is it worth buying Samsung Note Pro 12.2 in 2016 or early 2017?

[kuraizo]

I know the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 was released in 2014.
-Is it worth buying in late 2016 or early 2017?
-brand new or factory refurbished?

Thanks

 

[Aquila]

IMO no, the only tablets worth buying at all are the iPad Pro and the Google Pixel C.

 

[treetopsranch]

On the other hand you may find a used/rebuilt Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 for much less money.
I'm still using mine every day.

 

[Walter Turns]

I purchased mine last January and use it daily for work and watch Netflix and TV on it at home

 

[muzzy996]

Value is a subjective thing and you did not qualify your question with your requirements so there's no way to really provide targeted meaningful feedback.

From a personal perspective as I approach the 33rd month of ownership (bought into the Note Pro line in Feb 2014) I still use my tablet every single day. My needs are few though and I've compromised in some ways. On a daily basis I do web browsing, youtube watching, email reading, occasional note taking and occasional PDF markup (very minor) on the tablet. For those types of activities the Pro suits my needs just fine (mostly because I've settled in). On the productivity side the capabilities of a mobile operating system can be an issue for power users - productivity software on mobile operating systems are typically simplified versions of applications in order to work well with lower powered processors and less RAM etc. A good example of this is MS Word, which is very different from platform to platform. As a result I've always had to carry around both tablet and a MacBook Pro when I travel.

The tablet itself is solid and i have no regrets . . . but if this thing craps out on me tomorrow there's no doubt in my mind that I would not be replacing it with another Android tablet or an iPad. Instead I'd go for a Surface Pro. That's just me though - i want more productivity out of my next tablet and I'm at the point that I will DEMAND full versions of Microsoft Office products on my next tablet, not some watered down mobile versions. I'll also want a decent PDF annotation tool too like PDF Xchange for Windows or Blue Beam not some mobile PDF editor. YMMV, these are just things that I desire in my next device that no other Android tablet or iPad can currently provide.

Update: Just want to add that as a media consumption device this thing is top notch IMO. I absolutely love the size and aspect ratio of the screen for YouTube watching and catching up on TV shows that I download (tTorrent is great). The speakers could be a little louder (something I addressed on my WiFi version via custom ROM and Viper4Android) but the screen is great for video playback on one's lap or table top.

 

[ehosey2]

To me I find the Note Pro 12.2 is still a viable option. I use it daily. And since I have the 4G LTE version with AT&T it has become even more valuable now that I get free data when streaming DirecTV on any of my AT&T connected devices. During the hurricane last week we lost power for 14 hours and my Note Pro 12.2 streamed live TV, allowing us to watch the Weather Channel, HBO, and other bits of programming. So now this fantastic Android tablet is the emergency TV as well.

 

[badMojo69]

IMO no, the only tablets worth buying at all are the iPad Pro and the Google Pixel C.

The Pixel C is not a replacement as it only has a 10 in screen. The iPadPod might, but the lack of expandability is an issue.

 

[Aquila]

The Pixel C is not a replacement as it only has a 10 in screen. The iPadPod might, but the lack of expandability is an issue.

Vs a somewhat bad 2014 tablet? Both win no contest IMO, despite missing the pen and the size different.

 

[badMojo69]

Yea my Note still works like a champ with S-Pen and office apps. You just wont get this large screen on the Pixel C and the Ipad Prod is gimped with zero expandability and no ability to get all your news at a glance. I have a iPhone (1st one) and the iPad is just meh, nothing about it is pro.

 

[Carlo Villa]

I bought my Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 in March 2015. I still use it everyday and NEVER had an issue. Good luck

 

[adhocvideo]

From what I can find from a lengthy search, the biggest drawback has been that Samsung appears to have abandoned further android updates for the Note Pro 12.2". (Considering the relatively high cost of what, at the time, was supposedly their "flagship" tablet, I'm terribly disappointed in Samsung for that).
I bought a brand new, WiFi-only version in Jan. 2015, and the most recent update available is 5.02. If you're willing to live with the comparatively "old" version of Android, the tablet itself still functions well. I find myself wondering how long it will be before apps stop working correctly due to unavailable android updates.

 

[sspoulsen]

IMO. this tablet is a super multi purpose device (from end of 2016 standards). No lag when optimized. Sublime s-pen capabilities. Fantastic battery life. Great screen size/picture quality.

My only concern is security - no more OS updates (5.0.2 is fine - and as adhocvideo writes future updates of non OS apps might need newer version of OS to run).

Personally, I would definitely buy another one if(when) the one I have die (if it happens soon (<1 year)

 

[noteprouser64]

I purchased my note pro 12.2 att version last year to use for android software development testing.
I also purchased the tablet thinking no way Samsung would not fully support this flagship device.
but so far, no joy, and no way to unlock the boot loader to update the OS or just to gain root access.
your stuck and at the mercy of samsung and att.
you may own the device but Samsung / att owns the software and prevents you from removing it.
full of bloatware, adware eatiing up your data minutes, and storage space.
you can disable most of the bloat and adware but not remove it.
so buyer beware!

there's a reason why these tablets are so cheap!

