Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra quick review: This gorgeous display makes you want to keep watching

There are tablets you pick up to get some work done, and then there are tablets that make you want to put everything else aside and watch something. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra, with its massive 14.6-inch display, falls into the latter category.For a company that is known for making great display across different product categories, the first thing that grabs your attention on the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is obviously the screen. The colours pop, the brightness is spot on, and there is a slightly warm tone to the display that makes looking at it a pleasant experience. It is an incredibly easy display to get stuck on. It pulls you in right out of the box. I spent my first few hours doing nothing but jumping between videos, X, Chrome, and my daily apps.Of course, there is more to this tablet than its display. After spending some initial time with it, I can see why movie lovers and anyone who enjoys watching content on a big screen may find the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra particularly appealing.A display you want to keep looking atThe Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra features a 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate, but the numbers don't quite explain its appeal. What stands out in use is how vibrant the colours look, how bright the screen gets and how the slightly warm tone adds to the viewing experience. The result is a display that feels inviting, even when you find yourself spending a fair amount of time looking at it. The 16:10 aspect ratio is another advantage for watching videos. Compared with a more square 4:3 screen, it generally means smaller black bars at the top and bottom when watching widescreen content. You get to use more of that enormous display for the film or show itself, which is precisely what you want from a tablet this size.For someone who enjoys binge-watching, the screen could be one of the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra's biggest attractions. The large canvas gives films room to breathe, while the vibrant colours make the viewing experience more engaging. I still need to spend more time with different types of content, but the display has already made a strong first impression.Slim enough to impress, large enough to notice For a tablet with a 14.6-inch display, the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is remarkably slim at just 5.1mm. I like how thin it feels, particularly given the size of the device. Samsung has managed to make something this large look sleek rather than bulky.There is, however, a practical consideration. Add a protective case, and you will inevitably add some weight and bulk, which matters when carrying the tablet around or holding it for extended periods. The tablet's size also means it is better suited to a desk, a stand, or two-handed use than casual one-handed browsing.Still, the thin profile is something I appreciate. It gives the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra a more refined feel, even if its sheer size means portability will always involve a few compromises.Beyond that gorgeous displayThe Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is powered by MediaTek's Dimensity 9500 processor and supports the S Pen (bundled in the box). Samsung's DeX mode, multitasking tools, and Galaxy AI features are intended to make the tablet useful for work as well as entertainment.That combination is worth exploring further. A screen this large could be useful for keeping multiple apps open, annotating documents or taking notes, while DeX offers a desktop-style interface for those who want to do more than use Android in its standard tablet layout.Again, I haven't tested the tablet extensively enough to comment on sustained performance, battery life, or how well these features fit into everyday workflows. Those are things I want to examine more closely before drawing conclusions.Let's address the price tagAt a starting price of Rs 1,49,999 in India, the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra costs Rs 39,000 more than the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra did at launch. That is a sizeable increase, particularly because the overall design and display size remain familiar. But to be completely fair to Samsung, this price hike is not happening in a vacuum. Rising component costs, specifically memory chips and high-end processors, are inflating price tags across the entire tech industry in 2026. We are seeing this exact same trend with other phones, laptops, and tablets, too. Building premium hardware just costs manufacturers a lot more right now, and unfortunately, we are the ones picking up the check.Having said that, if we keep the price aside for a moment, for existing owners of the last-gen model, the question can then be whether the newer processor and other improvements make enough of a difference to warrant an upgrade. For first-time buyers, the appeal may lie in getting a large-screen Android tablet that can serve as both an entertainment device and a productivity tool.Of course, I need more time with the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra to assess its performance, battery life, and overall experience. But the display has already given me a solid reason to spend more time with it. And for a tablet that will likely be used as much for entertainment as for work, that is a promising place to start.- Ends