New Windows 8 Devices at Samsung London Event: the ATIV Q is Awesome!

Samsung just announced 3 new devices that will join the ATIV family. The ATIV line from Samsung are the Windows based devices and at the reveal in London Samsung showed us two new laptops, A hybrid tablet running both Windows 8 and Android, a Windows 8 tablet and finally an all in one computer.

The ATIV One 5, Samsung's All in One Computer / © samsungmobile.com

Samsung ended up showing us 9 new devices at the London event today, some of which where Galaxy devices which you can read about here. There were a total of 4 Galaxy devices revealed at the event and a total of 5 Ativ devices.

ATIV Q

The first device to be shown to members of the audience was the Samsung Ativ Q. This device is a hybrid one running two operating systems in Windows 8 and Android 4.2.2. One really neat feature about this device is that it allows you to seamlessly switch between the Windows 8 OS and the Android Jelly Bean OS. The Ativ Q also has a screen resolution of 3200 x 1800 which is the highest screen resolution in the world at the moment. The device can be used as a normal tablet, as a laptop with a keyboard, and can be placed in a reading or viewing position. Files can be shared around the two operating systems and the battery life is also impressive at it comes in at about 9 hours.

ATIV Tab 3

Samsung's Ativ tab 3 looks a lot like the Samsung Galaxy tab but this device is of course running Windows 8 and it is the world's thinnest Windows 8 tablet at well. The 10 inch tablet has a resolution of 1366 x 768 and has 64 GB of onboard storage. The storage is also expandable as the device comes with a Micro SD slot. Other features include an HDMI out port, and also a good 2 GB of RAM. This device along with the Ativ Q also includes a stylus which can be used for things like drawings etc.

ATIV Book 9 Plus

This is the flagship Windows 8 laptop from Samsung. This high end device has a wonderful design, comes in at a thickness of 13.6mm and weighs in at just over 1.3 kg's. The device has the same screen resolution as the Ativ Q at 3200 x 1800 and the same size display at 13.3 inches. Other specs include 256 GB SSD, a micro HDMI port and also 2 USB 3.0 ports. Gorilla Glass is the material protecting the screen which also boasts touchscreen functionality.

ATIV Book 9 LITE

This is the cheaper version of the Ativ book 9 range of laptops. It comes in with a lot of the things that the Ativ Book 9 has but at a more affordable price. The screen resolution is no longer the 3200 x 1800 qHD but a more humble 1366 x 768 which is a noticeable drop when you view the two side by side. On the outside though the two look very similar.

ATIV One 5 Style

This device is a desktop PC running Windows 8, with the same look and feel as the Galaxy family of devices. The machine boasts a quad core AMD A6 processor and 4 GB of RAM. As far as storage is concerned it goes all the way up to 1 TB which means you will probably not run out of storage space for all your files. Moving on to connectivity, you have 3 USB 3.0 ports, 2 USB 2.0 ports, Bluetooth 4.0 and HMDI in and out.
It seems as if Samsung is looking to replicate the success of its Galaxy line with these Windows devices. Tell us what you think of Samsung's latest efforts by leaving a comment below.

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.

Samsung launches Galaxy NX, Ativ Q, and much more at Premiere 2013 event

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Samsung promised new Android and Windows devices at its June 20th event in London and it delivered. The Galaxy NX wedded Android with an interchangeable lens camera, the Ativ Q combined Android and Windows into a crazy convertible tablet form factor, and two new Ativ Book laptops brought Samsung's ultrabook line into the Haswell age.

Catch up on all of Samsung's announcements right here.

Samsung’s Shape-Shifting Ativ Q Isn’t Pretty, But Running Windows 8 And Android May Make It A Worthy Workhorse

Samsung just pulled back the curtain on a new line of Ativ Windows notebooks, but perhaps the most interesting of the company’s new Ativs is a 13.3-inch convertible tablet it hopes will appeal those prepping to head back to school. The shape-shifting Ativ Q sports a tablet mode, a video-friendly formfactor with the screen held near vertical, and a more traditional notebook configuration that reveals its built-in QWERTY keyboard, but it’s got an even niftier trick up its sleeve.

While the Ativ Q boots into Windows 8 there’s also a dual-OS mode that allows the users to switch to stock Android 4.2.2, thereby allowing for Microsoft productivity staples such as Office to live in close proximity to the Google Play Store and the usual gamut of Android apps. It’s a cake-and-eat-it-too tablet. Or a tablet for someone who just can’t decide between Windows or Android.

The Ativ Q also supports the classic Windows desktop mode – and since the tablet includes Samsung’s S Pen stylus (which pulls out from a slot in its side) the tiny menus of classic Windows aren’t as fiddly as they would otherwise be to navigate on such a device.

Samsung said photos and files can be shared between the Windows and Android OS modes. Switching between the different OSes seemed fast during my brief hands on, although it’s relatively easy to accidentally revert to Windows. The Ativ Q is not a native Android device, being as it’s not booting directly to Android, but Samsung made a point of demoing a handful of Android games, including Angry Birds, running on the Ativ Q to show it is capable of handling such apps without a significant dip in performance.

