School — be it an MBA, professional certification, or online course — is always easier when you have a tablet that can keep up with you. That's where the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 series comes in.
The two new models, including the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S12+, feature a thin and lightweight design. They also pack large displays, powerful performance, long battery life, and the latest Galaxy AI features. Plus, the S Pen comes included in the box. The idea is to use the Galaxy Tab to learn something new, work through it, and eventually put those skills into practice wherever you are.
tl;dr
- The new Galaxy Tab S12 series combines a thin and light design with large displays, powerful performance, and long battery life.
- Galaxy AI, Multi Window, the S Pen, and professional-grade apps can make learning, research, and everyday work easier.
- Professional apps such as Photoshop, Notability, LumaFusion, and Clip Studio Paint give you more ways to improve your skills and turn your ideas into reality.
A large screen you can take anywhere
The Galaxy Tab S12 series makes it easy to take your learning or work on the go.
The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is just 5.1mm thick and features a 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a sleek, slim bezel. The Galaxy Tab S12+ offers a similar experience in a smaller form factor.
The display supports up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness, while the Vision Booster feature automatically adjusts the screen brightness as lighting if the environment changes.
This makes the display easier to see when you're using the Galaxy Tab in different environments. For example, you could start an online course during your commute and continue with the same lesson at a coffee shop. The large display also gives you enough room to follow a course without switching to a laptop or another device.
The combination of a large display and automatic brightness control makes the S12 series easier to use in virtually any environment.
Performance built for more than basic Galaxy Tab work
The Galaxy Tab S12 series also has modern hardware to handle demanding workloads.
According to Samsung, these Galaxy Tab devices deliver the most powerful performance in a Galaxy Tab yet. Featuring a 3nm processor architecture, the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra has up to 19% higher processor performance, 17% higher graphics performance, and 61% higher Neural Processing Unit (NPU) performance than the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra.
Those numbers won't just make launching apps faster. They give the Galaxy Tab more power for multitasking, demanding graphics, and AI features.
This can come in handy when you need to do more on your laptop than read and take notes.
The battery is also designed for extended use. The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra packs an 11,600mAh battery, while the Galaxy Tab S12+ has a 10,600mAh battery, which translates to up to 23 hours and 21 hours of video playback, respectively.
So if you're working toward a professional certification, you can spend hours going through courses and training content without constantly looking for an outlet.
These Galaxy Tab devices also have an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, so you can have peace of mind when carrying your laptop throughout the day.
Galaxy AI can help when you get stuck
When it comes to learning, you'll usually get stuck at some point. You may read something that doesn't make sense. You may find several sources that don't quite agree. Or you understand the main idea but need more help. That's when Galaxy AI comes into the workflow.
The Multi Window feature lets you open up to three apps at once, so if you're taking an MBA course, for example, you could have a lecture playing alongside Samsung Notes and Gemini.
When you stumble upon an important point, you can use the S Pen to write it directly in the Samsung Notes app. The Note Assist app can then help summarize the notes or refine their style.
If something isn't clear, Gemini can help you understand it without breaking your workflow.
This is where AI can be useful on a Galaxy Tab. It can do much more than generate content. It can also help you understand information as you learn.
Gemini Notebook gives all those notes somewhere to go
The amount of content you have to read can quickly become a problem when you're learning something new.
You might have lecture recordings, research notes, PDFs, images, browser tabs, and even your own handwritten notes scattered across different places.
Gemini Notebook can bring that content together in one place. You can use it to create summaries, compare information, connect dots, and even create podcasts and quizzes from your learning content.
Samsung is also including six months of Google AI Pro, extending access to Google's AI tools and models.
S Pen makes the Galaxy Tab more useful for learning
The S Pen is included with the Galaxy Tab S12 series, and that's important because it gives you a more natural way to use the Galaxy Tab.
The S Pen is useful for quickly writing down an idea, marking up important information, or writing down a question before you forget it.
The S Pen lets you write directly on the screen, while the Samsung tools can help organize and refine those notes.
When you need a more traditional computer-like experience, the Pro Keyboard or Book Cover Keyboard Slim can take over. The Pro Keyboard also includes a dedicated Galaxy AI key for quick access to AI assistants.
Apps are where learning can become a practical skill
The hardware is only part of the picture. You also need apps that can help you practice what you have learned. Adobe Photoshop comes pre-loaded on the Galaxy Tab S12 series and launches exclusively in the Galaxy Store starting October 7, 2026, for at least six months. Users also receive four months of free access to the Photoshop mobile plan. It’s optimized for the S Pen, giving you a way to move from learning the basics of image editing to actually creating something.
The Notability app also comes pre-installed, bringing note-taking and AI study tools together with S Pen support.
Other apps include Clip Studio Paint for digital art, Goodnotes and Noteshelf 3 for handwritten notes, LumaFusion for video editing, and Notion for organizing projects and workflows. Tools such as ArcSite can also turn sketches into CAD drawings.
These Galaxy Tab devices also include professional apps and exclusive benefits worth approximately $600.
Samsung is giving the Galaxy Tab S12 a long runway
Operating system support is another important part to consider when choosing a Galaxy Tab, even though it doesn't show up in the hardware specifications.
Samsung says both models will receive up to seven operating system upgrades and security updates.
A Galaxy Tab like this can become part of how you work and learn for years. You aren't buying it just for a specific project. You can keep using it as a learning tool, workstation, or anything else as your needs change.
Turn new skills into real work
The new Galaxy Tab S12 series is a high-end Android Galaxy Tab, but that's not the most interesting part.
It's what happens when you connect the pieces. You can watch a course, take notes with the S Pen, ask Gemini to explain something you don't understand, organize content in Gemini Notebook, and then use apps such as Photoshop or LumaFusion to practice.
It creates a more complete learning experience than simply watching a video and moving on to the next one.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Galaxy Tab S12 series?
The Galaxy Tab S12 series is Samsung's latest premium Galaxy Tab lineup, which includes the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S12+. These models combine a thin and light design, powerful performance, Galaxy AI, long battery life, and an S Pen.
What is the difference between the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S12+?
The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra has a 14.6-inch display and a 5.1mm-thin design, while the Galaxy Tab S12+ offers a smaller 12.6-inch display in a more compact form. However, these devices use the same 3nm processor and support the same core Galaxy AI and experiences.
How long will Samsung support the Galaxy Tab S12?
Samsung says both models will receive up to seven operating system upgrades and security updates.