The rumors surrounding Samsung's Galaxy Tab S9 tablet lineup have been coming in hot for months. Samsung's Unpacked event kicks off in less than a week and we expect to get confirmation on everything we've heard so far. Unpacked should have some exciting announcements if you're a fan of the best Samsung tablets and the best Android tablets.

From what we've heard, the Galaxy Tab S9 lineup won't offer any monumental upgrades compared to Samsung's Galaxy Tab S8 series. Nevertheless, the improvements in this year's Samsung slate should be worthwhile for those new to Android tablets and the Samsung ecosystem.

Below, we discuss rumors of the biggest upgrades to the Galaxy Tab S9 line and how they compare to the Galaxy Tab S8 series.

We haven't heard anything specific about pricing, but we can make an educated guess as to how much we think the Galaxy Tab S9 tablet will cost.

The current Galaxy Tab S8 lineup starts at $699 for the Galaxy Tab S8, $899 for the Galaxy Tab S8 Plus, and $1,099 for the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra (respectively). It is unlikely that Samsung will raise the prices of these tablets significantly, but again, this is our speculation.

Whatever Samsung's final price, there are already ways to save some money on the Galaxy Tab S9. If you pre-register your Galaxy Unpacked pre-order by July 25, one day before the big event, Samsung will offer a $50 credit toward the purchase of any product announced at Unpacked. There is no commitment to purchase, but you will need to give Samsung your name and email address for the credit.

As for design, the Tab S9 tablet appears to maintain the same basic shape as the Tab S8 line, as reported by OnLeaks (via WolfofTablet) in an article about renderings of the Galaxy Tab S9 Plus Plus will be similar in size to the Tab S8 Plus.

According to the images above, the new tablet will replicate the sleek design of the Tab S8 Plus, including slim bezels and a matte aluminum casing. We do not see the Tab S8's magnetic strip in these renders, so either Samsung is planning to remove it or the renders simply do not show it.

Another set of leaked renders reveal the Galaxy Tab S9, Galaxy Tab S9 Plus, and Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. Like the previous model, the Tab S9 Ultra appears to be sleeker with a notched display - at least according to these leaked images. The new Ultra is expected to once again feature a large 14.6-inch OLED display.

The Tab S9 Plus should have a 12.4" OLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate; its 11.2 x 7.2 x 0.2" dimensions should also be carried over from the Tab S8 Plus. Interestingly, the S-pen groove on the back is separated from the camera, and the pill-shaped module of the Tab S8 Plus has been eliminated in favor of two separate cameras.

More renders emerged in a leak showing off everything Samsung plans to reveal in its next Galaxy Unpacked reveal.

Samsung's next tablet is also rumored to have better dust and water resistance. For example, the Tab S9 Plus is said to have a respectable IP698 waterproof rating - which could make it more durable than its predecessor. (Display analyst Ross Young tweeted that the entry-level Galaxy Tab S9 will have an OLED display.

The Galaxy Tab S6 had an OLED panel, and since then Samsung has reserved this display technology for its premium Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Tab S8 series models. If Ross is correct, the Galaxy Tab S9 will have an OLED panel on all three models.

According to leaks and reports, the Galaxy Tab S9 Plus and Tab S9 Ultra will not receive display updates. Not too bad, given that we liked the Tab S8 equivalent's bright and vivid OLED screen.

The Tab S9's camera appears to be similar to the one on the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Ultra. That being the case, we can assume that the Tab S9 Plus will have the upgraded camera found on two of the best Android phones; the Galaxy S23's camera is a 50MP main camera with an additional 12MP ultra-wide shooter and 10MP telephoto lens.

We do not expect the Tab S9 or Tab S9 Plus to have a telephoto camera. If they do, it would be a significant upgrade from the 13MP and 6MP ultrawide cameras that the Tab S8 Plus has.

According to leaked information, the Tab S9 lineup will use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip found in the Galaxy S23. This chipset delivers great flagship-class performance, and we expect the same for the Tab S9.

Leaker @Tech_Reve reported Geekbench results for the purported Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra (SM-X916B). Samsung's upcoming tablet reportedly recorded a single-core score of 2,054 and a multi-core score of 5,426. The Galaxy S23 Ultra has an average single-core score of 1,870 and a multi-core score of 4,938.

Another leaker, Revegnus, tweeted that the Tab S9 Ultra will have a 10,880mAh battery, smaller than the Tab S8 Ultra's 11,220mAh battery; Phone Arena said that the entry-level Tab S9 will have the previous model will have an 8,500mAh battery instead of the 8,000mAh of the previous model.

Nashville Chatter (via GSMArena) claims to have found a certification for the model number associated with the aforementioned tablet in the TUV Rheinland database. Specifically, the Galaxy Tab S9 Plus model numbers are SM-X816B, SM-X810, and SM-X816N, while the Ultra model numbers are SM-X916B, SM-X910, and SM-X916N.

What is interesting here is that each tablet has three model numbers. As reported by sibling site TechRadar, each tablet in the list has a 5G model, a Wi-Fi model, and a Korean model. This is the same as the Galaxy Tab S8 Plus and Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, which have Wi-Fi and 5G options.

Another aspect carried over to the new models, according to the listing, is 45W fast charging.

Everything listed here is based on leaks and rumors. Therefore, until Samsung officially announces the tablet, it is wise to be skeptical of the Galaxy Tab S9's claims.

Nevertheless, if the rumors are accurate, the Galaxy Tab S9 tablet will not be revolutionary. The basic design is expected to be the same as the current model. At the very least, the small update seems worthwhile, especially for those who have the older Tab S7 tablet. However, if you own a Tab S8 tablet, you may not need to upgrade to the new model.

Of the three Tab S9 tablets, the entry-level Galaxy Tab S9 is reported to be the most upgraded, with a new OLED panel and better rear camera highlighted. All tablets will be powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and should offer noticeable performance improvements over current models.

With less than a week until Samsung Unpacked on July 26, we expect an official announcement on what the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series will offer. Stay tuned for more news.