Introducing the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 Android tablet and Galaxy Book Windows tablets (page 3)

Thinner than Surface

The Galaxy TabPro S is built to a high standard and features an aluminum frame that fits comfortably in your hands. The body thickness (6.3 mm) is noticeably thinner than the Surface Pro 4 (8.45 mm). The keyboard, at the same time as its main function, serves as a cover (made of artificial leather) and is connected to the tablet using magnetic fasteners. During the test, the keyboard responded flawlessly to our touches.

But here's what's annoying: before folding the device, you need to detach the keyboard - in this matter I would like a lot more flexibility. We also note that it is impossible to place the tablet on a support without a connected keyboard. Without it, the device has to be held in your hands, but with a weight of only 690 grams, this should not be a big problem.

Performance

Despite its thin body, the TabPro S remains quite a powerful device, as it houses a dual-core Intel Core M3 chipset clocked at up to 2.2 GHz and 2 MB of cache. Intel HD Graphics 515 is responsible for graphics. The user has 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory.

The processor can easily handle a full workday's workload, handling Google and Word docs, instant web searches, and gif-filled chats.

The device showed the following results in benchmarks:

• 3DMark: Cloud Gate: 3,561; Sky Diver: 2,097; Fire Strike: 496;
• Cinebench CPU: 201 points; Graphics: 29 frames per second;
• GeekBench: 2378 (single-core test); 4.713 (multi-core test);
• PCMark 8: 2092 points.

According to testing results, the TabPro S is inferior to its opponents. For comparison, in the GeekBench service, the iPad Pro managed to score 5472 points, and the Surface Pro (based on Intel Core I5) scored 6649 points.

Of course, test results are not an absolute indicator. Even if the iPad Pro was faster in one test, it's still limited to running iOS apps only. Surface Pro 4 and TabPro S are capable of running more advanced programs such as CAD and Adobe Premier.

Advantages of the OLED display

Samsung Galaxy TabPro S: Super-AMOLED display delivers rich colors
The strengths of the Galaxy TabPro S include long battery life and an OLED display, which is the first to be installed in this form on a laptop. The 12.1-inch display has a resolution of 2160x1440 pixels. The combination of these parameters gives a pixel density of 216 ppi. The colors are rich and do not fade when viewed from the side from any angle.

The measurement results we obtained during the test showed some weakening of the color depth at the corners of the display, but this is not noticeable to the naked eye. The device will adjust the screen brightness independently if you leave the corresponding option active.

With its help, the display automatically switches to the desired brightness level and thereby saves precious energy. There is one feature: the absence of the “pixel burnout” effect typical of OLED panels. The TabPRO S uses new technology that periodically "redistributes" pixels and thus prevents pixel burn-in - a great feature!

Long lasting battery for entertainment

The battery life test results are also convincing, so nothing will interfere with long-term mobile use of the device: in pure video playback mode, the battery lasted about 9 hours - almost double that of Microsoft's Surface Book.

If the user surfs the web, the battery will only last 6 hours of continuous use. The reason is simple: an OLED display requires more power to display white internet pages. The TabPro S will take just over 3 hours to fully charge. Even under full load, the computer does not make noise because there is no fan used.

Samsung Galaxy TabPro S: an alternative

Despite Samsung's excellent attempt to become a leader in this segment, Microsoft is still slightly ahead in the 2-in-1 tablet space. You can get a well-equipped Microsoft Surface Pro 4 for 60,000–100,000 rubles. Surface Pro 4 is powered by an Intel Core i5-6300U processor based on the Skylake architecture. The large and bright display also deserves attention. In addition to everything, there is such a practical device for entering information as a stylus.

Does the iPad Pro have a real competitor? Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 review

It's no secret that Apple dominates the tablet market. For every occasion and for every request, the Apple company has its own model, including the newly introduced iPad for students for $329. But is there an alternative to the iPad? Eat! Today we will talk about just such a tablet.

The iPad Pro is a favorite among professional designers, illustrators, and people in general who need a powerful and relatively compact solution for their work. And together with the best stylus, Apple Pencil, this tablet will leave few people indifferent.

The only thing that stops many from buying is the price. For a full-fledged iPad Pro 12.9 you need to pay almost 150 thousand rubles. Add to it a keyboard and an Apple Pencil - and 150 thousand turns into 165-170. Agree, quite an impressive figure.

Of course, there is another iPad Pro, smaller and cheaper, but even it costs not so little money. In such a situation, many people are looking for an alternative that may simply not exist. Or is there?

Today we will talk about the new flagship tablet from Samsung - the Galaxy Tab S6 and understand whether the Korean corporation was able to create, if not an ideal, then a strong and worthy competitor to the tablet from Apple.

Flagship hardware and non-flagship cameras

What's under the hood of the Galaxy Tab S6? 10.5 inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560×1600 pixels, four AKG speakers, Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, 6 GB of RAM, 128 storage (expandable up to 1 TB), dual rear camera 13 MP and 5 MP (wide angle) . Even the LTE module was not forgotten, although it is available only in the older configuration. Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e, there are no compromises or cuts in this tablet. Samsung immediately tells us that this is a tablet that can satisfy any daily needs - from games to fairly intensive work in professional programs.

