Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra price, specs and when you can buy it
The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra price starts at $1,399 and the S12+ at $1,199, on sale October 7. UK and euro prices, full specs and what the Dimensity 9500 means.
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Samsung announced the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S12+ on September 30, 2026, and both go on sale October 7. The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra price starts at $1,399 in the US and the S12+ starts at $1,199, each with an S Pen in the box. Both run on MediaTek's Dimensity 9500 chip, which continues a choice Samsung made two years ago rather than starting a new one.
Key takeaways
- US starting prices: $1,399 for the 14.6-inch Tab S12 Ultra and $1,199 for the 12.6-inch Tab S12+. UK prices start at £1,399 and £1,199; in Germany, at €1,539 and €1,299.
- Both tablets launch October 7 in select markets, including the US, the UK and Germany, in Gray and Silver. There is no smaller Tab S12 this year.
- Samsung says the Dimensity 9500 brings 19% faster CPU, 17% faster GPU and 61% faster AI processing than the Tab S11 Ultra. Those are the company's claims, not independent results.
- Samsung's top tablets left Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips with the Tab S10 in 2024, so this is the third MediaTek generation, not a switch.
- Engadget's review scored the Ultra 9 out of 10 and measured 19 hours 39 minutes in its video rundown test. We haven't tested either tablet.
Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra specs and the S12+ compared
The two tablets share most of their hardware and differ mainly in size, battery and camera. Samsung's press release lists the core specs; the camera details come from GSMArena's launch coverage.
| Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra | Galaxy Tab S12+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2,960 x 1,848, 120 Hz | 12.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2,800 x 1,752, 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness (Samsung's figure) | 1,600 nits | 1,600 nits |
| Chip | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 (3 nm) | MediaTek Dimensity 9500 (3 nm) |
| Memory and storage | 12 GB + 256 GB, 12 GB + 512 GB, 16 GB + 1 TB | 12 GB + 256 GB, 12 GB + 512 GB |
| microSD | Up to 2 TB | Up to 2 TB |
| Battery | 11,600 mAh | 10,600 mAh |
| Battery life (Samsung's claim) | Up to 23 hours | Up to 21 hours |
| Charging | 45 W wired | 45 W wired |
| Rear cameras | 13 MP main, 8 MP ultrawide | 13 MP main |
| Front camera | 12 MP ultrawide | 12 MP ultrawide |
| Thickness | 5.1 mm | 5.3 mm |
| Weight | 692 g (Wi-Fi), 695 g (5G) | 553 g (Wi-Fi), 555 g (5G) |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 6E |
| Software | One UI 9 on Android 17 | One UI 9 on Android 17 |
Samsung promises up to seven years of Android upgrades and security updates for both. It also preloads Adobe Photoshop with a four-month free subscription, and lists a six-month Google AI Pro trial. Keyboards are extra: the Pro Keyboard and the Book Cover Keyboard Slim are sold separately. As 9to5Google notes, there is no smaller Tab S12 this year, and the 11-inch Galaxy Tab S11 stays on sale as the compact option.
Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra price in the US, UK and Europe
Starting prices are the same number in dollars and pounds. Euro prices are higher and vary by country.
| Market | Galaxy Tab S12+ | Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| US | from $1,199 | from $1,399 |
| UK | from £1,199 | from £1,399 |
| Germany | from €1,299 | from €1,539 |
The UK prices come from Samsung UK's announcement. The US starting prices were reported by 9to5Google and GSMArena; we didn't find Samsung's US prices for the 512 GB and 1 TB models as of October 1, 2026.
Samsung Germany published every configuration:
| Germany (RRP) | Wi-Fi | 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Tab S12+ 256 GB | €1,299 | €1,449 |
| Tab S12+ 512 GB | €1,499 | €1,649 |
| Tab S12 Ultra 256 GB | €1,539 | €1,689 |
| Tab S12 Ultra 512 GB | €1,739 | €1,889 |
| Tab S12 Ultra 1 TB | €2,139 | €2,289 |
GSMArena lists €1,329 and €1,569 as the euro starting prices, which suggests other eurozone countries pay more than Germany. Check your country's Samsung store. Samsung Germany also runs launch offers through November 9, including trade-in credit and a free keyboard cover with a promo code.
What the Dimensity 9500 means for buyers
If you've heard that Samsung is dropping Snapdragon for MediaTek, that happened two years ago. The Galaxy Tab S10+ and S10 Ultra moved to the Dimensity 9300+ in 2024, as SamMobile reported at the time, and the Tab S11 series used the Dimensity 9400+. The Tab S12 continues that line.
What changes is the speed claim. Samsung says the Dimensity 9500 delivers 19% faster CPU, 17% more GPU power and 61% faster NPU processing (the NPU is the part of the chip that runs AI features) than the Tab S11 Ultra. Those figures are Samsung's.
The first independent numbers come from Engadget's review, published September 30. Sam Rutherford tested the 12 GB, 256 GB Ultra and got 9,403 in Geekbench 7's multi-core test, ahead of the 7,879 he cites for a Dell XPS 13 with an Intel Core i5. He saw no lag or stutter in everyday use, though he would have preferred 16 GB of memory. The review doesn't compare the tablet with a Snapdragon device.
For apps, the chip brand matters less than the badge suggests: both MediaTek and Qualcomm build on Arm processor designs, so Android apps run on either without changes. If you want Qualcomm's newest chips, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Extreme Gen 6 have so far been announced only for phones.
Battery life and the S Pen
Samsung rates the Ultra at up to 23 hours and the S12+ at up to 21 hours, and says 45 W charging fills the Ultra in about 95 minutes. Engadget's video rundown test lasted 19 hours 39 minutes on the Ultra, and Rutherford found he could go about two days between charges.
The S Pen is included with both models. Engadget describes a hexagonal grip, an eraser button and a magnetic attachment, and notes that it uses EMR, so it never needs charging. Samsung pairs it with Note Assist, which summarizes handwritten notes in Samsung Notes.
What happens next
- October 7: the Tab S12 Ultra and S12+ go on sale in select markets, including the US, UK and Germany.
- Mexico: no date or price yet. Xataka México reports that Samsung hasn't confirmed either.
- Galaxy SmartTag3: Samsung's new tracker, which works with iPhones for the first time, also launches October 7, in Korea. HotHardware reports that the US follows in early November.
More launches are in our gadgets section.
Bottom line
The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra price starts at $1,399 in the US, and the S12+ starts at $1,199, both on sale from October 7 with an S Pen included. The Dimensity 9500 isn't a gamble: it's Samsung's third MediaTek generation, and Engadget's review found it fast with long battery life. The speed gains over last year are still Samsung's numbers, so if you own a Tab S11 Ultra, wait for more reviews. Budget for a keyboard if you plan to use either one as a laptop.
FAQ
What is the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra release date?
The release date is October 7, 2026, for both the Tab S12 Ultra and Tab S12+, in select markets, including the US, the UK and Germany. Mexico has no date yet.
Does the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra come with an S Pen?
Yes. Both the Ultra and the S12+ include an S Pen in the box. Keyboards are sold separately.
Does the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra use a Snapdragon chip?
No. Both models use MediaTek's Dimensity 9500. Samsung's flagship tablets have used MediaTek chips since the Tab S10 series in 2024.
Is there a regular Galaxy Tab S12?
No. This year's series is only the Tab S12+ and the Tab S12 Ultra. The 11-inch Galaxy Tab S11 remains Samsung's smaller option.