Samsung launches Galaxy Tab S12 series in UAE with AI features
Samsung Gulf Electronics has made the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S12+ available in the UAE, positioning the pair as its most capable Android tablets to date. Both devices run on a 3-nanometre processor paired with Android 17 and Samsung's One UI 9 interface, targeting professionals, students and content creators who need sustained performance away from a desk.
The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra ships with a 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display at 5.1mm thick, which Samsung describes as the slimmest Galaxy Tab it has produced. The Galaxy Tab S12+ offers a 12.6-inch display in a more portable form factor. Both panels reach a peak brightness of 1,600 nits and carry an IP68 water and dust resistance rating. Samsung claims the new 3nm chipset delivers up to a 61% improvement in neural processing unit throughput, a 19% CPU uplift, and a 17% GPU gain compared with the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra. Rated video playback endurance is 23 hours for the Ultra model and 21 hours for the S12+.
AI and software bundle
Galaxy AI features are integrated throughout the software stack. The Multi Window mode supports up to three simultaneous applications, and a Note Assist function summarises and organises handwritten or typed notes. The bundled S Pen stylus, valued at AED 219 in the UAE retail bundle, extends those note-taking and sketching capabilities. Samsung has also added a dedicated AI Key to its Book Cover Keyboard Slim accessory for the S12+, providing a one-press shortcut to AI-assisted functions, alongside a DeX desktop mode.
On the software partnership front, Adobe Photoshop is pre-installed on the S12 series, marking what Samsung describes as the application's first appearance on an Android tablet. The integration includes S Pen pressure sensitivity and AI-assisted editing tools powered by Adobe Firefly. Qualifying buyers receive four months of Photoshop's premium mobile plan at no additional cost. A six-month Google AI Pro trial, valued at AED 462, and pre-loaded access to Notability, Goodnotes, LumaFusion and Notion round out the productivity bundle. Entertainment subscriptions covering Amazon Prime, OSN+, Spotify and iQIYI are also included subject to eligibility terms.
Market context
Samsung's premium Android tablet segment faces sustained pressure from Apple's iPad Pro line, which continues to set the reference point for thin-and-light design and stylus integration, and from a growing field of Snapdragon-powered Windows convertibles targeting the same professional buyer. The Galaxy Tab S12 series responds with a software bundling strategy that aggregates third-party subscription value rather than competing on hardware specification alone, a model increasingly common among Android OEMs seeking to justify flagship pricing.
The UAE launch is notable in its own right: the Gulf region is among Samsung's stronger tablet markets, and the local bundle, which includes regional services such as OSN+, TOD Sports and Careem Plus, signals deliberate localisation beyond a straightforward global product rollout. Fadi Abu Shamat, vice president and head of the mobile business at Samsung Gulf Electronics, said the company is seeing "growing demand across the UAE for technology that helps people work more efficiently, express their creativity and benefit from AI in tangible ways in their daily lives."
As the EU AI Act's general-purpose AI obligations begin to apply more broadly, and as on-device AI features come under increased regulatory scrutiny globally, Samsung will need to demonstrate transparency around Galaxy AI's data-processing model, particularly for enterprise buyers with data-residency requirements. No pricing was disclosed in the release; full specifications and prices are listed at samsung.com/ae.