The “Fan Edition” or the Galaxy Tab SE is a good alternative to Samsung’s pricier Galaxy Tab S lineup and should suffice with most casual users. Right now, there’s a great deal on the Galaxy Tab S9 FE, which is on sale at major retailers, dropping to as low as $296 for the base model. This means you get to take home a huge chunk of savings of up to $153 or 34% off its usual price.
There’s a comparable saving if you want a bigger storage. The 256 GB option of the tablet is available for $369 from $519 and you can pick it up in Mint, Gray, or Silver.
Why we recommend the Galaxy Tab S9 FE
The Galaxy Tab S9 FE (review) and Tab S9 FE+ were launched in October 2023, bringing notable upgrades from the previous Fan Edition Galaxy tablet. Some features that stood out for us include a cleaner but more modern design with a uniform bezel at the front. Built from an aluminum chassis, it feels as premium as the pricier standard Tab S9 and it even shares the IP68 dust and water resistance rating, which is still a rare feature on tablets.
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9 FE also features a faster 10.9-inch IPS LCD screen that refreshes at 90 Hz. The panel is compatible with S Pen, which Samsung includes with the tablet, saving you from acquiring a third-party active stylus.
There’s a reliable 12 MP front-facing camera with ultra-wide optics while the 8 MP rear snapper records up to 4K video. We also find the AKG-tuned stereo speakers to output crisp and loud audio that is comparable to standalone portable Bluetooth speakers.
Internally, the Galaxy Tab S9 FE is powered by a mid-range Exynos 1380 SoC and configured with up to 8 GB of RAM. The setup provides more than adequate performance for handling multiple tabs on the browser or running two apps side-by-side. Between charges, the battery on the tablet is rated to last more than a day from modest usage or a few days longer combined with light tasks.
Is the Galaxy Tab S9 FE a worthy purchase at its current price? Tell us in the comments.
