It has not even been a month since Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Book at the 2017 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, but the sleek and powerful tablet is already seen as a possible fierce competitor to leading high-end tablets Apple iPad Pro and Microsoft Surface Pro 4.
Samsung is yet to announce a release date for the Galaxy Book but with its strategic partnership with Microsoft and Windows 10's recent pop-up advertisements for the new tablet, we can only conclude that it will be really soon.
As mentioned earlier, the Galaxy Book is already being compared to two of the most powerful (and pricey) tablets out in the market but can it really compare? Let's find out based on the released technical specifications.
Galaxy Book Technical Specifications
The Galaxy Book is available in two display sizes: 10.6 inches and 12 inches, with the larger model being a tad more powerful than its counterpart. We'll be focusing on the 12-inch model since it is closer to the specifications of the iPad Pro and Surface Pro 4.
The 12-inch Galaxy Book features a super AMOLED FHD display and runs on a 3.1 GHz 7th Generation dual-core Intel Core i5 processor. It has 4 GB or RAM and 128 GB of storage, with another version having 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal memory, expandable up to 256 GB via microSD.
It has two Type-C USB 3.0 ports, a 13-megapixel rear camera with autofocus, and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. It also features FHD (1080p) video recording at 30 frames per second. It has Wi-Fi, LTE, Bluetooth, and GPS+GLONASS connectivity, and has an estimated 10.5 hours of battery life. Both the 10.6- and 12-inch models run on Windows 10.
Galaxy Book vs Surface Pro 4
The Galaxy Book specifications above already give you an idea of how powerful the tablet is but how does it really compare against the Surface Pro 4?
Dimension-wise, the Surface Pro 4 is a little larger than the Galaxy Book, though not by much, but it is thicker at 8.5 millimeters (0.33 inches) while the Galaxy Book is only 7.4 millimeters (0.29 inches) thick. This means that the magnesium-cased Surface Pro 4 is also a little heavier at 770-790 grams (27-28 ounces) while the aluminum Galaxy Book weighs in at 754 grams (26 ounces). However, the true competition lies in the performance.
When it comes to the display resolution, the Surface Pro 4 is definitely the winner with a 2736 x 1824 (267 ppi) resolution but the Galaxy Book isn't too far behind with its 2,160 x 1,440 (216 ppi) resolution. As for the processor, Samsung equipped its tablet with an Intel core that is one generation more recent, but the Surface Pro 4 does offer an i7 core, which is not an option for Samsung.
Both are touch screens with stylus support, but only the Galaxy Book comes with a keyboard - Microsoft sells the Surface Pro 4 keyboard separately. One other advantage the Galaxy Book has is its LTE capability because the Surface Pro 4 only has Wi-Fi support, a disadvantage for professionals who require internet connection even in places without Wi-Fi connectivity.
In terms of memory and storage, the Surface Pro 4 offers a 16 GB RAM version, as well as models with 512 GB and 1 TB internal storage. Microsoft's current price for the Surface Pro 4 (with pen) ranges from $799 to $1,499 while Samsung has yet to release any information on pricing and availability for its Galaxy Book.
Galaxy Book vs iPad Pro
We've already shared the Galaxy Book's technical specifications above so we'll get right on to comparing it with the iPad Pro.
The iPad Pro is a little wider and longer than the Galaxy Book, but it is also thinner and has a 100 percent working display, whereas Samsung's tablet only uses about 83 percent of the screen space. The iPad Pro's display resolution is also sharper at 2,732 x 2,048 (264 ppi). Both have an aluminum build and are Wi-Fi- and LTE-capable.
The Galaxy Book has an edge over the iPad Pro in terms of expandable storage since the iPad Pro has no microSD slot. Apple also sells its stylus and keyboard separately so that's an additional expense if you want those.
The iPad Pro has an estimated battery life of 10 hours, only 30 minutes less than that of the Galaxy Book, so it's a close fight in this area.
Apple's device runs on iOS 10 and is equipped with the A9X processor. Even if the Intel Core i5 in the Galaxy Book is supposed to have faster clock speeds, actual performance would still vary depending on usage.
The iPad Pro has an 8-megapixel rear shooter and a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera. These resolutions are low compared to the Galaxy Book's imaging power but, let's face it, if you really want amazing pictures, you won't really depend on a huge tablet.
Like the Surface Pro 4, the iPad Pro is already out in the market with a tablet-only price starting at $799, but if you want to level the playing field and buy the accessories, that's an additional $169 for the Smart keyboard and $99 for the Apple Pencil, leading us to a grand total of $1,067. This means that the best way for Samsung to truly compete with Apple is to keep its price at or below $1,000.
The Verdict
From the comparison of the specifications of the three devices, we can say that the Galaxy Book has a good fighting chance against both the iPad Pro and Surface Pro 4. However, its pricing and availability will still play a big role in people's acceptance of it.
