Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 vs Tab A11 (UK): Is It Worth Upgrading?

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 has been replaced by the Galaxy Tab A11, and for most UK buyers the A11 is the one to choose now. It keeps the A9's 8.7-inch size, 5,100mAh battery and a very similar MediaTek processor, then adds a smoother 90Hz screen, a sharper 5MP front camera, microSD support up to 2TB and a published security update date of 30 September 2032.

It suits anyone shopping for a compact Samsung tablet for video, reading, video calls and children's apps. The biggest limitation is speed: the Tab A11 isn't meaningfully quicker than the Tab A9, so a working A9 doesn't need replacing yet. The larger upgrade sits at 11 inches, where the Tab A11+ brings a processor Samsung rates 18% faster than the A9+ and 25W charging. The Tech Gadgets doesn't sell the A9; the A11 and A11+ are what we sell, as Open Box (Activated) international units.

Quick decision: Tab A9 or Tab A11?

• Best for: buyers who searched for the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 and want the current version of the same compact tablet. The Tab A11 128GB Wi-Fi is the sensible default at £141.99 (checked 5 October 2026).
• Choose something else when: you want a clear jump in speed or a bigger screen. That is the Tab A11+, not the A11. If you need a pen with pressure sensitivity, neither the A9 nor the A11 family supports the S Pen.
• Check before buying: that you're happy with an Open Box (Activated) international unit, that you have a USB-C charger (Samsung doesn't put one in the box), and that a case you order is listed for the A11 rather than the A9.

Has the Galaxy Tab A11 replaced the Tab A9?

Yes. Samsung UK's Galaxy Tab A range page now lists the Tab A11 and Tab A11+, and the old Tab A9 product pages redirect to support pages. The A11 takes the A9's place as Samsung's 8.7-inch budget tablet, and the A11+ replaces the 11-inch A9+. Same sizes, newer hardware and software.

Samsung announced the Galaxy Tab A9 and A9+ on 23 October 2023, with sales starting in selected markets that day and Android 13 installed. The Tab A11 family followed in autumn 2025: when Samsung France unveiled the A11+ on 29 September 2025, it said the Tab A11 was already on sale. That two-year gap is why the A11 launched with Android 15 and the A11+ with Android 16.

Plenty of people still search for the old name, so here is the short version. You may still find a Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 second-hand or as leftover stock elsewhere, but the A11 is its direct replacement and the model we can supply with a 12-month warranty.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 vs Tab A11: specs compared

This table lists the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 specs beside the Tab A11, using Samsung figures unless a cell says GSMArena.

Read down the right-hand column and a pattern appears. Samsung kept the body, the battery and the memory options, and spent the upgrade on the screen, the front camera, storage expansion and software. Nothing in that list makes the A11 a different class of tablet; it makes it a better-finished version of the same one.

Galaxy Tab A9+ vs Tab A11+: specs compared

The 11-inch models changed more, so they get their own table, again with Samsung figures unless marked.

What does the Tab A11 change day to day?

Day to day, the Tab A11 feels smoother rather than faster. The 90Hz screen makes scrolling web pages, menus and e-books look more fluid than the A9's 60Hz panel, and the 5MP front camera gives clearer video calls. App loading and games run at a similar pace, because both tablets use the same class of MediaTek processor.

The screen: same size and resolution, smoother motion

Both tablets have an 8.7-inch panel at 1340 x 800, below Full HD. What changes is the refresh rate. At 90Hz the screen redraws half as often again as at 60Hz, which you notice when flicking through a news site or a long list of emails. Films won't look any different, since video plays at its own frame rate, so if your A9 is mainly a Netflix and YouTube screen this upgrade is a nice-to-have, not a reason to buy.

The front camera: the most practical gain

Going from a 2MP to a 5MP front camera is the change most families will actually see. Video calls with grandparents, online lessons and work meetings get a cleaner picture, especially in decent light. The 8MP autofocus rear camera stays, which helps when you photograph homework or a document to send.

Storage and software

Memory options are unchanged: 4GB of RAM with 64GB of storage, or 8GB with 128GB. The A11 doubles the microSD ceiling to 2TB, useful for downloaded films and music, although apps still live on the internal storage. Software is the quieter win. The A11 started on Android 15 rather than Android 13, and Samsung UK publishes a security update date of 30 September 2032 for it.

What stays the same

Battery capacity is still 5,100mAh and charging is still 15W through USB-C. Neither tablet comes with a plug, so budget for a USB-C charger if you don't already own one. The A11 also keeps the 3.5mm headphone jack, which many parents value for wired headphones on car journeys.

Is the A11+ a bigger upgrade over the A9+?

Yes. The A11+ changes more than the A11 does. Samsung moved it to a MediaTek processor it rates 18% faster than the Tab A9+, raised charging from 15W to 25W (which it describes as 1.6 times faster), started it on 6GB of RAM with 128GB of storage, and launched it on Android 16 with security updates listed to 30 November 2032.

