The first Galaxy Tab with Windows 10
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Samsung must be Apple’s biggest fan. It already makes the closest rivals to the iPad Mini and iPad Air, so it’s only natural that it would come up with an alternative to the 12.9in iPad Pro. And here it is.
Although its rear panel is plastic rather than aluminium, the TabPro S looks very much like an iPad, even down to the design of small features like the speaker grille. Yet it’s really more of a rival to Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4, a 12.3in tablet with a clip-on keyboard. Both run Windows 10, so you can install exactly the same apps as you would on a laptop. The iPad Pro, by contrast, is based on iOS, like iPhones, so it can’t run the same apps as a MacBook.
The TabPro S also has the same 3:2 screen shape as the Surface Pro 4. This is not as square as the iPad Pro’s 4:3, but taller than the more common 16:9 ratio. It’s a good compromise for a system aimed at work and play. As we’ve come to expect from Samsung, the display has high contrast and vivid colour, covering 99.5 per cent of the sRGB range. With 2160x1440 pixels, it’s also very sharp.
Unlike the Surface Pro 4, however, the TabPro S has no kickstand at the back, so it suffers from the same problem as the iPad Pro when used with its magnetic keyboard – you can’t tilt the screen to an exact angle. You do at least get three options, as opposed to Apple’s single position. And unlike Apple, Samsung includes the keyboard as standard. We didn’t find it comfortable when typing, though, because the keys barely move and the the narrow spaces between them meant we often hit the wrong one. Like Apple’s Pencil, Samsung’s less advanced Bluetooth stylus costs extra, while the Surface Pro 4’s is included.
The TabPro’s Intel M3 processor keeps up well with basic Windows tasks, and its HD Graphics 515 card can handle less demanding 3D games; just don’t expect miracles like 4K video editing. The battery lasted us just under seven hours of video playback – less than the iPad but very good for a Windows device.
VERDICT
It’s very expensive and the keyboard is disappointing, but as a Windows 10 tablet, the TabPro S is a pleasure to use.
SPECIFICATIONS
0.9GHz Intel M3-6Y30 dual-core processor • 4GB memory • 128GB flash storage • 12in 2160x1440-pixel screen • 5-megapixel rear camera • 5-megapixel webcam • 802.11ac Wi-Fi • Bluetooth 4.1 • Windows 10 Home • 290x199x6.3mm (HxWxD) • 693g • Two-year warranty