Samsung Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro review: Weatherproof tablet with replaceable battery

Samsung packs its tablet in a sturdy plastic case, the back of which can be removed. Behind it is the battery, which can be easily removed, as well as the microSD slot or SIM slot in the 5G model. The back cover is attached to the case at 28 points. You can open it without tools, but when closing you should make sure that all contact points audibly click into place to ensure that it is properly sealed. 

The Samsung Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro is IP68 certified, meaning that it is largely resistant to dust and water. It also complies with MIL-STD-810H. However, to be on the safe side, you should let the exposed USB-C port dry out after contact with water before using it.

The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 5 and slightly protruding edges. The edges are quite bulky for a conventional tablet, which is also due to the fact that the Tab Active4 Pro has physical buttons for menu control. Compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy Tab Active Pro, the current model has grown slightly and become a little heavier: 674 grams is significantly more than conventional tablets in this price range, such as the 449 grams of the Huawei MatePad Pro 11 2022.

Samsung's robust tablet also comes with a protective case shell that provides the tablet with even more protection. The S Pen, which is also dust- and waterproof, is also stowed in this protective cover. The package weighs a total of 833 grams.

The microSD reader gives average performance in our tests with the Angelbird V60 reference card and achieves transfer rates that one would usually expect in mid range smartphones. So these do not exploit the potential of the fast microSD in any way.

In terms of Wi-Fi, the robust Samsung tablet with WiFi 6 is convincing. However, under testing with our Asus ROG Rapture AXE11000 reference router, the transfer rates were a little slow: between 750 - 780 Mbps is decent, but the MatePad Pro 11 shows that even higher speeds are possible. In addition, the data rates fluctuate quite strongly.

Reception strength is decent in our random sample test: We always had a good signal quality both close to the router and at a distance of 10 meters and through three walls. The Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro is also available with an additional 5G module on request.

We tested the color reproduction of the main camera in our lab and found that most tones are reproduced too darkly. At 1 lux illuminance, hardly anything of the color chart can be recognized.

The camera does a little better when displaying the test chart; individual details are still recognizable at least. In full studio lighting, the image looks good at first glance, but if you look more closely, you can see that the autofocus has worked imprecisely and details are blurrily reproduced.

In addition to the charger and USB cable, the Samsung tablet also comes with the bulky protective cover, which itself includes storage for the dust- and waterproof S-Pen. The cover also fits well in the hand and is ribbed for extra grip. The S Pen can sometimes be a little difficult to remove from its slot, but it feels good to use and helps with tablet activities that require precision handling. 

Although Samsung's shop does not have any accessories for the tablet, photos show a keyboard cover and the PIN connections on the bottom also suggest the possibility of a charging station or docking station. These are probably intended for corporate customers and are therefore not sold directly.

Despite the tablet's business origins, Samsung offers private customers a 24-month warranty in Germany. This may differ depending on your location, so be sure to check with your supplier before purchasing. 

The graphics performance is also significantly faster than in other outdoor tablets, but cannot keep up with high-end SoCs. But if you don't intend on running any graphically complex apps, this shouldn't be a problem.

The Samsung tablet is fast on average when surfing. Every now and then you have to wait for page content to load, and even pictures sometimes take a while when scrolling. Overall, there are many tablets that offer much faster surfing, but the Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro is fast enough for everyday use.

Thanks to UFS memory, the Tab Active4 Pro is much faster than its predecessor in terms of data transfer. It can't keep up with the top-performing tablets, but loading times are significantly shorter than in some other tablets.

There is plenty of space in the large tablet case for the waste heat of the mid-range SoC to dissipate, so no temperature problems arise under prolonged and very high load. At a maximum of 30.8 °C, the maximum temperature is barely noticeable and also very much limited to individual points on the case.

In the 3DMark stress tests, the tablet also has no problems maintaining its performance over 20 benchmark runs.

Stereo speakers on the sides increase the tablet's entertainment value in addition to good sound during video conferences. You can listen to pop music, but you should not necessarily max out the volume, as the sound becomes increasingly high-pitched. Overall, it is noticeable that bass and deep mids are lacking, although there would have been room for the corresponding sound modules.

The tablet has a 3.5 mm jack port for headphones as well as Bluetooth. Not so many codecs are available here, but at least aptX, LDAC, AAC, SBC and SSC are recognized. 

The battery lasted 14:12 hours in our Wi-Fi test. Not a record, and much shorter than all comparison devices, but still quite suitable for everyday use. You should definitely be able to get through an average working day, even if you spend some time working with complex apps. At moderate load, two or more days without a socket is also possible.

At the time of review, the Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro was available via numerous retailers online. 

On Amazon USA, for example, the 64 GB variant is listed at US$683,99. An upgrade to 128 GB is only US$25 more expensive at US$709,00.