Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and S12+ First Impressions: Same Chip, Very Different Tablets

Samsung has done something slightly unusual with the Galaxy Tab S12 series. Both tablets run the same MediaTek Dimensity 9500, so on paper there is nothing separating them in raw performance. The Ultra gets a 14.6-inch screen and the Plus a 12.6-inch one, both Dynamic AMOLED 2X panels going up to 1,600 nits. Everything else about how these two feel in the hand comes down to that size gap.

I expected the smaller one to throttle harder or feel like the budget sibling. It does not. Pick up the S12+ and it behaves exactly like the Ultra, just with less glass to look at. That makes the buying decision refreshingly simple for a change, because you are choosing a screen size and a battery, not a performance tier.

The Ultra is not really a tablet anymore

The 14.6-inch Ultra is a lot of device. Holding it one-handed to scroll Instagram is not happening, and I would not even try reading on it in bed. This is a tablet that asks you to put it down on a surface and sit in front of it.

Which is why the keyboard is not optional here, whatever Samsung says. The Pro Keyboard Cover costs Rs 27,999 for the Ultra and Rs 26,499 for the S12+, and that is a serious amount of money on top of a tablet that already starts at Rs 1,49,999. But snap it on and the Ultra stops being awkward. It sits up at an angle, you get a trackpad and a proper typing deck, and from across a room it looks exactly like a Galaxy Book. Someone at your next meeting is going to assume you brought a laptop.

The S12+ does not have that problem. At 12.6 inches it still works as a tablet you hold, which is probably the more honest version of this product for most people.

Audio is the bit I want to test properly

Both tablets keep the quad-speaker setup, but Samsung has now added four-channel spatial audio to it. The early listen was promising, and tablet speakers are one of those things reviewers skim past even though it is how most people actually consume content on these devices. I want to run proper movie and music tests before saying anything firm, but there is clearly more separation here than I remember from the last generation.

One UI 9 and the small stuff

One UI 9 is pre-installed on both, which brings Samsung's current Galaxy AI tools and the newer multitasking layout along with it. You can split the screen into three windows now, and on the Ultra that actually makes sense rather than being a spec sheet flex.

Both also use an in-display fingerprint sensor, so no side-mounted button to hunt for. On a device this big, unlocking without changing your grip matters more than it sounds.

Early verdict

My instinct after a few days is that the S12+ is the one most buyers should look at, and the Ultra only earns its price if you are buying the keyboard with it and treating the whole thing as a laptop replacement. Sales began on October 7, with the S12+ starting at Rs 1,29,999 and the Ultra at Rs 1,49,999. Full review once I have put the battery and that spatial audio through a real week.