Is a 5.1mm tablet worth an extra $200? That's the question hanging over the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra, which Samsung just made official alongside the Tab S12+. The Ultra starts at $1,399.99 (£1,399/€1,569) and the Plus starts at $1,199.99 (£1,199/€1,329), with both on sale from October 7.
What's new with the Galaxy Tab S12 series
This year's lineup has two tablets, not three. The base Tab S12 that went missing in earlier reports is indeed absent, so the 14.6-inch Ultra and the 12.6-inch Plus carry the range on their own.
Samsung says the Ultra is its thinnest Galaxy Tab yet at 5.1mm, with the Plus close behind at 5.3mm. Both run MediaTek's 3nm Dimensity 9500. Compared with the Tab S11 Ultra, Samsung claims up to 61% faster NPU performance, 19% faster CPU performance, and 17% better GPU performance.
A new 3D vapor chamber handles cooling. Both tablets and the bundled S Pen are rated IP68. The quad speakers now use 4-channel spatial audio, which Samsung says is double the channel count of the previous generation.
Why it matters
The price is the headline here. Samsung's Ultra tablet sat at $1,199.99 for three straight generations. The Tab S12+ now costs what last year's Ultra did, which leaves no flagship Galaxy Tab under four figures.
Samsung is leaning on software to justify that. Adobe Photoshop comes preloaded, which Samsung calls a first for Android tablets, and it stays exclusive to the Galaxy Store for at least six months. Buyers also get four months of the Photoshop mobile plan free.
That sits inside an app bundle Samsung values at roughly $600. The bundle includes a six-month Google AI Pro trial (it renews at $19.99 a month afterward), a year of Goodnotes, and trials for Notability, Clip Studio Paint, and Notion. Running Android 17 and One UI 9, both tablets also get Note Assist summaries, three-way Multi Window, and an AI-assisted Samsung Browser that can summarize content across open tabs.
Key details
- Displays: 14.6-inch 2960 x 1848 (Ultra) and 12.6-inch 2800 x 1752 (Plus), both 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X, up to 1,600 nits peak brightness
- Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 9500
- Memory: Ultra in 12GB/256GB, 12GB/512GB, or 16GB/1TB; Plus in 12GB/256GB or 12GB/512GB; microSD up to 2TB on both
- Battery: 11,600mAh (Ultra) and 10,600mAh (Plus), 45W wired charging, rated by Samsung at up to 23 and 21 hours of video playback respectively
- Cameras: 13MP main plus 8MP ultrawide on the Ultra, 13MP main on the Plus, 12MP ultrawide front camera on both
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7 (Ultra), Wi-Fi 6E (Plus), Bluetooth 6.0, optional 5G
- Weight: 692g (Ultra) and 553g (Plus), Wi-Fi models
- Colors: Gray and Silver
The S Pen comes in the box, but it doesn't support Bluetooth, so remote shutter and air gestures are out. Samsung's 45W charger is sold separately and gets you from 0% to 100% in about 95 minutes, according to the company.
Samsung is also selling two keyboards separately. The Pro Keyboard has an aluminum finish and a dedicated Galaxy AI key, and Trusted Reviews lists it at $399. The Book Cover Keyboard Slim is the lighter option. Samsung promises up to seven OS upgrades for both tablets, and if you've been following the recent Tab S12 Ultra renders, the design is exactly what leaked.
Takeaway
On paper, the Tab S12 Ultra is the most capable Android tablet Samsung has made. It's the easy recommendation for creatives and students who want the biggest canvas on Android, and preloaded Photoshop finally gives it a pro app to show off. Tab S11 Ultra owners can comfortably sit this one out, and anyone who wants a sub-$1,000 Galaxy flagship tablet is, sadly, out of luck this year.
Samsung's performance and battery figures are its own for now. It'll be worth seeing how a 5.1mm chassis and the new vapor chamber cope with sustained creative work, and whether that $200 premium feels earned outside a spec sheet. We can't wait to get one in for review, because thinner is easy and better is the bit that costs $1,399.99.
