Everybody seems to be most interested in the Samsung Galaxy S5, the Korean company’s so-called “next big thing” and a device that may be launching in about a month from now or thereabouts. However, Samsung had something quite fascinating to trot out at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show, as the company announced yesterday a new line of Galaxy Tab slates. Unlike the original Galaxy Tabs, though, these devices are neither entry-level or midrange; rather, these are premium tablets that may be best suited for productivity users.
The new Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro series launched yesterday against a backdrop of rumors suggesting that Apple may be cooking up a new “iPad Pro”, a tablet that would come with a huge 12- or 13-inch display. The largest Galaxy Tab Pro, as a matter of fact, is in that size range, with a display size of 12.2 inches and resolution of 2560 x 1600. That’s QHD resolution on a high-end tablet, and that also happens to be the resolution of the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 and Tab Pro 10.5. Specifications are quite similar across all three tablets, but the Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2 also includes basics such as an eight-core Samsung Exynos processor for non-LTE versions or a quad-core Snapdragon 800 on the LTE edition, 3 GB RAM, 32 GB or 64 GB internal memory, an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 2-megapixel front camera, and Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box. Features include an IR blaster and support for Bluetooth 4.0 and microSD cards. A fourth tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2, is similar specs-wise to the Tab Pro 12.2, but comes with an S Pen stylus like the rest of the Galaxy Note line.
The above mentioned features may sound quite useful, but they are, at the end of the day, rather basic features as compared to the Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2 and Note Pro 12.2’s new user experience. As described by Samsung on the official press literature, the “personalized” Magazine UX is “specifically optimized for a large screen”, and allows for comprehensive customization of one’s Galaxy Tab Pro/Note Pro usage. “The UX enables them to organize their favorite content in an easy-to-use dashboard with automatic feed or news updates and then quickly access the most frequently used apps for a more comfortable reading experience,” explained Samsung. “By utilizing a screen size that is more comparable to traditional magazine-sized material, content is easier to view in its original format when reading digital magazines or e-books.”
Other unique and/or special features include Multi Window View, which, as longtime Samsung device users know, allows for simultaneous use of two apps on a single screen, and Virtual Keyboard, which provides a “more realistic typing experience” as it allows users more space to type accurately and comfortably. No release dates for the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4, 10.5, and 12.2, and Note Pro 12.2 was mentioned, and neither was pricing, though it’s expected that these devices fill in similar price points to the iPad Air, which starts at $499.