Samsung Galaxy Note Pro and Tab Pro hands-on: First look

Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 hands-on

The long awaited 12.2-inch Samsung tablet is finally official - it's the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 flagship. Long story short, the new slate is an upsized version of the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition which, besides the bigger screen, brings Android 4.4 KitKat and the latest TouchWiz UI out of the box.

That may not sound like a lot of changes, but there's actually quite a lot to talk about here.

Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2

Let's start with the specs. Just like the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014, the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 is based on either a Snapdragon 800 chipset or Samsung's own Exynos 5 Octa. Naturally, the LTE version will be the one to run on Snapdragon 800 with four Krait 400 cores @ 2.3GHz, Adreno 330 GPU and 3GB of RAM, since Qualcomm's chipset offers LTE support by default.

As usual, the 3G-enabled and Wi-Fi-only flavors of the Note Pro 12.2 will be powered by Samsung's second generation Exynos 5 Octa chip. It packs a 1.9GHz quad-core Cortex-A15 processor plus a battery-friendly 1.3GHz quad-core Cortex-A7 for the more routine tasks. The two processors most probably won't be allowed to work simultaneously though, to avoid, as Samsung has previously stated, the risk of overheating. The GPU in charge of graphics is ARM's powerful six-core Mali-T628 MP6, while the amount of RAM is the same 3GB.

We have already met with the 3G version of the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition, which runs on Exynos 5 Octa. We tested the raw performance of the chipset and it did a great job at handling the high resolution and the advanced multi-tasking services.

The Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 is built around a 12.2-inch Super Clear LCD with 2560x1600 pixel resolution. It is the same type of display and resolution as on the Galaxy Note 10.1 2014, but the pixel density is lower (247ppi) due to the bigger screen estate. Since it is a Note device, there is an additional pen-sensitive layer above the screen based on the Wacom technology for detecting the S-Pen stylus.

Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2

The similarities with the Note 10.1 2014 don't end with the screen though. The new Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 successfully reuses the design of its sibling, featuring the same faux-leather-like finish at the rear.

Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 stands at 295.6 x 204 x 7.95 mm and weighs 750 grams. This is nearly 5cm wider and 3cm taller than the Note 10.1 2014, and a good 210g heavier. It seems the new chassis and display are quite heavy.

So, the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 has a huge screen at the front and a faux-leather plastic finish at the back. The placement of most of the controls, speakers and ports is the same as on the Note 10.1 2014.

The Android controls are below the screen - a hardware Home key flanked by two capacitive keys - Task Switcher and Back. That's right, the Menu key is now gone replaced by the default Android option - the task switcher.

The new hardware controls - Task Switcher, Home, Back

At the top (in landscape) we find the microphone pinhole, an IR blaster, the Power/Lock button and the slim volume rocker next to it. There is nothing at the bottom.

The top and bottom sides of the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2

The left side of the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 has the 3.5mm audio jack and one of the stereo speakers, under a subtle metallic grille. The right side is really crowded - there we find the S-Pen compartment, the other speaker, the upgraded microUSB 3.0 port, plus the microSD and SIM slots, covered by small plastic lids.

The left and right sides of the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2

At the back of the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 we find the same combo we saw on the Note 10.1 2014 - an 8MP cam accompanied by a LED flash.

The back of Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2

Samsung will be offering smart flip covers, to double as a stand when needed. Another interesting accessory is the microUSB Ethernet adapter, which along with the standard Ethernet port will give you two regular-sized USB ports.

The smart cover • the Ethernet adapter with two USB ports