The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO 12.2 is the first large, high resolution screen, premium tablet on the market. It comes with a pressure sensitive fine point stylus and runs on a Samsung customized version of the Android 4.4 operating system that allows up to four applications on the screen at once. Aimed at productivity, how does it perform and can it meet user needs? User needs for four distinct user groups (K-12, higher ed, professional, and personal) are addressed in the conclusion.

Tablet Characteristics

The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO 12.2’s case measures 11.64” by 8.03” at 0.31” thick and is 1.67 lbs in weight. It is too large to be held in one hand except for short periods of time unless one has exceptionally large hands. A stand is greatly needed when using at a table or desk. This reviewer believes Samsung would do well to borrow a design que from the Lenovo Tablet 10 which has a distinctive design to aid holding and includes a built in stand. The NotePRO does work well when supported around the house such as in a stand at a table or resting in one’s lap while lounging. Around the office or classroom, a physical keyboard case such as the Logitech PRO would pair nicely with this device. Due to its size, it is not a grab and go tablet but more of a specific use in a planned location type of device. Choosing when to take this NotePRO 12.2 is liken to what one would consider when taking a laptop, with decision trees asking where will I be using it, how will I support it, and is the benefit worth the effort.

S Pen slides neatly into bezel of the NotePRO 12.2

When paying a premium price for a device such as the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO 12.2, which starts at $750, one naturally compares it to other devices at a similar price point. When next to an Apple iPad or Microsoft Surface, it feels comparatively chintzy. It is contrastly similar to holding a inexpensive generic plastic watch next to a Breitling, Cartier or TAG Heuer. Both get the job done, but the iPad has a much higher refined solid build quality. The NotePRO has an all plastic housing that audibly creaks as one handles the device. It does, however, come with a fine point stylus (S Pen) that works well but looks and feels like something out of a McDonalds Happy Meal. The really nice thing about the NotePro stylus is that it slips securely into the bezel, making it readily available when desired. Other than occasional sketching, this reviewer did not find much use for the stylus. Admittedly for this reviewer, handwriting notes is not very appealing and is rather laborious when given a keyboard. The NotePRO’s audio quality is mildly tinney but has excellent stereo representation afforded by the wide case. The tinney nature of the audio is not nearly as poor as the Microsoft Surface 2 and unlike the Surface, one can listen to a Pandora stream while working on a separate task. The NotePRO’s screen is large and sharp with a pixel density of 247 pixels per inch(ppi) and provides for clear text display. Comparatively, the iPad Air has 264 ppi screen and both the Microsoft Surface 2 and Pro 2 have a pixel density of 208 ppi.

The Galaxy NotePRO's screen is large, but not unwieldy. Where most 16:9 ratio screens suffer, the 12.2 creates ample space for both landscape and portrait orientations. The screen is both wide enough for a nearly full size keyboard in landscape orientation and wide enough in portrait for ample column width for reading. Content such as newspapers, magazines and children's books work well with the additional room. However, the vast majority of applications have not been designed to take advantage of the extra screen real estate but do scale to fill the screen. For those with degraded vision, the NotePRO would make a decent solution due to the large screen size and potential to accommodate large font sizes while retaining intended content layout; though overall Android’s accessibility features are not as robust as Apple's iOS platform.

Unique Samsung Features

The NotePRO 12.2 provides ample space for sketching.

The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO 12.2 is set apart from the rest of the market not only by its large 12.2 inch screen, but also the fine point stylus that allows for fairly natural handwriting and sketching. This combination, not found on other devices, provides the artist with room and tools to create efficiently. As mentioned earlier, Samsung’s included stylus, the S Pen, is quite cheap feeling and thin which allows it to slip into the bezel of the device. The S Pen is not ideal ergonomically; the small diameter causes the user’s hand to tire quickly and cramp. For serious stylus users/artists there are better alternatives on the market such as the Wacom Bamboo Stylus Feel. Handwriting with the S Pen on the NotePRO was found to be rather effortful. One has to write in large script for what is written to be legible. There is a pop-up box that allows the user to write large while reduced sized script appears on the page or note being written. This feature helps to fit more on a page, but I would argue that typing is much more efficient.

The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO 12.2’s on-screen keyboard is large enough to be quite good in comparison to most tablet on-screen keyboards. Though it does not represent a full-size physical keyboard, the on-screen keyboard’s large size does allow one to feel that once they become accustomed to it that they could type at a generous speed. However, if one really wants to produce long documents, a physical keyboard such as the Logitech PRO is strongly suggested. Given my experience with a Logetich's similar product for the iPad, it truly can change the productivity dynamic.

A selling feature of the NotePRO is the ability to use up to four applications side-by-side on its large 12.2” screen. However, only certain applications work in this side-by-side feature, greatly limiting its usefulness. For instance, one can not have Google Drive open and the Chrome browser open side by side. But one can have YouTube and Chrome open side by side. To work on a Google Doc while looking at reference material one must have the doc open in Chrome (rather than opening directly from Google Drive) then open the reference material with Samsung’s Internet browser. Additionally, only the mini-keyboard is available in multi-window view, thus a physical keyboard becomes a greater necessity if one is to be truly productive.

