Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1: tested in humans

Once every six months, another iPad-killer appears - a device that, in the opinion of its creators, should finally deal with Apple's hated tablet. And time after time, the formidable rivals of the iPad, thanks to such a killer comparison, find themselves in the spotlight for several weeks, but then quietly and imperceptibly go into the shadows. Making room for new killers.

By promoting the Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 tablet introduced at CES 2014, Samsung has abandoned high-profile epithets - not counting the “Pro” in the name - but, in essence, this model is very suitable for the role of “destroyers of iPads”. And all thanks to a set of parameters and features, some of which can even be envied by the iPad Air, which is packaged in full.

Yes, to avoid confusion: on our test (thanks to the company“Yulmart” ), it turned out to be a model with an LTE module in which the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor is installed, while the Wi-Fi version is equipped with the native Samsung Exynos Octa 5420 chip, which is more economical, but also slightly less powerful. We also add that in the Tab Pro line there are two more new products - with a diagonal of 8.4 and 12.1 inches.





Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1
Price: 23 500 rub.

Android 4.4.2
Screen: 10.1``, 2560x1600
Processor: Snapdragon 800, 2.3 GHz
Video: Adreno 330
RAM: 2 GB (DDR3)
Memory: 16 GB + microSD (up to 64 GB)
3G / LTE, Wi- Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0
Cameras : 8/2 MP (main - flash, autofocus)
Battery: 8220 mAh
Dimensions, weight: 243x171x7 mm, 477 g

If you compare the "appearance" of the iPad Air and Tab Pro 10.1 - their dimensions and weight differ by a few millimeters and grams. True, the sensations when you hold both tablets in your hands are different - the “iPad” pleasantly cools the metal of the back panel, and the Tab Pro is no less pleasant due to the “type of leather” coating, which in fact is ordinary, orthodox polycarbonate.



The assembly is excellent, although if you make an effort, the tablet bends slightly, but this is nitpicking. The complaints, rather, are caused by the placement of the control keys - they hint at you: you need to hold our tablet horizontally. Try to take the device vertically - and you will probably touch one of the touch buttons.

The matrix of Tab Pro 10.1 is so well assembled that at times it seems that a bright, juicy, clear picture is glued on top of the display. The viewing angles are excellent, though in our subjective view, the iPad with this indicator is still a bit, but better.

Screen resolution of 2560x1600 pixels - by and large there is nothing to add. Although - oh, horror! - This screen is made using PenTile technology. Yes, this arrangement of pixels has its pros and cons, but in the case of Tab Pro, there is no feeling that you are being deceived - nevertheless, the density of dots per inch is quite high (299 dpi).



By the way, the stylus S-Pen tablet is not supported. There is a desire to write something on the go or make sketches during a boring planning session - choose tablets from the Note line.

Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 uses the operating system Android 4.4.2 - the latest version of the mobile “axis” from Google. What we liked about the shell: it uses a full-fledged on-screen keyboard - here, for example, there are a number of number keys, cursor buttons, and even the Ctrl key.



A convenient news reader is preinstalled on the tablet - a special version of Flipboard for Samsung. A small minus - it is impossible to remove it.



A good gift for a novice user is the Hancom office suite. Perhaps not the most functional application, but to start using it, just create a Samsung account.



In general, the developer does not leave newcomers to the mercy of fate and a brand new tablet meets you with everything you need for the first time.

Next up is multitasking. Here it is implemented in two ways: firstly, you can display up to three separate windows with applications on the desktop, and secondly, in the split mode, divide the screen into two workspaces, the size of which can be adjusted. All these manipulations are performed using the side menu, which contains applications that support multitasking.







Naturally, all these wonders of usability would be impossible without a powerful productive filling. Benchmarks, 4K video playback, the most modern simulators - all of them say that we have one of the most pumped-in systems today.







What do we have left? Sound and photo module. Stereo speakers do a good job of their duties, but listening to music on headphones is still more comfortable. The 8-megapixel main camera is equipped with autofocus and flash, can shoot HD-video and supports a dozen different shooting modes - if you suddenly feel the urge to take a photo of your favorite cat, the result will suit the cat one hundred percent.





Finally, the battery. In terms of battery life, Tab Pro can well compete with the iPad Air - from 10 to 13 hours when browsing the Internet via Wi-Fi, from 3 to 5 hours - in maximum load mode. If desired, the time for watching a video can be reached up to 9-10 hours, and without any special tricks.

In total
The average price of the Tab Pro 10.1 today is comparable to the 16-gigabyte iPad Air, equipped with a 4G-module, and for some, the choice may be a daunting task. The solution is simplified if you are only interested in Android devices - today it is one of the most powerful and fastest tablets.

Need moving pictures? Welcome to the Geek to the future YouTube channel -  Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 video review is already there.