From what I can tell, the tab is an interest free loan but there is also a subsidy component. Many of the rival brands will show a so called no term price that remains high over the entire product cycle. This no term price is used to calculate what I call a fake subsidy amount. If you ever try to cancel a plan prior to completion of a 24 month cycle, the no term price is used to calculate remaining device balance. That becomes the early cancellation fee.
With Koodo, the no term price changes over the product cycle and is sometimes used in timed promotional offers. The interest free loan is calculated using this ever changing no term price. To that end, there is a subsidy component.
As for getting the S9, I would imagine the Telus brand would be the first to have it. It would filter down to Koodo a bit later. With such steep price for the phone, there is zero chance that it would fit in anything other than a large tab. The migration offer only qualifies up to a medium tab, subject to credit check of course.
@Hen555, your desire to obtain a S9 is totally separate from migration. If you decide to migrate, you will get a plan that allows up to a medium tab. If the S9 or any device for that matter comes along and qualifies on the medium tab, you are allowed to get it with tab if you so choose to use the tab. In this way, migrating and getting a phone on tab are two different things.
