Samsung unveiled two 12.2-inch tablets at CES 2014, the Galaxy NotePRO and the Galaxy TabPRO. The two slates share very similar specs, leading many to wonder what the difference is between them.
Both the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO 12.2 and the Galaxy TabPRO 12.2 share the same type of display, i.e. a massive 12.2-inch screen with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels. Under the hood, both slates pack an octa-core Exynos 5 processor for the Wi-Fi models and a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor for the LTE models. Both tablets come with a hefty 3GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel rear camera, and a 2-megapixel front camera. The smallest configurations come with 32GB of internal storage capacity, complete with a microSD card slot for additional memory.
With so many technical specifications shared between the two tablets, you can't help but wonder what the differences are between the 12.2-inch Galaxy NotePRO and the corresponding Galaxy TabPRO. As you may have already guessed, the main difference is that the new Samsung Galaxy NotePRO includes the popular S Pen stylus, as it's part of the Galaxy Note family of devices.
Other than that, both tablets really maximize that extra real estate. The massive 12.2-inch display would be pretty much worthless if Samsung had just dumped the software from its previous Galaxy tablets, but the company has designed both the NotePRO and the TabPRO to take full advantage of the large display by allowing users to run up to four apps simultaneously.
Samsung already offered a Multi Window feature with other devices, but the new Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO are the only ones that can run up to four apps at a time, displaying them in a two-by-two grid. To have multiple apps running simultaneously, all you need to do is swipe in from the right edge and drag the app you want from the app list. Users can also adjust the size of each window by dragging the little button where the borders of each app meet. If this is not enough, the Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO allow users to run even more applications in floating windows on top of the Multi Window view, again maximizing the extra screen real estate.
The new Galaxy PRO line of tablets also uses a new "Magazine" interface, which is slightly reminiscent of Windows 8. Instead of the regular Android home screen you may be accustomed to, the new slates offer a tiled interface with apps and widgets displayed in a grid-like fashion. If this orderly view is not exactly your cup of tea, however, you can always add traditional Android screens and stick to the familiar.
"We created the Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO series to kick-off a year in which Samsung truly establishes its leadership in the tablet market," boasts JK Shin, CEO and President of IT & Mobile Division at Samsung Electronics. "This new line offers the best-in-class content consumption and productivity, combining a stunning viewing experience with Samsung's design legacy. The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO truly demonstrate our commitment to providing our customers with extraordinarily versatile product offerings, tailored to tablet users of every description."
Samsung has yet to offer pricing details for its new Galaxy NotePRO and Galaxy TabPRO tablets, and this aspect might be another key difference between the two 12.2-inch tablets. For now, however, the S Pen functionality of the NotePRO seems the only notable difference.
