Samsung’s next high-end tablet may finally drop the giant notch that has defined its largest slates for years. Leaked One UI 9 animations point to a centered punch-hole camera instead, a cleaner look that would bring the Galaxy Tab line closer to Samsung’s phone design language and make the display feel a lot less interrupted.
The clue surfaced inside the One UI 9 beta firmware, where rotating tablet animations show the camera cutout shifting between the long edge and the short edge depending on orientation. That detail matters because it suggests Samsung is preparing a real tablet-first layout, not just recycling phone assets and calling it progress.
One UI 9 animations hint at a Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra punch-hole
Those animations were not present in One UI 8.5, which is based on Android 16, so they appear to be new additions tied to One UI 9 and Android 17. If they survive the beta cycle, the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra would be the obvious beneficiary, especially since current flagships such as the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra and S10 Ultra still rely on a notch.
That shift would do more than tidy up the front panel. A punch-hole design opens the door to slimmer bezels and a higher screen-to-body ratio, which is exactly the kind of upgrade tablet buyers notice the second they open a box.
What Samsung is fixing beyond the camera cutout
One UI 9 is also expected to bring broader software polish, including better AI features, smoother animations, and tighter integration across the Galaxy ecosystem. That lines up with the direction most Android rivals are heading: less visual clutter, more software tricks, and hardware that gets out of the way.
The beta is already spreading to phones and tablets, which means the company is showing its hand earlier than usual. If the punch-hole tablet design reaches production, Samsung will be catching up to an industry that has spent years trying to erase display interruptions rather than frame them.
Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra release clues
There is still a gap between a beta animation and a shipping product, of course. But the direction is clear enough: Samsung seems to be testing a more modern tablet front end for late 2026 and beyond, and the Tab S12 Ultra looks like the most likely place for it to land first.