Our Review: The super portable Samsung Galaxy TabProS with 4G

When the Samsung Galaxy TabPro S was announced I didn’t think much of it – just another tablet from Samsung I thought, Likley great design and specs I thought, Samsung making sure they have the “pro” sized Tablet market covered I thought.  Oh how wrong I was.  This thing really is something unique. And it’s good.  Very good.

I used Samsung Galaxy TabPro S when it was first released, but it wasn’t until the 4G variant hit the shelves that I really started to harness the power of this device.

Both are similar, identical in fact except for that tell-tale pin hole that pops out the SIM drawer for you to slot your mobile data SIM card in.

As a tablet it is quite big, but lightweight and very thin, so it’s not awkward to hold or carry, and when paired with the included keyboard case it really does become a convertible device capable of doing all your office work wherever you are.

And that’s the market here, taking on Microsoft’s own Surface head on, there’s been a move toward the ultra-portable device instead of Ultrabooks and Laptops.  I was on a train the other day and two people right near me were using their Surface device on their office commute.

When clipped into the keyboard cover you’ve got your office on-the-go, and frankly, despite the fact that you can easily pair your phone with the WiFi device, I really did find that having a SIM card in the device had me using the device more – no more switching on and off my hotspot ready for use – the thing just connects as long as I’m in mobile range.

Inside is an Intel Core M mobile processor, so you’re not getting the power of an Intel Core i5 or i7 but with 4GB of RAM it had no issues with any of the web, cloud, or office applications I’ve been putting it to the test with over the last few weeks.

I only noticed three things that bugged me.  The power button is next to the volume buttons, but there’s another button around the corner which I often confused for power – but in fact the one on its own is the Windows Button, useful for bring up the menu when in Tablet mode.

Secondly, It did seem to drain of power over a few days when I wasn’t using it.  I went to use it and it appeared to be flat, despite pressing all those buttons I thought were power.  Though that is a unique problem as the average owner would use the device more regularly without such a long gap in use.

Finally, when you take the tablet off the keyboard dock in many angles and configurations it will put the device to sleep.

All are things you will find out, and learn to use I’ve got no doubt – but if you’re wondering – that’s what’s going on!

If you are a Samsung phone user there are great uses for the two devices together, but my review is aimed at people looking at a Tablet/Convertible as a replacement for a laptop.

For these folks, it is awesome.  The keyboard certainly isn’t anything like typing on a traditional laptop.  But when used on the lap on a train it’s comfortable for size, and on a  desk or bench it’s a solid keyboard most notably it’s also got solid full-sized keys.

It’s hard to fault really – a good device with solid power, probably hard to compare to laptops on price, but when you compare it to other Windows 10 tablets it’s certainly super slim, very light, and in many cases very good value.

Don’t expect to be gaming or video editing here, but for 90% of laptop users the Samsung Galaxy TabPro S is the perfect device to allow you to take the switch over to tablet convertibles.

Top marks to Samsung for including the keyboard with the device, expandable storage would have been a huge bonus, but the USB-C port will offer expansion when USB-C storage keys become the norm in the near future.

You’ll find it at JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman and the Sydney or Melbourne Samsung Experience Stores.

• Here’s the pricing for the whole range:
• Samsung Galaxy TabPro S Wi-Fi Windows 10 Home (12-inch) – RRP $1,499
• Samsung Galaxy TabPro S Wi-Fi Windows 10 Pro (12-inch) – RRP $1,649
• Samsung Galaxy TabPro S 4G Windows 10 Pro (12-inch) – RRP $1,799

[schema type=”review” rev_name=”Samsung Galaxy TabPro S” rev_body=”Huge Tablet, super thin, light, full Windows 10 device, with included keyboard case included in the price” author=”Trevor Long” pubdate=”2016-06-10″ user_review=”4.5″ min_review=”0″ max_review=”5″ ]