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In the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4, Samsung has arguably found the best form for its high-end components. With a stunningly sharp display, impressive performance and Samsung's best UI yet. It's just a shame that its price tag doesn't match its less-than-premium feel.
We liked
This is the most impressive display in the current extended Pro range, with the same 2560 x 1600 resolution as the larger models - but with a superior pixel configuration.
It's also a very well proportioned tablet, with a weight and heft that make you feel as comfortable hunkering down to an HD film or game as you do reading an article on the way to work.
Samsung seems to be learning a thing or two about software design, too - the latest TouchWiz UI is a considerable improvement.
We disliked
Samsung still needs to address the look and feel of its tablets. The Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 is a decidedly premium device, so why isn't it designed like one? Especially when you're paying a pretty penny for it.
Making your 8-inch tablet pricier than the stylish iPad mini 2 is a brave - and somewhat foolish - move.
While Samsung's UI design is much improved, I'm baffled that it continues to fill its devices with so many duplicate apps - especially when its own efforts are markedly inferior to Google's stock provisions.
Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 won't be the one grabbing the headlines in the new Tab Pro range, I suspect, but it's arguably the best of the lot.
Condensed down to this size, the WQXGA display renders everything in super-sharp detail, while the creakiness of the larger tablets is all but gone with the 8.4's compact shell.
This may well be the best compact tablet Samsung has ever made, but at a price that exceeds the peerless iPad mini 2, that's not quite enough to rule the roost.
