No, that’s not the new Surface Pro 4 from Microsoft.
Though it may resemble one, Samsung’s new Galaxy TabPro S tablet is the Korean electronics manufacturer’s way of getting back into the Windows two-in-one market.
Running Windows 10, the tablet comes with a removable thin keyboard like the Surface Pro 4. The way the 12-inch screen is propped up also reminds one of a tablet made to do double duty as a laptop.
That’s what the Galaxy TabPro S can do – plus more. In the engine department, it has an Intel Core M processor instead of less powerful Arm-based or Intel Atom chips common on Android tablets.
Yes, you can run Photoshop, but it might not be as fast as on a full-fledged Core i7 chip on your laptop, for example.
However, it should have no issues with the most common uses such as surfing the Web or viewing videos, thanks to the 4GB RAM and 128GB of solid state drive onboard.
What it will better your laptop in is its connectivity. With support for 4G speeds of up to 300Mbps, the new Samsung gadget lets you connect up more easily than on a regular laptop, which usually requires a Wi-Fi hotspot.
The tablet is also lighter, at just 696 grams, and is just 6.3mm thick. This makes it easy to slip into a bag when you’re travelling.
The screen is also no slouch, with Samsung’s vibrant Super AMOLED included. The Galaxy TabPro S has a pretty high 2,160 x 1,440 resolution for its screen size, though this is just shy of the Surface Pro 4’s even sharper 2,736 x 1,824.
There’s no question this is one type of gadget that some users are gravitating towards.
If you don’t need the full-fledged power of a laptop, but want to run some Windows apps in a familiar environment on the road, then the Galaxy TabPro S should appeal to you.
Out in Singapore on April 30, it will go for S$1,698. That includes the detachable keyboard, which makes the combo close enough in cost to compete with the Surface Pro 4.
In comparison, Microsoft’s gadget goes for S$1,399 for a similar Core M model, but you have to pay S$199 for the keyboard, bringing the cost to S$1,598.
However, Microsoft bundles a pen with its tablets. With Samsung, you have to pay another S$98 for the TabPro Pen to scrawl notes on the screen.
