I tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra for a week — and it’s the best Android tablet yet

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra ($1,399) is here for those who want a super-sized Android tablet. This year’s model is admittedly a nominal upgrade from the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra I reviewed last year, but on its own, it’s a great premium slate for folks in the Android and Samsung ecosystems.

As before, this tablet features an enormous 14.6-inch display that’s as perfect for watching your favorite streaming shows as it is for juggling multiple apps. The thin, lightweight, and sturdy design makes it an unobtrusive travel partner, while the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chip inside provides the slate with enough power to run your apps and games. You also get nearly 12 hours of battery life to get you through most of the day.

While the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra has many of the things I liked about the previous model, it also shares some of that tablet’s shortcomings. The tablet can still be too cumbersome to hold comfortably for long periods, and DeX Mode still isn’t the Windows 11 equivalent you’d expect. To truly use the Tab S12 Ultra for work, you’ll need the $399 Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra Pro Keyboard—which is in addition to the slate’s already higher $200 price hike.

Despite its shortcomings, there’s no denying the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra delivers on screen size and an ultraportable design. Right now, it’s one of the best Android tablets around — even if it isn’t the laptop replacement you might expect. Find out more in my full review!

Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? The Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is the latest version of the company’s flagship, oversized tablet.
• Who is it for? For anyone who wants a large OLED tablet that can also serve as a laptop replacement.
• What does it cost? The Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra costs $1,399.
• What do we like? We like the sharp and vivid OLED panel, elegant lightweight design, strong Android tablet performance, and long-lasting battery life.
• What don’t we like? We don’t like the $200 price bump from last year’s model, and that DeX Mode requires an external monitor for full functionality.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra review: Specs

Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra review: The ups

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra has one of the best OLED displays among tablets, along with strong performance, long battery life, and a sleek, thin design.

Thin and light design

There’s not much to say design-wise, as the Tab S12 Ultra is virtually identical to its predecessors. As before, this Android tablet measures 12.8 x 8.2 x 0.2 inches and weighs 1.6 pounds. Though holding this enormous tablet isn’t always comfortable, the thin, lightweight design makes it easy to travel with.

When you hold the Tab S12 Ultra horizontally, the power and volume buttons are on the top left-hand side. On the right-hand side, you’ll find a microSD card slot and a single USB-C port for charging. Before you ask, no, there is no headphone jack.

Design-wise, Samsung isn’t looking to reinvent the wheel. Some folks might have wanted a fresh look, but I’m fine with this tried-and-true design. The Tab S12 Ultra is as thin and light as ever, and that’s what matters here.

Vibrant OLED

Another carryover from previous models is the large 14.6-inch OLED panel, which remains as impressive as ever. The OLED delivers excellent contrast between dark and light elements, while the sharp 2960 x 1848 resolution helps you see every detail in whatever you’re watching.

That was my experience watching a nature video on YouTube, where the animals and locales looked lifelike thanks to the OLED panel’s strong detail and contrast. Trust me, your eyes won’t be disappointed when viewing videos on this tablet.

How did the Tab S12 Ultra fare in our lab tests? Color reproduction (sRGB and DCI-P3) is generally oversaturated, as both go past the 100% target, which makes for more vivid colors. Color accuracy (Delta-E) is also great. And as before, this tablet also gets plenty bright when displaying HDR content, nearly hitting 1,000 nits across the entire screen.

The Tab S12 Ultra does well against competitors like the iPad Pro M5 and OnePlus Pad 3. Samsung’s slate delivers brighter SDR than both, though the iPad Pro gets a tad brighter with HDR content. Color-wise, the iPad Pro and OnePlus Pad 3 aren’t as vivid, though their values deliver more naturalistic hues than the Tab S12.

Strong performance

The new Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra upgrades the prior model’s MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ processor to the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chip, while RAM remains the same at 12GB regardless of how much storage you choose. Although there isn’t a massive performance boost from gen to gen, you’re still getting a slate that offers solid performance.

Though I wouldn’t replace my laptop with this tablet, I could still get work done on it without too much trouble. It can handle my typical workflow, which includes multiple open Chrome tabs and the occasional YouTube video. Android also feels snappy, and I rarely (if ever) have apps take too long to load. Navigating the tablet’s settings is also seamless.

As you can see in the table above, the new Tab S12 Ultra has slightly better single- and multi-core performance than last year’s model. That’s commendable, but it’s still not comparable to the powerful iPad Pro M5, which remains the fastest tablet out there.

Again, the Tab S12 Ultra isn’t a slouch when it comes to performance, but Apple’s premium slate still outclasses it. However, if you’re just using this tablet to play Android games, run some work-related apps, or watch YouTube, that performance gap won’t matter much.

Solid battery life

To be upfront, the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra doesn’t last as long as last year’s model. So why is battery life still in “The ups” section? Because even though this tablet’s endurance is lower, it’ll still last you for the better part of a workday and then some.

In our battery life test, which involves continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi with the display set to 150 nits of brightness, the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra lasted 11 hours and 31 minutes. In contrast, its predecessor lasted over 30 minutes longer.

Though you don’t want battery life to decline in a newer model, it’s not a steep drop-off. That said, the iPad Pro M5 and especially the OnePlus Pad 3 outpace the Tab S12 Ultra by a wide margin. Leaving the included charger at home won’t be an emergency, but it’s better to take it with you just in case.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra review: The downs

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is an impressive and massive Android tablet but it's not without its downsides which include DeX Mode limitations and a higher price than last year's model.

DeX Mode still isn’t great

DeX Mode, which provides Samsung devices with desktop-like functionality, remains largely unchanged from the previous version. While it certainly makes the UI feel more like Windows, it still has some of the shortcomings from before.

To make the most of DeX Mode, you’ll need to connect the Tab S12 Ultra to an external monitor. Doing this brings up a Windows-like taskbar on the connected monitor, while the tablet gets a less functional taskbar. Sure, this mostly works as advertised, but I still liked it better when DeX Mode functioned on its own without the need for peripherals.

$200 price bump

To be clear, the Tab S Ultra series has always been Samsung’s most expensive tablet line. Even so, the $200 price increase over last year’s model could make some reconsider their decision to buy this slate.

Why the price hike for nominal upgrades? As I’m sure you’ve already guessed, it’s likely due to the ongoing RAM crisis, which has driven up component costs. Not only does this probably account for the price hike, but it also explains why Samsung didn’t pack more RAM into this tablet than into last year’s model—doing so would’ve driven the price up even further.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra review: Verdict

Even if the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra can’t truly replace your laptop and is now $200 more than last year’s model for nominal upgrades, it’s still an overall great Android tablet at what it does. Even if its performance isn’t equal to iPad Pro’s, the beautiful OLED panel certainly rivals that of Apple’s premium slate.

If you’re an Apple fan, then you’re better off with an iPad Pro or even an iPad Air. And if all you’re looking for is an Android tablet to stream content on, then the much more affordable $399 Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2 is a better bet. But if you’re a Samsung user and want an Android tablet with the largest canvas out there, you can't go wrong with the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra.

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