Mobile Technology

Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 vs. Surface Pro 3

Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 vs. Surface Pro 3
Gizmag compares the features and specs of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and the Microsoft Surface Pro 3
Gizmag compares the features and specs of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and the Microsoft Surface Pro 3
View 24 Images
Battery life estimates
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Battery life estimates
Primary build materials
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Primary build materials
Camera megapixels
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Camera megapixels
Color options
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Color options
Processors
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Processors
The Surface Pro 3 is 14 percent taller, 18 percent wider and 38 percent thicker
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The Surface Pro 3 is 14 percent taller, 18 percent wider and 38 percent thicker
Display resolution and pixel density
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Display resolution and pixel density
The Galaxy Tab S 10.5 gives you 75 percent as much screen area
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The Galaxy Tab S 10.5 gives you 75 percent as much screen area
The Tab S is the first tablet with a high-resolution Super AMOLED screen
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The Tab S is the first tablet with a high-resolution Super AMOLED screen
The Tab S has a fingerprint scanner in its home button
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The Tab S has a fingerprint scanner in its home button
Gizmag compares the features and specs of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and the Microsoft Surface Pro 3
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Gizmag compares the features and specs of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and the Microsoft Surface Pro 3
Though the Surface is known more for its keyboard cover, Samsung is making a Bluetooth keyboard for the Tab S as well
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Though the Surface is known more for its keyboard cover, Samsung is making a Bluetooth keyboard for the Tab S as well
The Tab S will be available in an LTE-capable model
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The Tab S will be available in an LTE-capable model
Both tablets have microSD cards
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Both tablets have microSD cards
Starting prices for each device
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Starting prices for each device
RAM totals (the Surface's RAM varies depending on which storage tier you choose)
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RAM totals (the Surface's RAM varies depending on which storage tier you choose)
Release dates
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Release dates
Both tablets have their own takes on side-by-side multitasking
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Both tablets have their own takes on side-by-side multitasking
The Tab S' SideSync 3.0 lets you view and control a paired Galaxy S5 on the tablet's screen
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The Tab S' SideSync 3.0 lets you view and control a paired Galaxy S5 on the tablet's screen
It's Android 4.4 KitKat (with Samsung's TouchWiz UI) vs. Windows 8.1 Pro
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It's Android 4.4 KitKat (with Samsung's TouchWiz UI) vs. Windows 8.1 Pro
Storage options
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Storage options
The Surface Pro 3 includes a redesigned stylus
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The Surface Pro 3 includes a redesigned stylus
The Surface has one USB 3.0 port
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The Surface has one USB 3.0 port
The Tab S is 42 percent lighter than the Surface
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The Tab S is 42 percent lighter than the Surface
View gallery - 24 images

Samsung's Galaxy Tab S rivals the iPad more than anything else, but the tablet is also launching with a Bluetooth keyboard that can transform it into a faux laptop. And who knows faux laptops better than Microsoft? Let's pit the Galaxy Tab S 10.5 against the Surface Pro 3, and see how their features and specs compare.

Size

The Surface Pro 3 is 14 percent taller, 18 percent wider and 38 percent thicker
The Surface Pro 3 is 14 percent taller, 18 percent wider and 38 percent thicker

Well this isn't even close. The Surface Pro 3 is 14 percent taller, 18 percent wider and 38 percent thicker than the Galaxy Tab S 10.5. The Surface's size is going to work well for laptop mode, but it's also going to make for one enormous tablet.

The Galaxy Tab S' razor-thin build is one of its killer features. At just 6.6 mm (0.26-in) thick, it's an incredibly slim tablet.

Weight

The Tab S is 42 percent lighter than the Surface
The Tab S is 42 percent lighter than the Surface

The Tab S is also absurdly light, weighing in at 42 percent lighter than the Surface. Though it's worth noting that the Surface is also pretty feathery for a full-blown PC that runs a desktop OS.

Build

Primary build materials
Primary build materials

The Surface would likely be a bit lighter if Microsoft had opted for a plastic build. Instead it has a magnesium construction that lends itself to a more premium allure. The Galaxy Tab S' dimpled faux leather finish looks a lot like the Galaxy S5's, but has a firmer feel to it than Samsung's latest flagship phone does.

