Amazon Fire Max 11 vs Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus

Amazon Fire Max 11 and Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus were both released in 2023. They come from different manufacturers and run different operating systems. I thought it would be interesting to compare them.

Putting two tablets side-by-side can make the purchasing decision a lot clearer. In this article, I will deep dive into Amazon Fire Max 11 and compare it to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus.

Specifications

Display

The most important thing in tablets is display. That’s the most important part. If you think about it, there’s not much else to tablets. The display is 90% of them. The display is the part that really sets premium tablets apart from budget tablets.

Both of these tablets have good displays. The Amazon Fire Max 11 has an IPS LCD 11-inch 60Hz display with 2000×1200, 5:3 ratio, and ~212 ppi density.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus has an IPS LCD 12.4-inch 90Hz display with 1600×2560, 16:10 ratio, and ~243 ppi density.

The Samsung tablets have a larger and wider display, with more colors, brighter, better refresh rate, and more pixels per inch. Making it a better choice for watching Netflix and movies. It allows you to get that HD quality.

Without a doubt, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus has a better display than the Amazon Fire Max 11, hence the price difference between these devices. $599 and $319.

Stylus

Both of these devices are compatible with Stylus pens. Meaning you can take handwritten notes with a digital pen. You can also draw and sketch.

Samsung has a lot of tablets that are capable of this but for Amazon…This is the first tablet that’s compatible with an active Stylus pen.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus comes with an S Pen included in the box. It’s in the same color as the tablet, and no extra connection is required. Turn it on and start working.

Amazon Fire Max 11 comes without an S Pen. You will need to buy it separately or you can buy it in a bundle with the tablet.

Performance & Software

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus runs Android, and Amazon Fire Max 11 runs Fire OS. Both of these operating systems have their pros and cons.

For instance, Android software allows a lot of customization, and you can download a lot of apps from the Google Play Store. On the other hand, Fire OS is limited to the apps that are on the Amazon App Store; you can’t even get apps like Gmail, YouTube, Google Drive, etc. You need to install the Google Play Store first on your Amazon tablet to get these apps. It’s a bit more of a hassle, but it’s doable.

The S9 FE is faster, more responsive, and can run multiple apps at the same time without getting much slower. On the other hand Amazon Fire Max 11 is a bit slower, you need to lower setting to run some of the more demanding apps.

Battery Life

Tablets are mobile devices, and you don’t want to use them while there’s a wire, which adds to a certain discomfort, so battery life is very important.

Amazon Fire Max 11 can run up to 14 hours with a single charge if you adjust brightness and other settings a bit, but on average, you can expect 10-11 hours. In the box, there’s a 9W charger, which will take you 4+ hours to charge it from 0 to 100%, but you can get a 15W charger, and with that, it will only take you 3.5 hours to charge it to 100.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus can last up to 14 hours with low settings, but on average, you can expect 10-12 hours of battery life, and it will take you only 1.5 hours to charge it from 0 to 100% with a 45W charger.

Camera

Both of these tablets have two cameras. One is in the front, and one is in the back. And if you plan to use it for video calls, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus offers a better quality camera in the back and in the front.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus has a 12MP Ultrawide camera in the front and an 8MP camera in the back. Amazon Fire Max has both 8MP cameras. Pictures, videos, document scans, video calls, whatever you plan to do, S9 FE Plus has a more high-end definition camera.

Audio

Audio is important for tablets. It can make or break a movie experience. It’s also incredibly important in video calls.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus has AKG-tuned stereo speakers at the top left and right corners, making sure you don’t cover them with your hands. The tablet delivers clear and dynamic audio quality. When watching videos or listening to music. It doesn’t lose quality of the sound even when you play it at 100% volume.

Amazon Fire Max 11 has integrated stereo speakers Dolby Atmos supported. They are pretty loud when you turn the volume up, but the sound quality is rather thin, the lack of bass will leave you with a need to buy a good pair of headphones.

Connectivity

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus comes with cellular connectivity, meaning you can buy a nano-SIM card and use the internet without WiFi. Amazon Fire Max 11 doesn’t offer this functionality, you can only use it in WiFi network.

If you are an on-the-go person, the S9 FE Plus is a better choice due to the cellular connectivity.

Who Are These Devices For?

Amazon Fire Max 11 is—a great choice for kids, families, readers, and gamers. The low price and broad capabilities make it also a great choice for seniors.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus has a bit more to offer in terms of quality and performance. Making it a great choice for students, movie lovers, gamers, note-takers, professionals, travelers, tech enthusiasts, creatives and business users. Due to the broad variety of apps and performance this tablet offers it makes it a great choice for many audiences.

What Can You Do On These Devices?

With both of these tablets, you can browse the internet, split the screen in half, and multitask. Among other things are playing video games, watching movies, videos, TV series, reading, and note-taking.

Amazon Fire Max 11 would be a better choice for people who want to use it for simple web browsing and reading and some light gaming.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus, on the other hand, would be better for people who want to take notes and watch movies in HD quality, because of the big screen, great resolution, and great battery life. It wouldn’t be as great as the Amazon Fire Max 11 for reading; your hand would get tired due to these qualities.

Verdict

Here’s a quick overview of the tablets in specific categories:

Specifications	Amazon Fire Max 11	Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus
Display	X	✓
Stylus	X	✓
Performance	X	✓
Battery	✓	✓
Camera	X	✓
Audio	X	✓
Cellular	X	✓
Price	✓	X
Operating System	X	✓

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus outperforms the Amazon Fire Max 11 in almost any meaningful category. Hence, it’s the better tablet overall, but if I were to buy a tablet just for web browsing or reading, I would choose the Amazon Fire Max 11. No need to overpay for features and hardware I don’t intend to use.

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