Samsung unveils Galaxy Tab S12 series with premium specs
New flagship tablets feature ultra-thin designs, MediaTek chipsets and advanced displays
1Flagship tablet specifications
Samsung's Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra features a 14.6-inch 120Hz AMOLED display with 1,600 nits brightness, while the Tab S12 Plus has a 12.6-inch panel. Both use MediaTek's Dimensity 9500 chipset with 12GB RAM minimum. The Ultra model offers up to 1TB storage and 16GB RAM options. They include S Pen support and new in-display fingerprint sensors, moving away from previous physical implementations.
2Design breakthroughs
The Tab S12 Ultra measures just 5.1mm thin despite housing an 11,600mAh battery, making it Samsung's thinnest tablet yet. Both models feature new 3D vapor chambers for thermal management and maintain IP68 dust/water resistance. The Ultra weighs 692g, while the Plus model comes in at 553g (Wi-Fi) or 555g (5G). These design achievements come while improving battery life claims to 23 hours for the Ultra and 21 hours for the Plus.
3Performance and charging
Powered by MediaTek's Dimensity 9500 chipset (previously seen in Oppo Find X9 Pro and Vivo X300 Pro), both tablets support 45W wired charging. The Ultra model's 11,600mAh battery and Plus model's 10,600mAh cell represent capacity improvements over previous generations. Samsung emphasizes these power efficiency gains come alongside the thin form factor, achieved through engineering optimizations in the power delivery system.
4Display technology
Both tablets feature Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays with 120Hz refresh rates, supporting HDR content with 1,600 nits peak brightness. The Ultra's 14.6-inch panel has 2960 x 1848 resolution, while the Plus's 12.6-inch display offers 2800 x 1752 pixels. Samsung highlights these as professional-grade displays suitable for creative work, particularly with the included S Pen that now has lower latency and improved pressure sensitivity.
5Camera and connectivity
The Tab S12 series features 13MP main and 8MP ultrawide rear cameras, plus 12MP front cameras. The Ultra model supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0, while the Plus offers Wi-Fi 6E and dual SIM capability (pSIM + eSIM). Both maintain Samsung's DeX desktop mode capability, with improved multi-tasking performance when connected to external displays or used with keyboard accessories.
6Software and partnerships
Running Android 17 with One UI 9, the tablets include Samsung's Galaxy AI features and Multi Window for running three apps simultaneously. Samsung partnered with Adobe to preload Photoshop, and offers discounts for Goodnotes, LumaFusion, and Notion. These partnerships aim to position the tablets as productivity tools beyond media consumption, particularly for creative professionals and students.
7Pricing and availability
The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra starts at $1,400 with 256GB storage, while the Tab S12 Plus begins at $1,200. Both will be available from October 7 in Gray and Silver color options. The Ultra offers configurations up to 1TB storage and 16GB RAM, while the Plus maxes out at 512GB. MicroSD expansion supports up to 2TB additional storage on both models.
8Market positioning
Samsung's pricing places the Tab S12 series firmly in the premium tablet segment, competing directly with Apple's iPad Pro lineup. The focus on creative workflows through Adobe partnerships and display quality targets professional users. The inclusion of Galaxy AI features and productivity software discounts suggests Samsung aims to differentiate through ecosystem integration rather than just hardware specifications.