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Samsung's bundled S Pen puts the $1,399.99 Tab S12 Ultra $198 under a 13-inch iPad Pro with Pencil

Samsung's Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra starts at $1,399.99, about $201 above Apple's 11-inch iPad Pro and $99 below the 13-inch model. For buyers who write on the screen, accessory pricing and the 14.6-inch display separate the two more than the processors do.

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What happened

  • The Ultra ships with an S Pen in the box, while Apple's Pencil is a separate $99 purchase for the iPad Pro.
  • Samsung also launched the 12.6-inch Galaxy Tab S12+ at $1,199.99, within a dollar of the 11-inch iPad Pro.
  • Samsung says the Ultra's MediaTek Dimensity 9500 gives up to 19% faster CPU and 61% faster NPU performance than last year's Tab S11 Ultra.
  • Engadget's video rundown test kept the Ultra running for 19 hours and 39 minutes, short of Samsung's claimed 23 hours.
  • The Ultra goes on sale October 7, while Apple's M5 iPad Pro is already available to buy.

Why it matters

  • What it costs cost A team buying ten large pen tablets pays $1,980.10 more for 13-inch iPad Pros with Pencils than for Ultras, before any keyboards are added.
  • What it limits constraint Buyers who need the iPad Pro's anti-glare nano-texture screen have to step up to the 1TB or 2TB configuration to get it.
  • Who's exposed exposure Teams issuing tablets to staff who work around water can cite the Ultra's IP68 rating in a device policy; for the iPad Pro there is no official rating to cite.

A manager buying one large tablet for someone who takes handwritten notes in meetings ends up comparing two carts. Samsung's holds the 14.6-inch Ultra with its pen at $1,399.99 [1][20]. Apple's holds a 13-inch iPad Pro and a Pencil at $1,598 [21]. The gap is $198.01 per tablet [22]. Both carts still need a keyboard, because each company sells those separately [3], and neither review lists keyboard prices.

Samsung's speed claims compare the new tablet with last year's Samsung [4]. On the Ultra against Apple's M5, Engadget wrote that benchmarks would show only the "tiny differences in speed between the two tablets" and that "real world experience will be impacted more by how you use your device" [11].

For most people, how they use the device comes down to the screen. The Ultra is sold only at 14.6 inches, the same size as last year's Tab S11 Ultra [5]. Engadget found the extra space "makes a noticeable difference when multitasking in split-screen apps or reviewing detailed documents" [12]. Apple built its Ultra Retina XDR panel for contrast accuracy and color precision. Engadget said creatives who rely on Apple-only apps and color-management workflows may prefer the iPad Pro [13].

Battery life is harder to call. Apple rates the iPad Pro for up to 10 hours [7]. Engadget still would not name a winner: "Without a side-by-side test, we can't tell you if either tablet lasts significantly longer" [8].

The operating system decides which apps a person can keep using. The Ultra runs Android 17 with One UI 9 and the iPad Pro runs iPadOS 27, and Trusted Reviews called that difference "perhaps the reason you'll choose one over the other" [15].

I'd sort each person on two answers: whether they write on the screen most days, and whether the apps they depend on run only on iPadOS. Daily pen users with portable apps should get the Ultra, with the bigger screen at the lower price [22]. The tradeoff is that Engadget points color-critical creative work toward the iPad Pro [13]. Anyone tied to Apple software who also writes on the screen needs the iPad plus a $99 Pencil, and on the 11-inch model that totals $1,298 [23]. Apple-dependent staff who never pick up a pen cost least on the bare 11-inch at $1,199 [2]. For people with neither a pen habit nor an Apple dependency, the Ultra's premium over the 11-inch iPad Pro gets them 3.6 more inches of screen diagonal [19].

What to watch

  • Published prices for Samsung's Pro Keyboard and Book Cover Keyboard Slim against Apple's Magic Keyboard, since either could move the cart totals.
  • A side-by-side battery test of the Tab S12 Ultra and the iPad Pro to check Samsung's 23-hour and Apple's 10-hour ratings.
  • Whether the 12.6-inch Tab S12+ also ships with an S Pen at $1,199.99, which decides how it compares with an 11-inch iPad Pro plus Pencil.

Clarity's read

What the record supports and how the coverage leans. The claims behind it follow.

Reality

Evidence62
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap+10
Incentives
Not scored
Confidence60
Why these scores

Claim ledger

Ranked by verification strength, evidence, and original report placement.

  1. [1]

    Samsung's Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra starts at $1,399.99 and is only available in a 14.6-inch size.

