Tablets are some of the best devices on the market for productivity and professional development. They offer a compelling balance of strong computing power, long-lasting battery life and great portability. Many people use them for work, but tablets are also incredibly useful recreationally. Samsung just released its latest Galaxy Tab S12 models — the flagship S12 Ultra and the smaller S12+ — so if you’re curious about how these new tablets can help you engage with your favorite pastimes, read on for everything you need to know.
The rundown
- Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab S12 tablets are an attractive option for those looking to develop their hobbies. The S12 Ultra starts at $1,399, while the S12+ begins at $1,199.
- The Galaxy Tab S12 tablets sport Samsung’s advanced Galaxy AI helper, a powerful 3nm processor with big performance improvements and a long-lasting battery life of up to 20+ hours.
- Additionally, they support all the best Android software across the Galaxy Store and Google Play Store and have a compact design with sharp AMOLED 2X displays. Samsung also includes an S Pen stylus accessory with the purchase.
Full support from Galaxy AI, whenever you need it
Galaxy Tab S12 tablets are equipped with Samsung’s bespoke Galaxy AI companion, and its excellence is a key component of what makes these devices a great fit for building skills and expertise. It’s capable of providing speedy support across a wide variety of tasks, including trimming lengthy texts into succinct notes, transcribing audio, searching Google for more information and more.
That’s invaluable when you’re researching and studying subjects you’re interested in. By taking advantage of the help, you can spend more time absorbing key information and less time sifting through unhelpful or superfluous details.
Another plus with the Galaxy Tab S12 is that it comes with a six-month trial of Google AI Pro, giving you premium access to Google Gemini and all of its own AI features. One feature particularly conducive to learning and improvement is the ability to generate multimedia quizzes with text, images, audio and more. You can test yourself and make sure you’re grasping what you’re studying before moving on to a different topic.
Excellent hardware and battery life
Beyond helpful and reliable AI, it’s also important for your tablet to have performant hardware and long-lasting battery life. Luckily, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S12 models deliver on both fronts, so you won’t need to worry about frustrating performance issues slowing you down or running out of power.
The impressive 3nm processor within both the S12 Ultra and the S12+ delivers serious performance improvements compared with the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, including a 19% increase in CPU performance, 17% improvement in GPU performance, and a massive 61% increase in NPU (AI) performance. Those numbers translate to snappy and dependable computing even while you’re multitasking or tackling resource-heavy workloads, and they help make sure Galaxy AI consistently runs at high efficiency.
Having horsepower like that at your side is fantastic — and the 20+ hour battery life of both tablets ensures that you’ll be able to take advantage of it all day long. The S12 Ultra’s large 11,600mAh battery gets up to 23 hours on a full charge, and the S12+’s 10,600mAh gets up to 21. With longevity like that, the battery giving out on you won’t be a concern.
All the best tools in one compact package
The capable AI and robust specs in Galaxy Tab S12 tablets make them quite attractive, but there’s more that goes into a top-notch device. After all, you need support for popular software tools, a quality display, a sufficiently thin and light design and options for peripherals.
Thankfully, you get all of that with Samsung’s latest tablets. On the software side, there are countless Android apps and programs across the Galaxy Store and Google Play Store available to download for the Galaxy Tab S12, so if there’s a specific one you want or need, you can be sure that you’ll have access to it.
Each tablet even comes with approximately $600 worth of software benefits, including apps such as Notability and Photoshop, which come preloaded. Samsung even throws in a four-month trial of Adobe Photoshop, a leading photo editing tool that’s been a mainstay in the space for years.
Design-wise, the S12 Ultra is only 5.1mm thick and weighs 692g, while the S12+ is just 5.3mm thick with a weight of 555g for the 5G versions. Additionally, both versions of the tablet feature an impressive AMOLED 2X touchscreen with up to 1,600 nits of brightness that adjusts automatically to keep the screen bright in well-lit environments; the S12 Ultra’s panel is 14.6 inches, while the S12+’s comes in at 12.6 inches. The small footprint ensures it’s easy to take your tablet with you wherever you go, with the beautiful display bringing vivid clarity to whatever you’re viewing or working on.
Notably, Samsung includes its S Pen stylus in the box, which pairs perfectly with the touchscreen and enables you to draw and write by hand on the Galaxy Tab S12. It also offers keyboard peripherals such as the Pro Keyboard and Book Cover Keyboard Slim, sold separately, in the event that you’d like to use the S12 like a laptop.
Enjoy your hobby to the fullest with Galaxy Tab S12
Tablets are widely known and appreciated for their ability to make developing work-related skills an easier process, but they’re just as applicable to recreational hobbies. Having a good one at your side is beneficial when you're building expertise and delving deep into your hobbies — and with its strong AI capabilities, advanced hardware, all-day battery life, suite of software options and impressive design, Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab S12 is a high-grade option.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12’s release date?
Both the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and the Galaxy Tab S12+ were released on October 7, 2026, in select markets.
What is the price of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12?
Prices for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra start at $1,399, while the smaller Galaxy Tab S12+ starts at $1,199.
What colors are the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 available in?
Both the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and the Galaxy Tab S12+ are available in Gray and Silver colorways.
