Windows 10 through its refinements has allowed more users to fully take charge of the 2-in-1 convertible experience. A mish-mash of live tiles on Windows 8 and the desktop-loving Windows 7.
Samsung is no different, trying to captivate the same market that was revitalised and made mainstream through Microsoft’s Surface line. If you wanted something crazily thin (only 6.3mm) that can handle Windows 10, you might want to pay attention to the Galaxy TabPro S.
There are many comparisons to be made to the Microsoft Surface Pro series, as the Galaxy TabPro S has (roughly) the same screen size. Utilising a 12-inch sAMOLED (2160 x 1440) display and packing a Skylake (6th-gen) Dual-core Intel Core M processor clocked at 2.2GHz.
Often, these fanless Core M chipsets usually get brushed off because they rarely have the computing power that the powerhouse user needs but they’ve gotten a lot better in the past few years. Accompanying that Intel SoC, are 4GB of RAM and a 128GB/256GB SSD.
The tablet also supports LTE Cat 6 connectivity, WiFi 802.11 ac MIMO (as well as older bands), NFC and Bluetooth 4.1. It also betters the Surface by embracing the port of the future aka USB Type-C 3.1.
However, they only plastered one USB-C port so everything from charging, data transfers and (additional) peripherals will be solely through that one port. Maybe they didn’t learn from Apple’s Macbook that shares the solo port.
Housed in a magnesium and plastic body, the 12-inch tablet only weighs 693 grams – the Surface Pro 4 weighs 786 grams. And the kicker is the detachable keyboard comes packaged with the tablet, without any extra Ringgits, making it slightly easier on your wallet.
If you’re one of those people who take photos using a tablet and love having conversations via video calls, you’ll be pleased to know that there are two cameras on board: the two front and back cameras both make use of 5-megapixel sensors.
Samsung hypes the battery and charging capabilities on the Galaxy TabPro S. They claim that through fast charging technology, you’ll fully charge it in 150 minutes and when full, that translates to 10 hours of battery life on that 5200mAh capacity cell.
The included keyboard doubles as a case but when used, you’ll only have two fixed angle viewing – unlike that on an adjustable hinge on the Surface Pro.
As a keyboard cover, it’s great to find that they managed to pack 6 rows on the full-sized typing peripheral. Also, it connects to the tablet through the Pogo pin, so that takes care of pairing and charging in one go.
To further your Galaxy TabPro S experience, a multi-port adapter that includes an HDMI, USB Type-A and USB Type-C; and a Bluetooth stylus pen will be sold separately.
Samsung’s Galaxy TabPro S runs Windows 10 Home or Pro, pricing will be announced later in the day, we’ll keep everyone updated when we find out. It’ll come in two colour options: Black and White.
For a rough estimate, Germany sells it for €999 (RM 4,506.30); upgrading to the Windows 10 Pro costs an additional €100 (RM 451.10); while the LTE model adds another €100 (RM 451.10).
Check out our hands-on and first impressions of the Galaxy TabPro S here.