    Reported Supported Source: EngadgetView cited source
  2. [2]

    Apple's iPad Pro ranges from $1,199 for the 11-inch model to $1,499 for the 13-inch version, not including accessories.

    Reported Supported Source: EngadgetView cited source
  3. [3]

    Both tablets support keyboards that are sold separately: the Pro Keyboard or Book Cover Keyboard Slim for the Tab S12 Ultra, and Apple's Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro M5.

    Reported Supported Source: Trusted ReviewsView cited source
  4. [4]

    The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9500; Samsung promises up to 61% faster NPU processing, 19% faster CPU performance and 17% more GPU power compared with the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra.

    Reported Supported Source: Samsung, via Trusted ReviewsView cited source
  5. [5]

    The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra comes in only one 14.6-inch size, the same as last year's Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra.

    Reported Supported Source: Trusted ReviewsView cited source
  6. [6]

    Samsung claims the Tab S12 Ultra's 11,600mAh battery lasts up to 23 hours; in Engadget's real-world video rundown test it lasted 19 hours and 39 minutes.

    Reported Supported Source: Samsung claim and Engadget testView cited source
  7. [7]

    Apple promises the iPad Pro offers up to 10 hours of battery life.

    Reported Supported Source: Apple, via EngadgetView cited source
  8. [8]

    "Without a side-by-side test, we can't tell you if either tablet lasts significantly longer"

    Reported Supported Source: EngadgetView cited source
  9. [9]

    Samsung also launched the 12.6-inch Galaxy Tab S12+, which starts at $1,199.99.

    Reported Supported Source: EngadgetView cited source
  10. [10]

    The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra will launch on October 7th; the iPad Pro M5 is available to buy now.

    Reported Supported Source: Trusted ReviewsView cited source
  11. [11]

    "While we can look at benchmark test results to extrapolate the tiny differences in speed between the two tablets, at the end of the day, real world experience will be impacted more by how you use your device."

    Reported Supported Source: EngadgetView cited source
  12. [12]

    At 14.6 inches, the extra space "makes a noticeable difference when multitasking in split-screen apps or reviewing detailed documents."

    Reported Supported Source: EngadgetView cited source
  13. [13]

    The iPad Pro's Ultra Retina XDR display is built for extreme contrast accuracy and color precision; creatives who rely on Apple-only apps and color-management workflows may prefer the iPad Pro.

    Reported Supported Source: EngadgetView cited source
  14. [14]

    The iPad Pro's nano-texture anti-reflective display option is available only on the 1TB or 2TB versions.

    Reported Supported Source: Trusted ReviewsView cited source
  15. [15]

    The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra runs Android 17 with One UI 9 and the iPad Pro M5 runs iPadOS 27; the differing operating systems are "perhaps the reason you'll choose one over the other."

    Reported Supported Source: Trusted ReviewsView cited source
  16. [16]

    The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra has an IP68 rating for protection against accidental water submersion; the iPad Pro M5 does not have an official rating.

    Reported Supported Source: Trusted ReviewsView cited source
  17. [17]

    The Tab S12 Ultra costs $200.99 more than the 11-inch iPad Pro.

    Derived Supported
  18. [18]

    The Tab S12 Ultra costs $99.01 less than the 13-inch iPad Pro before accessories.

    Derived Supported
  19. [19]

    The Tab S12 Ultra's screen is 3.6 inches larger on the diagonal than the 11-inch iPad Pro's.

    Derived Supported
  20. [20]

    The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra comes equipped with an S Pen; the iPad Pro is compatible with the Apple Pencil but it does not come with the tablet and costs an additional $99.

    Reported Contested Source: Trusted ReviewsView cited source
  21. [21]

    A 13-inch iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil costs $1,598.

    Derived Contested
  22. [22]

    The 13-inch iPad Pro with Pencil costs $198.01 more than the Tab S12 Ultra with its included S Pen.

    Derived Contested
  23. [23]

    An 11-inch iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil costs $1,298.

    Derived Contested
  24. [24]

    Ten 13-inch iPad Pros with Pencils cost $1,980.10 more than ten Tab S12 Ultras, before keyboards.

    Derived Contested

Sources

2 independent publishers whose own reporting we read for this story.

  1. engadget.com

    1 article · October 2, 2026

    Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra vs Apple iPad Pro: Here's how they stack up
  2. trustedreviews.com

    1 article · September 30, 2026

    Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra vs iPad Pro M5: Comparing the tablets - Trusted Reviews

Topics and entities

Topics

  • Mobile processors
  • Stylus accessories

Entities