Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 hands-on
Samsung
had announced a new larger-screened Android tablet in the form of the Galaxy
Note Pro 12.2. The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO is a 12.2-inch tablet targeting more
business-minded users. Performance
Apps loaded quickly, and screen transitions were smooth and
stutter-free. Everything worked as gracefully as I expected it to with an
octa-core Exynos 5 chip and 3GB of RAM. It's a performance hiccup that only grew
worse with the addition of more windows. Yes, the Note Pro 12.2 is technically
capable of displaying four open apps plus floating pop-ups on top of that, but
there's no real benefit for the user. How could there be when the experience is
marred by a noticeable lag? In fact, there's a pervasive slowness to the Note
Pro 12.2 that ruins any sense of rapid-fire multitasking. It's the opposite of
what the device's prosumer customer would want. As a media viewer, however, you can't
really go wrong with the Note Pro's considerable screen size. That 12.2-inch
screen's an ideal venue for showing off presentations and high-res photos. It's
similarly fantastic for watching Netflix or any other streaming media, so long
as you can find a comfortable way to position it. If you can find a suitable
way to prop it up, the Note Pro 12.2 can even serve as a solid replacement for
viewing media on your laptop. The dual speakers are powerful enough that you
should be able to comfortably watch with chatty friends or even in a moderately
noisy environment. As a bonus, there's also no distortion when the volume is
pushed to the max. And now, back to that Exynos 5 chip. As noted
earlier, this WiFi-only model comes equipped with 3GB of RAM and Samsung's
octa-core processor inside; that of the big.LITTLE architecture. So you're not
exactly getting all eight cores firing simultaneously, but a setup wherein the
best-suited set of four cores, be it for light tasks or heavy processing, takes
over. It's likely the reason the Note Pro 12.2 seems to take its time cycling
through tasks when activity ramps up. The Note Pro 12.2's
9,500mAh battery is a significant bump over the 8,220mAh one used in the Note
10.1 2014 Edition. Which makes sense, since it needs more juice to power all
the pixels on that 2,560 x 1,600 display. If you've ever taken a look at your
power management tab in Android's settings, you know that the display is the
biggest drain on battery life. Knowing that, you should temper your
expectations for longevity. During a normal eight-hour workday, the Note Pro
12.2 lost just under 50 percent of its charge and that was with what I'd
consider normal usage -- some light browsing, emailing and monitoring of my
Twitter feed. I'm sure it'd retain that charge even longer, perhaps for two
days, if power-saving were enabled and it was left to mostly idle under light
use. As
well as playing host to the company’s now familiar S-Pen stylus, the high-end
device packs in a raft of productivity features around a premium array of
components and an all new user interface.Although pricing has yet to be
announced, Samsung has confirmed that the NotePRO will start a global rollout
this March in white and black versions.The specs on the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro
12.2 are top of the range, the 2560 x 1600 TFT LCD display is dazzling, add to
that 3GB of RAM; an 8MP rear-facing camera & a 2Mp front-facing camera; a
9,500mAh battery; Android Kitkat 4.4 and you’ve to the blueprints to a big screened
tablet with a lot of power. VS Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Microsoft might not be the first company to break into 2-in-1 laptop,
but it's one of the few to get it right. The first Surface was a suave new
device that worked both as a laptop and tablet. Thanks to an ergonomic
kickstand and excellent magnetic keyboard, it easy to use whether you're at a
desk or even laying down. The Surface Pro 3 is thinner and lighter than the
previous two versions, despite having a larger 12-inch display and higher
screen resolution. A new kickstand makes it easier to set up and use, and the
keyboard cover remains a best-in-class example. The Surface Pro 3 is now
optimized for a digital pen, which is included.
Performance
Despite its remarkably slim and light frame, the Surface Pro 3
is a powerful machine. In benchmarks it's a match for pricey ultrabooks like
the Toshiba Kira. Its 1.9GHz Core i5 processor scores 5,532, more than Toshiba
(5,424) and the 2014 MacBook Air (5,401).
The MacBook and Surface Pro make an interesting
comparison here. Apple favours a slower processor, but a faster PCI-e SSD and
Intel's faster HD 5000 graphics. It's a trade-off that makes the MacBook very
snappy, but the Surface Pro 3 is no slouch either.
That faster processor gives it an edge in processor
intensive tasks, too. This is no workstation class processor, of course, but
anything you can throw at an ultrabook works fine on the Surface Pro 3. That
means any task or application you use in everyday work and life. It's an
efficient and effective replacement for a work laptop or ageing desktop.
It isn't noisy, either. If you're just watching video or
doing some other simple task, it's rare to even hear the fan spin up. Even when
it does it's an unobtrusive whir. You'll notice it in quiet surroundings, but
it's barely discernible over the hubbub of an office. It's another reminder of
the incredible industrial design in the Surface Pro 3. But
That excellent keyboard cover is not included in the base price, and its
improved touchpad still doesn't measure up. The chassis lacks pen storage, and
even with tweaked kickstand and keyboard hinges, the Surface Pro 3 still
doesn't fit perfectly on the lap. The Bottom Line
While the new Surface Pro 3 is Microsoft's best PC to date, it's more
successful as a tablet than a laptop replacement. CPU: 1.9GHz Intel Core i5-4300U | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4400 |
RAM: 8GB | Screen: 12-inch, 2160 x 1440 multi-touch display| Storage: 256GB SSD $649.99
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