Samsung’s assault on the Indian market continues with the launch of the Galaxy NotePRO 12.2 and the Galaxy Tab 3 Neo (Tab 3 Lite in other markets), which will be made available in the country soon along with the Galaxy Note 3 Neo. The two tablets carry price tags that are at opposite ends of the affordability spectrum – the Galaxy NotePRO will be priced at a whopping Rs. 64,900 ($1045), while the Galaxy Tab 3 Neo will cost Rs. 16,490 ($265). The former will have a tough time courting consumers despite its premium features, thanks to a price tag that is higher than many high-end laptops.
As for the Galaxy Tab 3 Neo, while it’s priced pretty low, it’s still quite a lot more than the $140 (100 Euro) price the tablet was expected to have; when you consider that this is just for the Wi-Fi variant, one begins to wonder just what the purpose behind these “Lite/Neo” devices is, given how they are all priced higher than the devices from which they’ve been derived. It’s clear that Samsung is too afraid to cut back on its profit margins, which could be an issue in price-sensitive markets like India, where even the newest iPhones have a tough time getting enough sales.
Well, in case some folks do decide to spend their hard-earned money on these tablets, let’s do a recap of what they’ll get in return for that cash. The Galaxy NotePRO 12.2 comes with a 2,560×1,440 SuperClear LCD display, an octa-core Exynos processor clocked at 1.9GHz, 3 GB of RAM, 8-megapixel and 2-megapixel rear and front-cameras, 32 GB of storage (and a microSD slot), a 9,500 mAh battery, and Android 4.4 KitKat with Samsung’s new Magazine UX and improved multitasking features.
The Galaxy Tab 3 Neo, on the other hand, sports a 7-inch WSVGA (1024 X 600) screen, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 2-megapixel rear camera, 8GB of internal storage and a microSD slot, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ (2.4GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, BT4.0, USB2.0, GPS + GLONASS, and HSPA+ 21mbps connectivity, a 3,600 mAh battery that is rated for up to 8 hours of video playback, and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. As with the Galaxy Tab 3 series from last year, the tablet also supports making calls on the 3G variant.