Samsung is taking another swing making the
best ultrabooks
with two new Windows laptops: the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro and Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360. Both the clamshell and the convertible options were announced at today’s Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event. They are available for pre-order now and will hit retail stores on May 14.
Both the Book Pro and Book Pro 360 will come in 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch versions, all of which will rely on intel’s Core i5 or Core i7 “Tiger Lake” processors and Iris Xe integrated graphics, and they will carry
Intel Evo
branding.
| Samsung Galaxy Book Pro | Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Up to 11th Gen Intel Core i7 | Up to 11th Gen Intel Core i7 |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe (Integrated) | Intel Iris Xe (Integrated) |
| RAM | Up to 16GB LPDDR4x | Up to 16GB LPDDR4x |
| Storage | Up to 512GB NVMe SSD | Up to 1TB NVMe SSD on 15.6-inch inch, Up to 512GB on 13.3-inch |
| Display | 13.3 or 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080, AMOLED | 13.3 or 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080, Super AMOLED touch |
| Networking | LTE (only in some countries, not the US, 13-inch), Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1 | 5G (optional, 13-inch), Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Battery | 63 Wh (13-inch) / 68 Wh (15-inch) | 63 Wh (13-inch) / 68 Wh (15-inch) |
| Starting Price | 13.3-inch: $999, 15.6-inch: $1,099 | 13.3-inch: $1,199, 15.6-inch: $1,299 |
There are a number of other similarities between both laptops across the sizes. The whole line is using 1920 x 1080 AMOLED displays (though the Galaxy Book Pro 360’s Super AMOLED also incorporates touch), and they’re made of what Samsung calls 6000-series aluminum. Samsung is also bringing a “secret screen” technology to the laptops, which hampers viewing angles from sides when you are working on private documents. HP has included similar functionality in many of its business laptops for a few years under the name SureView.
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The biggest differences between the two models are the networking options and ports. The Galaxy Book Pro will offer Wi-Fi 6E and, in the 13.3-inch option, LTE in some territories. But the Galaxy Book Pro 360’s 13.3-inch configuration will have optional 5G. The Book Pro has Thunderbolt 4, USB Type-C, USB Type-A 3.2, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microSD card slot and a SIM card slot, while the Book PRo 360 ditches the USB 3.2 in favor of another Type-C port. Both use 65W gallium nitride (GaN) chargers for fast charging. The 15.6-inch Galaxy Book Pro 360 has the largest storage option at 1TB.
There are also differences in color. The Book Pro uses matte colors called mystic blue and mystic silver while the Book Pro 360 opts for a more metallic mystic navy and mystic bronze.
Samsung is touting how thin the laptops are. The Book Pro is 11.2 mm thin on the 13-incher and 11.7 mm on the 15.6-incher, while the Galaxy Book Pro 360 is slightly thicker at 11.5 mm and 11.9 mm, respectively. The smallest of the line, the Galaxy Book Pro 13, will weigh just 1.92 pounds.
The hardware also includes a redesigned keyboard, with scissor switches and rubber domes with 1 millimeter of travel which Samsung says is nearly silent.
Samsung is also emphasizing the two laptops for their spot in the Galaxy-branded ecosystem. That includes using Samsung Notes and PENUP to sync notes across devices, using Smart Switch to transfer files (a first on Samsung’s PCs) and Quick Share. A Galaxy Tab S7 can be used as a second monitor, and a Link to Windows feature will let you use up to five mobile apps on your laptop.
For those of us working from home, there’s a Studio Mode for improved video calling and intelligent noise cancelling to get rid of ambient sounds. Some of this is already built into other apps, but for those not familiar, these may be a nice touch.
The company is also bringing Samsung Care+ to PCs for the first time, allowing for up to two years of customer service and what it says are discounted repairs.
The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro will start at $999 for the 13-inch version and $1,099 for the 15.6 option. The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 will start at $1,199 and $1,299 in the same screen sizes, but with touch support and an S Pen.