Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 vs Samsung Galaxy Tab S9

101 facts in comparison

Based on 840 Reddit opinions. Close race—Tab S9 edges ahead.

840 opinions
Tab S9 leads by 4pts
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8
88%
A-
Based on
293 Redditors

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8

~$308.99
167 opinions

tldr; Previous-gen flagship still holds up. 11-inch AMOLED with S Pen at discounted prices. Skip for OLED purists.

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VS
Reddit's Pick
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9
92%
A
Based on
1,054 Redditors
Winner

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9

~$449.99
673 opinions

tldr; Premium Android tablet with 120Hz AMOLED, included S Pen, and DeX mode. Reddit's top Samsung pick for general use.

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DisplayPerformanceBattery LifeStylus & Note-takingBuild Quality
🖥️DIS
PER
🔋BAT
STY
🔧BUI
92
Points
91
Points

Score by Category

Display
89%95%
Performance
93%89%
Battery Life
100%85%
Stylus & Note-taking
92%98%
Build Quality
100%92%

Why is Galaxy Tab S9 better than Galaxy Tab S8?

  • Higher Reddit score (92% vs 88%)
  • Better display (95% vs 89%)
  • Better stylus (98% vs 92%)
  • ?? 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED display w/ vibrant
Based on 1,347 Reddit opinions
Too Close to Call

Reddit prefers the Tab S9

Winning by 4 points (92% vs 88%)

Better display
Better stylus
120Hz Dynamic AMOLED display w/ vibrant
High confidence (1,347 mentions)

💬Reddit Sentiment

Based on 1,347 Reddit mentions

Overall Rating

Tab S8
8.8/10
293 mentions
Tab S9
9.2/10
1,054 mentions
DISPLAY
Tab S88.9/10
Tab S99.5/10
PERFORMANCE
Tab S89.3/10
Tab S98.9/10
VALUE
Tab S88.0/10
Tab S98.4/10
STYLUS
Tab S89.2/10
Tab S99.8/10
BATTERY LIFE
Tab S810.0/10
Tab S98.5/10
BUILD QUALITY
Tab S810.0/10
Tab S99.2/10
⚔️

Head to Head

Head to Head

Tab S8: 3|Tab S9: 3
DisplayTab S9
Tab S889%
Tab S995%
PerformanceTab S8
Tab S893%
Tab S989%
ValueTab S9
Tab S880%
Tab S984%
StylusTab S9
Tab S892%
Tab S998%
Battery LifeTab S8
Tab S8100%
Tab S985%
Build QualityTab S8
Tab S8100%
Tab S992%
Tab S888%
Tab S992%
Close race - Tab S9 edges ahead by 4 points

Key Specs

SpecSamsung Galaxy Tab S8Samsung Galaxy Tab S9
Display
12.4 inch Super AMOLED, 2800 x 1752 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
Ram
8GB
Storage
128GB, 256GB (expandable up to 1TB)
Battery
10090 mAh

Key Highlights

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8
📌 ?? 11-inch LTPS TFT at 120Hz - not AMOLED
✏️ S Pen included with low latency
📌 ?? DeX mode for desktop productivity
📏 ?? MicroSD slot for expandable storage
💰 ?? Often $400-500 discounted - solid value
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9Winner
📌 ?? 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED display w/ vibrant
✏️ S Pen included with magnetic charging
📌 ?? DeX mode for desktop-like productivity
💧 ?? IP68 water resistance rating
📌 ?? Open box excellent deals around $416

Topic Battles

Tab S8: 3|Tied: 0|Tab S9: 2
🖥️Display
Tab S9 wins
Tab S8
89%
Tab S9
95%
Performance
Tab S8 wins
Tab S8
93%
Tab S9
89%
🔋Battery Life
Tab S8 wins
Tab S8
100%
Tab S9
85%
Stylus & Note-taking
Tab S9 wins
Tab S8
92%
Tab S9
98%
🔧Build Quality
Tab S8 wins
Tab S8
100%
Tab S9
92%

Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories

📈Where They Rank

💬What Redditors Actually Say

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Samsung Galaxy Tab S9

Best Praise
+6 pts
having used both an ipad 9 and a tab s8+ i'd say that apple pencil is better for drawing while the s-pen is a better note taking stylus since it has a thinner tip. For your usecase i think you'll have more benefits going with the tab s9.
r/tablets
View
Top Criticism
+2 pts
Only negative of s9fe the chip is bad But can do all task except gaming at 90hz. But os is optimised hence its better For example if os is not optimised even if you get flagship chips it work like turtle .
r/tablets
View
3 more quotes available below

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Samsung Galaxy Tab S8

Best Praise
+3 pts
I have a Samsung tab 8, Galaxy watch 5 and s24 plus phone. I like that they mesh together. It's why I'm looking at a 10 or 11 myself. If you have the family it makes sense to stay with the ecosystem, hopefully less problems.
r/tablets
View
Top Criticism
+1 pts
The downsidewith the S8/S8+ is that they can be upgraded to android 14 and higher so finding one thats not upgraded is gonna be hard
r/tablets
View
3 more quotes available below

📈Historical Price Data

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9
$400$600Apr '25May '25Jun '25Aug '25Sep '25Oct '25Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Low: $336.65Low: $479.99
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8
All-time low: $299(2026-03)
$25 below 90-day avg
Samsung Galaxy Tab S9
All-time low!
$21 below 90-day avg

Which is Better?

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Wins
92%
S9
vs
88%
S8

Close race, but Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 edges ahead by 4 points based on 1,347 Reddit opinions.

Why Tab S9Winner
  • 📌 ?? 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED display w/ vibrant
  • ✏️ S Pen included with magnetic charging
  • 📌 ?? DeX mode for desktop-like productivity
  • More discussed (1,054 vs 293)
Why Tab S8
  • 📌 ?? 11-inch LTPS TFT at 120Hz - not AMOLED
  • ✏️ S Pen included with low latency

❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown

Sentiment Breakdown

59%Positive
Positive
59%
Neutral
36%
Negative
5%
Based on 1,054 Reddit opinions

Sentiment Breakdown

52%Positive
Positive
52%
Neutral
43%
Negative
5%
Based on 293 Reddit opinions

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 or Samsung Galaxy Tab S8?
Based on 1,347 Reddit comments, Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 has a slight edge with 92% positive sentiment vs Samsung Galaxy Tab S8's 88%. The difference is small, so both are solid choices.
Should I buy Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 or Samsung Galaxy Tab S8?
Both have similar approval ratings (92% vs 88%), so focus on specific features, pricing, and what matters most to you.
What do Redditors love about Samsung Galaxy Tab S9?
Reddit users highlight: 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED display w/ vibrant. S Pen included with magnetic charging. DeX mode for desktop-like productivity. With 1,054 mentions and 92% approval, it's a well-regarded choice in the community.
What do Redditors say about Samsung Galaxy Tab S8?
Reddit users highlight: 11-inch LTPS TFT at 120Hz - not AMOLED. S Pen included with low latency. DeX mode for desktop productivity. With 293 mentions and 88% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 1,347 Reddit comments: 1,054 about Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 and 293 about Samsung Galaxy Tab S8. Data was sourced from Tablets community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.

840 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 4/16/2026