One of the new features Samsung included on the NotePRO is Microsoft Windows 8 “live tile” esce; Magazine Home feature. Samsung describes these screens as “home screen full of dashboards that update automatically” (Samsung (n.d.). Samsung Galaxy Note® Pro 64GB (Wi-Fi). Retrieved from http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/galaxy-tab/SM-P9000ZWFXAR). This new feature did not add much to this reviewer’s experience. Automatic updating did not function. Only the calendar and email dashboard updated automatically while dashboards such as News, Here and Now, Twitter, New and Noteworthy and others did not update unless the manual update button on each dashboard was touched.

The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO 12.2 has software issues that need addressing including Samsung’s customized version of Andriod 4.4. It is not as stable as one would expect with premium device. Under ideal conditions application content is slow to load. Applications consistently stop responding and close. Even Samsung's built in mail client seems buggy and excessively sluggish taking a disproportionate amount of time to load each message. Annoyingly, HTML formatted email takes extra effort to show the embedded images; often forcing the user to scroll to the bottom of a message and back to the top to get the show images button to appear.

Samsung Remote PC works with both PCs and Macs and is a nice feature to have to reach back for that forgotten file or presentation. However, one must install software on their PC or Mac and it must remain signed into Samsung’s servers for the connection to work. Note, for those thinking they could use this to bypass Android’s lack of Flash support, this server based connection is not fast enough to support streaming Flash video from a home computer even if on the same local network.

Android design note

Screen capture of the Google Play Store back button

One design issue with Android in general that the user must cope with is when to use the application back button, typically represented by a back arrow in the upper left corner of the screen, and the omnipresent back button located to the right of the home button. From a usability point of view the user should not have to cognitively consider which to use depending on what application is being used. In many applications the omnipresent back button will return one back to the previous application or screen used. Yet, when using an application such as Chrome, even though one just entered the application it acts as a browser back button returning one to a previous webpage visited instead of acting as a device back button jumping back to a previous task. In the Google Play Store app, if one has performed a search, has selected a result and wishes to return to the results list, they must remember to use the omnipresent back button rather than use the back button in the upper left corner, as shown. If one selects the application back button in the upper left corner it returns them to the Google Play Store home and not to the search result list. In short, it takes some orientation and continued cognition on the part of the user to keep straight what to use when.

Conclusion

New York Times on the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO 12.2

There are a small number of applications that take advantage of the 12.2 inches of screen area provided by the Samsung Galaxy NotePRO. Most applications, such as Facebook’s Android app, were designed for use on smartphones and are simply scaled to fill the 12.2” screen. Using Android applications originally designed for a smartphones on a 7” tablet such as a Nexus 7 is not as noticeable as using that same application on 12.2” NotePRO. Needless to state, these applications provide a far less than optimal user experience. However, some applications are quite good with the additional room such as office apps; i.e. Google Docs. The sketching experience is excellent with Autodesk Sketchbook Pro application with ample space to draw. Magazines and children's picture books with fixed page layouts have room to breath and are easy to read. Newspapers such as New York Times and Wall Street Journal work well on the large screen, but are consistently slow to load content even under ideal conditions. Samsung’s customizations to Android need refining and are not as stable as one would prefer on a premium tablet.

The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO 12.2 is large and not as portable as a smaller tablet, but paired  with a physical keyboard could make good high resolution laptop alternative with the option of still being a stand alone tablet when one preferred. For those seeking a large screen tablet for art production, it is about half the cost of a $1499.00 Wacom Cintiq Companion Hybrid, with a better screen but not as pressure sensitive. However, the build quality of the NotePRO leaves room for improvement and is below the higher quality standard for premium tablets produced by Apple and Microsoft.

Note: To better understand the application development community and the apparent divide in both quality and function between Apple and Android, Harry McCracken of Time has an excellent article The Smartphone App Wars Are Over, and Apple Won.

User Group Conclusions

K-12 Market

Not recommended. Libraries may find uses for its large screen on a limited basis. Build quality and durability may be an issue with student use. For students with degraded vision, the NotePRO could make a decent solution due to the large screen size and potential to accommodate large font sizes while retaining intended content layout: though overall Android’s accessibility features are not as robust as Apple's iOS platform.

HigherEd Market

It could work well for note takers paired with a physical keyboard such as the Logitech PRO. Be aware of application and multi-window limitations as discussed. See the following table for comparable optimal solutions.

Professional User

Creative professionals seeking an alternative to an iPad or much more expensive Wacom Cintiq Companion Hybrid would be wise to consider. See table below for comparable optimal solutions.

Business may seek as laptop alternative though be aware of application and multi-window limitations as discussed. See table below for comparable optimal solutions.

Personal Tablet

The NotePRO is large for an on the go tablet, but works well in supported uses around the home. Comes at a premium price and less than premium build quality.

For those with degraded vision, the NotePRO could make a decent solution due to the large screen size and potential to accommodate large font sizes while retaining intended content layout; though overall Android’s accessibility features are not as robust as Apple's iOS platform.