Artist Review: Samsung Tab S12+ and Tab S12 Ultra
Review unit on loan from Samsung Singapore
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 series tablets were released in October 2026. My review is from the perspective of an artist. I will not be writing my usual long review since the text content will be scrapped by AI anyway, so I'm embedding my video review instead.
Some of the improvements include:
- The MediaTek Dimensity 9500 is 17% faster than the 9400+ from Tab S11
- There's better thermal management
- It comes with Android 17, Samsung OneUI 9, and will have seven years of OS updates
- There's now Bluetooh v6
- There's a new 4-channel spatial audio system
Video review
Bottom line
The Samsung Tab S12 is the best Android tablet in the market currently. You get fantastic build quality, display, battery life, OS features and good pen support. It is pricey though but if you account for how many years you can use this for, the average cost per years is not too bad.
If you already have an older Samsung Galaxy tablet such as the Tab S8, S9, S10, S11, then there's no reason to upgrade as the user experience is mostly similar. I'm still using the Tab S9 Ultra I had purchased in 2023 and it's still a great tablet.
Drawing experience is good since the pen performance is good. Downsides would be the removal of the anti-reflective coating on the display, so you have to spend extra money to buy the anti-reflective screen protector if needed.
And the side button of the pen is still difficult to feel.
For digital artists, the premium tablets to consider for drawing today are the iPad Pro, Samsung Galaxy tablets and Wacom MovinkPad Pro 14. If you're just gonna be drawing most of the time, I recommend the Wacom. If you need a more versatile tablet, something that can do more, then get the Samsung. iPad Pro is seriously overpriced right now. Actually I would recommend you consider the Tab 10 or S11 because those will be much cheaper since they have been out for a while and are still great tablets.
Prices over the years
Wifi models
| Series | Model | RAM | Storage | Price (SGD) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tab S8 | S8 WiFi | 8GB | 256GB | 1188 | 699 |
| Tab S8 | S8+ WiFi | 8GB | 256GB | 1538 | 899 |
| Tab S8 | S8 Ultra WiFi | 8GB | 256GB | — | 1099 |
| Tab S9 | S9 WiFi | 8GB | 128GB | 1128 | 799 |
| Tab S9 | S9+ WiFi | 12GB | 256GB | 1388 | 999 |
| Tab S9 | S9 Ultra WiFi | 12GB | 256GB | 1688 | 1199 |
| Tab S10 | S10+ WiFi | 12GB | 256GB | 1401 | 1099 |
| Tab S10 | S10 Ultra WiFi | 12GB | 256GB | 1704 | 1199 |
| Tab S11 | S11 WiFi | 12GB | 256GB | 1198 | 899 |
| Tab S11 | S11 Ultra WiFi | 12GB | 256GB | 1698 | 1199 |
| Tab S12 | S12+ WiFi | 12GB | 256GB | 1698 | 1199 |
| Tab S12 | S12 Ultra WiFi | 12GB | 256GB | 1998 | 1399 |
Cellular models
| Series | Model | RAM | Storage | Connectivity | Price (SGD) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tab S8 | S8+ 5G | 8GB | 256GB | 5G | 1738 | — |
| Tab S8 | S8 Ultra 5G | 8GB | 256GB | 5G | 2188 | — |
| Tab S9 | S9 LTE | 8GB | 128GB | LTE | 1328 | — |
| Tab S9 | S9+ LTE | 12GB | 256GB | LTE | 1588 | — |
| Tab S9 | S9 Ultra LTE | 12GB | 256GB | LTE | 1888 | — |
| Tab S10 | S10+ 5G | 12GB | 256GB | 5G | 1603 | — |
| Tab S10 | S10 Ultra 5G | 12GB | 256GB | 5G | 1905 | — |
| Tab S11 | S11 5G | 12GB | 256GB | 5G | 1398 | — |
| Tab S11 | S11 Ultra 5G | 12GB | 256GB | 5G | 1898 | — |
| Tab S12 | S12+ 5G | 12GB | 256GB | 5G | 1868 | — |
| Tab S12 | S12 Ultra 5G | 12GB | 256GB | 5G | 2148 | — |
The tablet cost more than many laptops nowadays. The selling point here is the pen support because if you don't need that, I recommend a laptop instead.
Prices of accessories in Singapore
| Accessories | Colour | RRP (Including GST) |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra Book Cover Keyboard Slim | Black | $268.00 |
| Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra Book Cover | Black | $148.00 |
| Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra Pro Keyboard | Grey | $498.00 |
| Galaxy Tab S12+ Book Cover Keyboard Slim | Black | $218.00 |
| Galaxy Tab S12+ Book Cover | Black | $128.00 |
| Galaxy Tab S12+ Pro Keyboard | Grey | $348.00 |
Specifications
| Specification | Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra (14.6-inch) | Galaxy Tab S12+ (12.6-inch) |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 208.5 x 326.3 x 5.1 mm | 187.8 x 289.5 x 5.3 mm |
| Weight | 692 g (Wi-Fi), 695 g (5G) | 553 g (Wi-Fi), 555 g (5G) |
| OS | Android 17, One UI 9 | Android 17, One UI 9 |
| Display | 14.6-inch, 2960 x 1848, 120Hz, Dynamic AMOLED 2X | 12.6-inch, 2800 x 1752, 120Hz, Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
| Brightness | Peak 1,600 nits / HBM 1,000 nits | Peak 1,600 nits / HBM 1,000 nits |
| AP | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 |
| Memory & Storage | 12GB + 256GB, microSD up to 2TB | 12GB + 256GB, microSD up to 2TB |
| Battery / Charging | 11,600 mAh / 45W | 10,600 mAh / 45W |
| Network & Connectivity | 5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth v6.0 | 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth v6.0 |
| Camera | Rear: 13 MP + 8 MP ultra-wide Front: 12 MP ultra-wide |
Rear: 13 MP Front: 12 MP ultra-wide |
| Sound | Quad Speaker (4-channel Spatial Audio) | Quad Speaker (4-channel Spatial Audio) |
| S Pen | S Pen (BLE not supported) In-box | S Pen (BLE not supported) In-box |
| Durability | IP68 | IP68 |
| SIM | Dual SIM (pSIM + eSIM) | Dual SIM (pSIM + eSIM) |
| Security | Fingerprint on Display | Fingerprint on Display |
| Color | Grey, Silver | Grey, Silver |
| Accessories | Pro Keyboard Book Cover Keyboard Slim Book Cover |
Pro Keyboard Book Cover Keyboard Slim Book Cover |
Which size to get
The Tab S12 series comes in two sizes: 12.6-inch Tab S12+ and 14.6-inch Tab S12 Ultra.
Get the larger tablet if you often use split-screen, SamsungDex, external display mode and apps with many UI elements such as Krita, CSP. The smaller 12.6-inch tablet is noticeably easier to handle while the larger tablet is mostly a table-top tablet.
Vs XPPen Magic Pro 13
I hate reflections.
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