The biggest drawback with 2-in-1 tablets, like the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 and iPad Pro, that seek to replace laptops is that they don't come with keyboards. To take full advantage of their productivity features, you're forced to buy the keyboard separately.
Samsung's new Galaxy Tab Pro S is bucking the trend. The Korean electronics giant's 12-inch tablet will be available on March 18 for $899.99. That price includes the keyboard and trackpad case. Hallelujah!
At its new 837 Samsung Experience store, I got to spend some time with the Windows 10-powered Tab Pro S and I'm mostly impressed with it.
The hardware itself is rock solid -- gorgeous aluminum body and micro-drilled speaker ports on the left and right side of the frame. At 0.24-inches thick and 1.53 pounds, it's thinner and lighter than the iPad Pro. The tablet may be huge, but because it's so light, I had no problems holding it in portrait or landscape position with one hand.
The Super AMOLED display's QuadHD 2,560 x 1,440 resolution is tack sharp and bright. On the right side is a USB Type-C port for charging, data transfer and video output. It still boggles my mind that we now have this single port that's so versatile.
Inside, you'll find an Intel Core M3 processor, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage (there's no memory card for storage expansion). Windows 10 is generally smooth, but I did notice a little choppiness in some places. Webpages were a little slow to load and split-screen mode wasn't the smoothest. Still, Windows 10 is better for getting "real work" done compared to iOS 9. Battery life is rated at up to 10.5 hours on a single charge.
The keyboard attachment isn't too shabby. The keys can be mushy, especially the arrow up/down, but it's not too terrible. I prefer it over the iPad Pro's Smart Keyboard, which has keys covered with a woven-fabric material. Samsung's also going to sell a stylus, but the company didn't announce when it would be available or how much it'll cost.
Here's how the Tab S Pro 4 stacks up against its two main competitors:
Galaxy Tab Pro S
Surface Pro 4
iPad Pro
Price
$899.99
$899.99
$949.99
Keyboard included
Yes
No
No
Storage
128GB
128GB
128GB
Screen size
12-inches
12.3-inches
12.9-inches
Resolution
2,560 x 1,440
2,736 x 1,824
2,732 x 2,048
Processor
Intel Core M3
Intel Core M3
A9X
RAM
4GB
4GB
4GB
Notebook 9 series
Along with the Tab Pro S, Samsung also trotted out its new Notebook 9 and Notebook 9 spin laptops. The Notebook 9 is aluminum (but feels like plastic) and comes with a 13-inch full HD display. Its screen flips back 180-degrees, but it's most noteworthy feature is how light it is: only 1.9 pounds. That's lighter than Apple's 12-inch MacBook. The Notebook 9 starts at $999.99. There's also a larger 15-inch model that starts at $1,199.99.
The Notebook 9 spin is Samsung's own take on the 2-in-1 convertible laptop. Nothing special here. The 13.3-inch laptop has better materials than the Notebook 9 and the keyboard is spacious. Like the Lenovo Yoga 2-in-1 tablets and HP's Spectre x360 series, the Notebook 9 spin has a screen that flips 360-degrees backwards so you can use it in laptop, tablet, stand and tent modes. It starts at $1,299.99.
BONUS: Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
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