Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9+ 5G 11" 90Hz

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 5G is a budget-friendly, always-connected 11-inch Android tablet that excels at streaming and casual use. Its Snapdragon 695, 90Hz screen, and 5G connectivity make it a standout in a niche where you need a SIM card slot more than raw power. Skip it if you need to get any real work done or crave a top-tier display.

The Snapdragon 695 5G is a 6nm chip that sits in the upper-midrange for CPU and GPU performance, landing in the 68th and 67th percentiles respectively in our database. In plain English, it’s peppy enough for everyday tasks. Scrolling through Twitter, flipping between YouTube and a web browser, or running lighter games feels smooth, especially with that 90Hz refresh rate keeping animations fluid. But pushing it with heavy multitasking or demanding 3D games reveals its limits. Our productivity score was a rough 23.1 out of 100, which is one of the weakest we’ve seen. This is not a workhorse.

Where the Tab A9+ 5G shines is media playback. The 11-inch screen and those quad speakers deliver a solid experience for Netflix binges, even if the TFT panel’s colors and viewing angles can’t match a Super AMOLED. The Mali G52 MP2 GPU handles video decoding without breaking a sweat, but don’t expect to edit 4K video on this thing. It’s a consumption device, and for that, the performance is well above average in its price bracket for streaming and light gaming.

Stacked against the Apple iPad Pro M5, this Samsung gets absolutely demolished in raw power and display quality, but the iPad doesn’t have built-in 5G at this Tab’s budget price point. The Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition is a full Windows PC with a superior screen and kickstand, but it costs several times more and is overkill if you just want to watch shows and browse the web. The Xiaomi Pad 7 and Lenovo Idea Tab Pro TB373FU are much closer competitors. The Lenovo in particular offers a better stylus experience and often a nicer IPS panel for similar money, but you lose the 5G radio that makes this Samsung stand out. If cellular connectivity is a must-have for your tablet, the Galaxy Tab A9+ 5G sits in a pretty small, comfortable niche.

Pricing on this international model is bizarrely all over the place, with vendors listing it anywhere from a laughable $8,558 to an insane $80,188. Let’s be real: this is a $200-$300 tablet. If you see it for anywhere near its normal street price, you’re getting a solid deal for a cellular-enabled slate. For context, any retail price above $350 puts it dangerously close to a base model iPad, which runs circles around it in performance and screen quality. The model sold on Amazon with a fast charger in Graphite is the one to watch, but always double-check you’re not getting fleeced by a third-party seller with a creative pricing strategy. At a fair price, the value is good for an always-connected media pad.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 5G is basically Samsung’s answer to “what if you need a big screen, 5G, and don’t want to sell a kidney?” It’s an 11-inch Android 13 tablet with a Snapdragon 695 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. The 90Hz TFT display and quad Dolby Atmos speakers make it clear this thing is built for watching videos and casual browsing, not crunching spreadsheets. If you’ve been searching for a tablet under $300 that can make calls on T-Mobile’s network and keep the kids entertained on a road trip, this international model is a budget-friendly contender.

Now, the specs sheet has a funny typo floating around listing an Apple M2 chip, but let’s be clear: this is a Snapdragon-powered Android slate through and through. It’s the cellular-capable sibling of Samsung’s A-series line, and that 5G connectivity is its party trick. For the price, you’re getting a tablet that can double as a giant phone (if you’re on T-Mobile) and a portable TV. Just don’t expect it to replace your laptop.

Samsung clearly aimed this at families and media lovers. The 7040 mAh battery promises hours of charger-free fun, and the Kids mode with improved parental controls is a nice touch for parents who want to hand over a device without handing over their entire digital life. It’s unlocked and works on GSM and CDMA carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, though that “makes calls” feature is, oddly, a T-Mobile exclusive thing for this international model.

This tablet is a definite pass if you’re an artist, a student who needs handwritten notes to feel natural, or anyone whose workflow involves a lot of multitasking between heavy apps. Our productivity and feature scores were among the worst ranked, meaning no official stylus support worth mentioning and a chipset that chokes on desktop-class work. You should also skip it if you watch a lot of HDR content outdoors, as the TFT panel lacks the brightness and contrast to make it a good experience. Grab an iPad with an Apple Pencil or a Lenovo Tab Pro with a stylus in the box instead.

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 5G? If your priority list is topped by “I need a tablet with a SIM card slot and a big, decent screen that doesn’t cost a fortune,” then yes, absolutely. It’s a great companion for commuters who want to stream on the train, a solid first tablet for a kid with its parental controls, or a secondary couch device that’s always online. The 90Hz refresh rate and quad speakers genuinely elevate the experience above most other budget slates.

But if you plan to do any serious work, multitask with a keyboard, or care deeply about screen vibrancy, you should look elsewhere. This tablet’s productivity score is abysmal, the TFT display is just okay, and the battery life won’t blow you away. Know what you’re getting into: a well-built, connected entertainment machine, not a laptop replacement.