Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 and 10.1 Review
by Jarred Walton on March 22, 2014 9:30 PM ESTSamsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 Subjective Analysis
When I first started using tablets a few years back, I was generally in the “bigger is better” crowd – within limits of course. Basically, I liked the 10” form factor. As time has passed, I’ve started to gravitate towards a slightly smaller screen. Smartphones are still a bit too small for some things I do (hey, I’m getting old so staring at a 4-5” screen and reading text isn’t all that fun anymore), but carrying around a 10-inch tablet can be a bit cumbersome. That leaves 7-inch and 8-inch devices, and since I have a 5-inch smartphone (Nexus 5), I like the 8-inch class devices as a nice middle ground between smartphones and laptops.
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I’ve seen some noise about Samsung going with an 8.4-inch device (as opposed to 8.0-inch). I haven’t had a chance to use a lot of tablets (yet – that’s coming with future reviews), but I do have the Dell Venue 8 still hanging around. That’s a budget 8-inch tablet, so it’s not necessarily the best comparison, but while the screen on the Samsung 8.4 is visibly larger, the dimensions aren’t really that different – it’s maybe a quarter inch taller and actually slightly narrower than the Dell. The actual screen however feels quite a bit larger than that; the Samsung display diagonal is about 8.43” while the Dell display is 8.0”, but the Samsung LCD measures 7.15”x4.45” compared to 6.8”x4.2” on the Dell – basically more than a quarter inch in each dimension. Perhaps the bigger factor is that Samsung uses a dedicated Home button on the bezel with capacitive task switcher and back buttons next to it, so you don’t lose some of the screen real estate to these buttons…except, in practice I’m not so sure I like this approach.
Moving over to the physical characteristics, having these buttons on the bezel sounds nice in theory, but I have two issues with this design. First, Samsung locates the buttons such that the Tab Pro 8.4 is designed to be held in a portrait orientation. That’s fine most of the time, but if you happen to switch to landscape orientation, suddenly your home/back/task switcher buttons aren’t where they’re supposed to be – which is at the bottom of the device. The second problem is that the capacitive buttons in particular are quite sensitive, so if you use the Pro 8.4 in landscape mode (which is what I do for a lot of games as an example), frequent inadvertent activations of the navigation buttons on the bezel occur. I’m not sure I can say that either approach is universally better, but after having the navigation cluster as part of the display for every other Android tablet I’ve used, having them locked into positions on the bezel feels less…intuitive I guess. Apple also has a discrete Home button, but note that there’s only one button instead of three, which in my experience doesn’t present as much of a problem.
In terms of the port locations, there’s not a whole lot to discuss. There’s a micro-USB port on the bottom (used for charging and connecting external devices) along with stereo speakers, a headset jack is on the top, the microSD slot is behind a cover on the left, and the power and volume controls are on the top-right edge along with an IR port in the center. That IR port location is a bit odd once again – the device is clearly designed to be held in portrait mode, but if you want to use it as a remote, you’ll need to switch to landscape mode. That’s not really a problem, but now your navigation buttons are going to be right where your right thumb typically rests while holding the device. Also note that the speaker location means you’ll only get audio from the right (or left) side of the tablet in landscape mode – it’s not a problem with headphones, of course, but it’s slightly distracting without them.
Outside of those small complaints, however, the Samsung Tab Pro 8.4 is a great tablet. Performance is good, and the display is absolutely beautiful. Samsung has also used a bonded display with fewer layers, so you don’t get that “sunk down” appearance that you’ll see on budget displays (e.g. the Venue 8). Colors are bright and vibrant (and oversaturated, but I’ll get to that later), and the touchscreen is responsive as well. As for the resolution, at 2560x1600 in an 8.4-inch LCD, there’s no way I can resolve individual pixels without a magnifying glass or microscope. I’m pretty sure this is the highest PPI display I’ve ever encountered, and it’s a bit funny that I now have the same resolution display on an 8.4-inch tablet as what I’ve been using on my 30-inch desktop for about a decade. It’s also interesting that even with such a high resolution, in general I didn’t have any issues with performance – in 3D games or elsewhere. There’s probably some scaling going on in some cases, but if so it wasn’t enough to be distracting (and of course we’re not trying to render Crysis level visuals either).
