Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra launches as a premium, productivity-focused Android tablet with laptop-like screen size, AI tools, and impressive battery performance, challenging Apple’s iPad Pro in the high-end tablet market.
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is a very large Android tablet pitched squarely at users who want a laptop-sized screen without giving up tablet portability. PCMag describes it as a premium, productivity-first device that arrives with a stylus, Google’s latest AI features and a strong multitasking stack, all of which help explain why it sits at the top of Samsung’s tablet range. The price is steep, though: at $1,399.99, it costs more than its predecessor and lands in the same territory as Apple’s most expensive iPad Pro models.
The hardware is familiar rather than radical. Tom’s Guide notes that the slate is extremely slim, at about 0.2 inches thick, and weighs roughly 1.6 pounds, while Samsung has kept the 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel at the centre of the design. PCMag’s review says the display remains one of the tablet’s strongest assets, with a 2,960 x 1,848 resolution, a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and 1,600-nit peak brightness. That combination gives the screen the kind of contrast and outdoor visibility that makes a large tablet genuinely useful for work, not just media playback.
The rest of the specification sheet is equally ambitious. According to Samsung’s own launch details as reported by SamMobile, the Tab S12 Ultra uses MediaTek’s 3nm Dimensity 9500 chip, with configurations rising to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. PCMag’s benchmark testing showed an improvement over the previous model, but not enough to threaten Apple’s latest iPad Pro on raw CPU or graphics performance. That matches wider commentary from PhoneArena, which argued that the new model looks more like an incremental refresh than a major leap forward. Even so, the inclusion of a microSD slot remains a practical advantage over Apple’s tablets, particularly for creators handling large files.
Battery life appears to be a clearer win. PCMag reports that the 11,600mAh battery lasted 12 hours and 44 minutes in its standard streaming test, outlasting both the earlier Tab S Ultra and Apple’s 13-inch iPad Pro in the same scenario. Samsung also claims support for 45W fast charging, with the tablet reaching a full charge in under an hour and a half in testing. Connectivity is solid too, with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0, although Samsung is once again reserving 5G for the smaller Tab S12+ rather than the Ultra.
For users who want a tablet that can act as a creative workstation, Samsung has also put real emphasis on software. PCMag highlights Galaxy AI tools, Gemini integration, Circle to Search and Samsung DeX, which allow multiple windows and desktop-style workflows across several virtual workspaces. The bundled S Pen remains a notable differentiator, since it still ships in the box and does not need charging in the way Apple’s stylus does. That said, the camera system is plainly secondary to the rest of the device: the rear sensors are serviceable for quick shots and video calls, but PCMag found the selfie camera to be mediocre rather than outstanding. The result is a tablet that succeeds most where Samsung intended, as a costly but unusually capable Android machine for productivity, illustration and media work.
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