Samsung gives its two-year-old Galaxy Tab S Plus an overhaul

Since the Galaxy Tab S10 line, Samsung has updated its flagship Ultra tablet annually, but alternates its regular and Plus variants. It means that this year’s Galaxy Tab S12 series includes an Ultra model with few changes from last year’s Tab S11 Ultra, and a Plus variant that brings a bigger overhaul to the two-year-old Tab S10 Plus. There’s no regular Tab S12, suggesting fans of the smaller size will have to wait until 2027 for the next version of that tablet.

The Galaxy Tab S12 Plus should be a meaningful update to owners of the Tab S10 Plus or older. Compared to that tablet, it has a slightly larger and brighter 12.6-inch display, despite running thinner and lighter overall. The MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chipset is two generations ahead of the old 9300 Plus, and the 10,600mAh battery is bigger too. It’s all enough to make the $200 cost increase, to a new starting price of $1,199, feel worthwhile.

By contrast, the Tab S12 Ultra is altogether more familiar, though only because it benefited from those design upgrades last year. Compared to the Tab S11 Ultra, the only real changes are the annual chipset bump and upgraded four-channel spatial audio (also found on the Plus). The Ultra’s 14.6-inch display, 11,600mAh battery, and 5.1mm-thick design are all unchanged year-on-year. That would be easier to swallow if it didn’t also come at a $200 premium, now $1,399.

Both tablets benefit from bright OLED displays with 1,600 nits of peak brightness, IP68 ratings, and seven years of Android updates. An S Pen stylus comes in the box, as does a welcome software update: the Android debut of Adobe Photoshop for Tablets, which will be a Galaxy Store exclusive for six months. It comes with Adobe’s AI features, a tablet-optimized interface, and support for the S Pen.

The Galaxy Tab S12 Plus and Tab S12 Ultra will hit shelves on October 7th.