There aren’t many tablets available with removable batteries or that are waterproof. The Samsung Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro, which the company also offers Digitizer support and 5G for, combines both functions. The Tab Active4 Pro can be used with gloves and, if desired, can run without a battery.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro is the ideal business tablet for severe conditions, then. Let’s investigate.
Samsung wraps its tablet in a tough plastic cover with a removable back that is heavy but ready for anything. The battery and SIM slot for the 5G variant are located behind it and are both easily removable. There are 28 locations where the back cover is affixed to the casing. It can be opened without the need of any tools, but to make sure it is correctly sealed, you should make sure all contact points loudly click into place when closing.
Due to its IP68 certification, the Samsung Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro is highly resistant to water and dust. It also meets MIL-STD-810H requirements. To be safe, you should wait for the exposed USB-C port to completely dry out after coming into touch with water.
Gorilla Glass 5 and slightly projecting edges guard the screen. The Tab Active4 Pro incorporates physical buttons for menu management, which contributes to the edges being relatively hefty for a typical tablet. The new edition is slightly larger and heavier than its predecessor, the Galaxy Tab Active Pro: its 674 grams are notably heavier than other tablets in this price category, like the Huawei MatePad Pro 11 2022’s 449 grams.
Equipment that also has a 5G version is available.
There is also the Enterprise Edition, which has 5G and is officially priced at roughly US$1,000 but is already accessible online for significantly less money. The WiFi model with 64 GB of storage will be used for this review.
NFC is back, and the WiFi version also has a tracking module, just like the predecessor. The Galaxy tablet can be easily connected to monitors thanks to the USB-C port’s dual functionality as a display port and data transfer rate of up to 20 GBit/s.
Long-term updates for software are included
The tablet’s operating system has been Android 13 and Samsung’s OneUI 5 from December 2022. Additionally, Samsung preinstalls third-party applications like Netflix and Spotify, which are unlikely to be very useful to corporate customers. Also, there are many preinstalled Samsung apps, some of which mimic the features of Google apps. Hence, you must first clean the system if you want it to be clean.
The security fixes were merely up to date at the time of review because they were from November 2022. The tablet was sent with Android 12, thus fresh updates should be available up to Android 15. Samsung guarantees five years of security updates and three OS upgrades.
Since outdoor tablets are frequently used in settings where image quality is not critical or when budgets are constrained due to an emphasis on case robustness, tablets are generally not recognized for their camera quality, which is often even less significant in outdoor tablets.
Camera
The camera on the back of the Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro has a 13-megapixel lens with autofocus and an LED flash for illumination. The Samsung sensor initially appears to take photographs that are usable. Yet, upon closer study, specifics are lost or muddled. Moreover, artifacts are visible over a wide area. A tiny bit of detail is at least possible in dark areas, thus the image performance in dimly light settings with high contrasts is tolerable.
Video may be captured in 4K at 30 frames per second. The autofocus works consistently overall, but it strains noticeably in some spots and takes a second to focus. Overall, image quality is pretty acceptable.
Accessories and Warranty – No additional accessories needed
The Samsung tablet also includes the large protective cover, which has its own built-in storage for the dust- and water-resistant S-Pen, in addition to the charger and USB cord. The cover is ribbed for added grip and feels comfortable in the hand. The S Pen feels comfortable to use and aids in tablet activities that call for precise handling, however it can occasionally be a bit challenging to remove from its slot.
Despite the lack of tablet accessories in Samsung’s store, images of the device show a keyboard cover, and the PIN connections on the bottom also imply the potential for a docking or charging station. They are not directly offered because they are probably intended for corporate clients.
Display: Adequately bright, although the colors are lackluster
The display is 10.1 inches long and features a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution. The 60 Hz panel thus provides a decent balance between performance and image quality and offers an appropriate resolution for its size.
In our tests, the Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro’s screen produces results that are strikingly comparable to those of its predecessor, including a respectable average maximum brightness of 574 cd/m2, which is frequently more than enough for outdoor use.
Performance: Plenty more to choose from
For the higher mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G SoC, Samsung offers a significant performance boost in its powerful tablet.
For system operation, there is unquestionably sufficient power, and the tablet also completes more difficult tasks at respectable speeds.
A battery’s life
In our Wi-Fi test, the battery lasted 14:12 hours. Hardly a record and somewhat shorter than all comparable gadgets, but still plenty adequate for daily use. Even if you spend some time using complicated programs, you should be able to get through an average workday. Two or more days without a socket are also feasible under low stress.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro is a workhorse that includes both an equally well-protected S pen and a thick protective shell. The stylus is enjoyable to use because of its adaptability, although you cannot hold it too flat because of the short tips and heavy pen.
Of course, the replaceable battery, which theoretically permits for twice the runtime with an additional battery, is a nice feature. The tablet may also be used without a battery from the mains, which is undoubtedly practical in some circumstances. Even while it barely ever gets hot, the tablet generally consumes a lot of electricity, which forces it to sacrifice battery life.
