Samsung working on Windows-powered Galaxy TabPRO S: a Surface Pro 4 competitor?

posted by Ray S.

Jan 05, 2016, 1:17 PM

Time to get some work done! The Samsung Galaxy TabPRO S will offer a keyboard dock with touchpad.

So far, Samsung's Galaxy line of devices (both phones and tablets) has been reserved for its Android-powered stuff, with the ATIV line being where all the Windows action takes place. That may change very soon, as underground mobile star Evan Blass (@evleaks) just posted a new tweet with images of a Windows-powered tablet he claims will be called "Galaxy TabPRO S". A tablet matching the description was spotted in the news just a few days ago, when a Samsung SM-W700 appeared in the Bluetooth SIG and Wi-Fi Alliance databases. The tablet in question was rumored to have a display diagonal of 12 inches.

The images @evleaks has now shared reveal a more or less standard Samsung design in black and white, with a thin profile and all physical buttons situated around the sides, as with previous Samsung tablets. The standout feature here appears to be a keyboard dock with a touchpad – something users are going to appreciate when working with Windows 10. Besides the 12" display of high resolution, it's also speculated that a Core M processor will be used to power the tablet.

One way we can see this Galaxy-branded Windows tablet happening is if it offers Windows and Android as dual-boot options, but we'll see about that. With Samsung's CES 2016 keynote beginning in a few hours from now, we wouldn't be surprised if the Galaxy TabPRO S gets announced there. If that happens to be the case, stay tuned for our first impressions of the new 'pro'-level tablet, which Samsung will probably use to compete against both the mighty Surface Pro 4 (starts at $899), and the iPad Pro (starts at $799). Having in mind the prices of these two, we'd presume the TabPRO S' starting price won't be much lower than $799, if at all.