Frequent flying, let alone flying frequently for business, is an art form practised by many around the world. If the key pillars of this art form are efficiency, convenience, and minimalism, travelling with a tablet as opposed to a laptop could be the hack that separates proficient operators from the best.
With its remarkable power-to-size ratio, practicality, entertainment prowess, and adaptability from the first-class lounge to the boardroom, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9 Series is the clear choice for premium tablet experiences. Armed with the mighty Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra 5G, we swapped out our usual setup for exactly that across the Tasman, up and down the Australian east coast, and up to Singapore.
A sleek and convenient package
You’ll never unlock the upper tiers of efficient travel by lugging around a cumbersome laptop bag. If your business tech arsenal consists of an antiquated corporate-issued device that wouldn’t be out of place in the bullpen of a mid-2000s office, it goes without saying that it’s time to upgrade.
Despite its size, the Tab S9 Ultra, as pictured above, clocks in at just 732 grams. The regular S9 is well below 500 grams, making any option in the range infinitely lighter than a regular laptop. At just 5.5 millimetres in thickness – yes, you read that correctly – the Tab S9 Ultra slips into your briefcase or the laptop sleeve of a RIMOWA Essential Cabin bag like a glove.
We opted for the Ultra and its gloriously sharp 14.6″ display. But if your business use case doesn’t quite need the extra real estate afforded by the hero offering, the S9+ (at an impressive 12.4″) and the regular S9 (clocking in at 11″) are both admirable options to keep the package on the smaller side, but no less powerful.
On the topic of design, the Tab S9 Series are draped in an armour aluminium casing while also being water and dust-resistant (IP68 rated). It’s the most durable Galaxy Tab design yet. If you do find yourself anywhere other than the comforts of seat 1A, know that you’ll likely throw in the towel on the elements before the Tab S9 Series does.
Entertainment on-the-go
When flying domestically, in-flight entertainment is basically non-existent on most aircraft. With so many streaming subscriptions and offline content options available on personal devices, having a tablet at your disposal should be the only way to fly. Internationally, you may as well guarantee you’ll have your favourite content at all times.
Samsung’s Tab S9 supports HDR10+ for scene-by-scene tone optimisation, resulting in vibrant, near lifelike colours and brightness for videos on popular apps like YouTube or Disney+. Vision Booster technology instantly optimises contrast and brightness, adapting to both indoor and outdoor environments, regardless of the glare coming through the windows at 36,000 feet.
Additionally, the tablets incorporate Eye Comfort features, reducing eye strain with a significant reduction in blue light emissions. Over hours of continuous watching or in low cabin lighting, the Tab S9 is a more pleasing viewing experience than the seatback screen 10 times out of 10.
If you’re running the optional Smart Book Cover, you can move from hand-held usage to hands-free viewing in both portrait and landscape orientations easily. Kick back and settle in for a Succession marathon or a Taylor Sheridan classic like Wind River.
During our many hours in the sky over the past month, the high-performance battery never faulted once. It’s more than enough to get you across the Tasman or up to Singapore on a single charge.
Flexibility from the first lounge to the boardroom
Tablets are the ultimate all-in-one package. Less obtrusive when in a board meeting or at a coffee catch-up with a client, while still sporting the power and functionality of a laptop.
Tackle the tsunami of emails in your inbox on-the-go in the airport lounge, or engage the S Pen to take notes, sketch out ideas, or put the final touches on your latest presentation. The low latency of the pen was particularly impressive, as was its natural magnetic snap to the back of the tablet when not in use.
The tablets also boast partnerships with industry-leading apps, such as Google Meet-integrated Samsung Notes, GoodNotes, LumaFusion, and ArcSite.
The Ultra is also 5G enabled, meaning it can host a dedicated roaming sim card with a data-only package to ensure you don’t miss important updates when out of the country. Keep work and play separate, with your personal phone dialled into the essentials and the tablet connected at all times.
Peeling back a few more of the technical layers, both the Tab S9’s Snapdragon 8 Gen2 chipset and adaptive refresh rate ensure smooth and responsive performance during extended usage. You can run multiple demanding apps yet rest assured it’ll handle them with ease.
Keep it in the family
If you’re already running a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, the SmartThings ecosystem allows users to automate and control appliances from your pocket no matter where you are in the world. Throw the Samsung Galaxy Watch6 into the mix and you’ll have a cohesive tablet-smartphone-wearable ecosystem with features like camera control and SmartThings Find. Regardless of whether your tablet is in the overhead locker or by your side, you can enjoy a smooth transition between devices and connectivity at all times.
Explore the entire Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Series range at the link below, and read more about how you can complete the setup with the new Watch 6.
