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Samsung Galaxy Book 10.6 vs Samsung Galaxy Book 12: What’s the difference?

Samsung Galaxy Book 10.6 vs Samsung Galaxy Book 12: We compare the two new Windows 10-powered two-in-one tablets to see how they stack up against each other, including a look at the display, memory and battery capacity.

Mobile World Congress 2017 has given us three Samsung tablets to mull over, two of which come with Windows 10 and the latest version of the S Pen. They even look almost identical, but beneath the surface significant differences become apparent.

So how exactly do the two new Samsung Galaxy Book two-in-one tablets differ and what do they do that will make them a potential rival to the talented Microsoft Surface Pro 4? Let’s find out.

Samsung Galaxy Book 10.6 vs Samsung Galaxy Book 12: Specs

Device Galaxy Book 10.6 Galaxy Book 12
Screen 10.6″ TFT FHD (1920×1080) 12″ Super AMOLED (2160×1440)
Weight 640g (WiFI) / 650g (4G LTE) 754g (WiFi and 4G LTE)
Memory (RAM) 4/8GB 4/8GB
Memory (storage) 64/128GB eMMC 128/256GB SSD
OS Windows 10 Windows 10
Camera 5MP 5MP + 13MP
Port 1 x USB 3.1 2 x USB 3.1, mini DisplayPort
Processor 2.6GHz Intel m3 dual core 3.1GHz Intel i5 dual core

Samsung Galaxy Book 10.6 vs Samsung Galaxy Book 12: Design

It appears Samsung wants to take on the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 because the Samsung Galaxy Book 10.6 and Galaxy Book 12 share a similar design ethos. A 3:2 aspect ratio, detachable keyboard, fast charging and portable display size all help the cause.

The obvious physical difference is the increased size of the Galaxy Book 12. It weighs more and is physically larger. Beyond that, both tablets are relatively lightweight and can be transformed from a tablet to notebook in no time at all.

Look a little more closely and you may spot some hardware differences. The Galaxy Book 12, for example, gets two USB 3.1 (Type-C) ports and mini DisplayPort, whereas the Galaxy Book 10.6 only has one USB 3.1 port.

Both come with a keyboard that is bigger and more tactile, making it easier to type on. They both also features a microSD slot and can be had with 4G LTE connectivity if you need the improved mobility offered beyond WiFi.

Then there is the refined S Pen, which now has a 0.7mm tip and is more sensitive touch touch than its predecessor, allowing greater control when drawing or handwriting text.

Samsung Galaxy Book Dimensions

Samsung Galaxy Book 10.6: 261.2 x 179.1 x 8.9mm, 640g (WiFi) / 650g (LTE)
Samsung Galaxy Book 12: 291.3×199.8×7.4mm, 754g (Wi-Fi and LTE)

Samsung Galaxy Book 10.6 vs Samsung Galaxy Book 12: Screen and media

The Samsung Galaxy Book 10.6 not only has a smaller display than the Galaxy Book 12, it has a TFT FHD display that is less clear. With that said, the 1,920×1,080-pixel resolution is on par with a lot of devices in this segment.

Go for the Galaxy book 12 and you get a 12-inch Super AMOLED FHD display at a resolution of 2,160×1,400 pixels that provides greater clarity and a pixel density of 216ppi. Expect movies to look clearer, especially with 10-bit HDR support included.

The standard storage level in the Galaxy Book 10.6 is either 64 or 128GB, with storage expandable by up to 256GB using the microSD slot.

The Galaxy Book 12, meanwhile, comes with 128 or 256GB in a faster SSD memory flavour, which will improve performance, that can also be expanded by the same 256GB maximum.

Both support LTE category 6, which means media streaming of up to 300Mbps ─ far beyond what you would realistically need. Both also come with the latest version of Windows 10, which is far superior to Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 – not to mention more stable.

As for video playback and recording, both devices can record at 1,920×1,080 at 30 frames per second and playback at 3,840×2,160, with the Galaxy 10.6 capable of 30 frames per second and the Galaxy Tab 12 a silkier 60 frames per second in the case of the latter.

Samsung Galaxy Book 10.6 vs Samsung Galaxy Book 12: Performance and battery life

Another key difference between the new Samsung Galaxy Book tablets is the processor. Although both get a spot of seventh-generation Intel processing goodness, the Galaxy Book 10.6 uses a dual core m3 clocked at 2.6gHz.

Powering the Galaxy Book 12 is a faster 3.1gHz dual core Intel i5 ‘Kaby Lake’, which will work nicely with the SSD storage to provide a punchier experience better suited to more difficult tasks such as video editing.

As for RAM, the Galaxy Book 10.6 is restricted to 4GB whereas the Galaxy Book 12 can be upped to 8GB if you want added snappiness or intend to deal with larger, more ungainly files.

When it comes to power usage, the Galaxy Book 10.6 is less thirsty, at 30.4W, compared with the Galaxy Book 12’s 39.04W. Both offer fast charging so you can substantially top both devices up in a shorter amount of time.

Samsung promises 10.5 hours of video playback on the Galaxy Book 12, which bodes well for those who need to be away from a plug for extended periods but, of course, only real-world testing will show if that is the case.

Samsung Galaxy Book 10.6 vs Samsung Galaxy Book 12: Cameras

Cameras are of secondary use on a tablet (unless you are that person who takes an iPad to a festival), but Skype video calls and equivalents will be useful for business users. Or perhaps for checking how your hair looks.

Both Galaxy Book tablets have a front-facing camera of a five-megapixel resolution. But the Galaxy Book 12 justifies its higher price (which is to be confirmed) with another 13-megapixel snapper on the rear for what should be more detailed photos.

Be sure to check out our extensive MWC 2017 coverage at the Recombu Mobile MWC 2017 hub. First impressions of the new Samsung Galaxy Books coming soon.

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