Samsung has today announced a slew of tablets at CES for their Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Note tablets with new Pro models concentered on multitasking and productivity. The new Galaxy TabPro will be available in three sizes — 8.4-inch, 10.1-inch, and 12.2-inch — while the Galaxy NotePro will only be available in the 12.2-inch size. All four tablets have 2560 x 1600 pixel displays, Android 4.4 KitKat, Wi-Fi and LTE options, and 8-megapixel rear cameras and 2-megapixel front cameras.
The company’s goal with the new tablets is to better reduce the gap between a normal tablet and a laptop computer. The Galaxy NotePro and 12.2-inch Galaxy TabPro feature new four-pane multi-window multitasking.
Samsung at last has a new UI for its tablets dubbed Magazine UI. Its made of tiles of apps and information that users can customize and configure. The whole system feels very similar to the LiveTile system in Windows 8.1 and is a bit more approachable for new users than the typical home screen. Ironically, the power users that Samsung is targeting with the Pro tablets will likely find the Magazine UI too constricting and limiting.
Design-wise, the Pro tablets are similar to the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy tab 10.1 which are also made of that grippy faux leather backs, plastic silver trim, a single home key, and are all under 8mm thick. The 12.2-inch models weigh about a pound and a half each, which does make them a bit cumbersome and unwieldy, especially when you hold them with one hand. Internally, the tablets are all very similar, with fast processors, 3 RAM, and up to 64GB of internal storage. Samsung promises up to 10 hour battery life for all its tablet lines.
