The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and the Galaxy Tab S12+ are here: big and slim for the win!

The wonderful mobile realm has two more tablet champions: the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and the Galaxy S12+ are now official.

Both slates come with large, bright displays and offer that ergonomically designed S Pen. There are a ton of professional-grade apps, so the options are nearly limitless. It's all about portability combined with professional-grade power.

Samsung's latest and greatest is here, but it's not meant for everyone.

 

Battery and performance

Samsung says that on a single charge, the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra can last up to 23 hours, which is pretty impressive, considering the large, nearly 15-inch display. The Tab S12+ model promises up to 21 hours of use without reaching for the charger.

That's 11,600 mAh capacity for the Ultra model and 10,600 mAh capacity for the Plus.

Since we're dealing with a mobile device, it's important how fast it charges, too. The Galaxy Tab S12 series supports 45W speeds and the battery should take about 95 minutes to go from 0 to 100%.

Next, we have the 3nm MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chipset in both slates. This silicon should deliver up to 61% faster NPU processing, 19% faster CPU performance and 17% improved GPU power compared to the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, which had the Mediatek Dimensity 9400+ chipset.

Put in simple terms, users won't have to deal with lag or stutter when using either of the two new S12 tablets.

To achieve this, Samsung has installed a newly designed 3D Vapor Chamber. Both tablets should handle heat (and will efficiently dissipate it) for more reliable performance during demanding tasks. Heat is your gadget's enemy, but heat is easily generated when editing 4K video or designing for hours.

And here is the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra from last year in a nutshell:



We don't have revolutionary upgrades this time around.

Display, S Pen and audio

The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra comes with a large 14.6-inch display and the Galaxy Tab S12+ packs a 12.6-inch display (and slimmer bezels than its predecessor)—so if you want something more compact, you should look elsewhere. Samsung is playing big.

Both slates offer Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays that reach up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness, which is pretty important if you often use your tablet out in the sun.

But it's not just the sheer display size that's admirable here. Both tablets can turn their large screens into a "flexible workspace that makes it easy to keep up with different tasks without missing a beat", as Samsung puts it.

Thanks to the One UI 9 and the latest Galaxy AI, users can split the Tab S12 series' screens into up to three sections with Multi Window layout.

So, one can take notes in Samsung Notes (on one side) while playing a lecture (in the middle) and toy with an AI assistant (on the other side). Samsung also highlights that users can capture important takeaways with the S Pen directly in Samsung Notes and the Note Assist feature will summarize them without pausing the lecture.

In terms of audio, the Galaxy S12 series offers 4-channel spatial audio, which is a clear upgrade. Last year's Sammy tablets had two times fewer channels. So, the Tab S12 series should undoubtedly sound richer.

The ergonomic S Pen (both tablets feature it bundled) will once again be there for you when it's time for some note-taking, annotating materials and sketching concepts. If you want to level up, there's a professional workstation, the Pro Keyboard that even has its own Galaxy AI Key for instant access to AI assistants.

Freebies and goodies

Since the Galaxy Tab S12 series is designed to combine AI-powered research with note-taking and creative work, it includes a six-month trial of Google AI Pro. This means you'll access Gemini and Gemini Notebook, which can organize notes, images, recordings and files and turn them into summaries, podcasts and quizzes.

On the productivity side, Samsung says the Tab S12 series comes with around $600 worth of software benefits. Adobe Photoshop is pre-installed (a first for an Android tablet!) with S Pen support and AI features such as Generative Fill and Image to Video, plus four months of free access to the Photoshop mobile plan.

Notability is also pre-loaded with a six-month free trial and 20% off the first subscription, while Goodnotes comes with one year free. LumaFusion is offered at 66% off, Notion includes one month of its Plus plan for free, and Clip Studio Paint gets a six-month trial plus 20% off the first subscription.

So, should you upgrade?

Maybe not, if you're currently using the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra or the Tab S11. Both are good enough and Samsung has promised it'll keep them updated for many years to come.

The Galaxy S12 Ultra is mainly for those who need the maximum display real estate, the highest-grade performance and Android. Make sure you'll either work on the Ultra (and thus, make money) since it's mainly aimed at professionals. The Tab S12+ is much more sanely sized with its 12.6-inch display.

Price, colors and availability

The Galaxy Tab S12 series will be available starting October 7 (next Wednesday) in select markets and will be offered in two colors:

• Gray
• Silver

Both slates are promised up to seven years of OS upgrades and security updates.

Prices for the Galaxy Tab S12+ start at $1,199. The new Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra starts at $1,399 in the United States, £1,399 in the United Kingdom, and €1,569 in Europe.

Galaxy Z Fold 8: save up to $800

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