The differences between the S9 Ultra and S8 Ultra I've been able to figure out from reviews are:
- IP68 rating.
- Minimum spec is now 12 GB / 256 GB (used to be 8 GB / 128 GB). With the free memory upgrade, you get is12 GB / 512 GB. (1 TB bumps you up to 16 GB of RAM.)
- Screen has an adaptive refresh rate. The S8 Ultra is fixed at 60 Hz or 120 Hz (your choice). This should result in a slight improvement in battery life, especially if you mostly view static content.
- Peak adaptive brightness is now 900+ nits (vs 500+ on the S8 Ultra). But this isn't under the user's control - the tablet will only do it if you're using it in sunlight. And it probably can't do it for long due to overheating when in the sun. Because your eyes perceive brightness logarithmically, this isn't as big a difference as the numbers make it seem. You can barely notice it even with the two tablets side by side.
- PWM appears to be improved. The video reviews which show some banding on the S8 Ultra screen, show none on the S9 Ultra screen.
- The pink cast when viewing the S8 Ultra screen at oblique angles, has been fixed.
- The storage speeds are 1.5x to 2x faster. Though I doubt this will be noticeable in regular use.
- Processor (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the S9 Ultra, Gen 1 in the S8 Ultra) is about 1.5x faster, GPU about 1.7x faster, and less prone to throttling. Again, shouldn't matter to most people. But if you do heavy processing tasks (e.g. photo or video editing) or heavy duty gaming, it's probably worth upgrading.
- That said, a leaked benchmark for what's claimed to be the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 place it at 2x faster than the Gen 2 (or 3x faster than the Gen 1). So if you're not in a particular hurry to upgrade, you may wish to wait for the Tab S10 Ultra. Edit: apparently this was discredited.
- Battery life in use has improved only slightly (no change to about 5%). But battery life in standby has improved substantially (3x - 5x). So much that I wonder if the test was flawed. Awaiting NotebookCheck's thorough review of the S9 Ultra.
- Rear wide-angle camera has been bumped up from 6 MP to 8 MP. But the FOV is now narrower (not as wide-angle). Frankly, if you're taking photos, you should be doing it with something smaller than this monster of a tablet. But if you do use it to take wide-angle photos, the S9 Ultra is actually a downgrade.
- Camera bumps in the rear are larger, so many S8 Ultra cases (including the Samsung keyboard cover) will not fit. People have reported getting it to fit after a little bit of carving with an x-acto knife. The S8 Ultra keyboard does fit. You get a notification saying it's an older keyboard and may not be fully compatible, but people have reported no problems.
- Face tracking on the front camera is much faster (camera "follows" your face during video calls).
- Pen will charge when oriented in either direction. The S8 Ultra only charges if it's oriented with the nib pointed towards the camera lenses.
- Pen attaches much more securely. In the review, they could almost lift the tablet by picking up the pen. I'm dunno if this is due to better magnets in the tablet, or in the pen.
- Bluetooth 5.3 now supported (older version only supports 5.2)
- Speakers are slightly louder, have more bass.
- Fingerprint scanner is slightly faster.
- Option for a beige color.
- Weight has increased by 6 grams (0.2 oz). I doubt anyone will notice this.
- The dimensions are unchanged.
Sources:
https://youtu.be/qsbXSHKJEwA
https://youtu.be/kGx759MTN8Q
https://www.reddit.com/r/GalaxyTa...ts_t
https://www.reddit.com/r/GalaxyTa..._s9_
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A few points why in case others are in the same boat:
I'll be upgrading from an s8 ultra base configuration so I'll be getting more memory and storage
Buds2 pro was 50 bucks. Although I have the first gen buds pro I'll just sell those or give them away
I already have the kickstand case which I can modify slightly to fit the new s9u
When the s10u releases next year I'll be able to get more via trade in vs. if I kept the s8u
I was able to take advantage of 25 off using the shop app since I hadn't previously used it (added flip5 case insert to meet 250 minimum)
Total after coupon came to 252
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Which I have been itching to upgrade to an S23 Ultra though. So hard not to upgare right now.
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