GSMArena’s review of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is warm but conditional: a 4.5 score for Samsung’s biggest tablet, with a 14.6-inch screen, a new Dimensity 9500 chip, and class-matching battery life. This Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra review rounds up GSMArena’s measurements, praise, and criticism, because PetaTech24 has not tested the tablet itself. The starting price is steep: 1,539 euros for the 256GB Wi-Fi version in Europe, with a US listing at $1,590.
The Tab S12 Ultra is pitched as a productivity machine first. Samsung DeX adds a desktop-style workspace, the optional Pro Keyboard adds a laptop-grade keyboard and trackpad, and the S Pen comes in the box.
Every test result below comes from GSMArena’s review, published October 14, 2026. PetaTech24 did not test the tablet, so findings are attributed to GSMArena throughout.
The Short Version
- This Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra review is based entirely on GSMArena’s testing, not PetaTech24 hands-on time.
- GSMArena scored it 4.5, calling it the most versatile device it had tested lately, but warning DeX is only halfway to a Windows or macOS replacement.
- The 14.6-inch AMOLED display measured 1,031 nits in automatic mode and 1,514 nits peak on a 10 percent white patch.
- Battery life earned a 13:23h Active Use Score, matching the Tab S11 Ultra, and a full charge took 84 minutes on Samsung’s 45W adapter.
- The Dimensity 9500 kept 74 percent of CPU and 69 percent of GPU performance in prolonged stress tests.
- Starting price in the review: 1,539 euros for 256GB Wi-Fi in Europe, $1,590 in a US listing, 1,262.79 pounds in a UK listing.
- Notch survives, no charger in the box, Pro Keyboard sold separately.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra Review: Display Lab Results
GSMArena measured a 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel at 2960 x 1848 pixels and 239ppi, with 120Hz adaptive refresh and HDR10+. GSMArena calls the surviving notch an unfortunate eyesore. The panel also matches video frame rates, showing 48fps video at 48Hz.
Brightness claims deserve a second look. Samsung advertises 1,000 nits of maximum automatic brightness and 1,600 nits peak. GSMArena measured 1,031 nits in automatic mode, matching the claim, and 1,514 nits peak on a 10 percent white patch. Manual brightness is a different story: 708 nits with Extra Brightness enabled, and only 437 nits without it.
Design, Keyboard and the Notch That Would Not Die
Handling notes in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra review are candid about the size. The tablet measures 326.3 x 208.5 x 5.1 mm and weighs 692 grams on GSMArena’s spec sheet, though the review text rounds the weight to about 695 grams. The Enhanced Armor Aluminum body felt sleek and smudge-resistant. Handling felt awkward at first, then comfortable.
The IP68 rating is a genuine rarity among tablets, covering immersion up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. GSMArena also praised the in-display optical fingerprint reader as fast and highly reliable. The box holds the tablet, a 3A cable, and the hexagonal S Pen.
The optional Pro Keyboard earned the review’s strongest praise, and this Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra review repeats that praise with its condition attached. GSMArena called it a cover, a versatile stand, and a laptop-grade keyboard in one, with a backlit 6-row layout, DeX and AI keys, and a large trackpad with a good click action. One catch: it is not a Bluetooth keyboard, so it works only when attached through the pogo pins.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra Review: Battery and Charging
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra review unit carries an 11,600mAh battery, the same capacity as the Tab S11 Ultra, and GSMArena’s tests show the new chip did not cost endurance. It earned a 13:23h Active Use Score, matching what the review calls the class-leading endurance of its predecessor. Four 4-channel speakers earned an Excellent loudness mark: boomy and immersive, though highs are somewhat lacking.
Charging brings one small discrepancy worth noting. GSMArena’s spec summary lists a full charge in 95 minutes, but its own charging test with Samsung’s 45W adapter measured 84 minutes, reaching 21 percent in 15 minutes and 41 percent in 30 minutes. Trust the test figure.
