Samsung wants you to look at the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra and see a laptop. The accessory that does most of that persuading is the Pro Keyboard (model EF-DX935), a RM1,599 aluminium deck with 80 keys, a trackpad, backlighting and keys for Samsung's AI and DeX features. That is a lot of money for a keyboard, and it sits on top of a tablet that already starts at RM5,999. So the question is fair: does it turn the tablet into a laptop, and is it worth more than the Book Cover Keyboard that comes in Samsung's launch and education offers?
Contents
The short answer
On the hardware, this is a real laptop deck: a full keyboard, a big trackpad and a metal hinge. On the experience, that depends on how long you type and whether you are happy living in Android and DeX, and we will add our longer-use typing notes to this review. On price, it makes sense for a particular kind of buyer, and we set out who below.
Specs at a glance
| Samsung Pro Keyboard (EF-DX935) | |
|---|---|
| Compatible with | Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra, Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra |
| Price in Malaysia | RM1,599 (Samsung Malaysia listing) |
| Colour | Gray |
| Connection | POGO pins, no Bluetooth pairing, nothing to charge |
| Keys | 80, with backlighting and adjustable brightness |
| Trackpad | Samsung says 14.6% larger than the previous model's |
| Special keys | AI Key (Galaxy AI), Favorite Hot Key, DeX key |
| Build | Aluminium body, metal hinge |
| Size | 326.4 x 225.3 x 5.3 mm |
| Weight | 636 g |
Design: an aluminium deck with a metal hinge
On its own, the Pro Keyboard is a flat aluminium deck with a hinge bar and a cradle frame at the back, which is where the tablet sits. A large trackpad takes up the middle of the deck.
The connection is made with POGO pins at the top of the deck, which you can see in our close-up. Samsung's product page says that means no Bluetooth pairing and nothing to charge.
Samsung lists the deck at 326.4 x 225.3 mm, 5.3 mm thick and 636 g. That is the keyboard alone, so count it into your bag weight on top of the tablet. Held up by hand in our photo, the deck shows a slim profile.
Keys, trackpad and the special buttons
The layout in our photos is a full keyboard with a function row, and Samsung counts 80 keys.
Three keys matter most. The DeX key, which Samsung says switches the tablet into its desktop mode, sits in the right-hand cluster, next to a key labelled Finder. The dedicated AI Key is marked with a sparkle icon, and Samsung says it calls up Galaxy AI. Samsung also lists a Favorite Hot Key that opens an app of your choice.
The trackpad is a large, glass-look pad. Samsung says it is 14.6% larger than the one on the previous model.
With the tablet attached
Docked, the tablet and deck look like a laptop: the tablet sits at the back with the keys and trackpad in front of it.
Pro Keyboard or the Book Cover Keyboard?
Here is the practical decision. Samsung's launch offer (until 8 Nov 2026) lists Book Cover Keyboard and S Pen accessories worth up to RM1,208, and the education offer includes a complimentary Book Cover Keyboard Slim. So you may get a keyboard with the tablet without spending RM1,599 on top.
We have not tested the Book Cover Keyboard here, so we will not guess what it lacks. What we can do is give you a checklist from the Pro Keyboard's spec sheet: a trackpad Samsung describes as 14.6% larger, backlighting with adjustable brightness, an AI Key, a DeX key, a Favorite Hot Key and an aluminium build. Compare that against the Book Cover Keyboard listing on Samsung Malaysia. Wherever the bundled keyboard does not offer something on that list that you would actually use, that gap is what the RM1,599 buys.
Do the sums before you decide. A Tab S12 Ultra Wi-Fi 256GB (RM5,999) plus the Pro Keyboard is RM7,598. The 5G model (RM6,649) comes to RM8,248. The keyboard is just over a quarter of the Wi-Fi tablet's price.
Who should buy it
- Buy the Pro Keyboard if you plan to type for long stretches, use DeX as a desktop, and want the tablet to be your main machine.
- Buy it if you already own a Tab S11 Ultra, since it is compatible and the keyboard is the missing piece.
- Stay with the bundled Book Cover Keyboard if your typing is emails, notes and the odd document, or if you qualify for the education offer and the keyboard comes with it.
- Skip both if you mostly use the tablet with the pen or as a viewer.
Verdict
The Pro Keyboard is the part of Samsung's pitch that is hardest to argue with: an aluminium deck with a full-size layout, a large trackpad, backlighting and dedicated AI and DeX keys, connected by pins with no pairing or charging. At RM1,599 it is a deliberate purchase, not an impulse one, and it only makes sense if the tablet is going to do a laptop's job most days. If it is, and you can use all of what it offers, it is the right keyboard for the S12 Ultra. If you are a lighter typist, take the Book Cover Keyboard from the launch or education offer and keep the RM1,599.
