Terrific screen, powerful processor, slim and sturdy build
On the pricey side, microUSB 2.0
Samsung seems to be hell bent on producing a device for every possible niche and demographic at the moment, and it's starting to get just a little bit confusing. Just to remind you, the Galaxy Tab is the tablet without the stylus (the one with is the Note) and this latest version has been expanded from an 8.4-inch screen to 10.1 inches. But is it worth the extra dosh?
Chassis and screen
There are no changes to the casing except the size still the same faux-leather plastic backing and metal rim, with the hard home button flanked by back and apps touch-sensitive buttons on the front. The microUSB port is only 2.0 rather than the faster 3.0 variety, which is surprising considering the premium price. While this Tab's over 100g heavier than the original, it's kept its enviable slimness, measuring in at a sliver over 7mm.
The screen retains the same resolution as its predecessor of 2,560x1,600 pixels. Normally this would be a bad thing, since it theoretically means the larger screen will be less sharp (299ppi instead of 368ppi), but in this case the resolution is so high, considerably above standard HD, that it still looks terrific. It's not just the sharpness either -- the contrast is extremely crisp, blacks are deep and rich and it has great viewing angles too.
Sensitivity-wise it also delivers, responding briskly to brushes and taps.
Software and processor
The latest TouchWiz UI makes it even easier to multi-task, with several windows open at once. Swipe in from the right to reveal all the compatible apps including Chrome, email, Maps, YouTube and more, and simply take your pick. You can resize windows as you like and if you choose to switch to a full-screen video, for instance, you can still retain icons for other apps such as email so they're within easy reach. On the other hand, a brush to the right presents you with Magazine, Samsung's Flipboard-style news and social feed.
Instead of the quad-core 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor tucked inside the original, here there's a twin quad-core set-up running at 1.9GHz and 1.3GHz. It's fast, one of the fastest tablets we've used in fact, and its AnTuTu benchmark rating of 35,276 puts it up among the very best. There was no sign of lag and it handled high-res games like Real Racing 3 with aplomb.
Photography
The 8-megapixel camera is the same as on the 8.4, and very good it is too. It has a large F/2.4 lens and LED flash, plus a range of settings including HDR, smile shot, burst mode, best photo and Eraser. The 2-megapixel front-facing camera also makes a welcome return and there's 16GB of memory on board to store your pics and vids, although you can add a further 64GB via microSD card.
Extra size leaves room for a bigger battery, and the 10.1 delivers with a hefty 8,220mAh unit -- almost twice as large as the 8.4's 4,800mAh battery. It doesn't' last twice as long of course, but it did last for longer than expected, delivering nearly two days of regular use.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 expands the size of the original 8.4 for an extra £100 or so. It looks good, works fast and comes with a few new interface tweaks. Otherwise, it's much the same, and choosing between the two will simply depend on the size of screen you prefer.
Software: Android 4.4.2 KitKat
Processor: Octacore 1.9GHz Quad Cortex-A15 + 1.3GHz Quad Cortex-A7
Memory slot: Yes
Display: 10.1in TFT LCD 2560x1600 pixels
Connectivity: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0
Ports: microUSB, 3.5mm headphone jack
Camera: 8 megapixel with autofocus, LED flash; 2 megapixel front-facing camera
Video playback: AVI, WMV, ASF, FLV, MKV, MP4, 3GP, WebM, M4V, 3G2, TS Video Codec : MPEG4, H.264 (AVC), MP43, VC-1, WMV 7 / 8, Sorenson Spark, H.263, VP8, H.265 (HEVC)
Audio playback: 3GA, AWB, FLAC, MXMF, OGA, OTA, RTX, RTTTL, XMF, MID, AAC, AMR, IMY, M4A, MIDI, MP3, OGG, WAV, WMA Audio Codec: MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, FLAC, Vorbis, AMR-NB / WB
Radio: No
Battery: 8220mAh
Size: 171x243x7.3mm
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
