Samsung gets ahead of Apple by releasing mega-sized 12-inch tablet
Samsung has unveiled four new tablets at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas as part of the Note Pro and Tab Pro series.
In an effort to lure customers to its new editions, Samsung also said it is giving away free paid subscriptions of mobile content and service providers worth $700 (about Dh2,500).
For the first time Samsung showcased two new 12.2 inch tablets one each from the NotePro and TabPro series.
Samsung also upgraded the existing line up of the Galaxy Tab editions with a Galaxy TabPro 8.4 and a TabPro 10.1 inch device.
With this announcement, Samsung has once again raced ahead of Apple with a larger 12 plus inch device. It is being speculated that Apple is working on a similar sized iPad which could combine the features of an iPad and a Mac Book Air.
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Samsung says its 12.2 inch devices run the Android KitKat and come with one of the best display features for a tablet of this size, by presenting “the world’s first 12.2-inch WQXGA Widescreen 16:10 display, offering resolutions of 2560x1600 with more than 4 million pixels. The devices are powered by the 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 3GB of RAM, an 8 MP rear camera and a more powerful 9,500mAh battery.
The 10.1” and 8.4” Galaxy TabPro devices also come with similar features except for a 2GB RAM and a 8,200 mAh and a 4,800 mAh battery. However, by pushing in resolutions of 2560x1600 and 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, Samsung has powered up the TabPro 8.4 as its most power packed device yet.
The devices are expected to hit the market in the first quarter of the year.
Here is a list of new features that Samsung says it has added to the new tablets
Ideal for Magazines:
A personalized Magazine UX enables users to organise their content in an easy-to-use dashboard with automatic feed or news updates and then quickly access the most frequently used apps for a more comfortable reading experience. Samsung says its new range of tablets, by utilising a screen size that is more comparable to traditional magazine-sized material, makes it easier to read and view content and design in its original format especially with digital magazines or e-books.
Multi Window and PC connectivity
The feature allows users to split the screen into four different windows while users can also access and control their home or office PC directly through their Galaxy NotePRO or TabPRO with Remote PC.
Business web conferencing
For business users Samsung has pre-loaded the tablets with Cisco WebEx Meetings platform - a web conferencing solution from Cisco.
Samsung e-Meeting also enables users to share content during a meeting without having to access a central server or network.
The $700 gift pack
The NotePRO and TabPRO (12.2) customers can now enjoy approximately $700 (Dh2,500) worth of pre-paid and long-term subscription offers from news, social media and cloud storage providers.
Details of services and offers
- Bitcasa - 1TB storage for 3 months
- Bloomberg Businessweek＋ - Free Subscription: 12 Months
- Blurb - Free Coupon
- Cisco WebEx Meetings - 6 month free subscription and unlimited meetings
- Dropbox - Free 50 GB for 2 years (100GB for $99/year)
- EasilyDo Pro - Free app purchase
- Evernote - 3-12 month free subscription (dependent on country)
- Hancom Office - Free Subscription
- LinkedIn - 3 months of LinkedIn Premium Membership
- LIVESPORT.TV - 6 month free subscription
- NY Times - Free Subscription: 12 weeks
- Oxford Advanced Learner’s A-Z - Free app purchase
- Remote PC - 2 year free subscription
- Sketchbook Pro - Free app purchase