What is the difference between the Samsung Galaxy Tab A and Tab S series?

Key findings

• Samsung's Galaxy Tab A and Galaxy Tab S series offer affordable and premium options with different specifications and features.
• The Galaxy Tab A models are cheaper, while the Tab S models offer premium design, displays and performance.
• Consider your budget and needs when choosing between the entry-level A-series, mid-range FE models or the high-end flagship Tab S models.

Samsung is considered unmatched in the Android tablet space, as there are only a handful of manufacturers that rival Apple's best iPads. The company's Galaxy Tab S lineup gets all the attention and premium features, but the Galaxy Tab A lineup's offerings are nothing to sneeze at either. Both the Galaxy Tab A8 and the relatively new Galaxy Tab A9+ are pretty good options to consider, and they come with many premium features usually reserved for the company's flagship Galaxy tablets.

Since the two tablet series are in completely different price categories, there will of course still be many differences. Read on to find out what the differences are and which one might be better suited to your needs.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A vs Galaxy Tab S series

What exactly are the differences?

Much like its Galaxy phones, Samsung's tablets fall into the Tab A series or the Tab S series, depending on which market segment they serve. High-end tablets have always been part of the Galaxy Tab S lineup, while the mid-range and budget models get the A series badge. And those differences become clear when you start breaking them down.

Samsung's Galaxy Tab A series of tablets are available at relatively affordable prices, whereas the premium models in the Galaxy Tab S series will put a bigger hole in your wallet.

Samsung's Galaxy Tab A line of tablets are relatively affordable, while the premium Galaxy Tab S series models will burn a bigger hole in your wallet. Just to put things in perspective, the base variant of the new Galaxy Tab A9+ starts at $220, which can be made even cheaper through trade-ins and other frequent deals. There's also the Galaxy Tab A8, which is available at retailers like Amazon for $140 off. On the other hand, the relatively premium but still entry-level Galaxy Tab S9 currently costs a whopping $800 without trade-ins or deals. The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is a whopping $1,200 at full price.

• 

  Samsung Galaxy Tab A8

  140$ $230 Save $90

  The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 is a decent offering from Samsung in the budget range, with a 1920 x 1200 LCD panel, a Unisoc T618 chipset, respectable internal specs, and a suitably excellent price.

• 

  Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+

  $220 $270 Save $50

  The Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ is a relatively affordable Galaxy tablet that's perfect for those who don't want to spend a lot of money on the company's flagship device. It features a 10.9-inch 90Hz display and is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 695 SoC.

• 

  Samsung Galaxy Tab S9

  655 $ $800 Save $145

  The latest evolution of the Galaxy Tab series, the 11-inch Galaxy Tab S9 features a Dynamic AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. Packed with great features like S Pen support and optional 5G connectivity, it's one of the best-looking Android slates on the market.

Paying a premium for the Galaxy Tab S series devices gets you a much better tablet with a more modern design, more powerful internals, and plenty of extra features. The S series tablets look much more premium with premium materials like metal frames and glass elements. They also get the Gorilla Glass treatment that the cheaper Galaxy Tab A series models currently lack. The S series is only going to get better as we expect the Tab S10 series to be released soon.

The premium models in the Galaxy Tab S series also offer nicer displays with narrower bezels, support for high refresh rates, higher resolutions, and more. For example, all of the Galaxy Tab S9 series tablets have AMOLED screens, which produce more vibrant images with more true-to-life colors. The Tab A9+ and A8 have an LCD screen, which is fine for browsing the web, but not so great for watching videos.

The Galaxy Tab S series models also have better internal features compared to the Galaxy A series models.

As high-end tablets, the Galaxy Tab S series models also have better innards than the Galaxy A series models. The Galaxy Tab S9 is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, while the Galaxy Tab A series devices have relatively less powerful chips. In the case of the Galaxy Tab A9+ and Galaxy Tab A8, it's a 6nm Snapdragon 695 5G chip and a 12nm Unisoc Tiger T618 chip, respectively. This means you can run most apps and do basic tasks like browsing the web, but you'll hit your limits when running games and more graphically demanding apps.

