Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra

Source

Dave2D

Key Takeaways

• Samsung stubbornly continues to punch a dual-camera display notch into the top bezel, ruining immersion on white canvases.
• Widescreen 14.6-inch aspect ratio makes lap use or train-seat tray tables impossibly precarious, constantly threatening to tip backward.
• Price tops $1,200, yet the Android professional software catalog still lags behind the richness of iPadOS and macOS workflows.
• Charging remains capped at 45W, taking ~85 minutes to fill its colossal 11,000mAh+ cell.

✅ Pros

• New anti-reflective Dynamic AMOLED 2X kills ambient reflections across a private IMAX canvas
• Snapdragon 8 Elite silicon powers fluid DeX multi-tasking without stutter
• Bundled low-latency S-Pen delivers authentic paper-like tactile friction

❌ Cons

• Persistent, ugly dual-camera screen notch cutout
• Unwieldy 14.6-inch bulk topples backwards on laps
• Android creative software tools trail competitors
• Sluggish 85-minute charge time on massive battery pack

📝 Verdict

"Tab S12 Ultra offers a sublime anti-glare display let down by a persistent notch, lap instability, and Android software walls."

Source

• Video: 2026 Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra Review
• Channel: Brad Colbow | Type: Full review (from an illustrator's/drawing perspective) | Based on: YouTube transcript (extracted with yt-dlp)

Key points

• A small yearly upgrade: mainly a processor upgrade to the Dimensity 9500, Bluetooth 6.0, and base storage raised from 128GB to 256GB; the US starting price rose from about US$1,250 to US$1,400, which he believes is related to RAM/storage shortages, but it's still about US$100 cheaper than the top 13-inch iPad Pro.
• In the box: only a cable, documentation and the S Pen, with no charger; he appreciates that the S Pen is included for free.
• The screen is the biggest selling point: the 14.6-inch 2960×1848, 120Hz AMOLED made him exclaim "Wow"; the bezels are very thin, and there's a small notch at the top that doesn't get in the way of the interface; it's great for drawing on a desk, watching videos and reading comics, but may be too big for reading on your lap or in bed.
• He warns that people sensitive to OLED flicker and prone to headaches should take note; the ultra-thin bezels occasionally cause his thumb to touch the screen by accident.
• The 5.1mm aluminum alloy body has an 11,600mAh battery, Wi-Fi 7 and microSD up to 2TB; the cameras are good for a tablet, and the four speakers sound surprisingly good. His only design complaint is that the power button sits right next to the volume buttons, so he often presses the wrong one.
• S Pen: the same as the previous generation, on the light side; the new nib is better for side-of-the-lead sketching, and Wacom EMR pressure sensitivity is accurate, with smooth, jitter-free lines. His palm occasionally leaves stray marks, which turning off "draw with finger" greatly improves; the glossy screen doesn't feel as good to draw on as a matte screen.
• Performance: drawing apps (such as Clip Studio Paint) don't need a chip this powerful; emulators and native Steam games (GameNative) can run indie games, but most solutions currently support Snapdragon better, and Skyrim stuttered.
• Keyboard: the official keyboard cover, at about US$350, is still too expensive; he has rated Samsung keyboards very poorly in the past, and other reviews suggest this year's version has improved, but he didn't test it himself in this video.
• Compared with drawing tablets such as the Wacom MovinkPad Pro 14, the S12 Ultra's screen looks better and its 7 years of updates offer more assurance, but it doesn't feel as good to draw on as a matte screen + Pro Pen 2.

✅ Pros

• Excellent-looking 14.6-inch AMOLED big screen
• S Pen included in the box, with precise, smooth lines
• Ultra-thin aluminum body, large battery and good-sounding four speakers
• 7 years of OS update support

❌ Cons

• Big jump in starting price, with limited upgrades over the S11 Ultra
• Glossy screen doesn't feel as good to draw on as matte
• Power and volume button placement makes them easy to mix up
• Gaming compatibility currently trails Snapdragon tablets
• Expensive first-party keyboard

📝 Verdict

One of the best big canvases on Android, but not a must-upgrade: the screen is still the biggest reason to buy; if you don't need the new processor, finding an S11 series model on sale gets you almost the same screen experience for less.

Review source

• Review article: Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra Review: Big, Bold, and Beautiful
• Outlet: The Verge (Dan Seifert)

Key takeaways

• Hardware craftsmanship: the ultra-narrow bezels and ultra-thin body are top-tier, and battery life exceeds 12 hours in real-world everyday video streaming tests.
• Software ecosystem: the Android tablet ecosystem has improved significantly in recent years, and Samsung One UI's split-screen multitasking is very mature, but it still lags the iPad Pro slightly in the breadth of a few professional creative apps.

✅ Pros

• The industry's top 14.6-inch OLED screen experience
• Top-notch battery life and heat management
• Excellent S Pen drawing and handwriting performance

❌ Cons

• Large size limits handheld use cases
• Top-spec price goes head to head with high-end thin-and-light laptops

Review source

• Review article and video: Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra Review: The Giant Tablet Masterpiece
• Outlet: Engadget (Cherlynn Low)

Key takeaways

• Superb 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen: flawless color accuracy and contrast, support for a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and an anti-glare nano coating that greatly reduces outdoor reflections.
• Productivity and the DeX ecosystem: with the keyboard cover, the new DeX windowed multitasking is now an excellent laptop replacement; S Pen latency is extremely low, making professional drawing feel natural.
• Portability considerations: its size and weight are close to a 14-inch thin-and-light laptop, so it's hard to hold in one hand and better suited as a fixed or desktop workstation.

✅ Pros

• Unmatched visual impact from the top-tier 14.6-inch big screen
• Fine-grained, ultra-low-latency S Pen included in the box
• Highly immersive 4-speaker AKG surround sound

❌ Cons

• Bulky, making it a burden to carry on daily commutes
• Expensive, and the keyboard accessory is sold separately