on one! I wasn't actually going to order the note paper protector but instead just use a standard matte protector like I did before, however today I took off my screen protector off my s7 for the first time and the actual screen looks so so crisp and amazing, It swayed me to getting the detachable one because I really want to experince that screen more often. Can't wait for it to arrive and thank you for your help!

[@FernandocraftAnimador13]

@daisyjoyce9970 ngl the plus is about the right size, this one is huge but I'll get used to it. The only reason I got the 1TB is because I also download a bunch of movies and shows for when I'm offline and I save a lot of documents and projects for my classes. Enjoy yours as I'll enjoy mine! 👍😀

[@BeingEthicalisHard]

Awesome Video Brotha!!

[@brum2302]

Hi good review. Will this S9 Ultra when connected to a 4K capable monitor do 4K 60hz ? Thanks

[@LeeGreenldgphotos]

Just ditch my iPad Pro M1 and 14 Pro Max for S9 Ultra and Fold5, loving at the mo, battery is brilliant ! on the S9 Ultra.

[@salsachevy1]

Do you know if the keyboard case from the Tab S8 ultra will fit on the tab s9 ultra?

[@mozartz73]

That's what makes it so amazing the size

[@michaelmcguire2778]

what keyboard did you use, looks great

[@christopherng5847]

Can i ask what is the brands of the portable keyboard u using ?

[@Alexander0189]

Yes Ben, lots of good looking stories on instagram, gotcha 😏. Can't wait to get mine on Friday!

[@kimosone2874]

What foldable keyboard are you using?

[@joshau2346]

switching over from the ipad. Can u do a review on using it for doing g sheets online and canva?

[@emmanueltantunes]

Good video. Which keyboard is that?

[@user-ms6bv6eu4j]

Hello! I got my Tab S9 Ultra today! Can't wait to start using it! Quick question...Which keyboard are you using int he video? Looks interesting...need one

[@ifrankenstein7455]

Hi Ben what is the name of the aircraft game you were playing. I like how it looks

[@Ofotsu_1]

what keyboard are using?

[@aryalwishes5888]

Which keyboard ur using in this video?

[@IkesTechTalk]

Loved my time with the S8 Ultra. The only reason I sold it is I personally wasn't using it to its full potential. Like you mentioned it's not a tablet meant for you to really hold and play around on. It's meant for you to prop it up and get stuff done. Great vid Ben!

[@TomTomdog]

Swipe up to go back gesture is the best feature on that tablet

[@Unan1mouz]

I wish more tablets come with a built-in desktop mode... Even for the smaller 8 inch or so tablets. Would make them more useful with a keyboard and a mouse/trackpad!

[@saedkuku]

Hi for bigscreen movie teater witch glaas air you for me recomend big one ever?????? 😊

[@Shan_Shah]

I don't understand why they don't release a 4k tablet with 4096×2560, considering how large the screen is, and this is the ultra we should be able to take advantage of extra sharpness giving us 330ppi and I wish they could either put a thicker battery on next gen or either make it slimmer its crazy to think that such a slim tablet could even be slimmer by closing the gap between the glass and AMOLED display making it not reflective.

[@orpettyfamily]

What keyboard are you using?

[@gomorrha]

I really like the idea of DeX, but it needs a *lot* more polishing. Somehow they need to push that whole desktop on a phone thing more. There are a lot of incompatibilities with different apps, like Twitter, as you mentioned. Browsers are another thing that need improvement. The only one that works like a real desktop browser out of the ones i tried was Samsung's own (which seems to be the best one for mobile too, imo). I use it on my Galaxy S21FE, when I'm just chilling and want to watch some youtube on a bigger screen. Don't need to fire up the desktop for that.

[@nickthaskater]

"Works like a real desktop browser" in what way?

[@lauriealach1072]

What sort of polishing did you have in mind for DeX? Also, what addidtinal apps do you find difficult to view? Furtermore, why would you go to an S21Fe for a "bigger screen"? Your comment is riddled with incinsistencies.

[@nickthaskater]

@@lauriealach1072 as a daily user of DeX for 4 years, it absolutely needs polishing. It has poor output resolution support, it needs Good Lock workarounds, it doesn't have a good desktop-class browser (Samsung could turn Samsung Internet into this if they cared to), it lacks any sort of keymapping for games, it has window borders which waste a ton of space, it has had some useful features *removed* over the years for no good reason, it still lacks multiple monitor support, it lacks access to the clipboard, and many more things.