The touchscreen display is QHD with a resolution of 3,200 x 1,800, which works out to a pixel density of about 275 PPI. The aspect ratio of the screen means the device feels quite long and narrow (not unlike plenty of other Windows convertibles). The entire device also feels very hefty – it’s not a tablet you want to hold in your hands for long — and it’s relatively thick, at 13.9mm wide. It is a serious bit of kit to lug about, but if you consider it as a laptop replacement rather than an iPad competitor then that’s perhaps to be expected. It’s certainly not the world’s most elegant slice of portable computing but Samsung is obviously hoping its flexibility is what will make it stand out.

Pulling up on the side of the screen when the device is in tablet mode lifts it out on a built-in hinged stand so it can be angled in a variety of ways, including a so-called “floating” mode suitable for presentations when a standing speaker needs to look down at the screen. The display can also be angled steeply up, with the keyboard entirely out of sight, to view videos. And it can be moved into a typing mode where the display is tucked behind the built-in keyboard.

This keyboard felt unpleasantly plasticky to my fingertips but it was relatively roomy, despite taking up less than half the width of the device. There’s no space for a trackpad but Samsung has added in an optical nav key in the centre of the keyboard if you prefer not to use the touchscreen, plus three physical selection keys at the edge of the keyboard to act as mouse keys.

Samsung has sited the device’s CPU and components inside the flexible stand portion of the device, rather than inside the screen or under the keyboard. It said it wanted to keep the hot parts away from the bits the user touches. Whether that’s a huge advantage remains to be seen, but it does mean the screen is thinner than it might have been otherwise, so probably a little easier to move around.

The screen has a Windows touch-key on the front which returns the user to the Windows 8 homescreen, There’s a tile on that interface for switching to the Android OS (and another for Windows Classic). When using the device in the Android scenario, there are additional nav keys along the bottom of the screen for switching back to Windows. The device being demoed during my hands on was running stock Android 4.2.2, rather than having any TouchWiz overlay.

Samsung said pricing for the Ativ Q will be confirmed later, and the price tag is likely going to be the deciding factor on whether this hybrid beast flies. It’s not what you’d call stylish or elegant, and its weight puts its portability in doubt, but it has the potential to be a bit of a workhorse -– with both Windows and Android, and tablet and QWERTY functionality on tap.

Samsung's Ativ Q is a Windows laptop and an Android tablet in one insanely high-res package

Samsung's famous for launching every type of device under the sun, but this time it's crammed them all into a single package. The company's just announced the Ativ Q, a dual-booting device that runs both Windows 8 and Android 4.2.2 inside a 13.3-inch convertible laptop package. The most impressive parts of the hardware are the insanely high-res 3200 x 1800 screen — the first use of the new display Samsung announced in May — and the flexible hinge that allows the Q to work in tablet mode, laptop mode, stand mode, and a sort of floating mode. From a hardware standpoint, it's remarkably similar to the Acer Aspire R7, though at .55 inches and 2.84 pounds it's a much more manageable device.

The Q is powered by an Intel Core i5 Haswell processor. Samsung says it'll get up to 9 hours of battery life, which would be quite the achievement for such a high-res device. But the real selling point is the dual-booting, and particularly the Side Sync software that lets you share data between the two operating systems, and even pin Android apps to your Start screen. It also lets you use your computer to back up your Samsung Android phone, and even use your PC keyboard to type on your phone. To hear Samsung tell it, the Ativ Q is basically a Windows computer with the Play Store — that's a pretty impressive proposition. And, of course, there's an S Pen.

Samsung also announced the Ativ Tab 3, a super-thin 10.1-inch tablet running Windows 8. It's all part of the Ativ family, which Samsung's made a big deal about — bringing laptops, tablets, and crazy convertibles all under the same roof. It looks a lot like the Galaxy Tab 3, a fact Samsung acknowledged during its press conference, but it's very much a full Windows device — "not the RT version," our emcee said with considerable disdain for Microsoft's low-powered OS. It's remarkably small for a full Windows device — it's 8.2mm thick, and weighs only 1.2 pounds. The Tab 3 comes with Office built in, and there's an S Pen here as well. Unfortunately it only has a 1366 x 768 screen, but Samsung promises up to eight hours of battery life.

As these are global launches, there's no word on when the new Ativs will come to the US or how much they'll cost. Samsung's tablet strategy has always been to be different, or at least be extreme. By launching the thinnest Windows 8 tablet, and a type of Windows tablet we've never seen before, the new Ativ models certainly fit the bill. And is it possible that Samsung just used Google to solve Windows' app problem?

Samsung's summer product push yields the Galaxy NX camera, Ativ Q hybrid laptop, and much more

Samsung promised new Android and Windows devices at its June 20th event in London and it delivered. The Galaxy NX wedded Android with an interchangeable lens camera, the Ativ Q combined Android and Windows into a crazy convertible tablet form factor, and two new Ativ Book laptops brought Samsung's Ultrabook line into the Haswell age.