Other aspects of the tablet worked as expected in the limited amount of time I had to use the 8.4. The GPS picked up a signal and tracked location better than some of the other (cheap and/or old) tablets I’ve used, WiFi was nice and snappy, and including support for 802.11ac is always appreciated. The camera is also pretty decent as far as tablets and smartphones go – I’d rather use a point-and-shoot or smartphone, personally, but at least the photos it captures are serviceable.
One thing I didn’t appreciate as much: TouchWiz UI. It’s another “personal preference” thing, but having used a Nexus 5 smartphone as well as the Dell Venue 8, both of which use stock Android, I wasn’t as keen on the “extras” Samsung’s TouchWiz brings into play. It’s not that it’s bad, and I’ll have more to say about the software after discussing the general impressions of the Pro 10.1, but there’s definitely some choppiness in the UI at times. That’s sort of the way of Android though – it can be buttery smooth and then suddenly it’s not. If that sort of thing bothers you a lot, you might need to switch to a different OS.
The feel in hand with the Pro 8.4 is excellent, with slightly rounded corners that don’t become uncomfortable to hold. There’s a metal trim around the outside, and the back has a white faux-leather backing (made of plastic). While battery life isn’t exceptional, it should get most users through a full day of use (outside of playing games for several hours). I think most of us are at the point now where we are used to plugging in our smartphones at the end of each day (and sometimes during the day), and I basically do the same thing with tablets. If you’re using a tablet constantly for work and navigation during the day, however, you might want something that can last longer than the rated 9-10 hours of the Pro 8.4.
I’ll be honest in stating that I’m usually a fan of budget tablets, just because they’re so economical. I have children as well (ages 2, 4, and 11), and I’d much rather let them play with (and potentially damage) a $150 or $200 tablet as opposed to a $500 tablet. Plus, most things that I do on a tablet (besides games) don’t really need more than a budget offering. That said, remove the kids from the equation and the difference in feel, responsiveness, and just general quality is very palpable, making devices like the Samsung Tab Pro 8.4 very compelling. $400 is as much as you’ll pay for a budget laptop, but instead you get a premium tablet. I usually have several laptop options around that I can use if needed, and yet there are plenty of times where I now grab a tablet simply because it’s more convenient. I do wish Samsung had opted to go with 32GB of storage (even if it added $25 to the price), but the display, performance, and overall design are all so good that I can almost overlook the lack of storage space.
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rogueninja - Sunday, March 23, 2014 - link
It's like a giant phone without the calling features. Android doesn't have anything for productivity.ESC2000 - Wednesday, March 26, 2014 - link
I assume you mean in comparison to Windows tablets bc you claiming that ios is better than android for productivity and that an iPad is less like a big phone would be a total joke. At least some Android tablets allow you to view more than one window at a time which is crucial for productivity, not to mention swipe keyboards as well as active digitizer to facilitate data entry. On top of that Android 's customizability allows you to set your tablet up in whatever way facilitates productivity for you which is guarantee is rarely a 4x5 grid of icons that you're stuck with on the iPad. Also not being able to access the file system is quite a drag for work purposes..... Need I go on?And if you were referring to Windows tablets *slinks away in shame *
TestKing123 - Sunday, March 23, 2014 - link
Have to say, since the flood of Windows 8 Pro two in one's (laptop and tablet hybrid), these large tablets are irrelevent. Got a Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro and it literally blows the water out of any android tablet (and iPad) in performance and usability. Only negatives are price and size, but compared to a 10" regular tablet, seems like a good way to go. All the benefits of a tablet with the power and software of a regular PC.wintermute000 - Monday, March 24, 2014 - link
yes and no. Win8 apps are still a pretty poor selection, going from my Win8 surface pro to android is like night and day difference. For tablet use Win8's app selection needs to improve drastically (heck even winphone is noticeably more barren and many apps that are there lack feature parity compared to droid/apple). Desktop apps yes handy but no good in touch mode.darkich - Tuesday, March 25, 2014 - link
Absolutely correct.I would still pick a high end Android tablet or even an iPad over any windows tablet wannabe.
