For most of us, we get a tablet to consume content. To read a magazine or a book. To watch endless YouTube videos. Or to access Facebook. It’s rare to get a tablet and create something like long letters, art works, or homemade videos. It’s not that we don’t want to create art, but the tablet doesn’t really support most of the things needed for creating stuff. Unlike a laptop, a tablet does not have a full keyboard, PC programs, and other things that make creating things easy and natural.
However, after using Samsung Note Pro 12.2 for the first time, my perception of a tablet as a consume-only device has drastically changed. As it turns out, a tablet can be as powerful as a PC when it comes to creating all sorts of projects.
With its powerful innards, the cool S Pen, and functional apps, the Samsung Note Pro 12.2 is a mobile powerhouse that every artist and writer would love to carry around.
Quick Summary of Specs:
- runs Android Kitkat v4.4
- super clear LCD capacitive touchscreen
- 2,560 x 1,600 resolution
- Quad-core 1.9 GHz Cortex-A15 & quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7
- 3 GB RAM
- Rear Camera: 8 MP
- Front Camera: 2 MP (with real time “enhanced faced” feature)
- comes in Wi-Fi, 3G, or LTE
Display
At first glance, its 12-inch size is quite overwhelming. But upon using it for a couple of days, its TV-like built has grown on me. Although it has an unbelievably large screen — bigger than most netbooks — it is thin and light. It only weighs 753 grams; it’s twice as light as my MacBook Air.
While the tablet is turned off, it is not a head turner. However, upon unlocking the screen, you will be wowed by its enormous and gorgeous display. With a super clear LCD capacitive touchscreen and a whopping 2,560 x 1,600 resolution (~247 ppi pixel density), the images are bright and crisp. It’s the perfect device for watching videos and reading books.
Sound
Most of the time, speakers on mobile devices are not really noteworthy. But I must say that the stereo speakers in the Note Pro 12.2 are worthy of praise. The speakers are situated on the upper right and left side of the tablet, which gives off a nice sound when watching films. When holding the tablet, my hands do not cover the speakers (unlike my experience with other tablets and mobile devices), allowing the sound to flow freely without any kind of interruption.
Operating System
The Note Pro 12.2 runs Android 4.4 or Kitkat out of the box. While there are many features worthy of praise in this latest version of OS, let’s just focus on the features that are most useful in a larger tablet.
One of the most noteworthy Features is the multi-windows, wherein you can access a number of apps simultaneously as you would in a desktop. For example, you can watch a YouTube video, have Google Chrome open just in case you need to do a quick search, while taking notes in Evernote.
Performance
Upon testing the Antutu benchmark, the Note Pro 12.2 is one of the leading gadgets. As you can see, it ranks third while its baby sister, the Note 3, is at the top.
You probably won’t be using this enormous tablet to take pictures on a regular basis. But in the event you do, you’ll be glad to know that it is equipped with 8 MP rear camera and 2 MP front camera.
For the selfie-loving peeps, the front camera has a real time beauty enhanced feature. This feature edits blemishes and gives your skin a polished and smooth look. No need to edit the photo. Upon pressing the shutter button, voila, you have a nice-looking selfie that you’ll be proud to share in Instagram. 😉
Here’s a sample photo taken by Note Pro 12.2
Battery Life
The Samsung Note Pro 12.2 comes with a non-removable Li-Ion 9500 mAh battery. With this battery capacity, I kind of expected more from the tablet. But the battery drains quickly–approximately four hours–when used continuously for watching movies, downloading videos, and browsing the web. Although I must note that I used the tablet in its full capacity without doing any battery preservation measures (e.g. lowering brightness, managing notifications).
Charging time can also be quite a drag. It also takes approximately four hours to charge it to 100%.
If you are constantly on the move, you will need a bigass powerbank just in case you run out of juice and in need of a quick recharge. Of course, you can always bring the charger, and stop by at Starbucks for transient use of their electric socket.
The S Pen stylus, I believe, is the Note Pro’s strongest feature. I mean it wouldn’t be a Note without it. But it isn’t just the S Pen that makes this tablet awesome, but it’s also the apps that complement it.
When you hover the S Pen on the screen and press the button on the stylus, the air command appears and gives you cool options: take notes, open apps, and save stuff on the Scrapbook.
In addition, you can draw a circle on any object you see such as images, links, and words, and it will automatically save on the Scrapbook. The app is aptly named because it neatly collects all your stuff in one place for later viewing. It’s an amazing tool for writers, students, and teachers.
There are a gazillion ways to use the S Pen, and I feel like I was only able to scratch the surface.
The same thing can be said for the tablet all in all. It is overloaded with features; you’ll discover more things to do with it the more you use it.
Price
The WiFi version is retailed at P36,990.
Last Note
The Samsung Note Pro 12. 2 is one of the best tablets I’ve used. It’s powerful in all areas, has a gorgeous display, and is loaded with awesome features. It’s a great tablet for consumption, but it is even better when used for creative projects.
