Don't buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus for Cyber Monday, save $300 on the Galaxy Tab S9 Plus instead

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ on a desk.
(Image credit: Brady Snyder / Android Central)

I've spent the last two months testing the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, and I keep trying to figure out who this tablet is for. It's eerily similar to the older Galaxy Tab S9 Plus, while packing a new Mediatek Dimensity 9300+ chipset that doesn't add much value over the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 platform in its predecessor. Put simply, there's more alike than different between these two 12.4-inch tablets, and I'm absolutely convinced the older one is the better value.

That was true before Cyber Monday deals slashed hundreds off the price of Galaxy Tab hardware, but it's even more true now. You can now get a Galaxy Tab S9 Plus for $699.99 at Best Buy, saving $300 off the tablet's usual sticker price. That's a better deal than both the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus' $999.99 MSRP and its current sale price of $849.99 at Best Buy.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus: $999.99$699.99 at Best Buy

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus: $999.99 $699.99 at Best Buy

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus has a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset with 12GB of RAM, a gorgeous 12.4-inch display with S Pen support, and much more. Really, there's not much that the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus offers that you won't also find on the older Galaxy Tab S9 Plus.

Price comparison: Amazon - $699.99 | Samsung - $919.99

✅Recommended if: you want a large and capable Samsung tablet with a Qualcomm processor; you don't have a Galaxy Tab S9 or S10 series tablet; you aren't considering an iPad.

❌Skip this deal if: you want a compact tablet; you'd rather buy the M4 iPad Pro at $850 for Cyber Monday; you'd rather buy the newer Galaxy Tab S10 Plus at $850 for Cyber Monday.

So, don't make a mistake this Cyber Monday. Samsung is marketing the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus as an "AI tablet" with plenty of great Galaxy AI features, and that's true. However, you get many of the same Galaxy AI features on the Galaxy Tab S9 Plus, too. That's the story of these two tablets. There may be small tweaks here and there between models, but you'll get the same experience regardless of which one you choose. If that's the case, why spend more?

The biggest reason to go with the Galaxy Tab S9 Plus over the newer Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is the processor situation. The brand-new tablet packs the Mediatek Dimensity 9300+, and in benchmarks, it hangs with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor in the Galaxy Tab S9 Plus. Usually, we expect a new tablet to at least offer a spec bump and slight performance jump over its predecessor, and that's part of what makes the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus so odd.

If you're in the market for a great Android tablet on Cyber Monday, I'd recommend either the Galaxy Tab S9 or Galaxy Tab S9 Plus. Remember, Samsung didn't launch a Galaxy Tab S10 this year, so the Galaxy Tab S9 is still the newest normal-sized tablet in its lineup. The only reason you might want to jump for the newer model is if you need seven years of OS upgrades, which only the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus provides.

Whichever model you prefer, you can find deals for the Galaxy Tab S9, Galaxy Tab S9 Plus, and Galaxy Tab S10 Plus below. Act fast, because Cyber Monday is quickly coming an end.

Brady Snyder
Contributor

Brady is a tech journalist for Android Central, with a focus on news, phones, tablets, audio, wearables, and software. He has spent the last three years reporting and commenting on all things related to consumer technology for various publications. Brady graduated from St. John's University with a bachelor's degree in journalism. His work has been published in XDA, Android Police, Tech Advisor, iMore, Screen Rant, and Android Headlines. When he isn't experimenting with the latest tech, you can find Brady running or watching Big East basketball.