Samsung's new Galaxy Tab S12 tablets are thinner, faster and more expensive
- Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and Tab S12 Plus, powered by MediaTek's Dimensity 9500 chipset.
- The Tab S12 Ultra has a 14.6-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, while the Tab S12 Plus gets a smaller 12.6-inch panel.
- Samsung has made the Tab S12 Ultra just 5.1mm thin while still fitting an 11,600mAh battery and a 3D vapor chamber.
- The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra starts at $1,400, while the Tab S12 Plus starts at $1,200.
Samsung today took the wraps off the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S12 Plus, its latest generation of flagship Android tablets.
We've been hearing leaks about the Galaxy Tab S12 series for a while now, and Samsung has finally made the new tablets official. The company says the new models bring improved performance, longer battery life, and the latest Galaxy AI features while retaining the ultra-thin design the Galaxy Tab S series is known for.
Powering the Galaxy Tab S12 series is the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chipset. This is MediaTek's last-generation flagship chipset, which we've previously seen powering high-end smartphones like the Oppo Find X9 Pro and Vivo X300 Pro.
On the front, the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra features a massive 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with up to a 120Hz refresh rate, while the smaller Galaxy Tab S12 Plus still packs a large 12.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with the same 120Hz refresh rate.
Both displays can reach up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness and support S Pen input, with the stylus included in the box. One interesting change this year is that Samsung has also embedded the fingerprint sensor directly into the display, unlike the previous generation of Galaxy Tab models.
Category | Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Plus |
|---|---|---|
OS | Android 17, One UI 9 | Android 17, One UI 9 |
Display | 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, 2960 x 1848, 1,600 nits peak | 12.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, 2800 x 1752, 1,600 nits peak |
Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 |
RAM | 12GB / 16GB | 12GB |
Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB, microSD up to 2TB | 256GB / 512GB, microSD up to 2TB |
Rear cameras | 13MP main + 8MP ultrawide | 13MP main |
Front camera | 12MP ultrawide | 12MP ultrawide |
Ingress protection | IP68 | IP68 |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0 | 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 6.0, Dual SIM (pSIM + eSIM) |
Security | In-display fingerprint sensor | In-display fingerprint sensor |
Battery | 11,600 mAh | 10,600 mAh |
Charging | 45W wired charging | 45W wired charging |
Dimensions and weight | 208.5 x 326.3 x 5.1mm; 692g | 187.8 x 289.5 x 5.3mm; 553g (Wi-Fi), 555g (5G) |
Colors | Gray, Silver | Gray, Silver |
Samsung is also claiming some big battery life improvements with the Galaxy Tab S12 series. The company says the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra can last up to 23 hours, while the Galaxy Tab S12 Plus can manage up to 21 hours. The Ultra packs an 11,600mAh battery, while the Plus comes with a 10,600mAh cell. Both tablets support up to 45W wired charging.
What's particularly impressive about the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is that Samsung has managed to fit all of this hardware into a body that's just 5.1mm thin, making it the thinnest Galaxy Tab yet. There's also a new 3D vapor chamber inside to help manage heat, while both tablets carry an IP68 dust and water resistance rating.
The new tablets ship with One UI 9 based on Android 17 and pack Samsung's latest Galaxy AI features. To make better use of those massive displays, you can run three apps simultaneously using Multi Window. So, for example, you could have Samsung Notes, YouTube, and an AI chatbot open on the screen at the same time.
Samsung has also partnered with Adobe to bring Photoshop preloaded on the Galaxy Tab S12 series, bringing more advanced image editing and design tools directly to the tablets. The company is also partnering with apps including Goodnotes, LumaFusion, and Notion to offer discounts and free trials to Galaxy Tab S12 buyers.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra starts at $1,400 in the U.S., while the Galaxy Tab S12 Plus starts at $1,200. Both tablets will be available starting October 7 in two colors, Gray and Silver.