Samsung recently unveiled its new generation of flagship tablets. The lineup comprises the Galaxy Tab S12+ and the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra, and ahead of the local launch, the company allowed us the opportunity to get acquainted with these devices.
Naturally, the most obvious distinction between the two is the size. Ignoring that, the tablets look pretty similar from the back. They retain the same design elements from last year’s batch: the Samsung branding on the top left corner when viewed in landscape mode, the magnetic pogo pins for attaching accessories, and even the same Gray and Silver colour options. There is one more notable difference, though, which is the lack of an ultrawide lens on the Plus model. The fancier Ultra naturally gets to keep the dual camera setup, which is still housed in individual rings.
Flipping the duo around, you’ll notice that the displays differ slightly as well. The Ultra sports a waterdrop notch for the front camera, while the Plus hides the camera in the bezel. The displays are otherwise the same Dynamic AMOLED 2X panels. For the most part, they offer a similar experience: they’re smooth and responsive, with a glossy surface. It is worth noting that Samsung has dropped the anti-reflective coating from these models, so glare may be more of an issue.
As one can expect, the different form factors make for distinct user experiences. The fancier Ultra model is also the bigger one, boasting an expansive 14.6-inch AMOLED display. That’s comparable to a laptop. Of course, its size does make it less portable. Sure, it is incredibly slim, so it can fit into a backpack with all your other essential electronics without hogging too much space.
However, it’s quite unwieldy, especially when held in one hand. Your arms will certainly tire out from just holding it for a few short minutes. The tablet pretty much wants to sit on a working surface at all times, making it less ideal for the situations where you have to stay on your feet.
Of course, the larger screen may offer more space to work with, but the smaller Plus sibling is still big enough for productivity purposes. Oh, and it’s more manageable too. It’s still pushing the limits of what one may consider portable, but you can certainly stand to have it in your hands for much longer.
Given the limited time we had with these tablets, it’s hard to say how they stack up in terms of performance. You can expect a smooth experience when it comes to the day-to-day tasks, but some AI features may still be a test of patience. Gemini Notebook takes its sweet time to generate content, but that could be more due to the program’s limitations than anything else. If you’re here for the creative capabilities, though, the tablets will serve you just fine, with Samsung offering Adobe Photoshop.
Overall, both the Galaxy Tab S12+ and Tab S12 Ultra should offer comparable performance, so size will likely be the deciding factor here. Arguably, the smaller model should meet one’s needs just fine, unless said needs include a pseudo-laptop. In any case, both tablets are already available in Malaysia for a starting price of RM4,999.