The chassis is the same 11-inch, 6.9mm-thin body with the same 7,040mAh battery, and Samsung UK quotes up to 15 hours of video playback. The faster charging matters more than it sounds on a tablet this size: a 7,040mAh battery takes far longer to fill at 15W than at 25W, and that is the gap the A11+ closes. The A11+ also supports Samsung DeX, the desktop-style mode, and Samsung UK lists Gemini Live, where you can talk to Google Gemini about what's on screen or in front of the camera.

So if you're comparing the whole range rather than size for size, the more interesting upgrade for an A9 owner may be to step across to the A11+. Our Tab A11 vs A11+ comparison covers that choice in detail.

How long will the Tab A9 and Tab A11 get updates?

Samsung UK's specification pages list security updates for the Tab A11 until 30 September 2032 and for the Tab A11+ until 30 November 2032. We found no published Samsung UK end date for the Tab A9 or A9+. Both generations currently sit on Samsung's quarterly security update list, so patches arrive every three months rather than monthly.

For OS upgrades, Samsung's own newsrooms in France, Malaysia and Australia describe the A11 series as getting up to seven generations of software upgrades. That promise doesn't appear on Samsung's UK product pages, so we'd plan around the UK security dates instead. The A9 series has reached Android 16 (Samsung's Android 16 user guide covers the A9, A9+ and A11 in one manual), but there's no published date telling you how much longer it will be supported.

In practice, a tablet with a known end date six years away is easier to hand down to a child, or to rely on for banking and email, than one where support could stop at any point. That certainty is one of the strongest arguments for the A11 over a cheap leftover A9.

Should Tab A9 owners upgrade to the Tab A11?

Most Tab A9 owners don't need to upgrade yet. The A11 uses a similar processor, the same battery and the same screen resolution, so a healthy A9 performs much like it. Upgrade when your A9's battery has faded, when you want clearer video calls or a published update date, or when you're buying a second tablet anyway.

Upgrade to the A11 when

• Your A9's battery no longer gets through a day of normal use, and you'd rather put the money towards a newer tablet than a battery replacement.
• You make regular video calls and the A9's 2MP front camera looks soft.
• You're setting up a tablet for a child and want security updates confirmed into 2032.
• You have the 4GB/64GB A9 and keep running out of space for apps, which microSD can't fix.

When a Tab A9 is still fine

• It still receives Samsung's quarterly patches and runs the apps you use.
• It's mainly a video and reading screen, where the 90Hz panel adds little.
• You'd rather save towards a bigger step, such as the A11+.

A9+ owners

The case for the A11+ is stronger here. If your A9+ feels sluggish in split-screen, takes too long to charge, or you want DeX on a newer platform, the A11+ addresses all three. If it's only used for streaming, keep it.

Galaxy Tab A9 price vs Tab A11: what does the upgrade cost?

We don't sell the A9, so the useful question is what its replacement costs. At The Tech Gadgets the Galaxy Tab A11 starts at £137.00 for 64GB Wi-Fi, and the 128GB version is £141.99. All prices below are for Open Box (Activated) international units, checked on 5 October 2026.

The maths points clearly to the 128GB A11. The Tab A11 with 8GB RAM and 128GB at £141.99 costs £4.99 more than the 64GB Tab A11 in Silver at £137.00 (£141.99 − £137.00 = £4.99). For that you get double the RAM and double the storage, which matters more over a six-year life than almost anything else on the spec sheet.

Stepping up to the 11-inch Tab A11+ in Silver at £171.99 costs £30.00 more than the 128GB A11 (£171.99 − £141.99 = £30.00). That buys the larger Full HD-class screen, quad speakers, the faster processor and 25W charging. If you take the tablet out of Wi-Fi range, the 4G LTE A11 128GB at £151.99 adds £10.00 (£151.99 − £141.99 = £10.00); our sibling guide to a Samsung tablet with a SIM card explains when that's worth it.

Shopping on price alone across the whole range? The best cheap Samsung tablet by budget guide sets out a pick at each price point.

Open Box (Activated) and international stock: what you're buying

Every Galaxy Tab A11 and A11+ we sell is Open Box (Activated), international stock. The box has been opened and the tablet switched on and activated once, then factory reset, signed out of all accounts and checked before it's packed back in its Samsung box. It isn't sold as sealed new. The listings describe the tablets as cosmetically as-new.

International stock means the tablet was made for sale in the UAE or Europe rather than supplied by Samsung UK. It runs the same Android and One UI software. The model code may differ from UK units: a Tab A11 Wi-Fi can show SM-X130 or SM-X133 depending on where it was made for, and box printing may be in another language. Samsung UK may not carry out manufacturer warranty repairs on non-UK units, so your cover is a 12-month warranty from The Tech Gadgets, starting on delivery and covering faults that develop in normal use (not accidental or liquid damage).

