Samsung overhauls Galaxy Tab S12 Plus while the Ultra gets a modest refresh

Samsung has refreshed the top end of its Galaxy Tab lineup with two new models: the Galaxy Tab S12 Plus, a substantial reworking of a two-year-old tablet, and the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra, a much lighter touch-up of last year's flagship. According to The Verge, both tablets reach shelves on October 7.

The Plus gets the real overhaul

The Tab S12 Plus replaces the two-year-old Tab S10 Plus, and the gap between generations shows in the spec sheet. As The Verge reports, the new model has a slightly larger 12.6-inch display that is also brighter than its predecessor's, while the tablet as a whole is both thinner and lighter. Inside, the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 sits two generations ahead of the 9300 Plus chip in the Tab S10 Plus, and the battery has grown to 10,600mAh.

Those gains come at a cost: the starting price rises by $200 to $1,199. In The Verge's assessment, the package is enough to make the increase feel worthwhile for anyone coming from a Tab S10 Plus or older.

The Ultra changes far less

The Tab S12 Ultra is the more familiar of the two, largely because it received its design overhaul in the previous generation. Compared with the Tab S11 Ultra, The Verge identifies only two meaningful changes: the annual chipset bump and upgraded four-channel spatial audio, which the Plus model also gets. The 14.6-inch display, 11,600mAh battery and 5.1mm-thin chassis carry over unchanged.

The Ultra also costs $200 more than its predecessor, at $1,399 — a premium The Verge suggests is harder to justify given the short list of changes. One design difference between the two models remains: the Ultra keeps a small notch for its front camera, while the Plus tucks the camera inside the bezel.

Shared hardware and a Photoshop debut

Whatever their differences, both tablets ship with bright OLED panels rated at 1,600 nits of peak brightness, IP68 water and dust resistance, and a promised seven years of Android updates. An S Pen stylus is included in the box.

The more notable software addition is the Android debut of Adobe Photoshop for Tablets. According to The Verge, it will be exclusive to Samsung's Galaxy Store for six months and arrives with Adobe's AI features, an interface built for larger screens, and support for the S Pen.

A release rhythm that splits the lineup

The uneven refresh reflects Samsung's recent release pattern: since the Tab S10 generation, the company has updated its top Ultra tablet every year while alternating updates to the regular and Plus sizes. That cadence produced this year's split outcome — a heavily revised Plus alongside a lightly revised Ultra — and it also means there is no regular Galaxy Tab S12 at all this year. As The Verge notes, buyers who prefer the smaller standard model will likely have to wait until 2027 for a new version.

Why it matters

Samsung's alternating schedule means the value of an upgrade depends heavily on which model you own and which year you buy. Tab S10 Plus owners get a genuinely new tablet; Tab S11 Ultra owners are being asked to pay $200 more for nearly the same device. The arrival of Photoshop for Tablets — with AI features and S Pen support, locked to the Galaxy Store for six months — also signals how Samsung is positioning these devices as serious creative tools rather than media-consumption slates. With seven years of Android updates promised, the Plus in particular looks like a tablet buyers could hold onto for a long time.