Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra

The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is Samsung's biggest, most ambitious tablet, and on paper it is the one to beat in the Android world. Its 14.6-inch AMOLED panel with 120Hz variable refresh and up to 1,600 nits of brightness promises a viewing and drawing canvas few rivals can match. Fitting that screen into a 5.1mm-thin aluminum frame weighing 692 grams is a genuine feat of industrial design.

This is a tablet for creatives, media lovers and anyone hoping to replace a laptop for lighter work. The included S Pen, Photoshop preloaded with four months free, and Samsung DeX for a more desktop-like layout all point squarely at that audience. It is not a casual or budget purchase, though. It starts at $1,399.99 in the US and goes on sale October 7 alongside the Galaxy Tab S12+.

There's a lot to like here. The display is the headline act, and including the S Pen in the box adds real value at a time when accessories often cost extra. Photoshop out of the box is a meaningful bonus for artists and photographers. It's also a strong signal that serious creative software is arriving on Android tablets. Engadget's 9/10 score, which praised battery life and performance, suggests the fundamentals are solid. We haven't independently verified those claims, so we haven't relied on them heavily.

The drawbacks are mostly about value and practicality:

• Reports describe the Tab S12 Ultra as nearly identical to the Tab S11 Ultra, with modest upgrades at a starting price roughly $200 higher. That makes it a hard sell for current owners.
• The keyboard is sold separately, so the full laptop-replacement setup costs well beyond the sticker price.
• A single USB-C port and no microSD slot limit expandability and peripheral use, which matters if you plan to lean on DeX.

Our information on the processor, battery capacity and storage tiers is limited, so this assessment rests mainly on design, display, bundled extras and price.

On that basis, the Tab S12 Ultra looks like an excellent large-screen Android tablet for buyers new to the Ultra line. It's harder to recommend as an upgrade, and the price leaves little room for error.