Samsung (NASDAQ: SSNLF) presented on Tuesday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (CES) the Notebook 9, which is extremely lightweight, that runs Windows 10, and the Galaxy TabPro S tablet that has a specially-designed keyboard.

With the announcement of this new products the company seeks to compete in a segment that until now is being dominated by the potent Surface Pro 4 from Microsoft and the beautifully designed  iPad Pro from Apple.

The TabPro S has a 12-inch, 2160 x 1440 Super AMOLED display that has almost the same pixels as the Galaxy S6, which is a very good resolution for a tablet of that size. It functions with a sixth-generation Intel Core M processor and it is capable of running Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro. Prices have not been published yet but shipments will start in February.

The Samsung Galaxy TabPro S is the Korean company's first foray into the Windows 10 tablet market, with a 12-inch Super AMOLED display Credit: PC World/Blair Hanley Frank
The Samsung Galaxy TabPro S is the Korean company’s first foray into the Windows 10 tablet market, with a 12-inch Super AMOLED display Credit: PC World/Blair Hanley Frank

The new gadget is powered by a 4GB RAM memory and can be acquired with storage capabilities of 128GB or 256GB. When talking about connectivity it features Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n/ac) which is very fast, and it supports sixth generation LTE connections. It also has GPS and GLONASS a Russian navigation system.

The tablet is equipped with two 5-megapixel cameras, both with ambient light detector and accelerometer. However just the rear one has auto-focus. The body measures 6.3 millimeters thick and it weighs 696 grams with LTE. It has USB Type C connector that can work as a USB Type A or a HDMI port and a huge 5,200 mAH battery.

The Notebook 9 comes in two models with 13-inch and 15-inch screens. Both are powered with Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, 128GB or 256GB of solid storage and 4GB or 8Gb of RAM memory. The 15-inch model is equipped with two 2-watt speakers.

Toshiba also presented a competitor for this segment on Tuesday, the convertible called Dynapad Tabled offers a 12-inch screen like Samsung’s and Microsoft’s models and can run Windows 10. Its processor is a Cherry Trail Intel Atom x5-Z8300 with integrated Intel HD Graphics, and it can be acquired with 64GB of storage and a 4GB RAM memory.

The model features are very similar to the ones that had the Surface 3 from Microsoft, since it does not offer a Type C USB port. The body has a 2-megapixel front camera and an 8-megapixel rear camera. Toshiba said the model will cost $659 and it will be shipped on January 19.

Last year Microsoft and Apple presented 12-inch tablets aimed to replace notebooks. It was calculated by technology experts that this relatively new segment will grow in the next years since people want to have lighter and practical devices to replace their laptops.

“I think if you’re looking at a PC, why would you buy a PC anymore? No really, why would you buy one? Yes, the iPad Pro is a replacement for a notebook or a desktop for many, many people. They will start using it and conclude they no longer need to use anything else, other than their phones,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO last year to The Telegraph.

Source: Computer World