![]() ![]() The Samsung Galaxy TabPro S has a 12", 2160 x 1440 AMOLED display (the same resolution and rough size as Surface Pro 3, right down to the 3:2 aspect ratio). Given that this little 2-in-1 can function as a laptop, those who use it as one may find the lone port annoying. ![]() With a tablet, even a full Windows tablet, I can barely live with the single port, and I'd love a second port for charging (Apple's USB-C dock doesn't pass the charge back to the tablet). It makes more sense here because the tablet is so thin and compact that there's not a lot of room for ports. As with the 12" MacBook, living with one expansion port, even if it does support several types of connections simultaneously, is challenging. Samsung will sell their own port expander too (it's currently out in Europe but not the US just yet). Likewise, we tested Monoprice, Lumsing and Cables Matter HDMI and DisplayPort adapters and they worked with displays up to 4K resolution. We tested the Dell USB-C adapter with USB 3.0, Ethernet, VGA and HDMI (it worked). USB-C adapters are still hard to find, and ones designed for the similarly port constrained 12" MacBook and latest generation Dell XPS 12,13 and 15 work with the Samsung. The TabPro S has a 3.5mm headphone jack and a single USB-C 3.1 port for charging and EVERYTHING else. Like the iPad Pro, the keyboard communicates with the tablet via this connector and doesn't use Bluetooth. There's a magnetic pogo connector on the bottom for the included keyboard case. The Windows Start button is on the side rather than a button below the bezel. ![]() The volume controls and power button (press and hold to turn on, a quick press only shows battery level) are up top. the Samsung feels light but not trivial, and there's absolutely no flex or light pooling when you press the tablet's back. It's rigid and has the same attention to design, detail and finish as Samsung's ATIV Books. The fact that it's hard to tell if it's plastic tells you that it doesn't look cheap or cheesy. The back of our black unit looks like recent Samsung ATIV Book Ultrabooks, though as far as well can tell it's plastic rather than the metal used in those laptops' casings. The 12" tablet is shockingly thin and it's very good looking with real metal sides, a moderately sized bezel (you need some bezel to grip and hold a tablet) and your choice of a black (more like matte blue-black) or white. If the pen becomes available while we have our review unit, I'll update this review with info on it and add a video review of that pen. How do I know? I tested all those pens with the Galaxy TabPro S. It's not N-Trig like the MS Surface products either, nor is it Synaptics (that pen solution seems to have been dropped by all tablet manufacturers in 2016). It's not Wacom EMR like the Samsung S Pen, nor is it the newer Wacom AES (surprising since Samsung owns a 5% stake in Wacom). It should offer palm rejection and a fairly precise, small tip. It uses Bluetooth and is thick in the manner of Wacom Cintiq pens, and that's about all we know at this point. There's an optional TabPro pen that doesn't seem to exist just yet (it passed through the FCC just last week). Samsung Flow (not yet available) will also facilitate easy handoff of work and web pages to and from that phone, similar to Apple's Continuity for iPhones, iPads and Macs. It will be able to connect via Bluetooth to a Galaxy phone with fingerprint scanner for authentication in Windows (think of your phone as a remote fingerprint reader). The machine has dual band Qualcomm Atheros WiFi 802.11ac with excellent performance, Bluetooth 4.1 and NFC. Throw in 4 gigs of RAM and a 128 gig SSD and you have a very captivating ultraportable for $899 (keyboard included). It has a truly stunning 2160 x 1440 AMOLED display with wide color gamut, the deepest of blacks and good brightness. It runs full Windows 10 64 bit on the Intel 6th generation Skylake Core m3 dual core CPU, which is the same CPU family used on the entry level $899 Surface Pro 4, The Toshiba Satellite Z20t, Asus ZenBook UX305 and the Dell XPS 12 (the Dell starts with the Core m5). The 6.3mm (one quarter of an inch) Samsung Galaxy TabPro S may be long of name, but it's modest in proportions (again, for a Windows tablet) and light at 1.53 pounds (2.34 lbs. In Chief (twitter: if a 12" full Windows 10 tablet were as thin and light as an iPad and just about as good looking and chic? Wouldn't that turn the world on its ear? Sure the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is a well made and very good looking product, but it's thicker, heavier and not what we'd call impossibly slim. What's Not: AMOLED displays require more TLC to avoid burn in, keyboard travel and ergonomics not great. What's Hot: Extremely thin, vibrant AMOLED display, keyboard included, good performance for its class. Samsung Galaxy TabPro S Editor's rating (1-5): Home > Laptop Reviews & Tablet Reviews > Samsung Galaxy TabPro S (SM-W700) ![]()
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