Galaxy Tab S4 Android 9 Pie update rolling out

Samsung’s flagship Galaxy Tab S4 owners can breathe a sigh of relief in the knowledge that their high-end device is starting to receive and OTA update to Android 9 Pie. A French user has posted a screenshot of his device getting the update on XDA Forums confirming that the update has started to go live globally. However, it is usually the case that major updates like these are staggered and that they will arrive in different markets at different times.

The timing of the update aligns with the pre-order availability of Samsung’s new premium mid-range Galaxy Tab S5e, which will ship on April 26 in the US and Canada. Also fitted with a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, the new Tab S5e is pre-installed with Android 9 Pie, which was indicative that an update to Android 9 Pie for the Galaxy Tab S4 wasn’t far off. Samsung has already rolled out Android 9 Pie updates to a number of its recent smartphones, including the Galaxy Note 9.

The screenshots below from the Galaxy Tab S5e will be entirely representative of what Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 users will experience following the update. As you can see, Samsung’s custom One UI layer sits atop Google’s OS providing a clean and simple to use interface. We have not had a chance to use it ourselves at this time, so it isn’t clear what tablet-specific optimizations Samsung is bringing to the table this time around. Of course, the DeX experience remains in place for enhanced multitasking.