Performance, DeX and One UI 9
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra review also stresses the chip’s staying power. The Dimensity 9500 is a 3nm part with one Arm C1-Ultra prime core at up to 4.21GHz, three C1-Premium cores at 3.5GHz, and four C1-Pro cores at 2.7GHz, plus an Arm G1-Ultra GPU and MediaTek’s ninth-generation NPU 990. The review unit had 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage; 12GB/512GB and 16GB/1TB versions exist, with a dedicated microSDXC slot.
GSMArena’s stress tests were reassuring: the tablet kept 74 percent of its CPU and 69 percent of its GPU maximum performance under prolonged load. Overall scores sat a notch below the chart champion, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, but GSMArena concluded the tablet handles office apps, games, video editing, and a crowded DeX desktop. No individual benchmark scores were readable from the review’s charts, so this article reports the verdict and sustained percentages only.
Software is Android 17 with One UI 9, and the review highlights the two-mode setup: a standard tablet mode and DeX mode, switched from Quick Toggles with no loading wait. DeX supports windowed multitasking with snap layouts and a macOS-style maximize option. Galaxy AI features include Call Brief, customizable Now Brief cards (limited to three), Now Nudge, Gemini with Circle to Search, and Bixby with Perplexity access. The S Pen menu adds drawing and note shortcuts.
Cameras: Good Enough for a Tablet
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra review is blunt about tablet cameras. The rear setup is unchanged from the S11 Ultra: a 13MP main camera with f/2.0 and autofocus plus an 8MP ultrawide at f/2.2, while the front camera is a 12MP ultrawide at f/2.4 with a 120-degree field of view. Main and front cameras record 4K at 30fps, the ultrawide tops out at 1080p, and all cameras use electronic stabilization. Photo quality is good without being remarkable: punchy colors, wide dynamic range, and no visible noise from the main camera, but average detail and somewhat artificial foliage, while 2x zoom crops and upscales, halving detail. Ultrawide shots offer lively color and good distortion correction with average detail, and the front camera produced clean photos with realistic skin tones. Video is very good 4K with soft detail.
Price and the Laptop Question
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra review puts the starting price at 1,539 euros for the 256GB Wi-Fi version in Europe, a figure GSMArena notes is as high as an iPhone 18 Pro and steep for a laptop-like device. The review’s listings show $1,590 for the 256GB 12GB RAM version in the US and 1,262.79 pounds in the UK. Those are affiliate listing prices, not official MSRPs, so confirm the live price first. No Bangladesh pricing was given.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra review verdict is the part to take seriously: the Tab S12 Ultra is a laptop lookalike that does the same job most of the time but cannot offer the power of Windows or macOS when it really matters, and Android with DeX is only halfway there. The reviewer still recommends trying it, with one condition: do not expect Windows or macOS levels of app compatibility.
Quick Answers
What score did GSMArena give the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra? The Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra review scores it 4.5, praising the display, battery life, performance, DeX, and bundled S Pen, and listing the notch, missing charger, and passive S Pen as cons.
Does it replace a laptop? Only partly. GSMArena recommends it for gaming, video editing, office multitasking, and streaming, but warns that Android with DeX cannot match Windows or macOS app compatibility when it really matters.
How long will it be supported? GSMArena’s spec sheet lists Android 17 with One UI 9 and up to 7 major OS updates, Samsung’s stated window, not a tested result.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra Review: The Verdict
To close this Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra review, GSMArena’s own summary: an outstanding build, a huge immersive display, leading performance, superb battery life, and a keyboard that nearly completes the laptop illusion, held back by a flagship price, a notch that should have retired, and an OS that stops halfway to a desktop. Buy it if you will use DeX, the S Pen, or both. Skip it if your work depends on desktop-only apps, or if the keyboard and tablet together push past your budget.
Sources
- GSMArena, Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra review, October 14, 2026 (all test results, measurements, and the 4.5 score).
- GSMArena review main page: introduction, specs, pricing.
- GSMArena lab tests: display, battery life, charging speed, speakers.
