The Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is a 14.6-inch Android tablet with a 2,960 x 1,848 AMOLED screen, a MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chip, 12GB of RAM and an S Pen in the box. PCMag gave it 4.5/5 and its Editors' Choice, measuring 12 hours 44 minutes of battery life and praising the bright, glare-resistant display and smooth S Pen drawing. Trusted Reviews scored it 4/5, calling the screen phenomenal and DeX a laptop-like experience, but found it nearly identical to the Tab S11 Ultra at a higher price, with a chip that already trails newer flagships. It suits creators and big-screen multitaskers who want the largest Samsung tablet; Tab S11 Ultra owners and anyone who wants something portable should look elsewhere.
Full review
A 14.6-inch screen that holds up outdoors
Both reviewers rate the display as the main reason to buy. PCMag tested it outside and found the anti-reflective coating cut through glare in blazing sunlight without washing out, with rich, punchy colour that stops short of oversaturation. Trusted Reviews called it among the best displays on any tablet, citing deep blacks, smooth 120Hz motion and a 16:10 ratio that leaves smaller black bars around widescreen films than squarer tablets. The panel is unchanged from the Tab S11 Ultra, with 1,600 nits of peak brightness, and Trusted Reviews wished Samsung had added the privacy-screen technology from its Galaxy S26 Ultra phone.
Nearly 13 hours of video and a stylus that never needs charging
PCMag's video-streaming battery test ran for 12 hours and 44 minutes, ahead of the Tab S11 Ultra's 11 hours 10 minutes and the iPad Pro's 8 hours 11 minutes. A full charge took 102 minutes in its test. Trusted Reviews found the same 11,600mAh battery lasted a full day of multi-app DeX work. PCMag spent about three hours painting in Clip Studio Paint alongside a YouTube video and reported no noticeable stylus lag, with the tablet staying cool. The included S Pen uses passive EMR technology, so it needs no charging, and snaps magnetically to the edge for storage.
Small upgrades over the Tab S11 Ultra
Trusted Reviews' main reservation is how little has changed. The design, display and battery are essentially identical to last year's model, and the Dimensity 9500 is a year-old chip that it says already trails newer flagship processors, although in daily use apps opened instantly and DeX ran many windows without stutter. PCMag's benchmarks showed gains over the Tab S11 Ultra but scores well behind the iPad Pro. Its size is also a limitation: Trusted Reviews said it needs two hands, and PCMag noted there is no 5G version.
The cost of the full laptop setup
PCMag listed the tablet at $1,399.99 with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, rising to $1,999.99 for 16GB and 1TB, and noted that a microSD slot adds up to 2TB more. Trusted Reviews pointed out that the Pro Keyboard with trackpad, which it said makes DeX a competent laptop replacement, costs a further $399, bringing the combined setup close to convertible-laptop territory. It suggested newcomers consider the previous Tab S11 Ultra if available at a sizeable discount, while PCMag recommended the smaller Tab S12+ for buyers with a smaller budget and bag.
Strengths
- +PCMag measured 12 hours 44 minutes in its video battery test
- +14.6-inch AMOLED screen stays clear even in bright sunlight
- +S Pen stylus included, and it never needs charging
- +IP68 dust and water resistance
- +Seven years of OS upgrades and security patches promised
Watch-outs
- −Design, display and battery are nearly unchanged from the Tab S11 Ultra
- −Year-old Dimensity 9500 chip trails newer flagship processors
- −Very large: it needs two hands to use comfortably
How it compares
The Tab S12 Ultra's 14.6-inch screen makes it a much larger tablet than the compact Samsung Galaxy Tab S11, and PCMag puts its starting price at $1,399.99. Trusted Reviews notes that the smaller OnePlus Pad 3 carries a larger 12,140mAh battery than the Ultra's 11,600mAh cell, though the Ultra adds IP68 dust and water resistance.
Rating sources
Counts as 4.66/5 in our score — this publisher's 181 scores on the site average 4.00, so its scores are adjusted up to compare fairly with other publishers.
“Editors' Choice 4.5 Outstanding”
Counts as 3.95/5 in our score — this publisher's 43 scores on the site average 4.22, so its scores are adjusted down to compare fairly with other publishers.
Our 4.3 score is the average of these published ratings, each adjusted for how strictly its publisher scores. More about methodology.
