By Will Goodbody, Science & Technology Correspondent
If you are looking for a high powered 2 in 1 laptop/hybrid there are already plenty of strong options out there, including the Surface Pro 4 and iPad Pro.
However, now there’s another contender in the space, with all the design and umph (a technical term) of an iPad Pro, but with the Windows experience.
The Samsung Tab Pro S is the company’s latest foray into the premium end of the tablet/hybrid market, ticking many boxes in the process.
DESIGN
The first thing you notice about the device is that it’s thin – just 6.3mm to be precise.
Its design isn’t particularly flashy – it has a plastic back attached to a metal frame – but it does look and feel well built.
It weighs in at 693g which is 20g less than the iPad Pro, although not surprisingly given all the engine power inside, it doesn’t feel particularly light.
It connects magnetically to the included detachable keyboard, which provides two viewing angles – 65 and 25 degrees.
The keyboard itself is great – firm and responsive to the touch, and includes a touch pad - although at times it tended to detach itself from the device.
DISPLAY
One of the best features of the Tab Pro S is the 12inch Super AMOLED display, which is Full HD+, a couple of levels above Full HD and it shows.
It’s exceptionally sharp, with strong vibrant colours and great contrast.
It maintains its performance at a variety of viewing angles, and would be good for a range of applications, from working with or watching video, through to design and gaming.
PERFORMANCE
It’s driven by the Intel Core M3 processor, with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of Solid State Drive storage.
That should be plenty of power to run most Windows 10 applications and certainly in the time we had it, the device didn’t disappoint.
A big boast of the Tab Pro S is the 5,200mAh battery, which it’s claimed lasts 10.5 hours on a full charge and charges in 2.5 hours on a fast charge.
The power pack is also pretty slim for this size of device.
OTHER FEATURES
The device is NFC capable, has a 5MP front and rear camera, and comes with two years worth of Microsoft Office 365.
The in-built speakers are pretty good too.
It’s also compatible with the C-type pen (not included), which has 124 levels of sensitivity, and has an eraser on top.
The Tab Pro S comes with Galaxy Flow, which allows a Galaxy phone user to make a seamless connection between the phone and tablet for fingerprinting unlocking, Wifi hotspot autoconnect and other features.
The device also features the “Side Sync” app. This enables the user to see and work on the contents of their phone on the Tab Pro S, once both are using the same Wifi network.
In other words, Android functionality on a Windows device.
Gamers can also stream from their Xbox, once they are using the same Wifi network.
CONCLUSION
The Samsung Tab Pro S is a really solid device for anyone looking for a powerful Windows based tablet/laptop hybrid.
It’s not the most amazing looking device, and the keyboard isn’t perfect.
But it is powerful, has an excellent screen, comes with a range of useful new features like Side Sync and has a powerful battery.
It is on sale here for €1,169, which includes the keyboard.
That makes it cheaper than the 12 inch iPad Pro, which costs €1,298 when you add in the optional keyboard.
Slightly cheaper too than the Surface Pro 4 plus optional Type Cover, which together cost €1,183.
At that price, and with that spec, the Tab Pro S is sure to do well.
