One of the questions I get asked the most is: What is the best affordable Android tablet? And while there aren’t a lot of one-size-fits-all devices, if you just want a basic slate for shopping or browsing the news that can also double as a great shared device that lives in your living room, thanks to discounts for Amazon Prime Day, the 10.9-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE is an unquestionably good deal.
At $330, the Galaxy Tab S9 FE is even cheaper on Amazon than it is direct from Samsung, who has it listed for $50 more. But more importantly, while the Tab S9 FE was designed to be a streamlined version of the full-fat Galaxy Tab S9, it retains a lot of the features we like about its more expensive sibling. That includes things like built-in stylus support (and a bundled S Pen), a sturdy aluminum chassis and a bright, high refresh rate display. Granted, the FE’s 90Hz LCD panel isn’t quite as colorful or speedy as the 120Hz OLED screen on the standard Tab S9 and it has a slower Exynos 1380 processor. But when you consider that the FE costs almost one-third the price for Prime Day, those feel like pretty reasonable trade-offs.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
At $330 for Prime Day, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9 FE is down $120 from its original launch price.
Furthermore, Samsung’s DeX mode gives you a dedicated desktop UI complete with a taskbar and multi-window support at the touch of a button. That means the Tab S9 FE can serve as a great portable productivity machine, especially when paired with one of Samsung’s many keyboard accessories.
That said, potential buyers should know that one thing the Tab S9 FE doesn’t excel at is hardcore gaming. That’s because while it’s more than speedy enough for casual titles like Stardew Valley or Candy Crush, graphics can become a bit stuttery when playing more demanding shooters like Call of Duty: Mobile.
But if all you need is a versatile Android tablet for a good price, getting a Tab S9 FE for just $330 feels like a steal.
Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.