Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 Unboxing – A Big Tablet With a Big Price

Price= $ 175

Samsung has a trio of big new flagship tablets taking on the mobile market, lead by the company’s biggest beast, the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2. This is a device bigger than even some ultrabooks, equipped with a beautiful 2560×1600 resolution display perfect for showcasing Samsung’s new Magazine UX, which is been placed over Google’s latest Android software, Android 4.4 KitKat. Many tablets these days are downsizing, but the Note Pro 12.2 unabashedly goes big for those who prefer the larger screen real estate.

On the inside, the Note Pro 12.2 comes equipped with a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 processor (the international version comes with Samsung’s Exynos 5 Octa), 8-megapixel camera (2-megapixel front), USB 3.0, 3GB of RAM, 32GB and 64GB of internal storage, and a whopping 9500mAh battery. This is meant to be a powerhouse machine, and the specs reflect Samsung’s big ambitions. If you prefer the tablet form factor to more traditional PCs and laptops, this is the device for you; think of it less of an iPad approach and more of a Surface less-play-and-more-work-type device.

As you’d expect, the Note Pro 12.2 is not cheap, starting at $749 for the 32GB model, while the 64GB model will cost $849. If you like your tablets to come with LTE, the Pro 12.2 will be available through Verizon Wireless. The pricing certainly suggests Samsung is aiming the Note Pro 12.2 at a niche audience, the type who want to be productive and not just spend time playing games and perusing Flipboard. In addition to the hefty specs and price, the device does come with “premium content,” such as three free months of Hulu Plus, 50GB of Dropbox for two years and a one-year subscriptions to Bloomberg Businessweek+, among others incentives.

Samsung’s best tablet is still the Nexus 10, which came with terrific specs and a vanilla version of Jelly Bean (now up to KitKat)—that was obviously meant for a different crowd. Software-wise, the Note Pro 12.2 is pretty much the exact opposite, sporting a heavy Magazine UX that just about makes Android unrecognizable. We haven’t spent enough time to form a solid opinion on Samsung’s latest approach, but we’ll be playing with the device over the next week or so to get a good feel.

In the meantime, how are you liking Samsung’s Magazine UX? Is it something you think makes Samsung devices better, or do you find yourself longing for a cleaner version of Android? Check out the video for our full unboxing.