The new Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is here and weve used it

Date:
Wed, 30 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Description:
Ive spent two weeks with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra its a solid tablet but a questionable S11 Ultra replacement.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Today Samsung debuted a pair of new Tablets: the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12+ and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12
Ultra. Ive been taking the Ultra for a spin ahead of its October 7 launch and have been loving the massive display.

But the price hike, and minimal upgrades leave me questioning if it really needed it launch. Theres a lot thatll be familiar here for owners of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultr a when it comes to the S12 series. The AMOLED screen is still 14.6-inches with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1,600 nits peak brightness, the battery is still 11,600mAh with 45W charging (and boasts the same promised 23 hours of video playback as the S11 Ultra), and the S12 Ultra tablet is still IP68 rated meaning it could spend 30 minutes underwater at a depth of 1m and survive the experience. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

The tablet is as thin (5.1mm) as it was before, with the same Silver and Gray color options to choose between as before. The only notable change is the chipset the new 3nm processor boasts an up to 19% faster CPU, 17% better GPU performance, and a 51% improvement to its NPU processing for your AI needs though there is also a new heat chamber for better heat dissipation, plus a new four-channel speaker setup for more immersive audio than last generations dual-speaker build.

Ive been trying the Ultra model out and enjoying it so far relying on it as
a solid laptop alternative with the book keyboard cover attachment (sold separately), and also as a great mobile gaming and TV-watching device while I travel (a full review will be coming soon) but considering how similar it is to the last generation, I am left wondering if Samsung should take a leaf out of Apple s book and abandon its annual refresh approach to Galaxy Tab launches. You may like Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 review: an iPad Air rival with hits and misses I've spent an hour with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra,
and I need it Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Galaxy Z Fold 7 the 5 biggest changes (Image credit: Future) The Tab S12+ is an interesting beast. There
was no S11+, so its a replacement for the S10+ from 2024, but theres also no regular S12 launching alongside these models, so it's kind of the successor
to the S11 too.

Samsungs Galaxy Tab S12+ boasts a 12.6-inch AMOLED screen with the same 1,600 nits peak brightness as the Ultra. It also has the same chipset as the Ultra model, but there's a smaller 10,600mAh battery (unsurprising, since it's physically smaller). Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
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Besides the lower battery capcaity and screen size it also lacks the Ultras 8MP ultra-wide rear camera but otherwise has the same 13MP main on its back, and 12MP ultra-wide on its front.

Because the S12+ is billed as a step-up model, despite there not being a base S12 to step up from, it does mean Samsungs cheapest 2026 model is a lot more pricey than its cheapest 2025 tablet (more on that in a second).

For someone on a budget thinking of upgrading, its a real shame the best option from Samsung might be a tablet thats a year old, but unless we get a regular Tab S12 (Im not holding my breath) thats the position we find ourselves in. What to read next Samsung Tab S10 FE review: a slate with actually useful work tools, epic battery and lush display Ditch the laptop
for a versatile Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra at its lowest-ever price on John Lewis The best tablet 2026 The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra (Image credit: Future | Nico Arboleda) Coming for the iPad Pro? As weve come to expect in 2026 though it still stings to see every single time the tablets will cost more than what has come before. The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra will set you back $1,399 / 1,399 (about AU$2,650) up from $1,299 / 1,269 / AU$2,099 meanwhile the S12+ costs $1,199 / 1,199 (about AU$2,270) for its cheapest model. (Australian pricing TBC for the new devices).

For both tablets the cheapest configuration comes with 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM, with both also having a 512GB model, and the Ultra boasting a
1TB model that also ups the RAM to 16GB, though these configurations will
cost more.

At these prices, Samsung is pitching its S12 lineup against Apples iPad Pro lines, but thankfully the prices are a little cheaper. Compared with the 2025 iPad Pro launch prices, Samsungs tablets would be pricier however Apple
hiked its prices by up to $200 / 200 / AU$400, putting its 11-inch iPad Pro on-par with the S12+, and making its the 13-inch iPad Pro $100 / 100 pricier. Should Apple be worried? (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol) There are factors to consider beyond price, of course. The Samsung tablets have larger screens than their respective rivals and a longer quoted battery life, and come with the S Pen stylus in the box, while the Apple Pencil is sold separately.

But Apples tech is lighter 444g and 579g compared with 553g and 692g and while we need to do some more testing, Apple silicon tends to outperform its rivals.

All that aside, theres plenty to still love about the S12-series Galaxy Tabs. Ive been using the Ultra for a couple of weeks now and its genuinely a very useful machine. Im currently writing this story using the tablet and its keyboard attachment (multitasking across documents, web pages, and my photos app with ease).

But again Im left wondering if it really needed to exist considering the lackluster hardware upgrades and price increase. Right now Im not sure, but lets see how I feel when my review is ready Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/tablets/samsung-skips-the-galaxy-tab-s12-for-s12-ult ra-and-s12-tablets-but-should-it-have-skipped-all-three


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