Samsung Galaxy Tab S12+ and S12 Ultra launch October 7 with a chip swap and a price hike
Samsung is launching the Galaxy Tab S12+ and S12 Ultra on October 7, 2026 — and if you were hoping for a redesign, you won't find one. German insider Roland Quandt confirmed the full spec sheets via WinFuture, and the headline change is a processor swap to MediaTek's Dimensity 9500. Everything else is largely familiar — and the price is noticeably higher.
The hardware
Both tablets run a 3nm MediaTek Dimensity 9500 (eight cores up to 4.21GHz, 12-core GPU), replacing the prior generation's chip. Samsung is skipping a base model this year: it's Plus and Ultra only.
The Galaxy Tab S12+ has a 12.6-inch 2X Dynamic AMOLED display (2800×1752px, 120Hz), weighs 555g — down from its predecessor — and packs a 10,600mAh battery. The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra steps up to 14.6 inches (2960×1848px), weighs 693g, and carries an 11,600mAh cell. Both are IP68-rated aluminum builds with S Pen included, 45W fast charging, and MicroSD support up to 2TB.
Base configs start at 12GB RAM with 256GB or 512GB UFS 4.0 storage. The Ultra also gets a 16GB/1TB tier. Cameras are unchanged at 13MP rear and 12MP front — the Ultra adds an 8MP ultrawide. Both shoot 4K at 60fps. The S12+ has stereo speakers; the Ultra has four with spatial audio. Both ship with Android 17 and One UI 9.0.
The price problem
European pricing starts at €1,299 for the S12+ and €1,539 for the S12 Ultra, with a €200 premium for 5G variants. That's a €180–€200 jump over the S10 and S11 series, per Android Headlines, attributed to the ongoing RAM shortage squeezing Samsung's mobile division — which posted a loss in Q2 2026.
In the US, pricing is expected around $1,199 for the S12+ and $1,399 for the S12 Ultra, per GSMArena. No official UK price has been confirmed, but estimates of £1,100–£1,374 put the S12+ in direct competition with the iPad Pro 13-inch — which starts at $1,299 in the US.
That's a tough position. Apple's slate offers a richer app ecosystem and Apple Intelligence integration. Samsung's counter is DeX mode and a bundled S Pen. Whether that trade-off lands depends on how committed you are to Android.
Worth the upgrade?
If you own a Galaxy Tab S10 or S11, the case for upgrading is thin — the design is nearly identical and the performance gains are incremental. The S12+ is lighter, which helps, but €180 more for a chip refresh is a hard sell. Pre-orders are expected to open in late September ahead of the October 7 on-sale date.
