They wanted me to develop a tablet that they could take out on the yard and load with drawings to verify fabrication items for an inspection crew operating in a shipyard in Florida. The team has been enjoying the capabilities of the Samsung Tab Active2, a tough eight-inch tablet that I bought.
There are a few improvements the team would want to see in the following version after using it for a year. A bigger display, more battery life, and greater PC connectivity were among the requirements. When Samsung launched the Galaxy Tab Active Pro at the Samsung Developer Conference in October, they must have been listening in on my chats with my team during that time.
The Galaxy Tab Active Pro is superior to the iPad in a number of ways, particularly for use in the field. These advantages include the IP68 dust/water resistance rating, the MIL-STD 810G shock/drop resistance rating, the user-replaceable battery, Samsung DeX desktop mode, full mouse/trackpad support, and expandable storage.
Galaxy Tab Active Pro specifications
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 processor
- Display: 10.1 inch, 1920 x 1200 pixels resolution LCD
- Operating system: Android 9 Pie with One UI
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 64GB internal with microSD expansion card slot
- Cameras: 13 megapixel rear and 8 front-facing camera
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0, LTE option available
- Dust/water resistance: IP68 with MIL-STD 810G ruggedness
- Battery: 7,600 mAh user-replaceable
- Audio: Four speakers tuned by AKG with Dolby Atmos technology
- Dimensions: 243.5 x 170.2 x 9.9 mm and 653 grams
The Galaxy Tab Active Pro comes with a S Pen, although it differs significantly from the one that came with the Galaxy Tab S6. This big, light S Pen looks like a big spike and goes into the tough casing that comes with it. There is no battery provided, and Bluetooth Air Action is not supported.
Although there isn’t a keyboard option, the tablet’s bottom has POGO pins that can be used to extend its functionality. The bundle comes with a high-quality case that is necessary for holding the S Pen and serving as a shield for the tablet.
Hardware
Unlike the iPad or the Galaxy Tab S6, the Galaxy Tab Active Pro is not a svelte, fashionable tablet. It is made for business and has been carefully thought out for the best field experience.
Despite not being a Samsung OLED panel, the tablet’s 10.1-inch display nevertheless looks beautiful and serves its purpose. With the front-facing camera positioned in the middle above the display in landscape configuration and three physical buttons for task manager, home, and back under the display, it is designed for landscape use. These tactile buttons are useful additions for those who frequently wear gloves when working in the field.
While the device is in landscape orientation, the power, volume, and an adjustable active key (colored red) are displayed along the top. The tablet has speakers on both sides. On the right side, there is a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB-C port. There are several connected accessory options for the business and POGO pins on the bottom.
A single camera is situated in the middle of the top of the back. With a seal around the internals’ back, almost the entire back panel is detachable. The majority of the rear is occupied by a fairly sizable 7,600 mAh battery, which has a 15-hour battery life estimate. The removable back cover hides the microSD card and SIM card slots.
Software
Running with One UI 1.5 on the Galaxy Tab Active Pro is Android 9. The review unit contains the Android security patch as of October 1, 2019. Although it would be good to see new devices running the most recent Android OS, it is rather common for these tablets to have firmware that is behind that of phones.
The Tab Active Pro comes pre-loaded with a few Samsung and Microsoft applications, including Outlook, OneDrive, Office Mobile, Bixby, Samsung Internet, Gallery, Smart Things, Messaging, and Calendar. It’s good to see only a small number of apps on this WiFi edition Tab Active Pro because we typically see far more apps on Samsung phones right out of the box.
Bixby can be programmed to start when the power button is pressed and held down or by voice command. I’ve written a few times about the advantages of Bixby and I still think it provides more than people realize. There is a lot of work being done with Bixby capsules, and after visiting the Samsung Developer Conference in the fall of last year, Bixby Routines are supported.
The Tab Active Pro performs as a fully functional Android tablet, but when you engage the native DeX mode, it really shines. Samsung’s tablets include two DeX modes, in contrast to the Galaxy Fold and Note 10 smartphones. DeX may be activated directly on the Tab Active Pro by flipping the switch located in the Quick Actions area. When you attach an external display, you can also experience DeX.
The same DeX interface that you may be accustomed to on an external monitor is there immediately on the tablet display when DeX is activated, and all of the icons all appear smaller. The multitasking experience looks to be broken when DeX is enabled, so there is still more work to be done. In the default Android mode, you can opt to open the first program in split-view mode by tapping the app icon over the thumbnail in the task switcher. You then switch things around for multi-app use and open the following app in pop-up view.
By using the S Pen, your finger, or the trackpad to physically move and resize windows, the desktop is handled more like a computer in DeX mode. Even the drag and drop to the edges for a multi-window view that we have in Windows, Chrome OS, and iOS is not supported. Although it’s wonderful to see a DeX option on the tablet, there is still work to be done.
Knox integration and Enterprise Firmware Over-The-Air (E-FOTA) are available to completely support commercial use.
Price and availability
The price of the Samsung Galaxy Tab Active Pro with Wi-Fi is $599.99 right now. Moreover, business customers can save more by buying more units, up to $30 per unit with 16–25 unit purchases. The block unit pricing for the SIM unlocked LTE model reduces the unit price to $645.99 for 16–25 tablets from the starting price of $679.99.
Daily usage experiences and conclusions
The Galaxy Tab Active Pro worked flawlessly when I used it in Florida’s sandy beaches, Washington’s icy mountains, and rain-soaked forests. I never experienced any problems using any work-related apps even though it has a mid-range processor, less RAM and internal storage than Samsung flagships, and very minimal LTE support. The tablet makes it easier to complete tasks in the field and the pricing is fair.
It’s not impossible to beat what Samsung is providing with the Galaxy Tab Active Pro, even while you could wrap your iPad in a durable case and hope that would keep it safe from harm. It is made to withstand climatic conditions, features a huge, functional S Pen, an all-day battery that can be changed out for another one and still function for days, and Samsung DeX is used to provide a PC-like experience when traveling.
