The 'best and most powerful' Android tablet of 2023 just scored a ridiculous discount during Best Buy's Black Friday sale

The metal back of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra
(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

Early Black Friday tablet deals have already started making the rounds online, and this next pick is a great option if you want something particularly powerful. Best Buy has launched $400 off the price of the 256GB Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra as part of its Black Friday event, offering a great tablet that'll usually net you well over $1,000.

Despite recently dropping into last-gen status, the S9 Ultra is a great pick for those who want a tablet with a massive 14.6-inch screen that can easily be used as if it were a laptop. The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra offers industry-leading performance, backed by 12GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, and it also comes with the first-party Samsung S Pen stylus.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra (256GB):$1,199.99 $799.99 at Best Buy

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra (256GB): $1,199.99 $799.99 at Best Buy

The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is one of the best Android tablets out there, offering performance and speed enough to replace just about any work laptop. This $400 discount at Best Buy might just be a good excuse to add this to your device lineup, especially if you were already eyeing tablets at the premium end of the spectrum.

This S9 Ultra comes with 256GB of storage, or expandable storage of up to 1TB with a microSD card. It also features the useful Samsung S Pen, and a huge AMOLED display that users love.

✅Recommended if: you're looking for a tablet with super powerful performance, or for something you can use as a laptop for work; you want a tablet that comes with a stylus; having a massive screen on your tablet is a priority for you.

❌Skip this deal if: you can afford to buy the new Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra; you want a tablet that's lightweight and easy to transport; you're screen-sensitive and need a tablet with solid PWM settings; you need something that can be used with your cell carrier's network.

The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is so clearly a premium tablet, boasting some of the best specs available on a modern device. While it's normally priced at $1,200, the extra 25% off from Best Buy makes it a solid competitor with lower-level tablets, but without sacrificing performance.

This model features 256GB of storage or the ability to increase that up to 1TB using a microSD card. This potential laptop replacement's performance is supported by the crazy-fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, 12GB of RAM, offering smooth gaming performance, and ease-of-use for power-intensive work applications. Users also love the 14.6-inch AMOLED display, which features a 120Hz refresh rate.

Additionally, this tablet has IP68 water and dust resistance, and comes with the S Pen stylus, the latter of which has been a big selling point for some buyers over the years.

It's worth noting that this may not be a great pick for those who prefer a small or affordable laptop, or for those who need a headphone jack. The display also doesn't have good PWM offerings, nor does the tablet have cellular connectivity—both of which could be a dealbreaker for some.

In any case, if you're a casual user, you may consider going with a more affordable option from Samsung, while those looking for the best of the best need look no further.

Zachary Visconti
Deals Contributor

Zach is a writer and reporter who has been covering electric vehicles, autonomous driving, and general tech since 2020. His work has appeared in Denver Westword, the Chicago Tribune, KRON4 San Francisco, and many other publications. When he isn't covering EVs or tech deals, you can find him playing music, drinking coffee, or hanging out with his cats, Banks and Freddie.