Samsung updated its Galaxy Tab S series on Wednesday, bringing subtle changes and higher asking prices. The company launched two new models: the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S12 Plus, both featuring faster chipsets and new AI features with use cases tailored to productivity. Both tablets are set to launch on October 7.

The highest-end Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra features a huge 14.6-inch AMOLED display designed for watching videos, reading, and running multiple apps. It’s one of the few mainstream tablets with such a large screen, and it’s also remarkably thin at just 5.1mm.

The tablet is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9500, which Samsung says delivers 61 percent faster NPU processing, 19 percent faster CPU performance, and 17 percent improved GPU performance compared with the MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ found in the Tab S11 Ultra.

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It also supports microSD storage expansion, with 12GB RAM and 256GB or 512GB storage options, plus a 16GB/1TB configuration. The Tab S12 Ultra adds Wi-Fi 7, an extra 8-megapixel rear ultrawide camera, and an in-display fingerprint reader.

While its specs have received a modest upgrade, the Tab S12 Ultra starts at $1,400, which is $100 more than last year’s Tab S11 Ultra. The price rise was expected, given the global memory crisis.

Next up is the Galaxy Tab S12 Plus, which uses the same MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chip as the Ultra, offering expected gains in CPU, NPU, and GPU performance. It also gets a slightly larger 12.6-inch 120Hz AMOLED display and a bigger 10,600mAh battery, with Samsung claiming up to 21 hours of battery life. The mid-tier tablet comes with 12GB of RAM with either 256GB or 512GB of storage, expandable via the microSD card slot up to 2TB.

The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra has a rectangular shape with rounded corners, weighs 692 grams, is 5.1mm thick.

Both tablets feature IP68 water and dust resistance, quad speakers, and an included S Pen that attaches magnetically. They also support Samsung features such as DeX mode and Quick Share, which is now compatible with AirDrop. Two keyboard options are available for each tablet: the Pro Keyboard and Book Cover Keyboard Slim.

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Additionally, Samsung is also offering free trials of several apps and services, which it says are worth $445. The bundle includes trials for Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, Google AI Pro with 5TB of storage, Notability, GoodNotes, LumaFusion, and Clip Studio Paint.

Samsung is not launching a base model in the Galaxy Tab S12 series, meaning the company has dropped the entry-level variant. Consumers will therefore only have the option to choose between the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and the Tab S12 Plus.

The South Korean giant has launched its new tablet lineup at a time when competition is fierce in the mainstream tablet market. Samsung remains one of the world’s top tablet sellers, competing with Apple, Lenovo, Xiaomi, and others. More companies are launching higher-end tablets rather than entry-level models, as premiumisation becomes the new standard in the market.