Samsung has just unveiled its new Galaxy Tab S12 Plus, but how does it measure up to the 2024 iteration?
Considering we awarded the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus with a four-star rating and concluded it to be a “very capable” tablet, is it worth upgrading to the new Galaxy Tab S12 Plus?
We’ve compared the specs of the Galaxy Tab S12 Plus to the Tab S10 Plus and noted all the key upgrades with the newer tablet below. Once you’re finished here, make sure you visit our round-up of the best tablets and best Android tablets too.
Price and Availability
The Galaxy Tab S12 Plus will be available from October 7, and has a starting price of a pretty hefty £1199. That’s a £200 price increase on the Tab S10 Plus’ original RRP when it launched back in 2024.
On that point, although the Tab S10 Plus initially had an RRP of £999, its price has unsurprisingly dropped in the past two years. While its current RRP is £919, it is possible to find the tablet at an even lower price – especially during sales events like Prime Day and Black Friday.
Galaxy Tab S12 Plus has a larger display
Put the Galaxy Tab S12 Plus and Tab S10 Plus next to each other and you’ll immediately see that the newer iteration is slightly larger, with a 12.6-inch display compared to 12.4-inches.
We concluded that the Tab S10 Plus’ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display is an “absolute beauty” for everything from streaming content and browsing the web too, as it offers deep blacks and vibrant colours too. With this in mind, the Tab S12 Plus has a lot to live up to.
So, what does Samsung promise with its Tab S12 Plus? Not only does the newer tablet have a slightly larger display but it boasts slimmer bezels too, resulting in a more immersive and uninterrupted viewing experience. It retains the same Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel but can now reach up to 1600 nits of peak brightness, which Samsung claims delivers the best visual quality of any Galaxy Tab yet.
Dimensity 9500 vs Dimensity 9300+
Powering the Galaxy Tab S12 is MediaTek’s 2025 Dimensity 9500 chip, which Samsung promises ensures the most powerful performance of any Galaxy Tab to date. It supports this claim but stating the processor delivers up to 61% faster NPU processing, 19% faster CPU and 17% improved GPU power compared to last year’s top-end Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra.
That, according to Samsung, means the Tab S12 Plus can take on demanding tasks like powering Galaxy AI and playing AAA titles in its stride. In addition, the Tab S12 Plus also has a newly designed 3D Vapor Chamber to ensure longer and more sustained performance without overheating.
In comparison, we found the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus to be a pretty speedy device that was able to run multiple apps and even games smoothly and without a hitch. Having said that, we did note that the Tab S10 Plus didn’t score particularly well in our benchmark tests, even when compared to Apple’s older M2 chip.
Galaxy Tab S12 Plus has a bigger battery
We found that the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus’s 10,090mAh cell was able to see us through a full day of light work before needing a recharge, however more mixed use did see the tablet run out of power faster. With that in mind, we’d recommend making sure you purchase a compatible 45W charger to keep your tablet topped up – as Samsung no longer includes an adapter in the box.
In comparison, the Galaxy Tab S12 Plus is fitted with a larger 10,600mAh battery that Samsung promises will see around 21 hours of video playback from a single charge. Much like the Tab S10 Plus, the Tab S12 Plus doesn’t come with a charge in the box either.
Galaxy Tab S12 Plus is thinner and lighter
Although the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is hailed as the thinnest Galaxy Tab yet, the S12 Plus isn’t too far behind at just 5.3mm thick. It is, however, impressively light at just 553g (or 555g if you opt for the 5G iteration).
The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is slightly thicker at 5.6mm and heavier, weighing in at 571g. It’s not a huge difference but it’s worth keeping in mind if you plan on using your tablet when travelling, commuting or on the go.
Galaxy Tab S12 Plus includes a redesigned S Pen
Both the Galaxy Tab S12 Plus and S10 Plus come with an S Pen in their respective boxes, which means you don’t have to worry about splurging on an additional stylus.
However, Samsung redesigned its S Pen with last year’s Galaxy Tab S11 series and has since brought that design to this year’s Tab S12 line-up. Rather than the smooth, cylindrical shape of the older model, the S Pen now sports a hexagonal design like a traditional pencil and sits on the side of the tablet, rather than at its rear.
The redesigned S Pen probably shouldn’t be the reason you upgrade, but it’s definitely a welcome change.
Early Verdict
With a newer, although not flagship, processor, longer battery life and a larger display with slimmer bezels, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Plus offers a solid refinement over the Tab S10 Plus. However, whether it’s necessarily worth upgrading to the newer tablet is debatable.
We’ll be sure to update this versus once we review the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Plus.
