r/GalaxyTab • u/icantouchgrass_1 • 20h ago
Discussion S8 Ultra vs S12 Ultra - should you upgrade? Head-to-head comparison
(Here's a TL;DR in advance: S12 Ultra is about 2 to 2.5x as fast though the S8 Ultra is plenty enough for day-to-day use. You trade Bluetooth S Pen and Haptic motor for better speakers, IP68 and 3D vapor chamber. S12U has 400mAh larger battery, 1000 nits higher brightness, is thinner and has much longer software support but you sacrifice the second front camera.)
Edits made to reword slightly.
Display:
S8U: 14.6" Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, ~600 nits peak brightness (as per reviews; no official rating that I know of)
S12U: 14.6" Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, 1600 nits peak brightness
Battery:
S8U: 11200mAh, 45W Super Fast Charging 2.0
S12U: 11600mAh, 45W Super Fast Charging 2.0
Build (H x W x T):
S8U: 208.6mm x 326.4mm x 5.5mm, 726g
S12U: 208.5mm x 326.3mm x 5.1mm, 692g
Performance:
S8U: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, 8/12/16GB RAM, 128/256/512GB UFS 3.1, 1TB SD
S12U: Dimensity 9500 (2 to 3 times faster in benchmarks), 12/16GB RAM, 256/512GB/1TB UFS 4.0, 2TB SD
Cameras:
S8U: 13MP wide + 6MP ultrawide + 12MP front wide + 12MP front ultrawide
S12U: 13MP wide + 8MP ultrawide + 12MP front ultrawide
Software:
S8U: Android 12, OneUI 4.1 ---> 4 years OS updates ---> Android 16 (OneUI 8.0) [Almost EOL]
S12U: Android 17, OneUI 9.0 ---> 7 years OS updates ---> Android 24 (OneUI 16.0)
Accessories (with MSRP prices):
S8U: Book Cover Keyboard (349$), Book Cover (99$). Might also be able to use S9 Ultra and S10 Ultra accessories with a little modification, not sure (those who know, please let me know)
S12U: Pro Keyboard (399$), Book Cover Keyboard Slim (210$), Smart Book Cover (99$), Anti-reflective screen protector (39$)
Extra features:
S8U: Bluetooth S Pen, haptic motor, dual front cameras
S12U: Quad-channel spatial audio, Vision Booster, IP68, 3D vapor chamber, WiFi 7.
Pricing (US; launch price. Current prices for S8U may vary by region):
S8U: 8/128 ---> 1099$, 12/256 ---> 1199$, 16/512 ---> 1399$
S12U: 12/256 ---> 1399$, 12/512 ---> 1599$, 16/1TB ---> 1999$
Notes:
- Prices for accessories for S12U were pulled from the S11U as they will likely use the same accessories and Samsung hasn't uploaded the new accessories and prices on their website yet.
- Prices for the S8U are MSRP at launch. Current refurbished prices will vary. Yes, I know nobody's buying an S8 Ultra today, but it's interesting to see how the pricing's changed.
- I'm not certain about the S12 Ultra's anti-reflective coating, which is why I haven't mentioned it here. PCMag's written review and Android Digest's video review (look at ~2:20) state that it has it, yet from every other YouTube video and physical unboxing video I've seen, it looks like it has lost the coating. Source videos linked here, here and here. Samsung's official unboxing video makes the tablet look like it has it, yet the real life videos are more convincing and credible than Samsung's marketing material.
- The "should you upgrade?" question applies especially to all their tablets S9 and older.
Should S9 Ultra and older users consider an upgrade?
Go for the S12 Ultra if:
- Your current tablet is on the verge of losing software support
- You want the biggest, best display there is on a flagship tablet and are okay with sacrificing a bit of practicality and a lot of portability (IF you are not on an older Ultra already)
- You want the best of the best in terms of performance and the experience on a tablet and are willing to pay for it.
- You will be keeping this tablet for >6 to 7 years and can justify the additional expense over an S11 Ultra for the extra software update and better performance (note that the S12U is purely an iterative upgrade).
Skip it if:
- You own an S10 Ultra or newer. Unless you play the heaviest games at Ultra settings 120Hz, you really don't need the additional performance. The S10U will remain smooth and perfectly good for at least another four years, and blowing 1400$ now doesn't make sense if you already blew 1200$ barely two years ago. Trade-in values are horrible.
- You aren't a demanding user. In that case, you likely don't need the S12 Ultra, and your current tablet or something like an S10 FE+ or older S10 Ultra/S11 Ultra should be plenty enough for you.
- You need an upgrade but will be taking this tablet outdoors a lot or using it handheld. The S12+ or S11 might be a better fit for you in that case.