The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra might have a useful feature the iPad Pro lacks

Just a couple of days on from an extensive Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus leak, we’re now hearing about the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, with a specs leak that reveals many of the key details.

This comes from @UniverseIce (opens in new tab), who has a fairly good track record, and claims that – among other things – the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra has an IP68 certification. That’s the same certification as most high-end phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S23 and iPhone 13, have, and it means the tablet would have significant water and dust resistance.

Splash out on a high-end phone and this is an expected feature, but on tablets it’s rare unless you’re looking at models that are specifically designed to be rugged. None of the slates in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series have proper water resistance, and nor do any iPads.

So if @UniverseIce is right, that could give the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra a selling point that rivals lack. It might sound like a small thing unless you’re keen to use your tablet in the bath, but water resistance can be reassuring, and can protect your very expensive purchase from accidental spills and splashes.

More power and more of the same

That’s not the only spec @UniverseIce has shared, although the other details are less exciting. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra will apparently have a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset, which is the same as you’ll find in the Samsung Galaxy S23 series. So this isn’t surprising, but it should give the tablet a substantial power boost over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1-packing Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra.

The rest of the listed specs are largely the same as those of the Tab S8 Ultra, including a 14.6-inch 1848 x 2960 screen, an 11,200mAh battery with 45W charging, and identical dimensions of 326.4 x 208.6 x 5.5mm. There’s also 16GB of RAM mentioned, which again is the same as the current model, though that tablet also comes in versions with less RAM. It’s not clear if the same will be true here.

The only other rumored difference, other than the chipset and IP rating, is the weight, with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra said to be marginally heavier than the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra at 737g versus 726g. That shouldn’t make much difference, but when you consider that the iPad Pro 12.9 (2022) only weighs 682g, any increase in weight is undesirable, as these Ultra slates are among the heaviest tablets around.

Of course, none of this is confirmed yet, so take it all with a pinch of salt. It might be confirmed soon though, as it’s already been over a year since the Galaxy Tab S8 line landed, so there’s a high chance the Tab S9 series will launch soon. And if these specs do prove to be accurate, the Tab S9 Ultra could very well rank among the best tablets you can buy.

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.