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Samsung's $1,400 Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra leaves Android fleets a single premium supplier

Samsung is now the only company making a proper Android rival to the iPad Pro, Engadget says, with the $1,399.99 Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra. For teams standardising tablets, that leaves one supplier at the top end and a per-seat cost well above the sticker once a keyboard goes on.

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What happened

  • The tablet reaches US shelves on October 7, according to Digital Trends.
  • PCMag prices the nearest Apple equivalent, the 13-inch M5 iPad Pro, at $1,499, about $100 above Samsung's sticker.
  • Samsung commits to seven generations of Android OS updates and the same term of security builds, starting from Android 17 with One UI 9.
  • Unlike Apple, Samsung includes its S Pen stylus in the box at no extra cost, Digital Trends reports.
  • PCMag lists the lack of any 5G cellular model among the tablet's drawbacks.

Why it matters

  • What it costs cost Each desk seat costs $1,798.99 once the $399 keyboard Tom's Guide says work requires is added, and that is before any external monitor for DeX.
  • Who's exposed exposure If Engadget is right, an Android standard at this tier rests on one vendor's pricing and release schedule, with no second premium supplier to quote against.
  • What doesn't add up contradiction Tom's Guide puts the rise over last year's model at $200 and PCMag at $100, so a team renewing an S11 Ultra fleet cannot set next year's budget from the reviews alone.

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A supervisor handed a Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra on Monday gets a 14.6-inch OLED screen in a body 5.1mm thin and 692 grams in weight [16]. The keyboard is a separate purchase. "To truly use the Tab S12 Ultra for work, you'll need the $399 Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra Pro Keyboard," Tom's Guide's reviewer wrote [6].

On paper, this is a laptop. Engadget describes the S12 Ultra as "meant to be a laptop replacement" [30] and calls DeX, the mode that swaps the Android home screen for a taskbar and windowed apps, the "lynchpin" of that role [23]. In use, Tom's Guide found that DeX needs an external monitor for full functionality [20] and judged the tablet "still not a true laptop replacement" [21]. It also found the slate "too cumbersome to hold comfortably for long periods" [17]. On that evidence, what a desk worker actually uses is a tablet with a keyboard and a monitor attached.

Speed holds up. Engadget's Geekbench 7 multi-core score was 9,403, against 7,879 for a Dell XPS 13 with an Intel Core 5 320 [13]. Engadget also noted that some of the everyday speed comes from running mobile versions of apps like Photoshop [14].

Away from the desk, the argument is durability. PCMag says the IP68 rating, which the iPad Pro lacks, means the tablet is dust-tight and can sit in about five feet of water for 30 minutes [3]. "If you're in the kitchen, at the beach, or out and about, that IP68 rating gives you a safety state of mind," Samsung's VP of Product Carly Okerfelt said in PCMag's review [4]. Battery results depend on the test. Engadget's video rundown lasted 19 hours and 39 minutes [7], and Tom's Guide measured nearly 12 hours [8].

The reviews disagree on storage. Engadget wrote that a single USB-C jack is the only port and wished for a microSD reader [22]. Tom's Guide and PCMag both describe a microSD slot [26][24], and Digital Trends says it accepts storage up to 2TB [25].

PCMag and Tom's Guide each call the S12 Ultra the best Android tablet of its kind [11][12]. The stronger claim, that Samsung is the only maker still offering a proper iPad Pro rival, is Engadget's alone [1].

I'd sort roles on two axes before placing an order: whether the person works at a desk with a monitor, and whether they need a connection away from Wi-Fi. Desk work with a monitor is where DeX runs as designed, and the fair comparison is a laptop at the keyboard-included price. Desk work without a monitor falls under Tom's Guide's verdict, and a laptop is the simpler purchase. Field work on Wi-Fi is the tablet's strongest quadrant, on water rating and battery. Field work off Wi-Fi is the one it cannot serve as sold, because PCMag found no 5G model [29].

What to watch

  • A premium Android tablet from another maker in the US, OnePlus included, would undo the single-supplier position Engadget describes.
  • Samsung's own figure for the price change from the S11 Ultra would settle whether the increase was $100 or $200.
  • A 5G configuration of the S12 Ultra would open the field roles that currently need a hotspot or a different device.

Clarity's read

What the record supports and how the coverage leans. The claims behind it follow.

Reality

Evidence72
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap+15
Incentives40
Confidence65

Perspective Coverage

10 publishers
Builder
Builder 12%
Operator
Operator 65%
Investor
Investor 23%
Why these scores

Claim ledger

Ranked by verification strength, evidence, and original report placement.

  1. [1]

    Engadget: it feels like all the major manufacturers have abandoned the premium Android tablet category (especially now that OnePlus has left the US), leaving Samsung as the only company making a proper rival to the iPad Pro.

    Reported Supported Source: Engadget reviewView cited source
  2. [2]

    The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is priced at $1,399.99 in the US.

    Reported Supported Source: Digital TrendsView cited source
  3. [3]

    The S12 Ultra has an IP68 rating, which the iPad Pro does not have; it can handle submersion in about five feet of water for 30 minutes and is dust-tight.

    Reported Supported Source: PCMagView cited source
  4. [4]

    "If you're in the kitchen, at the beach, or out and about, that IP68 rating gives you a safety state of mind,"

    Reported Supported Source: Carly Okerfelt, Samsung VP of Product, quoted by PCMagView cited source
  5. [5]

    The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra hits shelves starting October 7 in the US market.

