Samsung Unveils Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra Powered by Dimensity 9500
Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra, the new generation of its largest Android tablet. The company describes it as the most powerful Galaxy Tab yet: it moves to the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chip and adds a redesigned cooling system and four-channel audio. On the software side, the standout addition is Adobe Photoshop preinstalled out of the box, a first for an Android tablet. Alongside the Ultra, Samsung also introduced the Galaxy Tab S12+ with a 12.6-inch screen.
Performance and Battery Life
The tablet is built on the 3nm MediaTek Dimensity 9500 platform. Compared with the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, Samsung claims up to 61% faster NPU performance, 19% faster CPU performance and 17% better GPU performance. There are no independent benchmarks yet, so these figures should be treated as manufacturer data.
To help the chip sustain peak performance for longer, Samsung has replaced the predecessor's flat vapor chamber with a new 3D Vapor Chamber. On a thin tablet this matters during prolonged workloads such as video editing or graphic design, when heat usually forces the processor to throttle.
Battery capacity is unchanged from the previous model at 11,600mAh. Samsung rates it for up to 23 hours of video playback on a single charge. The tablet supports 45W wired charging, and with a compatible adapter, sold separately, a full charge takes about 95 minutes.
Display and Audio
The core display specs carry over: a 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a 2960 × 1848 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Peak brightness reaches 1,600 nits, with 1,000 nits in the outdoor high brightness mode. The updated Vision Booster now adjusts brightness to ambient lighting in real time.
Audio sees a more noticeable change. The four speakers now deliver four-channel spatial audio, which Samsung says is twice as many channels as the previous generation.
Design, S Pen and Accessories
The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is 5.1mm thick and weighs 692g in the Wi-Fi version and 695g in the 5G version. Samsung calls it the thinnest Galaxy Tab. The body carries an IP68 water and dust resistance rating, which according to Samsung covers submersion in up to 1.5 meters of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. The S Pen included in the box has the same rating.
The Pro Keyboard with an aluminum finish and the Book Cover Keyboard Slim are sold separately. The Pro Keyboard adds a dedicated Galaxy AI Key for instant access to an AI assistant, which can be set to Bixby, Gemini or Perplexity.
One UI 9 and AI Features
The tablet runs Android 17 with One UI 9. Multi Window can split the screen into three sections, so users can, for example, watch a lecture, take notes in Samsung Notes and consult an AI assistant at the same time. Note Assist generates summaries of notes that are at least 200 characters long.
Adobe Photoshop comes preinstalled on the series, a first among Android tablets. The interface is optimized for the large screen and the S Pen, and Galaxy Tab S12 owners get four months of the Photoshop mobile plan for free.
Samsung Browser understands the content of open tabs and browsing history. It can summarize information across several pages or surface a source the user viewed days earlier.
Gemini Notebook brings notes, images, recordings and files together in one workspace and turns them into summaries, podcasts and quizzes. The tablet also comes with a six-month Google AI Pro trial.
Besides Photoshop, Notability comes preinstalled, while Goodnotes, LumaFusion, Notion, Clip Studio Paint and other apps are offered with free trials or discounts. Samsung values these bonuses at roughly $600 in total. The company also promises up to seven OS upgrades and seven years of security updates.
The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra goes on sale on October 7 in select markets, including the US, the UK, Germany, India, Japan and South Korea. In the US, pricing starts at $1,399.99.
Specifications
- Display: 14.6", 2960 × 1848, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, 1,600 nits peak brightness
- Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 9500 (3nm)
- Memory and storage: 12GB + 256GB, 12GB + 512GB, 16GB + 1TB; microSD up to 2TB
- Rear camera: 13MP + 8MP ultra-wide
- Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide
- Battery: 11,600mAh, 45W wired charging
- Audio: quad speakers, four-channel spatial audio
- Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, Dual SIM (physical SIM + eSIM)
- Security: in-display fingerprint sensor
- Water and dust resistance: IP68
- OS: Android 17, One UI 9
- Dimensions and weight: 208.5 × 326.3 × 5.1 mm; 692g (Wi-Fi), 695g (5G)
- Color: Gray, Silver
