ATIV Q: Windows and Android under the same house

At their London event, Samsung announced their ATIV Q tablet, which runs both Android and Windows that can switch seamlessly between the two operating systems. Will the battle between Android and Windows end peacefully with this merger? I’ve been testing this hybrid tablet out.

Windows left, Android right. The ATIV Q can do both simultaneously. / © AndroidPIT

A multitalented tablet

If one pops up the flat screen of the ATIV Q, a keyboard is revealed which transforms the 13.3-inch tablet into a veritable small notebook. The display can also be rotated so that it floats horizontally above the keyboard; a useful setting to be used when drawing on the screen and interchanging between using the keyboard, notes Samsung. The operation with Samsung’s S Pen (known for its use in the Samsung Note series) is fluid and smooth. The resolution on the screen is great as well: the 13.3-inch qHD+ display sports a 3200x1800 pixel resolution with a pixel density of 275.

One of the many configurations of the ATIV Q, display hovering over the keyboard. / © AndroidPIT

The ATIV Q shines not only as a high-class display, but also from its design and hardware. The processor is housed in the base of the device and connects the display with the keyboard, the battery is installed in the lower keyboard, and the display contains only the screen and sensors, making it ridiculously thin.

“Both:” instead of “either or”

Windows 8 and Android 4.2.2 are both installed on the device and run in parallel. Just tap the Home button (on the ATIV devices, it’s the Windows key) and you’re being switch between the two. Both systems can also be displayed simultaneously in a split-screen view.

Windows 8..../ © AndroidPIT

.....or Android 4.2.2. / © AndroidPIT

I was surprised at how smoothly and seamlessly you can switch between the two systems.  Whether the Intel Core i5 processor is capable of handling computational hungry programs running in the background at the same time as having two operational systems is another story, but the short time I had with the ATIV Q really impressed me.
Although Samsung advertises that you can “enjoy” Android Apps on Windows, the technology behind it is less than spectacular. Folders and data between Windows and Android an be moved back and forth, the same as that can be done via the ATIV Q and an Android Device using a service called Samsung SideSync.
Nevertheless, the concept of the ATIV Q is very interesting. As soon as we get a hold of a tester of the device here at AndroidPIT, we will be able to discuss the Windows/Android hybrid again in more detail.