The latest leak surrounding the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra suggests the notch is here to stay. Renders published earlier this month reveal the same shallow, V-shaped cutout on the top edge of the display that appeared on last year’s Ultra, going against 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 images from Samsung.
They’re part of a broader leak covering the entire Galaxy Tab S12 lineup, including the smaller Tab S12+, and follow a separate CAD based leak published last month by OnLeaks and Smartphone Checker, which listed the Ultra’s dimensions at 326.34 x 208.46 x 5.12mm, nearly matching its predecessor, according to SamMobile.
Digital Trends pointed out that CAD renders tend to be reliable when it comes to shape and dimensions, but less so for materials and finishing details, which is worth keeping in mind before treating any of this as fully settled.
With Samsung’s expected September announcement drawing closer, the real question is whether what’s reportedly changed underneath, mainly a new MediaTek chip, is enough to count as a meaningful upgrade, according to Digital Trends.
Leaked Renders Point to a Familiar Design
The notch on the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra appears in the same location shown in last month’s CAD leaks, according to Digital Trends.
The outlet also reported that many users found the Tab S11 Ultra’s cutout distracting on an otherwise clean screen, which is part of why rumors had expected Samsung to remove it this time around.
This latest design leak suggests otherwise, with bezel thickness and overall front panel proportions also reportedly staying unchanged, according to Android Headlines.
The Ultra model is expected to keep its 14.6 inch AMOLED display, matching the size used on last year’s version, according to SammyGuru.
Battery capacity also looks largely unchanged, with a reported 11,600mAh typical cell and 11,374mAh rated capacity that would put it roughly in line with the current Ultra, according to Android Authority.
The CAD renders additionally show the same dual rear camera layout, magnetic S Pen charging strip and keyboard connector seen on the Tab S11 Ultra, according to SamMobile. A returning 45W charging speed, quad speakers and IP68 water resistance have also been mentioned, though these details rest on weaker evidence than the dimensions and battery numbers, so they deserve a bit more caution, according to Digital Trends.
Taken together, both waves of leaks point to the same conclusion, whatever else changes on the Tab S12 Ultra, its outer shell looks set to carry over almost entirely.
What’s Reportedly New Under the Hood
The clearest reported change is on the inside. Several outlets suggest MediaTek’s Dimensity 9500 chipset will power both Tab S12 models, which would make this the third straight Ultra generation to run on MediaTek flagship silicon, following the Dimensity 9300+ and 9400+, according to Digital Trends.
A Geekbench listing tied to the Tab S12 Ultra reportedly pairs this chip with 12GB of RAM, though a single benchmark listing only confirms one tested configuration rather than the entire lineup Samsung plans to release, according to Digital Trends.
There’s more than one source backing the chip identification. References linking Samsung’s upcoming tablets to the chip’s MT6993 model number were found inside the company’s own AI Core app, and Android Authority separately reported spotting the same MT6993 designation tied to the Tab S12 series, according to Digital Trends and Android Authority.
Earlier reporting from last month suggested configuration options might go up to 16GB of RAM and storage tiers as high as 1TB, along with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0 support. None of that has been confirmed beyond the original report, so it’s best treated as unconfirmed for now, according to SamMobile and Digital Trends.
A faster chip on paper doesn’t automatically settle questions around battery life, sustained performance under heavy use, or how well the tablet manages heat during longer sessions. The available reports don’t include comparative tablet workload results, so how much of a real difference the Dimensity 9500 makes over the outgoing 9400+ remains unclear ahead of September.
On the software side, the tablets are expected to launch running One UI 9, according to Android Headlines. Reporting on the update policy hasn’t landed on one consistent number either. SamMobile’s report from last month mentioned six Android OS upgrades, while Android Headlines and SammyGuru’s more recent reporting this month cite seven, along with a separate mention of seven years of security patches, which shouldn’t be confused with the OS upgrade count, according to SamMobile and Android Headlines.
Questions the Leaks Haven’t Answered Yet
The leaks referenced so far don’t mention pricing, regional availability or finalized configuration costs for the Tab S12 Ultra, leaving the biggest question, what a familiar looking Ultra with a new chip will actually cost, still unanswered, according to Android Headlines.
Digital Trends reported that Samsung has separately acknowledged rising memory and component costs affecting its mobile division, which could hint at potential price increases, although no specific figure has appeared in any of the reporting so far.
The camera details are similarly unclear. SamMobile’s coverage of last month’s CAD renders describes a single front facing camera, while Android Headlines’ more recent report refers to a selfie camera array instead, a discrepancy that hasn’t been resolved by current leaks. Neither report includes resolution numbers for the rear dual camera setup, according to SamMobile and Android Headlines.
Display details beyond screen size, refresh rate, brightness and resolution aren’t mentioned in the current reporting on the Ultra model, even though the smaller Tab S12+ has reportedly been described with a 120Hz panel, according to SammyGuru.
Reported Gray and Silver color options, along with a new blue and purple S themed wallpaper, come with the same caution that applies to CAD based leaks in general, they’re usually more reliable on dimensions than on final color and material choices, according to Android Headlines.
Digital Trends also pointed out that Samsung has other flagship features it could still bring over to the Ultra, including the Privacy Display feature introduced on the Galaxy S26 Ultra and the silicon carbon battery technology used in its newest foldables.
Nothing in the current leaks confirms either feature is coming to the Tab S12 Ultra, but neither has been ruled out either, according to Digital Trends. Until Samsung releases pricing and a full spec sheet, the processor remains the only clear change likely to affect everyday use.
What’s Still Left to Confirm Before September
Two separate waves of leaks, released a month apart, point to the same physical device, with a notch, dimensions, screen size and battery capacity that all closely resemble the Tab S11 Ultra, according to SammyGuru and SamMobile.
The Dimensity 9500 chip stands out as the strongest candidate for a genuine generational upgrade, but without benchmarks or real world testing, it’s still unclear just how big that improvement will actually be, according to Digital Trends.
Digital Trends reported that Samsung has confirmed a second half 2026 launch for the Tab S12 series, with earlier reporting consistently pointing toward a September reveal.
What comes out then, including pricing, final camera resolutions and whatever Samsung says about the chip’s real world performance, will ultimately determine whether this tablet turns out to be a smart refinement of a device that already works well, or simply a familiar design asked to justify a higher price through a chip upgrade alone.
