Head-To-Head: Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 Vs. Samsung Galaxy Book

Galaxy Quest

Back in November, a rumor circulated that Samsung was looking to get out of the PC business. But the company's activities in the ensuing months would seem to suggest otherwise. Samsung has released a string of inventive new products for its PC line so far in 2017, including laptops and 2-in-1s. Most recently, the company unveiled a pair of 2-in-1 tablet/keyboard combos at Mobile World Congress in February -- the Galaxy Book and Galaxy Tab S3. Which one might be a better fit for you? In the following slides, the CRN Test Center breaks down how Samsung's Galaxy Tab S3 compares vs. the Galaxy Book on specs, features and price.

First Things First

One major difference right off the bat is around the operating system: The Galaxy Tab S3 is an Android device (running Android 7.0/Nougat), while the Galaxy Book runs Windows 10.

Also worth mentioning up front is that the Galaxy Tab S3 is only available in one size, 9.7 inches, while the previous Galaxy Tab S2 has come in both 8-inch and 9.7-inch versions. The Galaxy Book, on the other hand, comes in two sizes – 10-inch and 12-inch.

In addition, the devices all come in Wi-Fi-only versions as well as in LTE-enabled versions, for connectivity when no Wi-Fi is available.

Display

The highest-res display in this comparison is that of the 12-inch Galaxy Book, which is 2,160 x 1,440. While Galaxy Tab S3 display is smaller at 9.7 inches, it's nearly as high-res, at 2,048 x 1,536 resolution. Both displays use Samsung's vivid Super AMOLED technology, and support videos in High Dynamic Range (HDR).

The 10.6-inch Galaxy Book is not quite as premium, with TFT LCD technology for the display and resolution of 1,920 x 1,280.

Processor

Again the 12-inch Galaxy Book is on top, with its Intel Core i5 processor (from Intel's latest processor series, the seventh generation, known as Kaby Lake). The clock speed on the processor is 3.1GHz, according to Samsung -- though there are other benefits beyond speed, such as better power efficiency.

The 10.6-inch Galaxy Book features a seventh-gen Intel processor as well -- the Core m3 (2.6GHz).

For the Galaxy Tab S3, however, Samsung goes a different route. The device features Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 (2.15GHz), which was also Samsung's go-to for CPU on the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge smartphones.

Thickness & Weight

The Galaxy Tab S3 is the thinnest of the tablets in this comparison, at 0.23 of an inch thick. The 12-inch Galaxy Book measures 0.29 of an inch thick, while the 10.6-inch Galaxy Book is 0.35 of an inch.

The Tab S3 is also the lightest of the tablets, at just under a pound for both its WiFi-only and LTE versions. The 10.6-inch Galaxy Book is the next lightest, at 1.43 pounds for the LTE model and a tad lighter for the WiFi-only version. The 12-inch Galaxy Book weighs in at 1.66 pounds.

Battery Life

Samsung omits any estimates on battery life for the Galaxy Tab S3, saying only that it includes a 6,000mAh battery. (That's twice as large as the battery in the Galaxy S7 smartphone.) Samsung does say that the Tab S3 will feature fast-charging capabilities.

Meanwhile, the company promises 10.5 hours of battery life for the 12-inch Galaxy Book, and 10 hours on a charge for the 10.6-inch version.

Ports & Pens

For Samsung's newest tablets, USB-C is king. There's one USB-C port on the Galaxy Tab S3 and on the 10.6-inch Galaxy Book, and two USB-C ports in the 12-inch model. All of the models feature a microSD slot, as well.

A digital pen -- Samsung's newly updated S Pen – is included for the Galaxy Book models and the Galaxy Tab S3. The pen does not require charging, and is "refined for the tablet user to provide a more natural writing experience," according to Samsung.

Memory And Storage

The 12-inch Galaxy Book has two options for RAM – 4GB or 8GB – while the 10.6-inch model and the Galaxy Tab S3 come with 4GB.

For storage, the 12-inch Galaxy Book features 128GB or 256GB configurations, while the 10.6-inch model comes with 64GB or 128GB. The Galaxy Tab S3 has significantly less storage space, at 32GB, though adding a microSD card can bring up to 256GB of storage.

Price & Availability

Pre-orders for the Galaxy Tab S3 began on Friday, and the release date for Tab S3 will be March 24. Samsung hasn't disclosed any details on availability for the Galaxy Book.

Samsung has also kept quiet on the price of the Galaxy Book, so far. What we do know is that the 12-inch model can be expected to fetch a higher price tag than the 10.6-inch model.

And, it wouldn't be surprising to see both Galaxy Book models priced higher than the Galaxy Tab S3, which is priced at $599.99. Getting a keyboard cover (which is also available March 24) to work with the Tab S3 will add $129.99 to the price tag.