Last week at CES, Samsung announced its newest tablet, the Samsung Galaxy TabPro S. No big deal here as the Korean tech conglomerate has experienced past success with there Galaxy Tab S series. Its not the overall hybrid tablet is what got tech pundits like myself impressively stoked over Samsung's announcement, but its the OS that's running on the new slate that has many raised eyebrows within the tech industry. Samsung for the first time will not have a operating system that's name Android running on their newest mobile device,instead the company will be introducing potential buyers to a Windows 10 tablet.
Having Windows 10 alone on a Samsung tablet is impressive enough, but in terms of hardware specs and aesthetics, is the Galaxy TabPro potential for greatness and is it the Surface Pro 4 killer? Let's find out.
The Design
Judging from the images and videos I've viewed on websites, the Galaxy TabPro S is strikingly stylish yet when it comes to overall length and width its somewhat comparable to both the iPad Pro and Surface Pro 4, measuring in at 11.43 X 7.83 inches. Surprisingly, the Galaxy TabPro S weighs less than the two rival tablets at just 1.53 pounds ( iPad Pro 1.57 pounds, Surface Pro 4 1.69 pounds) . The thickness of the Galaxy TabPro S is just 0.25 inches, much thinner than its rivals, certainly one of the thinnest devices on the market.
Overall design of the Galaxy TabPro S is what you should expect from the likes of Samsung, it's a stylish compactly structured device.
That display
You can never give a full assessment of a tablet or smartphone without examining the display, aside from overall performance, how the display appears to the naked eye can make or break a device when its being reviewed, especially if you plan on shelling out a large sum of money.The graphics should be beautifully appealing. With that said, I don't think the Galaxy TabPro S display will disappoint, as it has a Super AmOLED crispy display with high resolution that measures 2160 X 1,440, powered by Intel's own HD Graphics 515. It's the very same display that's found on the current model Galaxy smartphones. Usually you won't find sharply bright displays on hybrid devices such as the Galaxy TabPro, this is certainly one of the tablets biggest selling points.
Hardware Specs
The Galaxy TabPro spec sheet is impressive, more impressing is how Saumsung is able to cram such impeccable hardware into a thin uni body. It's rocking the Sixth-generation Intel Core M3-6Y30 dual-core processor with a core clock speed that measures 2.2GHz, 4GB of RAM, 128GB or 256GB SSD. Its sporting 5200 mAh battery that will give users up to 10.5 hours of battery life. Charge time according to Samsung will take 2.5 hours by way of the USB-C port. Speaking of which, the USB-C will be compatible with the USB 3.1 data, better known as backwards compatibility. Other external port options are an HDMI port and of course the audio jack.
The camera is well meh, 5 megapixel front facing, sadly though the rear cam is also 5 megapixels. The Surface Pro 4 on the other hand is rocking a 8 megapixel camera.
The Keyboard
The Samsung Galaxy TabPro S comes equipped with a folio keyboard cover that automatically and magnetically snaps right into place when its close proximity to the tablet. The keyboard also can convert right into a kickstand that's built right into the fabric of its cover. The Galaxy TabPro has a big advantage over the Surface Pro 4, consumers don't have to pay separately to gain access to a keyboard. That's right, the keyboard is an added accessory which makes sense because technically devices like the Surface Pro 4 and TabPro are PC's. Samsung basically addressed my biggest complaint that I've had with the likes of Microsoft and Apple,why can't the keyboard be included? Why make consumers pay a notes ransom in the sum of $100 for the devices much needed peripheral. You can't have a hybrid tablet be fully functional if you don't have the keyboard.
Connectivity
As far as the connectivity goes, it gets rather interesting. Like what you'll see on most devices, it'll come outfitted with 802.11 WiFi and Bluetooth 4.1,but this could be a industry first, it'll have GPS and GLONASS positioning, interesting indeed. LTE models will be available in some regions, I'm assuming that the Galaxy TabPro S will have LTE and WiFi as a dual option.
So is it the Surface Pro 4 killer?
Is the Galaxy TabPro the perennial Surface Pro 4 killer? Well if you're looking for a hybrid tablet that has a nice compact design with a nice bright crispy touch screen display, then the TabPro is the device for you. But the Surface Pro 4 has a slight edge in hardware that features an Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processor giving the Surface Pro 4 the ability too handle system intense software. Basically if you need the hybrid tablet too handle high-end duties,then you should lean towards getting the Surface Pro 4.
Overall Galaxy TabPro is definitely a either or choice if you're looking for another the alternative to the Surface Pro 4. Like the Surface Pro,it'll run a full fledged Windows 10 operating system. Like the Surface Pro series,the Galaxy TabPro will be a big hit because there is a huge market for hybrid tablets. So to answer the question,is it TabPro the Surface Pro 4 killer? I would say no,just because the slight edge in hardware. But hey,its still an impressive device that I would definitely purchase because it has a very bright sharp display and impeccable design.
Its expected that the Galaxy TabPro will hit the shelves for sell in February. Its US price is not known as of yet,but I've seen reports from various publications that the hybrid tablet will start at $999.