Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra review: the new $1,400 tablet is an iPad Pro rival with a great OLED display, battery life, and performance, but it is pricey

The premium Android tablet market now has a $1,400 competitor to the iPad Pro with a great OLED display and battery life.

Samsung has released the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra, a new $1,400 Android tablet positioned as a premium rival to Apple's iPad Pro. The device features a large 14.6-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1,600 nits, coupled with a thin and light aluminum chassis. It is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chip, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage, offering strong performance suitable for mobile applications and Samsung's DeX desktop-like interface. The tablet boasts impressive battery life, lasting nearly 20 hours in video playback tests, and includes an included EMR stylus. However, its high price point, a single USB-C port, and the extra cost of accessories like the Pro Keyboard are noted drawbacks, making it a considerable investment for users seeking a high-end Android tablet experience.

Samsung's Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra reinforces its dominance in the high-end Android tablet space, a category where competitors are notably absent. The device's combination of a large, high-quality OLED display, robust performance, and the productivity-focused DeX mode positions it as a serious contender for users who previously might have only considered an iPad Pro for a premium tablet experience. This move suggests Samsung is committed to pushing the boundaries of what an Android tablet can offer, even at a premium price point, potentially stimulating further innovation in this niche market.

The $1,400 price tag, before essential accessories like a keyboard, places the Tab S12 Ultra in direct competition with high-end laptops, highlighting a blurring of lines between traditional computing devices and tablets. While the included stylus and excellent battery life are strong selling points, the limited port selection and the additional cost of a functional keyboard suggest that achieving a true laptop replacement experience will incur further expense. This strategy may appeal to users prioritizing display and stylus input, but it also underscores the ongoing challenges for tablets to fully supplant laptops for all productivity tasks without significant accessory investment.