Samsung’s flagship tablet has received its annual incremental upgrade. The new Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra retains the dimensions and general design of its predecessor, but packs the new MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chip under the hood, along with an improved cooling system. It runs One UI 9, which offers some cool new features to play around with. Priced at Rs 1,49,999, it demands a premium of Rs 39,000 over the launch price of the Tab S11 Ultra. We’ve been using the tablet for the last week, going through its ins and outs, trying to figure out whether it’s worth the premium. Here is our review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra.
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In This Article
Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra Review: Design and Display
Box Contents
- Tablet
- USB-C cable
- S Pen
- SIM ejector
- Quick start guide
The Tab S12 Ultra follows the design language of its predecessor. The metal slate has a matte texture on its back panel, which keeps smudges and fingerprints at bay. The top-right section houses the two camera sensors, while the top-right corner is where you’ll find the ‘SAMSUNG’ lettering. Thin antenna lines run along the sides of the aluminium back panel. The magnetic connectors for accessories are placed at the bottom.
The tablet is just 5.1mm thick. The top edge of its aluminium frame houses the volume rocker, side button, a couple of microphones, and the hybrid SIM tray (with support for microSD cards up to 2TB). The bottom edge has two connecting ports for the Pro keyboard. Both edges have magnetic strips to hold the S Pen, but they aren’t visible on the frame. The quad-speaker setup is aligned along the two vertical edges. The left edge houses the USB-C port, while the right edge has another microphone. The tablet weighs 692g. It is rated IP68 for dust and water resistance, making it immersible in water up to 1.5m for 30 minutes.
The 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display remains the star of the show. This is the same display that did duty on the Tab S11 Ultra. It has a 120Hz refresh rate and can reach 1,000 nits in High Brightness Mode. While playing HDR content, it can hit a peak brightness of 1,600 nits. We did not face any legibility issues while using the device in outdoor daylight conditions. The bezels around the display are thick enough to avoid any accidental triggers while holding the tablet. There is a curved notch at the top of the screen for the selfie camera. It looks a bit weird, but you get used to it fairly quickly. The touch response remains unmatched. You also get an optical fingerprint scanner under this display, which is something of a rarity in tablets.
The viewing experience offered by the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is nothing short of elite. The 1,848 x 2,960p display produces splendid colours and sharp details. The contrast is punchy, accentuated by the deep black pixels. The viewing angle is optimum for group-watching sessions. There’s HDR10+ support on board. However, it is the improved quad-speaker setup that takes the viewing experience to another level. The audio output is loud enough to fill a small room. The soundstage is rich and well-rounded. The lower frequencies get ample representation in the mix. Needless to say, you won’t feel the need to pair the tablet to your headphones while binge-watching movies and TV shows.
Holding the tablet with both hands can wear you out pretty quickly, especially while watching videos or reading an e-book. We recommend getting the Pro Keyboard attachment. It will set you back Rs 28,000, but the good news is that this keyboard is the finest in its category. Its metal hinge feels sturdy and can handle the weight of the tablet. The chassis does well to balance the weight distribution so the entire thing doesn’t feel top-heavy.
The keys have good travel, which brings the typing experience very close to that of a laptop. The trackpad supports different touch gestures. You also get a dedicated AI key to launch Bixby, Gemini, or Perplexity. The keyboard shortcuts for navigation and triggering apps make routine usage much easier. The Tab S12 Ultra makes a solid case for replacing your laptop.
Samsung offers the S Pen inside the Tab S12 Ultra’s retail package. This will find a lot of mileage if you’re a digital artist or a college-going student who wants to take notes on their tablet. The hexagonal design of the stylus is highly ergonomic, causing little to no fatigue. There is minimal latency while scribbling or drawing. The S Pen uses Electromagnetic Resonance (EMR) tech to draw power from the tablet’s display. It doesn’t need to be paired or charged to work. It lacks Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), so you don’t get any remote functions.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra Review: Performance and Cameras
Powering the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 SoC. There is 12GB RAM on board and 2 storage options on offer:
- 256GB: Rs 1,49,999
- 512GB: Rs 1,69,999
Here’s how the tablet performed in common benchmark tests.
- AnTuTu 3D: 3,444,868
- Geekbench 7: 2,565 (single-core) | 8,818 (multi-core)
The Dimensity 9500 chipset does not get out of first gear while handling routine tasks like calling, emailing, social media browsing, and media streaming. You can run three apps side by side and another one in floating view without any stutters. Demanding tasks like video editing present no significant issues either. You can run games like BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile, but the size of the tablet isn’t exactly conducive to handheld gaming. We recommend pairing a gamepad or using an external keyboard to maximise your experience.
The Tab S12 Ultra runs the Android 17-based One UI 9 out of the box. Samsung has promised 7 major OS updates for the tablet. There are a few bloatware apps on the device, which is never a good sign on a flagship product.
The great thing about One UI 9 is that it gets the most out of the hardware at hand. In tablet mode, you can run three apps side by side on the massive 14.6-inch canvas. Samsung DeX lets you open apps as desktop-like windows to maximise your productivity. You can set up multiple desktop layouts for different workflows. The gap between a traditional laptop and tablet is thinner now than ever.
The Galaxy AI package brings features like Call Assist, Writing Assist, Transcript Assist, and Browsing Assist on board. They take care of summarisation, transcription, translation, and drafting across different apps. The photo editor in the native Gallery app lets you erase unwanted objects from your images and add new ones based on your prompts. Creative Studio turns your rough sketches into artwork.
The 11,600mAh battery pack remains unchanged from last year’s model. You can push its battery life to a day with moderate to heavy usage. This includes multiple hours of video streaming, web browsing, and using the device in DeX mode. There’s support for 45W charging on board. It takes up to 90 minutes to fully charge the tablet.
No changes have been made to the camera array of the tablet either. The two cutouts on the back panel house the 13MP primary shooter and an 8MP ultrawide lens. The front-facing 12MP camera is nestled in a waterdrop notch on the display.
The 13MP primary camera captures decent images in outdoor daylight conditions. The pictures are a tad soft, but that’s something to be expected of a tablet’s shooter. Having said that, the shots flaunt vibrant colours with good contrast. The 8MP ultrawide lens captures even softer images, but does a good job of retaining the colour profile of the main lens. The front-facing 12MP camera finds a lot of use in video calls and virtual meetings. It does its job quite well, relaying clear and detailed footage to the call members. It’s good enough for the odd selfie as well.
Final Thoughts
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra claims its rightful position at the top of the Android tablet hierarchy. Its stunning AMOLED display offers a better viewing experience than most top-end laptops in its price bracket. The MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chipset is reliable for everyday tasks. The Pro Keyboard, with its satisfying typing experience and clever shortcuts, will have you thinking about ditching your laptop. For those who aren’t easily swayed, Samsung’s DeX Mode will make an unrefutable argument.
Having said that, if you already own the Tab S11 Ultra, the upgrades here are marginal. Apart from the new MediaTek chipset and an improved cooling system, there’s not much to talk about. The software benefits of One UI 9 will trickle down to last year’s tablet as well. We’d recommend the Tab S12 Ultra to someone who’s either thinking of making the upgrade from a midrange tablet or currently using a 3-4 year old flagship one.
Pros
- Brilliant display
- Sturdy keyboard
- Good processor
- Optical fingerprint scanner
Cons
- Pricey