 

[Philip Gagna]

IMO is still the best tablet on the market for the money other than the very expensive Surface Pro line.

I've pushed it as hard as anyone can with CAD 3D drafting & video editing programs and is ran them like a champ. I also often remote to my desktop using splashtop app so I can use windows 10 & the wonderful floating multi-windows & s-pen features of Samsung's TouchWiz software is amazing. Using windows 10 & android at the same time is a thing of beauty. Having a stylus built into the device with an alarm that goes off if you walk away from it makes it difficult to lose (I've still got the original). Having a tablet and using a stylus is not quite as awesome as having Samsung S-pen and OS (TouchWiz) designed around using one. The features of it are incredibly useful and bring this tablet above the rest.

 

[Ranny99]

From what I can find from a lengthy search, the biggest drawback has been that Samsung appears to have abandoned further android updates for the Note Pro 12.2". (Considering the relatively high cost of what, at the time, was supposedly their "flagship" tablet, I'm terribly disappointed in Samsung for that).
I bought a brand new, WiFi-only version in Jan. 2015, and the most recent update available is 5.02. If you're willing to live with the comparatively "old" version of Android, the tablet itself still functions well. I find myself wondering how long it will be before apps stop working correctly due to unavailable android updates.

This, we have one bought direct from Samsung on launch. For a premium device its had minimal support and is the major reason I'll rarely think about buying another Samsung product.

 

[treetopsranch]

Question for Philip...What version of 'splashtop' did you use. Play store has 12 different versions.

 

[Cobravision]

I use mine to watch videos during my train commute, but that's about it. It's too heavy to use on the couch comfortably. I really messed up my shoulder using it as my daily tablet for a couple of months and it's just getting back to like 90% mobility after a couple of years. But I have it on my lap on the train, so no issues.

I will say, there is no tablet that works as well for video. No huge black bars like a 4:3 tablet, the 12.2" qhd screen is magnificent, and there are tons of apps that play my video files (I use VLC because of AC3 support). It's the only reason to use my Note 12, but it's unparalleled for that task. The only close alternative is the Surface Pro, which has lower resolution and is a quarter pound heavier. And way more expensive.

 

[N Wn]

I'm plagued with this dilemma daily. The problem is there is no 12" Android tablet with Active Stylus. I feel the note pro 12.2" is just so well done there is no real competitor at this point. I have had the iPad Pro 12, Note pro 12.2 and Tab Pro S 12". The iPad Pro is nice, but I do not like how fragile it is and I don't like iOS because it does not sync my Mobile Legends progress with Android. IOS is very restrictive and does not have the useability freatures I need. I also dont like how thin and fragile the ipad pro is, the Note Pro is built like a rugged business machine, and can survive drops. The iPad Pro is lightning fast, but not as fast as the iphone 7+. The Tab Pro S is full windows, I really like the tablet, the design is superb and uses USB C, the AMOLED display is awesome. However I don't like it because the pen integration is good, but definitely not S-Pen calibur. Also it runs windows, which is inferior to android. It's better for Multitasking and office products, but Android power management, mobility and ease of use is better. Windows sleep drains power still and is just not as optimized for touch. the Tab Pro S does not lag and the screen looks so beautiful.

Ultimately I sold my SM-P905V by verizon and bought the Wifi only SM-P900 model because the verizon version comes with a locked bootloader. I have flashed new tablet software which makes it feel like a galaxy Tab S2 or S3. I could just get the Tab S3, it is fast and has a beautiful display, but I can't deal with a 9.7" display, I love the 12" display even though the technology isnt as good. So it came down to functionality, for what I use it for, taking notes, browsing the web, and watching videos on the go, this was the best solution. I can't stand the lag on the Note Pro 12.2” though - I own a Pixel C for gaming the benchmarks dont compare. There is lag in everything from the homescreen, to ebay, to games. Pixel C is 100k while this tablet does 37k on Antutu. For word editing I use Google Docs, which isn't as good as word, I can't really do excel work on the Note 12.2, which works great on the Tab Pro S. I have a little lag, but there really is not a replacement for my use case; which is a professional note taking tablet.

 

[Traylaw]

Pretty much covers my feelings. I moved up to a 12" format to view and mark up electrical drawings while I am out on the production floor. I find Hancom Office for Galaxy tablets works pretty well for word and excel documents, with the exception of older Microsoft legacy documents. But the demand for large format android tablets is very small. So I guess the next tablet will have to be a surface pro with its limited battery time.

 

[L0n3N1nja]

Pretty much covers my feelings. I moved up to a 12" format to view and mark up electrical drawings while I am out on the production floor. I find Hancom Office for Galaxy tablets works pretty well for word and excel documents, with the exception of older Microsoft legacy documents. But the demand for large format android tablets is very small. So I guess the next tablet will have to be a surface pro with its limited battery time.

New Surface Pro is rated for better battery life than most android tablets and they've become fan less unless you get the I7 version.