Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S12+ refine Android productivity

Samsung has been consistently imaginative with Android tablets, and pairing expansive displays with performance and productivity might make a case for an expensive splurge

There is something quite astonishing about Samsung’s newest flagship Android tablets, the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and the Galaxy Tab S12+. Is it the incredibly thin design? Or could it be the gorgeous Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays? Perhaps the fact that Adobe Photoshop is on an Android tablet for the first time? A rather interestingly designed keyboard accessory for the Galaxy Tab S12+ specifically? In my book, the fact that even the larger Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra with a 14.6-inch display is lighter and more convenient to carry around than a laptop, really underlines the productivity aspect Samsung is going for here.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra (left) is a rare oversized tablet, while Galaxy Tab S12+ is also squaring up to laptops on productivity. (HT photo | Vishal Mathur)

There really is little anyone can do about prices in this day and age, except be prepared to pay top money for premium tech such as Samsung’s latest flagship tablets. Prices for the Galaxy Tab S12+ start at ₹1,29,999 while the larger Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is priced at ₹1,49,999 onwards. Both give you the spectrum of spec choices—256GB or 512GB storage with 12GB memory, and the choice of Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi +5G via an eSIM. Samsung isn’t bundling a 60-watt power adapter, which is a bit of a miss considering the price tags these tablets sport.

I must talk about the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra first, because this is still a one-of-its-kind oversized tablet in the Indian market. It has an absolutely gorgeous 14.6-inch display that outsizes many laptops, and one can get used to that sort of display real estate very easily. Good luck switching to a 14-inch laptop or an even smaller tablet after that. Just 5.1mm thin, it weighs around 692 grams and is powered by MediaTek’s flagship-class Dimensity 9500 chip. One could argue a case for the Dimensity 9600 Pro, but let’s not make already expensive tech even more expensive, shall we?

There is a definite class and style which blends beautifully with genuine utility. While Samsung hasn’t listed a keyboard accessory for the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra as yet in India (there is one for the Galaxy Tab S12+, which we will discuss), having that as an option would make this the ultra-premium laptop replacement for many. The aluminium body is good to hold and overall the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra feels every bit the top money you’ll spend on it. Slimming the bezels around this large display has certainly helped shave off a few millimetres, and some crucial grams.

The Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen is rated at 1,600 nits of peak brightness and is more than up to the task with typical ambient lighting in offices and indoor workplace scenarios. That said, Samsung hasn’t really gone the whole hog with an anti-reflective coating for this screen, which is perhaps a trade-off to get a more vibrant display than one with a coating. The 2960x1848 resolution translates into healthy pixel density, and how crisp things look on this display is a testament to that.

The comparatively smaller Galaxy Tab S12+ still offers quite an expansive display real estate at 12.6-inches, featuring a similarly gorgeous Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with an even slightly higher pixel density (262 pixels per inch compared with 239 ppi). Both tablets do well in terms of multitasking prowess, allowing you to have side-by-side apps and even pop them out. This tablet can be paired with the Pro Keyboard (priced at ₹24,999), and you have the almost ideal laptop replacement ready, if Android can deliver your workflows effectively.

Speaking of which, the aluminium body and metal hinge are a significant upgrade over pretty much any keyboard accessory for Android tablets. It comparatively adds a bit of weight over plastic and fabric finishes, but you’ve a solid typing experience nevertheless. The attachment between the Galaxy Tab S12+ and the keyboard is the pogo pin connector. A few interesting elements include the fact that it’s a backlit keyboard, there is an AI key as well as favourite hotkey shortcuts.

I must say that getting used to this keyboard’s layout, and the trackpad responsiveness, is significantly better than any tablet keyboard thus far. That said, while the weighted balancing extension at the back is an interesting touch, there is a certain limitation in terms of how much you can angle the tablet to lean backwards or forwards, as you work on it. Secondly, much like almost every other tablet and keyboard combo, this isn’t entirely usable on the lap, if you have to type a long document.

Improvements with One UI 9.0 across the board, particularly the Multi Window enhancements and the DeX mode for a more desktop-like treatment of the workspace. This also neatly integrates the AI-based Now Nudge, which can draw context from what you’re doing and suggest opening a new app to continue or accentuate the task—and automatically shares the screen space. Closest competition is the OnePlus Pad 4 and the Xiaomi Pad 8, and while the latter gets close, Samsung still sets the benchmark with a whole suite of productivity focused tweaks.

An undeniable fact is that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and the Galaxy Tab S12+ have become the first Android tablets to get the Adobe Photoshop app. It makes sense for these large screen tablets to use that expanse for photo editing and precise layout of the functions in the app. This fully integrates with the S Pen too, in case you’re used to the stylus. The brilliance of both displays comes to the fore here, when editing high-resolution images with precision.

One thing that has truly impressed is the fact that both the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and the Galaxy Tab S12+ remain quite cool even under fairly heavy multitasking and I’d say there are three clear reasons for that—Samsung’s software optimisations, MediaTek’s work at the chip level, and Samsung pairing all that with an upgraded 3D Vapor Chamber that allows the processor, graphics and neural processing unit (NPU) to retain baseline performance for longer.

That is not just a positive for most regular workflows, but also for the extensive photo and video editing tasks that Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and the Galaxy Tab S12+ buyers will most likely do. After all, these powerful tablets simply cannot be reserved for YouTube videos and browsing the X feed.

Massive battery capacities on both—the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra gets an 11,600mAh battery while the Galaxy Tab S12+ has a 10,600mAh battery. You’re, irrespective of which tablet you pick, looking at more than 20 hours of active screen time across tasks and usage, before this goes below 15% and into the charge-again territory.

Samsung has been imaginative with its Android tablets, constantly experimenting over generations, and the latest flagship Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and the Galaxy Tab S12+ are a result of that persistent approach. These are incredibly slim tablets, one with a large display and the other that’s likeably oversized, and yet incredibly powerful.

And it is not to say that Samsung stopped its efforts there. Support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, speakers that are Dolby Atmos tuned and a very usable Galaxy AI suite. Both the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and the Galaxy Tab S12+ prove again that Android tablets are rapidly evolving into productivity machines if done right, and no one really does that bit better than Samsung.

The only question you need to answer, after you’ve put together the credit cards to support this purchase, is this—large, or extra large?