Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is impressive hardware, but does its functional upgrade justify the price? For my photography and magazine work, the answer for me is “not so much.” That judgement is personal though; buyers whose needs better match more of the tablet’s strengths will likely see different relative strengths and weaknesses, and reach a different conclusion. The question is whether it offers enough practical value to justify its premium price.
The 14.6-inch AMOLED display is a pleasure to use, with ample room for photographs, documents and video. At 5.1mm thick and a svelt 692g, the tablet is surprisingly portable for its size. As a media player, it is excellent: on a long road trip, the large screen should keep the children entertained for hours. That is an easy win, but a modest use for a device at this price. The included S Pen broadens its appeal. Handwritten notes, PDF annotation, sketching and marking up documents all feel natural on a screen this size.
While planning images for publication, I found one practical use. I placed overhead-projector film over the screen and traced the areas of a page that needed to remain clear for text. The camera provided a live view for testing framing, zoom and placement before I switched to my phone for high-resolution photographs. An inexpensive tablet could manage the same task, making this useful but hardly a reason to spend flagship money.
That points to the wider challenge. Android is easy to adapt to if you are happy using a tablet as a very large, thin phone. Many apps remain designed around portrait-oriented screens, and even those that rotate do not always use a large display effectively. DeX and multitasking tools help, but cannot make every application suitable for desktop-style work. An app may support landscape mode yet still offer an awkward layout, limited mouse support or poor handling of multiple windows. Before treating the S12 Ultra as a laptop replacement, check that the software you need is supported by the OS, and supports your workflow.
The cameras reinforce the difference between capability and suitability. The 13MP main camera produces acceptable results in bright conditions, but falls short of what many mid-range phones can deliver. In detailed areas such as greenery, image processing can leave artificial-looking artefacts. The 8MP ultra-wide initially impresses with its broader view, until the loss of fine detail becomes apparent; in some situations, a panorama from the main camera would be somewhat better. High-contrast scenes can also blow out highlights. The front camera is adequate for video calls, though finding the right lighting can be tricky and take a bit of careful planning.
Video recording did little to change my opinion. The tablet can record 4K video with its main and front cameras, but resolution alone does not guarantee polished footage. Based on the specifications available, neither the camera hardware nor the results suggest a meaningful upgrade over the previous generation. These are reference cameras, not primary photography or videography tools. For most tasks, I would use the results only as placeholders to check a composition, then reach for a phone or dedicated camera to capture the high-quality images needed for final rendering.
Thermal performance was, surprisingly, incredibly impressive. The tablet stayed cool during several hours of casual use, even under full sunlight, and games ran without obvious trouble. After around 45 minutes of an semi-demanding action RPG, a warm spot developed near the rear camera cluster, but never became uncomfortable. The redesigned vapour chamber appears to do its job. At this price, good thermal behaviour is an expectation, not a selling point, and Samsung have cleared this benchmark easily.
Battery life was the standout surprise. The 11,600mAh battery carried me through a full 16-hour working day of photography and video, writing and text editing, casual gaming, and uploading photographs to the office server over available Wi-Fi through a secure VPN. That is impressive endurance, particularly when working away from a desk. Charging from ~10% to full took around 90 minutes, with a little variation depending on use – quite reasonable for such a large battery. However, the 45W charging is no longer a premium feature, and the box is devoid of a charger or even a USB-C cable – this was an easy way for Samsung to add value without adding excessive cost, but they have opted to leave the power provision entirely to the end user instead – an odd flex indeed, when pitching a ‘premium product’ like this.
The price remains the biggest obstacle. At $2,699 for the ‘base’ model, the tablet is expensive before adding a case, keyboard, screen protector or privacy filter. A fully equipped setup can reach the territory of a moderately high-end gaming laptop. The included S Pen is welcome, but the accessory bill still makes the investment tough to swallow. I have no hands-on experience with previous generations, but comparing specifications with the S11 Ultra, I struggle to see enough functional improvement to make this an obvious upgrade. The price is tough to swallow, but not absurd; buyers just need enough definite practical benefit to justify it.
Overall, the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is a very good tablet with an excellent screen, impressive battery endurance and useful versatility. It will suit people who value a large portable display, pen input, entertainment or a specific Android workflow. Buyers looking to upgrade should do the numbers – there could be solid benefits if you are upgrading from an much older model – pre-S9 at least – or competing platform; those seeking economical, depreciation-proof productivity may look at the numbers and decide otherwise. If staying at the leading edge is the priority, the S12 Ultra will be tempting. For everyone else, the question is simpler: will you use enough of its capability to justify buying it at this price?
Rating:
Disclosure Statement: Test unit/s supplied by Samsung NZ expressly for the purposes of review. No fee was offered or accepted for this independent review.
KEY FEATURES
• 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, offering a large, high-quality screen for productivity, creative work and entertainment.
• MediaTek Dimensity 9500 processor paired with 12 GB RAM in the tested model, providing capable performance for multitasking and gaming.
• 13 MP main and 8 MP ultra-wide rear cameras, with 12 MP front camera, supporting photography, video recording and video calls.
• 11,600 mAh battery with 45 W wired charging, delivering strong real-world endurance across a full working day.
• Included S Pen for handwriting, sketching, annotation and document markup.
• Samsung DeX and multitasking support, providing a more desktop-like interface for compatible Android apps, alongside Wi-Fi connectivity and optional keyboard accessories.
You can read the full press release -here-