Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra Leak: Same Notch, New Chip

The latest Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra leak suggests the notch is staying. Renders published earlier this month show the same shallow, V-shaped cutout on the upper display edge that shipped on last year's Ultra, contradicting earlier rumors that Samsung would switch to a punch-hole camera, according to SammyGuru and Android Headlines.

These are alleged pre-release renders shared by SammyGuru in collaboration with The Cipher Project, not official Samsung images. They form part of a broader Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 series leak that also covers the smaller Tab S12+, and they follow a separate CAD-based leak published last month by OnLeaks and Smartphone Checker, which put the Ultra's dimensions at 326.34 x 208.46 x 5.12mm, nearly identical to its predecessor, according to SamMobile.

Digital Trends noted that CAD renders are typically reliable on shape and dimensions but weaker on materials and finishing details, a caveat worth keeping in mind before treating any of this as settled. With Samsung's expected September announcement approaching, the open question is whether what's reportedly changed underneath, chiefly a new MediaTek chip, adds up to a meaningful upgrade (Digital Trends).

Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra leaked renders show a familiar design

The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra notch sits in the same spot as the CAD leaks that surfaced last month (Digital Trends). Digital Trends reported that many people found the Tab S11 Ultra's cutout distracting on an otherwise clean screen, part of why rumors expected Samsung to drop it this generation (Digital Trends). This Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra design leak suggests otherwise: bezel thickness and overall front-panel proportions are also reportedly carrying over unchanged (Android Headlines).

The Ultra is expected to keep its 14.6-inch AMOLED display, the same size as last year's model (SammyGuru). Battery capacity looks similarly static, with a reported 11,600mAh typical cell and 11,374mAh rated capacity that would put it in line with the current Ultra (Android Authority).

CAD renders also show the same dual rear-camera layout, magnetic S Pen charging strip, and keyboard connector found on the Tab S11 Ultra (SamMobile). A returning 45W charging speed, quad speakers, and IP68 water resistance have also surfaced, though those details rest on thinner corroboration than the dimensions and battery figures and deserve more caution (Digital Trends).

Across both leak waves, the pattern holds. Whatever else changes on the Tab S12 Ultra, the shell looks set to carry over almost entirely.

Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra specs leak: what's reportedly new under the hood

The clearest reported change sits inside the case. Multiple outlets point to MediaTek's Dimensity 9500 chipset powering both Tab S12 models, which would mark a third consecutive Ultra generation running on MediaTek flagship silicon after the Dimensity 9300+ and 9400+ (Digital Trends). A Geekbench listing tied to the Tab S12 Ultra reportedly pairs that chip with 12GB of RAM, though a single benchmark listing only confirms one tested configuration, not the full lineup Samsung intends to sell (Digital Trends).

The chip identification has more than one thread of support. References tying Samsung's upcoming tablets to the chip's MT6993 model number turned up inside the company's own AI Core app, and Android Authority separately reported finding the same MT6993 designation associated with the Tab S12 series (Digital Trends; Android Authority).

Earlier reporting from last month suggested configuration options could extend to 16GB of RAM and storage tiers up to 1TB, alongside Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0. None of that has been corroborated beyond the original report, so it's worth treating as provisional until further leaks confirm it (SamMobile; Digital Trends).

A faster chip on paper doesn't by itself settle battery life, sustained performance under load, or how the tablet handles heat during longer sessions. The supplied reports do not provide comparative tablet workload results, so how much of a real-world gap the Dimensity 9500 opens up over the outgoing 9400+ remains unclear heading into September.

On software, the tablets are expected to launch on One UI 9 (Android Headlines). Update-policy reporting hasn't settled on a single figure: SamMobile's report from last month cited six Android OS generations, while Android Headlines and SammyGuru's reporting from earlier this month cite seven, plus a separate figure of seven years of security patches that shouldn't be confused with the OS upgrade count (SamMobile; Android Headlines).

What the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra leak still doesn't answer

The cited leaks do not list pricing, regional availability, or finalized configuration costs for the Tab S12 Ultra, leaving the core value question, what a familiar-looking Ultra with a new chip will actually cost, open for now (Android Headlines). Digital Trends reported that Samsung has separately flagged rising memory and component costs pressuring its mobile business, and read that as a signal that price increases are possible, though no specific figure has surfaced in any of the cited reporting (Digital Trends).

The camera picture is similarly unsettled. SamMobile's coverage of last month's CAD renders describes a single front-facing camera, while Android Headlines' report from earlier this month refers to a selfie camera array, a discrepancy the current leaks don't resolve. Neither report attaches resolutions to the rear dual-camera setup (SamMobile; Android Headlines).

Display specifics beyond screen size, refresh rate, brightness, and resolution, go unmentioned in the cited reporting on the Ultra, even though the smaller Tab S12+ has been described with a 120Hz panel (SammyGuru). Reported Gray and Silver colorways, plus a new blue-and-purple "S" wallpaper, come with the same caveat that applies to CAD-based leaks generally: they tend to be more reliable on dimensions than on final color and material choices (Android Headlines).

Digital Trends also noted that Samsung has other flagship hardware sitting on the shelf it could still borrow for the Ultra, including the Privacy Display feature introduced on the Galaxy S26 Ultra and the silicon-carbon battery technology used in its latest foldables. Nothing in the current leaks suggests either is coming to the Tab S12 Ultra, but neither has been ruled out (Digital Trends). Until Samsung publishes pricing and the full specification sheet, the processor remains the only clear change with potential day-to-day impact.

What's left to confirm before Samsung's September event

Two waves of leaks, a month apart, point toward the same physical device: a notch, dimensions, screen size, and battery capacity that all echo the Tab S11 Ultra (SammyGuru; SamMobile). The Dimensity 9500 chip is the best-supported candidate for a real generational upgrade, but without benchmarks or real-world testing, how large that gap actually turns out to be is still an open question (Digital Trends).

Digital Trends reported that Samsung has confirmed a second-half 2026 launch for the Tab S12 series, with earlier reporting consistently pointing to a September unveiling (Digital Trends). What surfaces then, pricing, final camera resolutions, and whatever Samsung decides to say about the chip's real-world performance, will determine whether this reads as a sensible refinement of a tablet that already works, or a familiar shell asked to carry a higher price on a chip swap alone.