Keyboard

Though the Surface is known more for its keyboard cover, Samsung is making a Bluetooth keyboard for the Tab S as well
Though the Surface is known more for its keyboard cover, Samsung is making a Bluetooth keyboard for the Tab S as well

There's little point in buying any Surface without also throwing in one of Microsoft's detachable keyboards. Though it isn't as integral a part of the Galaxy Tab S, Samsung is trying to play the faux laptop game as well, releasing its own Bluetooth keyboard cover for its new tablet.

Colors

Color options
Color options

Samsung is offering two color options for Tab S buyers, while the Surface is limited to one silver-ish hue.

Display (size)

The Galaxy Tab S 10.5 gives you 75 percent as much screen area
The Galaxy Tab S 10.5 gives you 75 percent as much screen area

The Surface's 12-in screen is 34 percent bigger than the Tab S' 10.5-in display.

Display (type)

The Tab S is the first tablet with a high-resolution Super AMOLED screen
The Tab S is the first tablet with a high-resolution Super AMOLED screen

Samsung spent a good portion of its launch event telling us about the Tab S' Super AMOLED display. During my hands-on time, I found its higher contrast and blacker blacks to look stunning when watching video, but elsewhere it wasn't a huge departure from what we're used to on other high-res tablets.

Display (resolution)

Display resolution and pixel density
Display resolution and pixel density

The Tab S packs 33 percent more pixels into each inch, making it a significantly sharper tablet. There are, however, a couple of caveats here. First, you might hold the larger Surface farther from your eyes (especially in laptop mode), which can make its lower pixel density less noticeable. The Surface's display also uses sub-pixel rendering ("ClearType") technology, that makes text on its screen appear a bit sharper than it otherwise would.

Stylus

The Surface Pro 3 includes a redesigned stylus
The Surface Pro 3 includes a redesigned stylus

Along with the keyboard cover, the Surface Pro 3's stylus ("Surface Pen") is another integral part of Microsoft's vision for the Surface line. The updated pen in the Surface Pro 3 has a button on its back that lets you open Microsoft's OneNote app with a quick click.

Fingerprint scanner

The Tab S has a fingerprint scanner in its home button
The Tab S has a fingerprint scanner in its home button

The Galaxy S5's fingerprint scanner is showing its face again on the Tab S. It isn't quite as convenient as Apple's Touch ID, requiring you to swipe your finger across the home button (rather than just touching it). But it does still let you quickly and easily unlock your passcode-protected tablet.

Side-by-side multitasking

Both tablets have their own takes on side-by-side multitasking
Both tablets have their own takes on side-by-side multitasking

Samsung's Multi Window feature makes its Galaxy tablets some of the few mobile-first tablets with side-by-side multitasking. But of course a desktop OS like Windows has no problem with that either.

SideSync

The Tab S' SideSync 3.0 lets you view and control a paired Galaxy S5 on the tablet's screen
The Tab S' SideSync 3.0 lets you view and control a paired Galaxy S5 on the tablet's screen

SideSync 3.0 lets you pair a Galaxy S5 with the Galaxy Tab S to view and control the phone on your tablet's screen – including making and taking calls and text messages. If you don't have a GS5, though, you're out of luck.

LTE

The Tab S will be available in an LTE-capable model
The Tab S will be available in an LTE-capable model

As the Surface Pro 3 is basically a full-blown laptop in a tablet's body, we won't likely see a cellular-capable model anytime soon. The Tab S will be sold in both Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi with LTE flavors.

Storage

Storage options
Storage options

The Surface also has laptop-like storage options, while the Tab S' storage tiers are more typical for mobile-first tablets.

MicroSD card

Both tablets have microSD cards
Both tablets have microSD cards

Both tablets have microSD card slots, supporting up to 128 GB of expanded storage.

USB 3.0

The Surface has one USB 3.0 port
The Surface has one USB 3.0 port

The Surface gives you one USB 3.0 port.

Processor

Processors
Processors

We're also looking at mobile processors in the Tab S (Samsung's Exynos 5 Octa in the Wi-Fi only version and a Snapdragon 800 in the LTE model) and desktop processors in the Surface.