The problem with windows tabs is that they aren't good TABLETS.
Simple as that.
And they surely aren't good for a laptop use case because the screen is too small.
Simple as that.
You obviously got tunnel vision ed by windows/pc so much that you just don't understand what a tablet is and how people use it.
darkich - Tuesday, March 25, 2014 - link
To clarify myself..with getting "tunnel-visioned" I was referring to TestKing123TestKing123 - Tuesday, March 25, 2014 - link
Obviously, the only one with tunnel vision is YOU since you obviously haven't used a two in one before. Care to give give specifics instead of spouting dribble?"I would still pick a high end Android tablet or even an iPad over any windows tablet wannabe."
Why? Can you work in Microsoft Excel on your Android tablet or iPad? Play a REAL PC game instead of some silly mobile nonsense?
"The problem with windows tabs is that they aren't good TABLETS.
Simple as that."
WRONG. Using a windows Pro tab is just as easy/inituitive as any android/ipad tablet. Mine even comes with a QHD screen. Care you to give examples rather than talk out of your ass?
"And they surely aren't good for a laptop use case because the screen is too small.
Simple as that."
You're talking out of your ass. Simple as that. My Yogo 2 pro is 13.3, only slightly smaller than the industry standard 14" ultrabook. Maybe a Surface 2 Pro is small, but it isn't a 2 in 1, is it? It's form factor is a tablet with an OPTIONAL keyboard, not a genuine hybrid like the Yogo 2 Pro or others from Dell/HP just now hitting the market in mass. Do you even know what you're arguing about?
"You obviously got tunnel vision ed by windows/pc so much that you just don't understand what a tablet is and how people use it."
Of course, especially since I own an iPad 4th gen, iPad mini, Galaxy Tab 8.4 and a Nexus 7. Obviously I don't understand these tablets that I own.
It seems the only one with tunnel vision is YOU.
darkich - Wednesday, March 26, 2014 - link
Oh wow.I call a huge BS there.
The fact that you REALLY are suggesting an ultrabook to be used as a tablet says all I need to know about you.
Oh and that office question is even greater pile of sh!t.
Of course I CAN do an excel document ..in fact I can do it even on the cheapest android Chinese knockoff, and I can do it for free.(Kingsoft office)
Not to mention some of the many premium office apps on Android and IOS.
Why on earth would I play a pc game on a tablet??
Name me one such game you can play without a mouse and a keyboard!
Still, since you ask I in fact can point you to some of the highest grade pc games on a tablet - GTA San Andreas, Xcom Enemy unknown, Anomaly 2 (2013 pc release with absolutely unchanged mobile version)
TestKing123 - Wednesday, March 26, 2014 - link
You call BS? The only one here who’s shown a complete lack of intelligence is YOU with your ignorant statements. EVERYONE sees this.Let’s start with your statement on Office:
“Oh and that office question is even greater pile of sh!t.
Of course I CAN do an excel document ..in fact I can do it even on the cheapest android Chinese knockoff, and I can do it for free.(Kingsoft office)”
PLEASE tell me you know the difference between a stripped down and mobile android / IOS office editor compared to NATIVE office? You DO know the difference, do you? Name me ONE enterprise mobile application that even remotely compares in functionality to full fledged Office. You can’t possibly be that dumb? Not to mention, you expect me to believe you work in Excel building reports (like I do) on a dinky mobile knockoff? LOL!
But the comedy keeps coming!
“Why on earth would I play a pc game on a tablet??”
