The best things come in threes, or so Samsung goes. At the Samsung Unpacked event held on 26 July, the tech giant unveiled three new additions to its Galaxy Tab lineup for 2023: the 11-inch Galaxy Tab S9, the 12.4-inch Galaxy Tab S9+, and the 14.6-inch Galaxy S9 Tab Ultra. All three models are the same size as their Galaxy Tab S8 predecessors, but offer a handful of upgrades including an improved display, new collaboration tools, and an IP68-rated S Pen for water and dust resistance.
Armed with the Qualcomm Snapdragon Gen 2 chipset, this latest lineup packs more processing power into a slimmer, thinner form factor, with the Dynamic AMOLED 2X display sporting an adaptative refresh rate of 60 to 120Hz, HDR 10+ technology, a 16:10 aspect ratio, and eye comfort features. The dimensions and weight for each iteration are as follows:
| Galaxy Tab S9 | Galaxy Tab S9+ | Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra | |
| Dimensions | 165.8 x 254.3 x 5.9mm | 185.4 x 285.4 x 5.7mm | 208.6 x 326.4 x 5.5mm |
| Weight | 498g (Wi-Fi) / 500g (5G) | 581g (Wi-Fi) / 586g (5G) | 732g (Wi-Fi) / 737g (5G |
DeX Mode makes a return here, joining the Multi Window and Pop-Up View features for efficient multitasking. Where the former displays up to three apps as an organised grid of easily adjustable windows, Pop-Up View lets apps be viewed as floating windows while showing the full home screen. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series has also been tailored for seamless integration and collaboration with GoodNotes, allowing for a journalling and note-taking experience that can be co-edited by friends, colleagues, and others — a first for an Android device.
In a first for the Galaxy Tab series, the S-Pen is now IP68-rated, making it “water resistant in fresh water to a maximum depth of 1.5 metres for up to 30 minutes, and protected from dust,” as per Samsung’s official website. Like before, the stylus comes included in the box, with the all-new S-Pen Creator Edition sporting a textured, more comfortable grip and a wider tilt angle.
Samsung’s latest is additionally touted as the most heat-efficient Galaxy Tab to date, capable of keeping things cool under more intense loads like gaming or content creation. Memory and storage space have been expanded with an external microSD card slot, while the battery now supplies 8,400maAh, 10,090mAh, and 11,200mAh of power to the Galaxy Tab S9, Galaxy Tab S9+, and Galaxy Tab 9 Ultra respectively.
The Galaxy Tab S9 range will come in Beige or Graphite, and is now available for pre-order in select markets before official sales kick off 11 August.
Elsewhere, health is the name of the game for Samsung’s latest smartwatch line-up. Designed to help users build healthier habits, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic will ship with a slimmer bezel, a larger and brighter display, as well as a greater selection of watch faces and new band options.
Sporting a 20 percent larger display, the pair of wearables is able to show more text on screen. Each comes equipped with a larger keyboard, a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, and an Always On Display adjustment feature, alongside a leaner frame, new interactive watch faces, and new one-click bands that make it easy for mix and match designs.
Here’s a quick look at their respective specifications:
|  | Galaxy Watch 6 | Galaxy Watch 6 Classic | |
| Material + Colour | Armor Aluminum case with Sport Band 44mm: Graphite, Sliver 40mm: Graphite, Gold | Stainless Steel case with Hybrid Eco-Leather Band 47mm : Black, Silver 43mm : Black, Silver | |
| Dimensions | 44mm: 42.8 x 44.4 x 9.0 mm 40mm: 38.8 x 40.4 x 9.0 mm | 47mm: 46.5 x 46.5 x 10.9 mm 43mm: 42.5 x 42.5 x 10.9 mm | |
| Weight | 44mm: 33.3g 40mm: 28.7g | 47mm: 59g 43mm: 52g |
Building on the sleep and wellness features of its predecessors, both models will now offer in-depth analysis of Sleep Score Factors (total sleep time, sleep cycle, awake time, and physical and mental recovery), more individualised Sleep Messages that give detailed feedback on a user’s health each morning, the Sleep Consistency feature, and a designed Sleep Animal Symbol representing their sleep type.
It’ll be easy to set up the perfect sleep environment, too. When it’s time for bed, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 series automatically changes the settings of connected home electronics, turns on Sleep Mode across the user’s watch and phone to mute notifications, dim screens, and activates the invisible LED infrared sensor on the watch to deliver valuable health insights.
Fitness enthusiasts, meanwhile, can expect more personalised features. Body Composition, for instance, measures key physical measurements like skeletal muscle, basal metabolic rate, body water and body fat percentage, and provides a complete snapshot of the user’s body and fitness. This is accompanied by a new partnership with Whisk, which offers a tailored approach to set goals, track progress, and plan nutrition intake.
In a similar vein, the all-new Personalised Heart Rate Zone analyses individual physical capabilities and defines five optimal running intensity levels to help users set their own goals based on their ability – from burning fat to high intensity workouts. Those with more experience in the field can also opt to build and track their own workout routine with Custom Workout. Fall Detection, a feature from the Galaxy Watch 5 series, has been carried over as well.
Outside of health and fitness, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 lineup proves handy for day-to-day tasks. The Samsung Wallet serves as an additional digital payment choice for users, while Gesture Control allows them to set their own shortcuts and access apps and functions touch-free. The convenience extends to WhatsApp access on the smartwatches, support for Google apps (including Google Calendar and Gmail) on Wear OS, and Find My Phone with map support.
Like its tablet counterparts, the Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic are now available for pre-order at Samsung Experience Stores and the official storefront on Lazada and Shopee. Official sales will start 11 August.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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