Here's a quick look at the specs sheet of the Galaxy Tab A9+, Galaxy Tab A8, and Galaxy Tab S9 to give you a better understanding of the differences you can expect between the three.

• 	Samsung Galaxy Tab A8	Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+	Samsung Galaxy Tab S9
  storage	32GB, 64GB, 128GB	64GB, 128GB	128GB, 256GB
  CPU	Unisoc Tiger T618 (12nm)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
  Memory	2GB, 3GB, 4GB	4GB, 8GB	8GB, 12GB
  Operating system	Android11	Android 13, One User Interface 5.1	Android13
  battery	7,040 mAh, 15 W wired	7040 mAh, 15 W charging	8,400mAh
  Ports	USB Type-C 2.0	USB C	USB-C, microSD
  Camera (rear, front)	8 MP rear, 5 MP front	8MP, 5MP	Rear: 12 MP, AF – Front: 12 MP
  Display type	10.5 TFT LCD, 1920 x 1200 pixels	TFT LCD	11-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 60Hz-120Hz
  Price	140$	$220	$800
  Size	9.72 x 6.37 x 0.27 inches (246.8 x 161.9 x 6.9mm)	10.12 x 6.64 x 0.27 inches (257.1 x 168.7 x 6.9mm)	6.52 x 10.01 x 0.23 inches (165.8 x 254.3 x 5.9mm)
  Connectivity	WiFi, Bluetooth	5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth	WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
  Headphone jack	Yes	Yes	NO
  Colors	Dark grey, silver, rose gold	Graphite, Silver, Navy	Beige, Graphit

The rest of the specs of the A-series models also look relatively weaker, which is reflected in the price difference. You get less RAM and storage, weaker optics, smaller batteries with slower charging speeds, and so on. Notably, the Galaxy Tab A-series models also lack things like the fingerprint scanner, and they also don't come with an S Pen like the newer Galaxy Tab S-series models. I suggest you check out our Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 vs Galaxy Tab A8 comparison to learn more about all the differences.

Your choice depends on your budget and needs

Entry-level A-series, mid-range FE or high-end flagship models?

It's safe to say that the S-series tablets – just like the Galaxy phones – represent Samsung's best effort to deliver a solid experience for those who don't want to compromise. The Galaxy Tab A-series models, on the other hand, are good for thrifty buyers on a tight budget. Samsung also currently has a Galaxy Tab S9 FE model in its portfolio, which trades some of the S-series features for a slightly cheaper price.

As mentioned in our Galaxy Tab S9 vs Galaxy Tab S9 FE comparison, you don't lose too many useful features by opting for the cheaper model, so unless you're looking for the absolute best experience, feel free to go with this model over the more expensive one. There are plenty of deals on the Galaxy Tab S9 these days, but the S9 FE models offer the biggest savings.

While the Galaxy Tab S9 FE models are cheaper than the main Galaxy Tab S9 variants, they are still a bit expensive compared to the Galaxy A series tablets. So it's safe to say that the Galaxy Tab A series devices are still perfect for those looking for a simple tablet experience to get away from their phone or laptop, while the Galaxy S9 FE and main models are well suited to those who are willing to spend a significant amount to incorporate a tablet into their daily routine.

Choosing the right Samsung tablet

Now that you know the differences between the different series of Samsung tablets, you can make an informed decision. In this case, spending more will get you a better tablet, but what's the point of spending money if all you want to do is watch videos and browse the web? On the other hand, if you want to use your tablet for professional drawing, photo editing, gaming, or simply want a device that will last you for years, an entry-level tablet won't cut it. If you're thinking about these thin and light devices, you might also want to look at Windows tablets.