LOL! Who’s forcing you to play PC games on a hybrid in tablet mode? Wouldn’t you use....say, LAPTOP mode? LOL! This is yet another example of your utter ignorance, you just don’t know what the hell you’re arguing about.
And FYI, even if you had a Surface 2 Pro, you can still plug in an Xbox 360 controller to play PC games, which the vast majority of games support. And further still, many genres are quite touch friendly and even better with a touch interface, like Adventure games.
In my case, the Yoga 2 pro has a QHD (3200x1800) screen in which games look absolutely beautiful, even if games are running in regular HD. Also, Intel’s HD4400 blows away any mobile SOC GPU in pure raw performance.
And LOL at you’re list! That’s all you can come up with? Everyone sees you’re an absolute idiot if you’re truly believe mobile games are comparable to the vast library of regular PC games that you can play on a hybrid, including the latest and greatest. San Adreas….LOL! How about GTA 4? I can play that rather well on my Yoga 2 Pro. How does that run on your ipad? LOL.
Of course, all your comical statements are nothing but empty arguments because you simply don’t know what you’re talking about. How about you address my points which you’ve conveniently ignored? Here they are again:
"The problem with windows tabs is that they aren't good TABLETS.
Simple as that."
WRONG. Using a windows Pro tab is just as easy/inituitive as any android/ipad tablet. Mine even comes with a QHD screen. Care you to give examples rather than talk out of your ass?
"And they surely aren't good for a laptop use case because the screen is too small.
Simple as that."
You're talking out of your ass. Simple as that. My Yogo 2 pro is 13.3, only slightly smaller than the industry standard 14" ultrabook. Maybe a Surface 2 Pro is small, but it isn't a 2 in 1, is it? It's form factor is a tablet with an OPTIONAL keyboard, not a genuine hybrid like the Yogo 2 Pro or others from Dell/HP just now hitting the market in mass. Do you even know what you're arguing about?
darkich - Thursday, March 27, 2014 - link
Well that was a waste of time since you obviously lack the minimum nerve, decency and intellectual capacity to understand my points.The funniest thing, you actually CONFIRMED EVERY SINGLE OF MY POINTS AND SHOT YOUR SELF IN THE FOOT WITHOUT EVEN REALIZING IT.
Yet you keep trolling utter prejudice and insulting like a little pgatetic basement butthurt you are .
You don't deserve a further answer.
My points:
-you are talking a 13.3 inch, 1.4kg ultra book is a good thing to use as a tablet
Anyone with a half sense sees how idiotic proposition this is.. but not you!
- if we actually take a usable tablet form windows (8-10" and a 500-700grams) and try to use it for your idiotic propositions of playing pc games, programing (lol) or ANY use that you can benefit from a laptop form factor..so we need to hook up a keyboard and a mouse to a 10" screen, put it on a table and squint onto it.
Office, again only a professional who is living offa doc editing will have a real benefit in MSOffice ..and ypu thik those proffesionals will not therefore use a real laptop?!?!
Average people that need to write something on their TABLETS will be more than served by the likes of Kingsoft office.
You ever even used it or are you the one talking out of your ass!
It can do spreadsheets, power point, pdf files, and more word and excel than anyone will ever need on a touchscreen.
As that's what I am talking about from the start..understanding what a TABLET really is and what people are needing it for.
And that is a causal, comfortable media consumption in something they can easily handle, hold in one hand and carry around in a purse or even a pocket.
How retarded is to propose using a TABLET ( repeat that word into your head unlit it starts to dawn on you) for gaming with a keyboard and mouse, for professional document editing or writting on your office table?
..
Starting to sink into that tiny clouded mind of yours now??
And further proof of your prejudiced stupidity is that you you fail to realize
that the games I mentioned are in fact a pc games, and a great pc games at that.
I only and merely answered to your callout because it technically was off.
You lack a basic understanding and reading comprehension.
And you waste other people's time!