What is the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO?
The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO is a 12.2-inch tablet targeting more business-minded users. 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.
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Samsung Galaxy NotePRO: Design
First things first, the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO is a biggie. Its 12.2-inch screen is larger than some laptop screens, but this added real estate is put to good use. The tablet’s bezel is not oversized, leaving the screen to dominate proceedings.
Although a tablet that requires two hands to hold comfortably, the NotePRO is not particularly cumbersome. It feels large but not heavy, with the 750g weight distributed evenly across the tablet’s full form to give it a pleasing balance in the hand.
Despite consumer and industry outcries, Samsung has persisted with its plastic clad design initiative with the NotePRO. The result falls short of remeasuring as the new PRO model, like the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 before it, has frankly nasty faux leather-look plastic rear plate.
As well as making the tablet feel considerably cheaper than what its inevitably high price tag would suggest, the NotePRO’s plastic build results in the tablet featuring an unwanted amount of flex, creaking under moderate amounts of pressure. It is, however, more robust than the extremely flimsy 12.2-inch Samsung Galaxy TabPRO.
On first use the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO has done little to instil confidence in its ability to stand up to the rigours of years of daily use. Despite our slight criticisms, the business tablet is a relatively attractive bit of kit, just one that fails to push the mould.
Samsung Galaxy NotePRO: Screen
This is where the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO starts to get exciting and is separated from the throng of Android tablets, Samsung’s previous offerings included.
The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO boasts a 12.2-inch WQXGA panel with a stunning 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution that offers more than 4 million pixels across its considerable size. One of the tablet’s standout features – on first use at least – the NotePRO’s screen offers razor sharp text alongside beautifully detailed images.
Where a lower resolution panel would have struggled to maintain a truly impressive pixel density across such a large piece of real estate, the NotePRO’s screen is hard to fault. The screen strikes the perfect balance between being large enough for business use while maintaining the image quality for absorbing multimedia playback.
While screen quality is undoubtedly impressive, with extremely sharp images and fluid video playback benefitting from strong colours and impressive brightness levels, visible improvements over a 1080p Full HD panels are only minimal to the naked eye.
The NotePRO’s screen proved highly responsive to early tests, tackling all manner of multi-finger gesture-based controls without a moment of fuss.
Samsung Galaxy NotePRO: Software and Performance
Samsung has ticked all the right boxes for targeting a more professional audience with the Galaxy NotePRO. It does away with the popular but ever-present icon-based TouchWiz UI and introduces a new 'Magazine UX', an immersive user interface that falls halfway between Android and Windows 8 in terms of features and appearance.
Bringing a mass of new information to the fore, the Magazine UX is simple to navigate and customise, with interactive panels removing much of the need to jump in and out of multiple applications.
As well as being able to create up to five Magazine UX home pages, the integrated S Pen stylus lets you jump in and out of certain applications with its S View capabilities.
Multitasking is one area where the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO has been dramatically improved. With four applications able to be opened evenly across the 12.2-inch screen, additional windows can be dropped over open apps to further aid busy users.
Another seemingly small improvement that is sure to have big benefits to business users is the addition of a full, PC-esque virtual keyboard. Introducing popular shortcuts, such as Ctrl C to copy and Ctrl V to paste, to its tablets for the first time, with the Magazine UX Samsung has refined its core features while adding a mass of new additions.
On a performance front, the NotePRO’s quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor and 3GB of RAM breezed through our hands-on tests, with no sign of slowing or stuttering in sight. The tablet is set to be available in both 32GB and 64GB storage capacities.
Samsung Galaxy NotePRO: Features
Despite its business orientated roots, the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO brags a number of features aimed at more casual users.
As demanded by modern consumer expectations, the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO plays host to a pair of integrated cameras. With an 8-megapixel snapper on the rear, video calls are made possible by a 2-megapixel forward-facing camera.
On first use, in less than ideal lighting, the primary camera proved to be very standard, producing flat, lifeless images that would be fitting to a mid-range smartphone.
With the NotePRO to launch in Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi plus 3G/LTE guises, Samsung has made the tablet capable of making and receiving voice calls – although we don’t advise lifting the tablet to your ear. Although we were unable to address this during our hands-on with the device, we will look at the feature more closely in our upcoming full Samsung Galaxy NotePRO review.
With such a demanding array of components, the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO has been bestowed with a massive 9500mAh Lithium-Ion battery to keep things chugging along. Although it is claimed this will provide up to 10 hours of video playback, we require more time with the device before we can confirm this.
First Impressions
On first use the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO is a device very much cut from the Korean manufacturer’s mould. The latest on a conveyer belt of Samsung tablets, the new Magazine UX is the most welcome of changes, turning the point-and-shoot Android icon interface into a far more intuitive and immersive experience.
Build quality is still a concern but with a screen this sharp and a genuinely strong collection of business software features preinstalled, the NotePRO could well be a game changer yet.
