Somewhere between the 6am commute, the 9pm side project and the “I should really learn that” list, a lot of us are trying to do more with the same 24 hours. Samsung’s latest launch is built for exactly that: a pair of ultra-thin tablets for people who like to learn, make and create, plus a tiny tracker for the things you keep losing.
Galaxy Tab S12: the big-screen workspace
The new Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 series comes in two sizes, the Tab S12 Ultra (14.6-inch) and the Tab S12+ (12.6-inch). Both have Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays that reach up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness, so they should stay clear and vivid indoors or out. They’re also remarkably slim. The Ultra measures just 5.1mm at its thinnest point, and both models carry an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.
Battery life is a big part of the pitch, with Samsung quoting up to 23 hours on the Ultra and up to 21 hours on the S12+ (video playback, under lab conditions). Both support 45W wired charging, though the adapter is sold separately.
Made for note-taking, studying and side projects
The S Pen comes in the box, and the software is built around the idea of doing several things at once. Running Android 17 with One UI 9, the tablets let you split the screen into up to three windows. You could play a lecture in one, jot notes in Samsung Notes in another and ask an AI assistant questions in the third, while Note Assist summarises your notes as you go.
There’s also a six-month trial of Google AI Pro, which includes access to Gemini and Gemini Notebook, where you can pull notes, images and recordings into one space and turn them into summaries, podcasts or quizzes. Samsung Browser can also summarise across open tabs and surface a page you looked at days ago, which suits anyone who has ever lost a great source in a sea of tabs.
The creative headline: Photoshop on Android
For creatives, the standout is Adobe Photoshop, which Samsung says is a first for an Android tablet. It comes preloaded with an interface optimised for tablets and S Pen support, plus AI tools including Generative Fill and Image to Video powered by Adobe Firefly. New owners also get four months of free access to the Photoshop mobile plan.
Other apps come with free trials or discounts, including Notability, Goodnotes, LumaFusion, Notion and Clip Studio Paint, so you can test-drive a full creative or study setup from day one.
Galaxy SmartTag3: for the things you keep losing
Alongside the tablets, Samsung has announced the Galaxy SmartTag3, a smaller and lighter tracker for keys, bags, luggage and pet collars. It’s roughly 35% smaller by volume and 33% lighter than the previous generation.
The big upgrade is how it helps you find things. Compass View can now guide you from up to 60 metres away, around three times further than before, and ultra-wideband takes over for precision as you get closer. If something is out of range, the Galaxy Find Network, made up of more than 900 million participating Galaxy devices, helps keep tracking it.
A few new features take the “where is it?” stress out of everyday life:
- Place Notification: set an area and get an alert when a tagged item enters or leaves it, such as a pet leaving the garden or a bike moving from its usual spot.
- Cross-OS support: for the first time, family and friends on Galaxy or iOS devices can check and share a tag’s location.
- Location History and Movement Detection Alerts: review where your tag has been and get notified when it moves.
Price and availability
The Galaxy Tab S12 series arrives in Australia on 22 October in Grey. The Tab S12+ starts at $1,999 and the Tab S12 Ultra at $2,299. Samsung also says both models get up to seven years of OS and security updates. The Galaxy SmartTag3 launches in Korea on 7 October, with Australia to follow in 2027.
