Samsung Review: Samsung’s TabPro S is the Windows 10 slate you didn’t know you wanted,its awesome i bet you

Samsung’s new 12-inch Galaxy TabPro S is different. A productivity tablet in the vein of the Surface and iPad Pro, the $800 TabPro S combines the capability of a Windows 10 laptop with the portability and touchscreen of a tablet. But unlike those other pro tablets, it comes with a keyboard.

But is that enough reason to buy this portable powerhouse?

There’s thin and light, and then there’s the TabPro S. Measuring 11.4 x 7.8 x 0.25 inches and weighing just 1.5 pounds, the TabPro S is an absolute lightweight.

By comparison, the Surface Pro 4 (which has a slightly larger 12.3-inch screen) is both bigger (11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33) and heavier (1.7 pounds). And Apple’s iPad Pro (with its ginormous 12.9-inch screen) measures 12.0 x 8.7 x 0.27 inches and weighs 1.6 pounds. But, to be realistic, those weight differences are negligible; you probably won’t notice 0.2 pounds.

Of the three slates, the TabPro S is easily the most comfortable to use as an actual tablet. The Surface Pro 4 is a bit too bulky, while the iPad Pro is just too big. I wouldn’t say the TabPro S is ideal for use as a tablet: It’s still too large and heavy to hold for long periods of time. And you’ll certainly want to avoid dropping it on your face during your bedtime Web-browsing sessions. But it’s the still most usable of the three.

There’s nothing particularly lust-worthy about the TabPro S’ looks. If I had to sum up its design, I’d say it’s understated and inoffensive. The slate largely follows the same styling as Samsung’s other Galaxy tablets, complete with an aluminum chassis and plastic back panel.

The TabPro S looks like it was built for business users. Its buttoned up design would look perfectly at home in your office next to your stack of TPS reports.

That’s not exactly a bad thing, either. Slates don’t have to be as fashionable as smartphones; you don’t carry one around as often as you do your phone.

In fact, with its keyboard cover attached, the TabPro S looks more like an attorney’s notepad than a tablet. So while the TabPro S might not be a stunner, it’s certainly attractive.

The big selling point for the TabPro S, beyond the fact that it’s an incredibly thin Windows 10 2-in-1, is its gorgeous 12-inch display. The TabPro’s screen is the first 12-inch panel that uses Super AMOLED (active matrix of organic light-emitting diodes). It’s also the first Windows 10 machine with such a display.

That’s a big deal because Super AMOLED displays are known for producing incredibly vibrant colors and endlessly deep blacks. To date, they’ve generally been used on smartphones and smaller slates. But seeing such a screen on a large tablet running Windows makes for a completely different experience.