RAM

RAM totals (the Surface's RAM varies depending on which storage tier you choose)
RAM totals (the Surface's RAM varies depending on which storage tier you choose)

The Surface's RAM is going to vary depending on which storage (and price) tier you go with: 4 GB of RAM for the 64 GB and 128 GB versions, and 8 GB of RAM for the two highest storage options.

Battery

Battery life estimates
Battery life estimates

Samsung estimated 11 hours of video playback in its Tab S presentation, and its promotional materials brag of a nondescript "9 hours." If that refers to web use, then that's the same figure Microsoft is throwing around for the Surface Pro 3.

Cameras

Camera megapixels
Camera megapixels

Megapixels only tell you so much about a camera, so we'll have to wait before we jump to conclusions about either of these devices' camera quality.

Software

It's Android 4.4 KitKat (with Samsung's TouchWiz UI) vs. Windows 8.1 Pro
It's Android 4.4 KitKat (with Samsung's TouchWiz UI) vs. Windows 8.1 Pro

Neither Android 4.4 nor Windows 8.1 has the iPad's unrivaled selection of dedicated tablet apps, but the Surface has the advantage of running desktop apps. If you're looking at using one of these tablets with a keyboard cover, then that alone could have the Surface coming out ahead.

Release

Release dates
Release dates

The Intel Core i5 version of the Surface launches June 20. If you want the entry-level Core i3 or the high-end Core i7 Surface, though, then you'll have to wait until late August. The Tab S starts rolling out in July.

Starting price

Starting prices for each device
Starting prices for each device

The Tab S is the much cheaper device, again reflecting its mobile-first innards. The base US$800 Surface is one of the models that won't launch for another couple of months. If you want a Surface Pro 3 before then, you'll be ponying up at least $1,000 for the tablet – plus another $130 for a keyboard cover.

For more on the Galaxy Tab S 10.5, you can check out our hands-on from Samsung's NYC launch event, as well as our comparison of it to the iPad Air.

View gallery - 24 images
1 comment
1 comment
engscietc
"But it does still let you quickly and easily unlock your passcode-protected tablet."
SP3 as a Windows device supports fingerprint login using a third party reader. Not only that, but most readers allow fingerprints to be used to do more advanced things than just unlock the device.
"Samsung's Multi Window feature makes its Galaxy tablets some of the few mobile-first tablets with side-by-side multitasking. But of course a desktop OS like Windows has no problem with that either."
1) Multi-Window only works on supported apps, of which there are almost none. 2) Windows lets you have as many "windows" as your memory can hold, and up to four WinRT apps active. 100% of windows software supports the functionality and everything but WinRT games support multiple WinRT apps side by side
"We're also looking at mobile processors in the Tab S (Samsung's Exynos 5 Octa in the Wi-Fi only version and a Snapdragon 800 in the LTE model) and desktop processors in the Surface." 1) The Snapdragon/Exynos5 are both fairly old CELLPHONE processors, limited to RISC instructions with NEON (none of the new instructions in the A57/53 line) 2) The SP3 has Intel U and Y series Core i Haswell chips, which are laptop ("mobile") processors, not desktop processors. 3) Anyone looking to do more than just browse the web and look at youtube will see the SP3's processor as a clear winner, being almost 10x faster in most circumstances.
"Neither Android 4.4 nor Windows 8.1 has the iPad's unrivaled selection of dedicated tablet apps, but the Surface has the advantage of running desktop apps."
1) Apple's "dedicated" app selection is quite small, the bulk of ipad apps are "optimized" versions. Total number is thought to be about 400k including both optimized and dedicated apps. 2) Windows Store has at least 150k apps dedicated for use in WinRT mode (apps, as opposed to standard windows api programs)
"SideSync 3.0 lets you pair a Galaxy S5 with the Galaxy Tab S to view and control the phone on your tablet's screen"
You are incorrect in stating the SP3 doesn't support SideSync, ANY Windows or OSX x86 device supports it. SP3 DOES support SideSync.
"If that refers to web use, then that's the same figure Microsoft is throwing around for the Surface Pro 3." 1) 7900mAh is pointless to state, since stored energy is Wh, not mAh. The values are 30Wh for Samsung (which uses a 3.8V battery) and 42Wh for SP3 2) SP3 specifically states "Up to 9 hours of battery life for video playback. Battery life for other uses will vary." Video playback tends to be a great comparison, Samsung claims 12)