Samsung ATIV Q specifications

Heard about the Samsung ATIV Q? Well lemme gist you. The ATIV Q looks to be the first oversized tablet likely to make a lasting impact. Its screen is 13.3″ on the diagonal, its resolution designated “qHD+,” or 3200×1800, for a pixel density of 275ppi. That doesn’t quite reach the 300ppi density of Samsung’s Nexus 10 tablet, but it beats out Apple’s current-generation, 264ppi iPad, and it leaves the Microsoft Surface Pro‘s 208ppi in the dust. The ATIV Q’s display also features exceedingly bright performance; Samsung didn’t give a figure in nits, but it did make a point of citing the unit’s 178-degree viewing angle. But the Haswell-powered ATIV Q is more than just a jumbo-tablet. Given its brand name, it’s no surprise that it runs Microsoft’s Windows 8 platform; but it is a surprise to learn what else it packs under the hood: a full version of Android 4.2. And that Android build runs alongside Windows; there’s no reboot required to transition between operating systems. A simple flick and a tap delivers a user to and from Windows and Android, and users can even pin Android apps directly to the Windows 8 Start screen. What’s more: though the ATIV Q lacks Samsung’s now iconic Note branding, it does feature an S Pen stylus with docking silo, alongside a display digitizer allowing for 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity. And while it’s a bit on the pudgy side at 13.9mm thick and 1.29kg in mass, there’s a good reason for that: the ATIV Q is not a pure tablet, but a convertible, with a full physical keyboard hiding beneath the display.

That keyboard is mated to an articulated hinge that allows for the display to be levitated horizontally above the keys or flipped facing away from the base for presentations (both orientations look awkward but will probably come in handy), or used in the more conventional ultrabook-style arrangement for typing, swiping, or drawing with the S Pen. We’ll have some more thoughts on the design from our hands-on demo time, but Samsung made a point of calling out the device’s magnesium construction at the announcement – a casing material we’ve lauded before. The company is also citing up to 9 hours of battery life for its new Frankenstein jumbo-tablet/convertible hybrid, which makes us wonder how it’ll differentiate itself from the ultrabooks that were announced alongside it.Think about it: this is an Android/Windows 8 convertible with full keyboard and S Pen, with a magnesium frame and a reconfigurable screen, packing a 13″ display and a battery that lasts 9 hours. If that doesn’t sizzle your bacon even just a little, you should probably get your pulse checked. Because the ATIV Q is the epitome of a tablet geek’s dream device.