Of course, with such hardware the tablet works just perfectly. No slowdowns, freezes or long thoughts even when opening a large number of applications or working in DeX mode, which will be discussed later. I can’t help but ask the question: why do smartphones need so much RAM then?

Appearance. Let's not lie - some design elements are reminiscent of the iPad. Inserts for antennas, camera locations, smart connector. Yes, this is not just a carbon copy, but the designers were clearly inspired by Apple tablets. In addition, under the camera module there is a convenient magnetic recess for attaching a pen. This solution is definitely better than what Apple offers. From the front, the tablet is beautiful and no longer resembles the iPad. Symmetrical and small frame around the display, stunning glass with a cool oleophobic coating. The tablet is really not a shame to hold in your hands. Among other things, it is also quite lightweight. Despite the fact that its body is made of metal, it weighs only 420 grams, which is really very good.

There is no point in talking about cameras for a long time. For a tablet it will do just fine. Well, for those people who don’t need a flagship camera (and that’s the majority). They shoot very well during the day, but in low light conditions you can forget about them. But thanks to the second wide-angle camera module, you can take almost panoramic photographs, and in some work situations this will be very valuable. The front camera is quite enough for regular communication via Skype or Discord; for more, they are not needed.

A 7,040 mAh battery is installed inside, which is enough for the tablet to last one day during active work and working in DeX mode. With moderate use, the tablet will last about two days. In addition, we must not forget about support for fast charging, which makes life a little easier.

Stylus pen included! Convenient case and keyboard

An extremely pleasant surprise was the presence of an updated proprietary S Pen Air included with the tablet. It does not need to be purchased additionally, as is required with the Apple Pencil, which definitely adds points to Samsung’s treasury. Taking the pen in your hand for the first time, you involuntarily pay attention to its unusually flat form factor. For those who have worked with Apple Pencil before, this difference will be especially noticeable. At first, working with the pen is really not very convenient. But after just a couple of hours you begin to get used to it and the feeling of discomfort disappears. However, this almost always happens, so there is nothing to worry about.

The S Pen Air itself is good. It has a very good response speed, it is comfortable to use, it has a set of very cool and useful functions, such as remote switching of slides for presentations or gesture control. But let's be honest - it doesn't yet live up to the Apple Pencil. The creation of the American company is still really better and Apple’s proprietary magic really works with it. The feeling of drawing on paper, amazing feedback and even faster speed. The S Pen Air is really good, don't think so. This is perhaps the best stylus pen after the Pencil, but not the best yet. Although who knows how the situation will change in a few years.

I would like to briefly mention the branded accessories for the tablet - the keyboard and case. The first received minor improvements compared to its predecessor - for example, a full-fledged touchpad (although not very convenient, but anything is better than its complete absence), slightly modified key travel and convenient connection using a smart connector, approximately the same as for iPad Pro. The case is convenient because it fits perfectly with the keyboard (which is important), and also allows you to place the tablet in any convenient position thanks to the solid flip-up leg, which is clearly made with an eye on the hinge mechanism of the Surface tablet stand. The tablet is definitely worth buying along with these accessories, especially considering the fact that the stylus is already included, and the accessories themselves cost less than similar ones from Apple (although they are also not very cheap).

DeX is amazingly convenient. Samsung has finally proven it

Samsung has been long and persistently developing the mode of transforming various devices into a full-fledged operating system. And she does this through trial and error - just remember the huge and noisy docking station for the Galaxy S8, without which Dex mode could not be launched. But time passes, and now to activate this mode, you just need to connect the keyboard and hold down the fn + DeX key combination, which quickly (literally in 2-3 seconds) switches the tablet to desktop mode and displays an almost full-fledged operating system, which is more and more resembles a beautiful custom Windows 10. And if at the beginning of the test the DeX mode was not even planned to be tested, now it’s simply impossible not to tell how convenient and practical it is. For people who need a great typewriter, surf the Internet quickly, share information, and work in multiple applications at once without switching between them, DeX will replace the computer.

Drag-and-drop mode, working with multiple windows (and their scalability), OTG cable support, running applications in desktop mode - all this is so convenient that you involuntarily catch yourself thinking that these are the kind of hybrid devices you want to see in future. You can control the tablet in DeX mode using either a touchpad and keyboard, or using a mouse, sensor, and stylus. And if you take a model with LTE, then everything becomes really good. A good alternative to ultrabooks, and even with mobile Internet. Agree, this is convenient when you are driving somewhere in a car, there is no Wi-Fi, but your phone is dead and you cannot share the Internet with it. It's surprising how few laptops with SIM card support there are now.

What's the end result?

For 52,990 rubles for the version without LTE and for 59,990 rubles for the version with it (it’s already cheaper on the gray market), we get a really solid and powerful tablet with great capabilities - after all, it’s Android. It has the perfect DeX mode, the included stylus, good sound, gesture support, and many other features.

