Galaxy View, iPad Pro Aim to Fire Up Tablet Market With Big Screens

As tablet makers search for a way to shake the market from its slump, Apple and Samsung aim to break new ground by unveiling new devices with huge screens.

If the choice between the iPad Pro and Galaxy View was just all about screen size, then Samsung’s model would win every time. The tablet, after all, comes with an 18.4-inch screen, making it one of the largest tablets ever unveiled. The iPad Pro is no slouch at 12.9 inches, but it’s still quite smaller than Samsung’s alternative.

Although there will undoubtedly be some consumers who buy the iPad Pro, Apple has said time and again that the iPad Pro is designed with the enterprise in mind. The company believes that the iPad Pro can be a suitable alternative to enterprise-focused lightweight notebooks, and judging by its power and accessories, there’s no reason not to believe it.

Samsung is more focused on entertainment with the Galaxy View. The company has even designed a special interface for the tablet that allows for easy access to a wide range of applications, including Netflix and Hulu. Samsung envisions the Galaxy View sitting on a counter and used to watch movies, not as an enterprise solution.

The iPad Pro comes with some impressive specs, including the A9X processor, which the company says, is more powerful than a large number of lightweight notebooks. The iPad Pro also features a Touch ID button for security and up to 128GB of storage. The Galaxy View runs on a 1.6GHz octa-core processor and has 2GB of memory. The Galaxy View includes 32GB of on-board storage, and its full-HD display has a resolution of 1,920 by 1,080.

Since they’re both big devices, neither the iPad Pro nor the Galaxy View are necessarily easily portable tablets. Although it comes with a handle, the Galaxy View is nearly 18 inches by approximately 11 inches in size. What’s more, it weighs a whopping 5.8 pounds. The iPad Pro is no slouch in the size department, measuring 12 inches by 8.7 inches, but it’s notably lighter at just 1.57 to 1.59 pounds, depending on the version.

Samsung has delivered a built-in handle with the Galaxy View. On the back of the device, users will find a handle that sits above a kickstand-like component designed to help them carry it around. The handle is a smart move, considering the device is quite large and somewhat heavy and may be difficult to carry for some folks without the help of a handle. Users won’t find a handle in the iPad Pro.

One of the main differences between the iPad Pro and Galaxy View is their operating system choices. Apple’s iPad Pro runs on the company’s iOS 9 operating system, while the Galaxy View offers Android Lollipop. That said, Samsung has placed some design flair atop the Android build, which will make it look a bit different compared to competing devices that run the standard operating system.

The Apple Pencil could become an important selling point for the iPad Pro. The stylus is capable of handling user inputs via a pen-like input, and includes everything from shading to accurate handwriting. Apple Pencil won’t come in the box, but Apple says it’ll be an important component to have. It’s hard to disagree, based on what the company has shown off so far.

Consumers will ultimately need to determine the importance of LTE connectivity when they compare the two devices. The Galaxy View is WiFi-only, which may be an issue for some customers. The iPad Pro, on the other hand, will be able to connect to both WiFi networks and LTE. If that’s desirable, choosing Apple’s option would be best.

Price may seal the deal for certain customers. After all, if the price-to-value ratio is right, they’ll buy it. The Galaxy View is available for $600. The iPad Pro, however, comes with several different models and prices. The WiFi-only models go for $799 and $949 for the 32GB and 128GB models, respectively. The LTE-ready version, which has 128GB of storage, goes for $1,079. The iPad Pro will be available this month. According to Samsung’s site, its Galaxy View is available to ship within the next several days.