[@gomorrha]

​@@lauriealach1072 " Furtermore, why would you go to an S21Fe for a "bigger screen"?" I connect the phone to an external monitor....jfc lol

[@Otts287]

Hi Ben. Been thinking about getting a productivity device for a while. But I haven't been able to make my mind up between a Tab or a convertible laptop just yet. I use plenty of Microsoft Office Word, Excel, etc. for work, and I don't know how it is with the Galaxy Tab. Do you get the full desktop version?

[@user-ry3id1nq2c]

no, you don't. It's the same with ipad as well, what you get is a very limited Ms Office compared to desktop/mac. For viewing only, it will still serve you well, but for creating/editing, very limited

[@czechbikerjz]

I have been using Smart Office app on my tab S8+ as an alternative and it works great for my needs, recommend 👍🏻

[@Otts287]

@@user-ry3id1nq2c Thank you for your inputs. I really need the full MS Office features.

[@Otts287]

@@czechbikerjz Thank you for the recommendation. But I really want to avoid compatibility issues when switching devices. Especially for last minute reports or presentations when you don't have the time to make adjustments.

[@josevvv1]

What keyboard were you using?

[@Granturion]

Love this thing. Currently on the iPad Pro M2 with iPadOS17 Beta. This thing recognizes ultrawide monitors AND i can use the external display properly like on a windows machine (drag windows from internal to external display and so on). This was a weakness on dex. Is that better now?

[@andersonsithole8031]

Been doing that on dex since 2021. Dex had no competitor ( Huawei desktop is just as good but not widely available)

[@Granturion]

@@andersonsithole8031 You cant drag and drop windows from internal to external or vise versa on dex.

[@RodmarLanuza]

where did you got your keyboard?

[@xpusostomos]

There's a dex option to reverse scroll on a track pad, i don't know if that solves the swipe gestures inconsistency or not

[@nakikiusolang]

What's the keyboard you're using?

[@jayweezy3264]

Yo big bro Ben, just stopping by to say wsup. How's hk life king?

[@audy_choo]

Hi Ben, for storage, can we use external SSD storage and connect it to S9 tab for use to store videos, photos and other document?

[@davidkostka7602]

yes you can :)

[@audy_choo]

@@davidkostka7602 Thank you

[@Naimy]

Have you got a link for a tour keyboard and stand?

[@avnertouitou3778]

How is the battery life compared to the s23 ultra is it better

[@fawadjamshidi9402]

I have a tab s6 its been 3 years and working just great. I didn't buy even one book in my i entire architecture journey . I used it for every thing as a notebook,book,gaming,movies like every think.but dont have badge to buy s9 😢.

[@APEXGuerilla]

Can you plug a dock into this? Say I want to output my Steam Deck screen to it?

[@Davidplays2016]

The way the pencil charge , screaamsss apple hehee

[@daddy5226]

can you do a video about the keyboard ?

[@nabilchoudhury7359]

Nice review! Please can you tell me how much better the display and audio quality is compared to the tab s8 ultra?

[@bensgadgetreviews]

Not much! Very similar

[@nabilchoudhury7359]

@@bensgadgetreviewsThanks for your reply! Hmmm ... That is very surprising since they increased the speaker size by 20% for each one. Did you A/B them or are you going off of memory? At the very least I was expecting more bass.

[@henlohenlo689]

is ther a way to place photos and videos into folders. my s21 phone is always unorganized with videos and pictures and the phone wont let me create folders. what i really want. is that the photos and videos is stored on sd card, and so i am in more control of everything, not limited by an apps features. i tried samsung dex with s21 phone and it was buggy with using a bluetooth keyboard many typical keyboard shortcuts for navigation where nonexistent or defunct. like control f didn't allow me to quickly get cursor box to any part of a webpage, and from there i can shift highlight text and these keyboard shortcuts allowed me to be more product on my laptop that samsung dex couldn't do. also something like plug in my scanner onto pc works. but i doubt plugging in a scanner to samsung dex will work. so i love samsung dex, but i feel alot of bugs and quirks still need to be ironed out. atleast my experiences on the samsung s21 phone. also why can't dex mode put more enphansis on file management like my pc file management is a primary thing i do on it. i wish i could do that more so easily on samsung dex.

