Google Pixel Tablet vs Samsung Galaxy Tab S9

Both arrived in 2023, eleven weeks apart: Google announced Pixel Tablet at Google I/O on 10 May 2023, and Samsung unveiled Galaxy Tab S9 on 26 July 2023, calling it the first Galaxy Tab S series rated IP68. They’ve gone different ways since. Google was still selling Pixel Tablet on 19 September 2026, with no Pixel Tablet 2 to replace it, while Samsung’s 11-inch flagship is now Tab S11. So a new Pixel is up against a Tab S9 you already own or would buy used.

The differences at a glance

Spec	Google Pixel Tablet	Samsung Galaxy Tab S9
Announced	10 May 2023	26 July 2023
Now	Still on the Google Store, 19 September 2026	Replaced by Tab S11
US price	$499 with the Charging Speaker Dock at launch; from $399 on the Google Store	$799.99 at launch
In the box	Tablet; dock bundles add the Charging Speaker Dock	Tablet and S Pen
Display	10.95-inch LCD, 2560 × 1600, 276 ppi	11-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2560 × 1600, HDR10+
Refresh rate	Not published	Adaptive 60–120Hz; Samsung US support says 120Hz
Brightness	500 nits typical	750 nits peak; 420 nits series maximum (Samsung Australia)
Chip	Tensor G2, Titan M2	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy: 3.36 GHz, 2.8 GHz, 2 GHz
Memory	8GB LPDDR5	8GB with 128GB; 12GB with 256GB
Storage	128GB or 256GB (UFS 3.1); no microSD	128GB or 256GB; microSD up to 1TB
Pen	USI 2.0, sold separately	S Pen in the box; Bluetooth Low Energy; IP68
Water and dust	Not published	IP68, tablet and pen
Wireless	Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, ultra-wideband	802.11ax on 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz, Bluetooth 5.3; Samsung US support says Wi-Fi 7
Cellular	None	5G models
Battery	27Wh; up to 12 hours of video	8,400mAh; up to 15 hours of video
Charging	Dock up to 15 watts, or USB-C	45-watt fast charging (Samsung US support)
Rear camera	8 MP, f/2.0, fixed focus, 1080p at 30 fps	13 MP, autofocus
Front camera	8 MP, f/2.0, 1080p at 30 fps	12 MP ultra-wide
Speakers	Four, plus the dock’s own speaker	Four, tuned by AKG, with Dolby Atmos
Size	258 × 169 × 8.1mm	165.8 × 254.3 × 5.9mm
Weight	493g	498g Wi-Fi; 500g 5G
Unlock	Fingerprint reader in the power button	Fingerprint reader in the screen
Colors	Porcelain, Hazel; Rose in dock bundles	Beige, Graphite
Software at launch	Android	Android 13

A speaker dock or an S Pen

Each of these comes with a different reason to buy it. Pixel Tablet’s is the Charging Speaker Dock: a magnetic, pogo-pin stand with a 43.5mm full-range speaker that charges the tablet at up to 15 watts. The tablet connects through a 4-pin connector that carries charging, data and audio, and it also has a USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1 port; a USB-C charger is sold separately unless you buy the dock bundle. Rose was a bundle color, and Porcelain and Hazel are the tablet colors. There’s no first-party keyboard: the dock is the accessory Google built.

Tab S9’s reason is the S Pen in the box, with Bluetooth Low Energy and the same IP68 rating as the tablet. Samsung also mentions bidirectional charging in the cradle, and sells Book Cover Keyboard models separately. If you want a pen you don’t have to shop for, that’s Tab S9. If you want the tablet to live on a speaker, that’s Pixel Tablet.

Pixel Tablet does work with a pen, a USI 2.0 stylus you buy yourself. A USI pen isn’t an S Pen, so don’t count on swapping pens between the two.

LCD against Dynamic AMOLED 2X

The two screens share a 2560 × 1600 resolution and little else. Pixel Tablet’s is a 10.95-inch, 16:10 LCD at 276 pixels per inch, rated 500 nits typical, with 24-bit color and an anti-smudge coating. Google describes an aluminum body with a nano-ceramic coating, at 258 × 169 × 8.1mm and 493 grams.

Tab S9’s is an 11-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel; in centimeters, the diagonal is 27.81 for the full rectangle and 27.62 inside the rounded corners. Samsung’s launch announcement says the refresh rate adapts from 60 to 120Hz, and its US support answer says 120Hz. It supports HDR10+, and Samsung names Vision Booster. Samsung Australia lists 750 nits as Tab S9’s peak and 420 nits as a series maximum; neither is the same kind of figure as Google’s 500 nits typical, so don’t read them as one test.

Tab S9 is thinner, at 165.8 × 254.3 × 5.9mm, and weighs 498 grams with Wi-Fi or 500 grams with 5G, in Beige or Graphite. It unlocks with a fingerprint reader in the screen; the Pixel’s is in the power button.

Tensor G2 against Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

Pixel Tablet runs Tensor G2 with a Titan M2 security chip and 8GB of LPDDR5 memory, with 128GB or 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage and no microSD slot.

Tab S9 runs Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, with cores at 3.36 GHz, 2.8 GHz and 2 GHz. It has 8GB of memory with 128GB of storage or 12GB with 256GB, and takes a microSD card up to 1TB, sold separately. It launched on Android 13, so check which version a used one is running.

Wi-Fi, cellular and GPS

Pixel Tablet has Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, an ultra-wideband chip and Google Cast. It’s Wi-Fi only, with no GPS listed, so skip it if the tablet needs its own data connection.

Samsung describes Tab S9’s Wi-Fi two ways. Samsung India and the launch announcement give 802.11ax on 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz, which is Wi-Fi 6E class, with Bluetooth 5.3; Samsung’s US support answer says Wi-Fi 7. Those don’t match, so check the model you’re buying. 5G models exist, and Samsung lists GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo and QZSS, though it’s worth confirming that on a Wi-Fi-only model.

Water, battery and charging

Samsung rates Tab S9 and its S Pen IP68, up to 5 feet of freshwater for 30 minutes. That’s a lab rating, not an invitation to take it swimming, but it’s more than Pixel Tablet offers.

The batteries are measured in different units. Google rates Pixel Tablet’s 27Wh battery for up to 12 hours of video streaming. Tab S9 has an 8,400mAh battery that Samsung rates for up to 15 hours of video and up to 10 hours of internet use on Wi-Fi. There’s no shared test, so don’t rank them.

Pixel Tablet charges on its dock at up to 15 watts, or over USB-C with a charger you buy separately. Samsung says every Tab S9 supports 45-watt fast charging with a compatible charger and cable.

Cameras and sound

Pixel Tablet has 8 MP cameras front and back, both f/2.0 and both recording 1080p at 30 fps; the rear one is fixed focus. Tab S9 has a single 13 MP autofocus camera on the back and a 12 MP ultra-wide on the front.

Both have four speakers. Samsung’s are tuned by AKG and support Dolby Atmos; Pixel Tablet has four built-in speakers and three microphones, and the dock adds its own speaker.

Price, and what replaced Tab S9

The $499 Pixel Tablet cost at launch, on 10 May 2023, included the Charging Speaker Dock. By 19 September 2026 the Google Store listed it from $399, with some store views showing it out of stock. Tab S9 launched at $799.99 with 128GB or 256GB and no keyboard, and keyboards are extra on both. Prices move, so check the current price and what’s in the box before you buy.

Samsung’s current 11-inch flagship is Tab S11. If you’d rather buy new than track down a Tab S9, see iPad Pro (M5) vs Samsung Galaxy Tab S11.