Has Samsung managed to prove that there are good Android tablets? Rather yes than no. Did you manage to create a cool competitor to the iPad Pro? Definitely. The only thing that can stop you from buying this device is the availability of professional software. Still, Android has problems with this. If iOS has a full-fledged Photoshop, a large video editor Lumix, and a huge amount of really powerful software, then Android cannot boast of this.

No matter how cool the tablet turns out to be, everything will ultimately come down to the software component. And the professionals who care most about it will pay more for an iPad than buy a Galaxy Tab S6. Therefore, Samsung itself should encourage developers to create such applications. Maybe even exclusively for their tablets. And in the current situation, the Galaxy Tab S6 is simply a good tablet. And a really good competitor to the iPad Pro.

Specifications and test results of Samsung Galaxy TabPRO S (SM-W700NZKA)

Specifications

Model: Samsung ATIV Smart Pro 700T1C-AC02.

Processor: quad-thread dual-core Intel Core i5, 2.6 GHz.

Operating system: Windows 8.

Memory: RAM - 4 GB, built-in - 128 GB.

Screen: 11.6″, 1920*1080.

Ports: USB 3.0 3pcs. (2 of them on the dock), microHDMI, microSD.

Wireless interface: 2×2 802.11a/g/n Wi-Fi, Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235, Bluetooth 4.0.

Camera: front - 2 MP, rear - 5 MP.

Samsung ATIV Pro 700T - a tablet with high performance

A case more than a centimeter thick and weighing almost a kilogram is a small price to pay for the fastest processor. The active cooling system and fast heating are frustrating, but this is balanced by a powerful video card with an Intel HD Graphics 4000 accelerator. Thanks to the combination of technical characteristics, the Samsung ATIV Pro 700T has acquired excellent performance.

In addition to being equipped with the latest 64-bit Windows 8, Wi-Fi block and Bluetooth 4.0, the Pro version of Samsung has a built-in 3G module, GPS and NFC.

Design

Samsung's design is recognizable and can be called attractive. The tablet doesn’t stand out, but it doesn’t get lost in the gray mass. The solid plastic body is rounded at the edges and corners, giving it a softer appearance. This solution is typical for Samsung devices running Windows 8. The back cover is curved at the edges, which makes the tablet more convenient.

Samsung ATIV Pro 700T is positioned by the manufacturer as an alternative to a laptop. More portable than an ultrabook and more productive than a netbook, Samsung's keyboard-dock tablet meets the latest trends in the high-tech market.

Connectors and ease of use

From the point of view of the ergonomics of the tablet, the location of the connectors is all right. But after connecting the device to the dock, the ports are at the top. This is inconvenient and looks quite strange. It's a bit ill-conceived for Samsung to offer its ATIV 700 as a laptop replacement.

The Pro version of Samsung gets noticeably hot and makes a lot of noise under heavy loads. The active cooling system makes itself felt. But if you consider what kind of hardware the tablet is equipped with, the noise can be forgiven.

Dock station

The dock's keyboard is familiar; Samsung did not abandon function keys, like other manufacturers. Therefore, a tablet with a dock can easily pass for a small laptop.

It is probably impossible to provide for everything, and for the sake of a full-fledged keyboard we had to sacrifice a touchpad. The touch panel is small, which causes some inconvenience when using it. Instead of buttons, you need to click on the bottom of the panel. However, the size did not affect the technical characteristics. Responds to touch quickly and accurately.

Display and sound

The Samsung ATIV Pro 700T tablet does not stand out among its peers in terms of sound characteristics. There are no additional speakers on the dock. When using a Samsung ATIV Pro tablet as a laptop, it is better to connect headphones.

The screen is covered with anti-reflective coating. The brightness and image quality are decent, the viewing angles are wide, all thanks to the PLS matrix. Windows 8's tiled interface fits any screen resolution, and the Samsung ATIV Pro 700T tablet boasts an impressive performance in this area. It is the versatility of Windows 8 and its convenience for touch screens that explains the introduction of this OS into tablets.

Performance

Samsung was one of the first to release a tablet running Windows 8. Having serious competitors in the form of Acer, the manufacturer tried to create a tablet that meets the needs of the majority of users.

The speed and performance of the Intel Core i5 processor has already been mentioned. The tablet performed well in graphics tests. Office applications for Windows 8 launch without problems, you can use the tablet for work. Gaming tests showed that Samsung is suitable for medium-demanding games. Not bad for a tablet.

operating system

It is worth noting that the use of Windows 8 opens up new opportunities for tablet PCs. Most applications, including games, are already adapted for this operating system. Windows 8 has proven to be a productive and fast OS. The tiled interface allows you to work comfortably in tablet mode, but becomes inconvenient in laptop mode. There's a trade-off here: Windows 8's performance versus its inadequacy as a laptop.

Autonomy

Windows tablets have received negative reviews due to their short battery life. This is also true for the device in question. Active use of the Samsung ATIV Pro 700T drains the battery in just 4 hours. In idle mode, this time increases to 9 hours, but this is in case the user forgot to turn off the device.