[@noormanismail]

I'm in the market for home productivity, using some light Microsoft Excel for budgeting, personal tax calc And use Word for some writing and one note to taking note. Also some home entertainment Will this be a good choice?

[@asteforce]

YESSS

[@davidkostka7602]

Ben, where can I buy this keyboard? Looks sick! I just got my S9 Ultra yesterday and was thinking bout the keyboard cover, but its too expensive...

[@bensgadgetreviews]

I'm sorry I got it in Hong Kong at a store it doesn't have a brand it's like those generic ones from china. But I looked on Amazon and it looks very similar to "Samsers foldable keyboard"

[@davidkostka7602]

@@bensgadgetreviews Thanks! I checked Aliexpress also and basically found the same as yours. Just ordered it:)

[@Punisher-1]

​@@davidkostka7602Do you have a link to it?

[@Pishijoon]

Hey Ben, could you please tell us how the brightness of the screen is?

[@jacobsebastien3910]

1750 nits peak brightness 🌞

[@carstenb23]

I’m an iPhone user and I’d choose the Tab S9 over any iPad. I need the OLED screen

[@Mr2pint]

The screen brightness has gone up to almost double which is a big improvement - it's a great Android tablet, if only it had more ports 👍

[@BansheeN0rn]

Just get a usb c hub

[@leomariglim]

what's the title of the game you were playing at 2:01?

[@Lorena-bc7ew]

Me watching this on my Tab S9 ultra xD I love Samsung :3

[@antonysanjup.m882]

Amazing yahhh

[@Tholius]

What's the difference between the Wifi and 5G version? i.e., Does 5G = Wifi + 5G or just 5G?

[@dobrovaviktor404]

Hi i have an S9 Ultra tab, but im a bit disappointed.. On S7+ im used Second screen feature in game mode, its worked fine, tried it on S8ultra too, im waited for S9 ultra and now....There are no toggle for game mode or anything in Second screen option...I just can start the second screen option and start cast from pc.... No game or other option, and it has a very bad performance, laggy videos, etc etc... Yeah i know superdisplay is a solution but i need the sound too on my tablet so superdisplay is not an option for me.... Any info about that?....

[@anastasiak290]

Make a comparison of S8 ultra and s9 ultra, please 🙏

[@ayush_rajbanshi000]

How it will be for medical students for note taking purpose?

[@thecircleoflove7557]

Please, what's the name of the game he was playing in 2:00 ?

[@GojoRamsay888]

What's the name of stand and keyboard bro?

[@louisguillen]

Does chrome on dex have extensions?

[@khadijahkalvafitri8933]

I have a work using Feishu Docs which can be accessed through browser (Chrome or Microsoft Edge) and I'm using lenovo ideapad 320... but unfortunately, the Feishu Docs always lags when there are about 20-30 who are logging into & editing the Feishu Docs at the same time, because it needs to load the pictures that we are uploaded, so in the end I always end up need more time just to upload 1 picture than the rest of others who have high-RAM laptop/computer... My question is, can this tablet do the magic for me? Like uploading & editing faster in the Feishu Docs that requires high processor(?)... because when I use my laptop (lenovo ideapad 320), even though I only open whatsapp web & youtube through browser at the same time, my laptop can't hold it, it will be lagged in the end, especially when I open 2-3 apps at the same time too... I need a tablet/laptop that can ease my pain in working...

[@chrishyde1216]

For most uses maybe a used Tab S8+ is a good option, as it would be cheaper than the S9, but has much of the same features such as the OLED display and a more manageable size? The smaller S8 has an LCD screen.

[@greenleaph5145]

The speakers are damn good. I am speaking from the Tab S7 Ultra.

[@bill-gray]

good video

[@rjc0188]

what keyboard is that?

[@RIP....]

Ben u can use a gamepad for games , tab s11 ultra will have 17" like the old galaxy view2 :))

[@obama5214]

Can you test Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra vs Tab S9 Ultra ?