The warranty policy lists battery defects and reduced capacity as exclusions, but your Consumer Rights Act 30-day right to reject still applies, so check the battery in the first few weeks. You also get change-of-mind returns within 30 days if unused and complete (you pay return postage), plus your 14-day right to cancel. Orders placed by 3pm Monday to Friday are dispatched the same day from Manchester, and every tablet here qualifies for free standard delivery because it costs more than £50; the delivery and dispatch policy has the full timings. For a deeper explanation of how this kind of stock differs from refurbished, see our guide to international stock and refurbished devices, or the sibling article asking whether an open box Samsung Galaxy Tab is worth buying.

What to check when it arrives

1. Set-up starts from the welcome screen and asks for your own Google account, with no previous owner's account or lock.
2. Settings, About tablet shows the model you ordered (8.7-inch A11 or 11-inch A11+) and the storage you paid for.
3. Run Software update straight away so the tablet picks up the latest quarterly security patch.
4. Check the screen on a plain white and a plain dark background, and test both speakers, the cameras and the headphone jack.
5. Charge it with a USB-C charger (15W suits the A11; the A11+ can use 25W) and watch the battery over the first few days.
6. Keep the box and cable until you're happy, in case you need to return it.

Samsung's manufacturer specs describe the tablet when new. Don't rely on any splash resistance for an Open Box unit, and remember liquid damage isn't covered by the warranty.

Galaxy Tab A9 vs Tab A11: buyer FAQ

Is the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 discontinued in the UK?

Samsung UK no longer lists the Galaxy Tab A9 for sale on its Galaxy Tab A page, which now shows the Tab A11 and Tab A11+, and the A9's old product pages redirect to support pages. You may still find leftover or second-hand A9 tablets elsewhere. The Tech Gadgets sells the Tab A11 family instead, Open Box (Activated) with our 12-month warranty.

When was the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 released?

Samsung announced the Galaxy Tab A9 and A9+ on 23 October 2023 and began selling them in selected markets the same day, running Android 13. The A9 came in Graphite, Silver and Navy. Its replacement, the Tab A11, was on sale by late September 2025 with Android 15, so the A11 is roughly two years newer, which shows most clearly in its software support dates.

Is the Galaxy Tab A11 faster than the Tab A9?

Not by much. GSMArena lists both with a MediaTek Helio G99, and Samsung names the A11's chip as the MediaTek MT8781 with 2.2GHz and 2GHz cores. Memory options are identical. The A11 feels smoother because of its 90Hz screen, but apps and games run at a similar pace. If speed is the reason you're upgrading, look at the Tab A11+ instead.

Will my Galaxy Tab A9 case fit the Tab A11?

Samsung lists the same 211.0 x 124.7 x 8.0mm dimensions for both, so many cases will be close. Camera, speaker and button cut-outs can still differ between generations, and a case that blocks the camera or a button is a poor fit. Buy a case that names the Tab A11 (SM-X130, SM-X133 or SM-X135) rather than assuming an A9 case will match.

Does the Tab A11 work with a stylus or the S Pen?

Neither the Tab A11 nor the A11+ supports the S Pen, and the A9 series didn't either. A basic capacitive stylus works for tapping, simple drawing and handwriting in Samsung Notes, which on the A11 series can also solve maths problems. Don't expect pressure sensitivity or palm rejection. If a proper pen matters, you'll need a higher Samsung tier.

Can I move everything from my Tab A9 to a Tab A11?

Yes. Samsung Smart Switch copies apps, photos, messages and settings from one Galaxy device to another, either wirelessly during set-up or with a cable, and Samsung also offers a PC version. Back up your A9 first, then sign out of your Google and Samsung accounts and factory reset it if you plan to sell it or pass it on.

Should I buy a cheap Tab A9 instead of a Tab A11?

Only if the saving is large and the tablet is for light, short-term use. We found no published Samsung UK end date for the A9's security updates, and it has a 60Hz screen and a 2MP front camera. The A11 128GB costs £141.99 here (checked 5 October 2026) with updates listed to September 2032. For a tablet you'll keep for years, that date usually outweighs a small saving.

Does the Galaxy Tab A11 come with a charger?

No. Samsung's box contains the tablet, a USB-C data cable, an ejector pin and a quick start guide. Samsung doesn't include a plug for the A11 or A11+. Any USB-C charger you already own will work; a 15W charger matches the A11's charging speed, while the A11+ can use up to 25W.

Final verdict: Galaxy Tab A9 vs Tab A11

If you came looking for the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9, buy the Tab A11 128GB. It's the same compact tablet with a smoother screen, a better front camera, double the microSD ceiling and security updates confirmed by Samsung UK until 30 September 2032, for £141.99 (checked 5 October 2026). Choose the 128GB over the 64GB: £4.99 doubles the memory and storage.

Choose the Tab A11+ instead when you want noticeably faster performance, an 11-inch screen for schoolwork or split-screen, and 25W charging; it costs £171.99, £30.00 more. Who should not buy either? Existing A9 owners whose tablet still runs well, anyone who needs an S Pen, and buyers who want a sealed tablet with a Samsung UK manufacturer warranty rather than Open Box international stock. For everything else about the smaller model, our Galaxy Tab A11 buying guide goes further, and you can browse every model on our Galaxy Tab listings page.