Tablets are a hybrid between a smartphone and a laptop as they have the functional capability of a laptop while inheriting an enlarged touchscreen display of a cellphone.Samsungunveiled its first tablet, the Galaxy Tab (Gen 1), in 2010. Fast-forward to 2025, we now have a mid-range option as well in the form of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE (Fan Edition).

Right now you may pick one up for $290 over its MSRP of $450, saving you 36%. It’s a smart choice forthose in schoollooking to take notes and express their creativity using the S Pen, while not breaking their piggy bank.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE

What’s Inside

The tablet has a 10.9-inch1440 x 2304 pixelsIPS LCD running at arefresh rate of 90Hz, which is decent for the price. Samsung’sOLED displaysare the best in the business, but we don’t get to see that here.

The tab comes in four colors (mint, silver, gray, and lavender) and has an aluminum body and frame, giving it a premium look and feel. Powering the device is Samsung’s in-house SoC: the5nm Exynos 1380with an octa-core CPU andMali-G68 MP5GPU. Samsung has been using its homegrown chips for some time now, and they perform on par with theirSnapdragon counterparts.

The tablet is available in three specs but only the base variant is on sale

In case you run out of storage, just pop in a microSD card and you’re good to go. Although tablets are designed for taking amazing photos, you’re able to still get satisfactory shots with its12 MP selfie shooterand8MP back camera, which can record at up to4K @30FPS. There is no headphone jack on the tablet, but the in-builtstereo speakersare loud and are tuned by AKG. You will not have to stay plugged into the wall thanks to the8000 mAh Li-Po batterywhich will last you throughout a day of school work and even squeeze in a few episodes of your favorite soap on Netflix.

The tablet is ratedIP68water and dust-resistant, which is good for light splashes of water. Samsung has improved itsOne UIbased onAndroidwith less bloatware and made it a much lighter operating system. This allows the user experience to be elevated as the devices don’t stutter and lag due to unnecessary load on the SoC. Out of the box, you getAndroid 13, which can be updated to the latest version right after unboxing. Samsung didn’t cut corners with theS Pen, as the tablet is bundled with one, making the 11-inch screen more manageable and exciting to use.

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE has all the works for a feature-packed tablet that is adequate for everyday use and light entertainment. For the discounted price of only $290, you cannot go wrong with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE, which can even be a great gift option for your loved ones.