The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra starts at $1,399.99, $200 above the S12+, in Talia Roepel's comparison for BGR. The extra money buys a larger screen and higher hardware limits. But in a separate Android Authority account, Andy Boxall found that the Ultra's keyboard setup made it frustrating to use in place of his laptop.
What the extra $200 buys
BGR lists a 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display for the Ultra and a 12.6-inch display of the same type for the S12+. Both run at up to 120Hz. The comparison also gives the Ultra an 11,600 mAh battery, Wi-Fi 7 and configurations with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The S12+ has a 10,600 mAh battery, Wi-Fi 6E and options topping out at 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Those battery figures describe capacity, not how long either tablet lasts in use.
There is a weight difference, too: BGR lists the Ultra at 692 grams, versus 553 grams for the Wi-Fi S12+ and 555 grams for its 5G version. Those figures are for the tablets themselves, without a keyboard.
Where the laptop setup fell short
Boxall used the Ultra for several weeks for video, work, email and apps. He praised its screen and said split screen left room for a browser beside Google Docs. He saw no slowdowns while running Chrome, Docs and Asana in three windows, though he noted that his usual workflow was not pushing the tablet.
His objections centered on using it as a laptop. Boxall said his tablet and keyboard cost $1,800, including a $400 Pro Keyboard. He liked the keyboard's keys but found its trackpad slow and unresponsive. He also reported that the tablet and keyboard weighed 1.32 kilograms together. With no way to adjust the screen angle, he sometimes had to move to avoid glare.
Boxall wondered whether the smaller, lighter S12+ would suit him better. He estimated that it would cost $1,550 with the Pro Keyboard and thought most of his hardware complaints would remain. That was his speculation, not a hands-on account of using the S12+ as a laptop replacement.
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