Samsung Galaxy Tab S12
2026 tablets by Samsung Electronics
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The Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 is a series of Android-based tablets manufactured, developed, designed and marketed by Samsung Electronics, as part of its flagship Galaxy Tab S series. It was announced on September 30, 2026 through a press release and was released on October 7, 2026.[1][2][3] It serves as the successor to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11.
 | |
| Brand | Samsung |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Samsung Electronics |
| Type | Tablet computer |
Series | Galaxy Tab S |
| Family | Samsung Galaxy |
First released | October 7, 2026 |
Availability by region | October 7, 2026 |
| Predecessor | Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 |
| Cellular: GSM/HSPA/4G LTE/5G (sub-6GHz) | |
| Bar | |
| Dimensions | Tab S12: 165.3 × 253.8 × 5.5 mm Tab S12 Ultra: 208.5 × 326.3 × 5.1 mm |
| Android 17 with One UI 9 | |
| MediaTek Dimensity 9500+ | |
| Memory | Tab S12: 12 GB RAM Tab S12 Ultra: 12 GB, 16 GB RAM |
| Storage | Tab S12: 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB Tab S12 Ultra: 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB |
| Dedicated microSDXC slot | |
| SIM | Nano-SIM/eSIM (Cellular models only) |
| Battery | Tab S12+: 10600 mAh non-user replaceable LiPo Tab S12 Ultra: 11600 mAh non-user replaceable LiPo |
| Charging | 45 W USB PD charging |
| Website | Galaxy Tab S12 |
History
Before its official announcement, rumors about the Galaxy Tab S12 series from media outlets began to surface as early as July 2026 in which a picture was posted showing the actual Galaxy Tab S12+, at a Safety Korea database ahead of its unveiling.[4][5] Model numbers of the Galaxy Tab S12 were discovered at a Bureau of Indian Standards for certification.[4][6] Soon after, CAD renders for the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra were leaked, revealing its design.[7][8][9]
On July 30, 2026, Samsung confirms the existence of the Galaxy Tab S12 series in its quarterly earnings call.[10][11]
In August 2026, model numbers of the Galaxy Tab S12 series were revealed in a Bluetooth SIG listing,[12] along with listings for Google's Play Console soon after.[13][14] Official images for the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra were revealed ahead of launch, showing a familiar design.[15][16] Renders of the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra were published soon after, which housed a design closely resembling that of the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra (with thin bezels, a notch at the top of the display, a dual rear camera and a gray finish). The S Pen shown alongside the tablet retained the side button of the previous generation.[17] The retention of the notch ran counter to earlier reports that Samsung would move to a punch-hole cutout.[18]
In September 2026, launch dates for the Galaxy Tab S12 series were revealed via official renders.[19][20] A further set of renders were published soon after, which showed both models in gray and silver finishes, with a single rear camera on the Galaxy Tab S12+ and a dual rear camera on the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra. The S Pen appeared alongside both models.[21]
Commentary published ahead of the announcement characterized the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra as an iterative update that carried over the external design of its predecessor rather than introducing a redesign.[22] Renders showed the Ultra retaining a notch in the top bezel in landscape orientation, while the Galaxy Tab S12+ was shown without one.[18][21]
The tablets were announced on September 30, 2026 through a press release.[1][2][3]
Features
Design
The tablets still use the same aluminum body of their predecessors.
| Model | Galaxy Tab S12+ S12 Ultra |
|---|---|
| Base Colors |
|
Display
The Tab S12+ uses the same panel specifications from its predecessor (12.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a resolution of 1752 × 2800 and a 120 Hz refresh rate),[23] while the Tab S12 Ultra also uses the same panel specifications from its predecessor (14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a resolution of 1848 × 2960 and a 120 Hz refresh rate).[24]
Both tablets continue to have a peak brightness of up to 1,600 nits (with support for HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG), an anti-reflective coating and an in-display fingerprint reader, but brings improvements to Vision Booster (a feature which was first debuted on the Galaxy Tab S9 series).[25]
Performance
The Tab S12+ and Tab S12 Ultra uses the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chipsets (with Mali G1-Ultra MC12 graphics).[26] Storage and RAM options remain the same from its predecessors: internal storage options of 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB (with the latter exclusive for Tab S12 Ultra); RAM options of 12 GB or 16 GB (with the latter also exclusive for Tab S12 Ultra).[27] MicroSD card support is still present.[28]
Samsung states that the chipset delivers a 19% faster CPU, a 17% faster GPU and a 61% faster NPU than the Dimensity 9400+ used in the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra.[29]
Both models replace the flat vapor chamber of the Galaxy Tab S11 series with a three-dimensional vapor chamber, which Samsung says dissipates heat faster and reduces throttling during sustained workloads such as gaming and video editing.[29] Tests by a reviewer shows the Tab S12 Ultra held 84.7% stability in the 3DMark Wild Life stress test, against 68.7% for the Tab S11 Ultra, and ran demanding games at high graphics settings for more than 30 minutes without noticeable slowdown.[30]
Cameras
The Tab S12 Ultra carries over the same camera setup from its predecessor: a 13 MP primary wide rear camera, an 8 MP ultrawide, and a 12 MP front camera.[31] The Plus model carries over the 13 MP primary wide rear camera and the 12 MP front camera, but drops the 8 MP ultrawide rear camera.[32]
Audio
Both models use a four-speaker array that Samsung markets as a 4-channel spatial audio system, in which two-channel sources are upmixed to four channels; the company presents it as an upgrade over the audio system of the Galaxy Tab S11 series.[29][33]
Software
The Galaxy Tab S12 series were the first Galaxy tablets to have Android 17 (One UI 9) pre-installed and will receive 7 years of software and security updates (with support ending within 2033).[34]
| Pre-installed OS | OS Upgrades history | End of support | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | |||
| Tab S12+ Tab S12 Ultra |
Android 17 (One UI 9.0) |
Expected within 2033[34] | |||||||