    Reported Supported Source: Digital TrendsView cited source
  6. [6]

    "To truly use the Tab S12 Ultra for work, you'll need the $399 Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra Pro Keyboard"

    Reported Supported Source: Tom's Guide reviewerView cited source
  7. [7]

    On Engadget's local video rundown test the Tab S12 Ultra lasted 19 hours and 39 minutes.

    Reported Supported Source: EngadgetView cited source
  8. [8]

    Tom's Guide: the tablet gets nearly 12 hours of battery life.

    Reported Supported Source: Tom's GuideView cited source
  9. [9]

    Unlike Apple, Samsung ships the S Pen stylus in the box without any extra cost.

    Reported Supported Source: Digital TrendsView cited source
  10. [10]

    The tablet runs Android 17 with One UI 9, with a commitment of seven generations of Android OS updates alongside a matching term for security builds.

    Reported Supported Source: Digital TrendsView cited source
  11. [11]

    PCMag: for a high-end, productivity-focused Android tablet, the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is the best option and an Editors' Choice.

    Reported Supported Source: PCMagView cited source
  12. [12]

    Tom's Guide: if you want a huge OLED Android tablet, this is the best one out there.

    Reported Supported Source: Tom's GuideView cited source
  13. [13]

    In Geekbench 7 the S12 Ultra posted a multi-core score of 9,403, compared with 7,879 for a Dell XPS 13 with an Intel Core 5 320 chip.

    Reported Supported Source: EngadgetView cited source
  14. [14]

    Engadget: part of the tablet's speed is due to running mobile versions of apps like Photoshop, which are less demanding than desktop counterparts.

    Reported Supported Source: EngadgetView cited source
  15. [15]

    The most recent 13-inch Apple M5 iPad Pro costs $1,499.

    Reported Supported Source: PCMagView cited source
  16. [16]

    The S12 Ultra has a 14.6-inch OLED display, is 5.1mm thin and weighs 692 grams.

    Reported Supported Source: EngadgetView cited source
  17. [17]

    Tom's Guide: the tablet can still be "too cumbersome to hold comfortably for long periods".

    Reported Supported Source: Tom's GuideView cited source
  18. [18]

    A Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra plus the $399 keyboard costs $1,798.99 per seat.

    Derived Supported
  19. [19]

    The 13-inch M5 iPad Pro's listed price is $99.01, about $100, above the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra's.

    Derived Supported
  20. [20]

    DeX Mode requires an external monitor for full functionality.

    Reported Contested Source: Tom's GuideView cited source
  21. [21]

    Tom's Guide: the tablet is "still not a true laptop replacement".

    Reported Contested Source: Tom's GuideView cited source
  22. [22]

    Engadget: the only port is a single USB-C jack; another USB-C slot or a microSD card reader would make it feel more like a productivity machine.

    Reported Contested Source: EngadgetView cited source
  23. [23]

    Engadget: DeX lets you switch from the standard Android home screen into a desktop-like UI with a taskbar and windowed apps; it is "the lynchpin" that lets the S12 rise above competition as a laptop replacement.

    Reported Contested Source: EngadgetView cited source
  24. [24]

    PCMag: on the top left there is a microSD card slot.

    Reported Contested Source: PCMagView cited source
  25. [25]

    The tablet has a built-in microSD card slot allowing storage expansion up to 2TB.

    Reported Contested Source: Digital TrendsView cited source
  26. [26]

    Tom's Guide: on the right-hand side there is a microSD card slot and a single USB-C port for charging.

    Reported Contested Source: Tom's GuideView cited source
  27. [27]

    Tom's Guide: the S12 Ultra carries a $200 price hike from last year's model.

    Reported Contested Source: Tom's GuideView cited source
  28. [28]

    PCMag: the $1,399.99 S12 Ultra costs $100 more than its predecessor.

    Reported Contested Source: PCMagView cited source
  29. [29]

    PCMag lists "No 5G cellular option" among the tablet's cons.

    Reported Contested Source: PCMagView cited source
  30. [30]

    Engadget describes the S12 Ultra as "meant to be a laptop replacement".

    Reported Contested Source: EngadgetView cited source

Sources

10 independent publishers whose own reporting we read for this story.

  1. androidcentral.com

    1 article · September 30, 2026

    Samsung's new Galaxy Tab S12 tablets are thinner, faster and more expensive | Android Central
  2. cnet.com

    1 article · September 30, 2026

    Samsung Debuts Galaxy Tab S12: Here Are My Hands-On First Impressions - CNET
  3. digitaltrends.com

    1 article · September 30, 2026

    Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is thinner, faster, and still huge - Digital Trends
  4. engadget.com

    1 article · September 30, 2026

    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
  5. gizmodo.com

    1 article · September 30, 2026

    Samsung Has a New Massive 14-Inch Tablet to Sell You
  6. phandroid.com

    1 article · September 30, 2026

    The Galaxy Tab 12 Series is Now Official: Meet Samsung's Newest Premium Tablets - Phandroid
  7. techradar.com

    1 article · September 30, 2026

    Samsung unveils new Galaxy Tab S12+ and S12 Ultra tablets, but there's no S12 this year — and after using the Ultra, I question whether we needed these updates, impressive as they are | TechRadar
  8. theverge.com

    1 article · September 30, 2026

    Samsung gives its two-year-old Galaxy Tab S Plus an overhaul
  9. tomsguide.com

    1 article · September 30, 2026

    Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra review | Tom's Guide
  10. uk.pcmag.com

    1 article · September 30, 2026

    Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra Review: Sprawling Screen, Best-in-Class Battery - Review 2026 - PCMag UK

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