[@mikefloris779]

Samsung keeps missing the mark with their keyboard accessory. If I could get the Lenovo keyboard with the S9, that would be a killer setup. Either that or one of the keyboards from Brydge, to turn the Tab into an actual laptop, when you need to get work done.

[@seaneckhart9914]

That pen latency is insane. They are finally caught up to the iPad

[@williamsokoronkwo3958]

Lmao what? Samsung pens latency have been better than any tab on the market including the iPads since the S22 ultra and tab s7 series. Even the pen latency on the tab s7 series was on par or even arguably slightly better than iPads'. Where have you been? Living under a rock or what? 😂

[@williamsokoronkwo3958]

**since s22ultra and tab s8** not tab s7... (Stoopeed autocorrect 😐)

[@tofu_golem]

I have that same stand. Set it say a steeper angle.

[@ep8022]

Hi there, great video… i really need your intput on this…I curently own an ipad pro 12.9” M1 and love it but some things i really don’t like. Ipad os is still restrictive, watching 4KHDR mkv files are not playing well with the brightness levels. I’ve tried all apps. Brightness for some reason is restricted…. unless you use VLC and tweak it yourself wich is annoying. Also the aspect ratio 4:3 is annoying. Wanting to purchase the s9 ultra, the size difference is not that much and you get a much bigger screen with 16:10 ratio, great for movies. I’m not too sure apple would go that route. Do you know if the ultra brightness is like the ipad pro 12.9” mini led 1000/1600 nits max? Please help me, waiting to pull the trigger on the ultra. Thanks

[@petitos50]

What the hell is that keyboard & where can i find one??

[@HeadsUpTV]

I think they finally have figured it out

[@gster101or805]

I have the tab S8 plus I’m wondering if I should upgrade to the s9 ultra has anyone done this? Gone from the s8 plus to the s9 ultra?

[@michaellogies1290]

I would prefer this tablet with ChromeOS, with support for Google Play Store and the Linux-VM. I put ChromeOS Flex on my old Laptops, which are working fine with it, including some programs for Linux.

[@hr1100]

There's nothing, literally nothing, stopping them to adapt a real and unlimited linux OS for tablet use, but the whole point of android is to be an ad delivery platform.

[@markpolo7]

@@hr1100 But then you can do root and you won't have ads and then you can upload what you want.

[@ikusanjay]

What about the screen brihhtness?? I there any significant jump on numbers as they are advertising vision booster for outdoor usage.. Earlier version of tab s series are just not meant for outdoor usage..one can hardly see anything on the screen due to lack of poor brightness.

[@bensgadgetreviews]

No real change from tab s8 la

[@BaSiC47]

@@bensgadgetreviewsThat’s disappointing because the marketing department promisedotherwise

[@ikusanjay]

@@bensgadgetreviews that s a shame...

[@user-cb4cp8uv2x]

Why didn't you get a galaxy book 4 ultra?

[@bdbdpatel2334]

Can I work easily in exel like window tablet?

[@sparx2391]

Great review, I've just ordered the 1 TB version, as it was a free upgrade, ordered the watch 6 classic with it, and got £600 discount altogether, I didn't get the 5 G, as I can tether ot to my 23 ultra when not in a wifi. Zone.

[@menace2society00]

samsung trade in and promo discounts in the US are insane, got a fold 4 last year for 800 bucks after trading in my s22 for $1000 trade in even though selling the phone anywhere else wouldve given me max $300

[@BansheeN0rn]

​@@menace2society00i only paid 900 for fold 4 bundled with watch 5 and buds 2 pro lol. U got ripped off haha

[@PinoyIQ]

Can dex run without keyboards

[@aryalwishes5888]

Good 😊

[@owegen]

what keyword are you using to connect the tablet? Official hardware from Samsung?

[@bensgadgetreviews]

No it's a generic third party keyboard

[@Ruckulac]

​@@bensgadgetreviews would you spill the brand? 🙏😁

[@ew4121]

S9 ultra is nice. But those "stories" from IG are nicer. 😏😏

[@oddballbender]

I thought that the screen max NIT brightness was much improved over S8 ultra

[@thomrhodes]

Does anyone else find the audio quality to be a bit lacklustre here? Otherwise, great video.

[@bensgadgetreviews]

Sorry I didn't set my mic right