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Eric Wong


 
Design
	Samsung's Tab Pro 8.4 looks great from a distance, combining impact resistant, shatterproof polycarbonate with faux stitched leather and metallic rimmed design for a professional look. The iPad mini Retina on the other hand takes gadget engineering to the next level. Apple took a block of aluminium and turned it into something akin to a piece of jewellery with its chamfered design. Of course, there are always two sides to a coin and you wouldn't want to leave it exposed without the protection of a cover.
 
Display
	Here's where things heat up. Samsung chases after Apple's "Retina" moniker, the display technology that has so many pixels that the human eye can't find a single jagged edge.
The Tab Pro beats the iPad's pixel density by 10 per cent, making everything even sharper - if you can even tell the difference. What is noticeable is that the Tab Pro's display panel is also brighter at its highest brightness setting, and has a wider colour gamut, meaning everything really pops out at you without being over-saturated.
As opposed to Tab Pro's 16:10 aspect ratio display, the iPad is 4:3 and clearly was not designed for high definition media consumption. That's not to say you can't watch HD videos, but rather, you'll see two thick black bars at the top and bottom as it fails to fill the screen properly. This doesn't happen on the Tab Pro.
Having said that, Tab Pro's extra 19mm in overall width means that typing on it with the built-in keyboard for an extended period feels like a chore. The iPad gives you just the right reach so both hands can fully cover the keyboard. Should you still find it a bit of a stretch, you can always use the split keyboard function.
 
Features
	The Tab Pro comes with a full Office suite, remote desktop utility, various remote meeting and conferencing apps, expandable memory via a MicroSD slot and an infrared sensor to control your TV. To top it off, you'll be able to make phone calls with the Tab Pro 4G edition (whether you'll want to hold the slab to your face in public is another matter).The iPad leverages Apple's legendary App store ecosystem and an end-to-end integration so refined and so tightly controlled you'd be hard pressed to find a fault in anything it has to offer. But it is also because of that tight control that you will never find the same level of customisation and flexibility as on the Tab Pro.
Apple's tablet boasts speakers that have a wider range than Samsung's. The latter's aren't bad - it actually has a louder maximum volume - but it just doesn't sound as pleasing as the iPad.
 
Performance
	In terms of raw speed, the Tab Pro and iPad match each other closely. When it comes to efficiency, that's a whole other story. However, efficiency does have a direct impact on battery life. And so does the size of the batteries they stuff into these super slim bodies. Let's just say the iPad manages the same performance with just two processor cores instead of four, and it has a battery that's 34 per cent larger and yet still weighs the same as the polycarbonate-clad Tab Pro.
That means the Tab Pro is not going to last as long as the iPad on a single charge but as long as you don't do anything crazy, both tablets are going to give you two solid days of use.
 
Conclusion
	This is a close one. The Tab Pro's wider body makes typing a hassle, but it's superior for high definition videos. The bottom line however, is that small tablets are all about portability. While Samsung trumps the iPad in a number of technical areas, the iPad more than makes up for it in overall user experience, battery life and ergonomics. If we had to choose, the iPad wins by a hair but the Tab Pro is certainly a strong contender.
Eric Wong (48hours@scmp.com)
 


Face-off: Samsung Tab Pro 8.4 takes on iPad Mini Retina for top tablet

Magazines

48 Hours

Samsung and Apple are again vying for a slice of the portable tablet market. In this round, we have the spec-tastic Samsung Tab Pro 8.4 taking on the gorgeous iPad mini Retina. Let's see who comes out on top


Samsung and Apple are again vying for a slice of the portable tablet market. In this round, we have the spec-tastic Samsung Tab Pro 8.4 taking on the gorgeous iPad mini Retina. Let's see who comes out on top.
