Samsung has just announced two new ultra-light laptops: the Galaxy Book 2 Pro, in the traditional format, and the Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360, a 2-in-1 with a folding touchscreen. In agreement with last year models these iterations integrate even better with Samsung’s device ecosystem, allowing for continuity between Windows and Android that other manufacturers can only dream of. If you already own a Samsung phone or tablet, these might be the next computers to consider.
- Traditional clamshell format
- 13.3 / 15.6 inch models
- 11.2 / 11.7 / 13.2 mm thick*
- Weight 0.87 / 1.11 / 1.17kg*
- 1920 x 1080 pixel non-touch AMOLED display
- Backlit keyboard and numeric keypad on 15.6″ models
- 12th Gen Intel Evo processor (i5/i7)
- Intel Iris X / Intel Iris X / Intel Arc* GPU
- 8/16/32 GB LPDDR5 RAM
- Up to 1TB NVMe SSD storage memory
- Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth v5.1 and optional 5G connectivity on 15.6″ models
- Thunderbolt 4 (1), USB-C (1), USB 3.2 (1), HDMI (1), 3.5mm headphone/mic jack, optional microSD and nano SIM slot on 15.6″ models
- 1080p camera / dual microphone
- AKG 4/5W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos sound
- Battery up to 21 hours of video playback
- 65W USB-C Charger
- Fingerprint reader on the on/off key
- Windows 11 and One UI Book 4
- In silver or graphite
- 13.3-inch / 15.6-inch models with integrated graphics unit / 15.6-inch models with dedicated graphics unit respectively.
- 2-in-1 format with 360 degree swivel screen
- 13.3 / 15.6 inch models
- 11.5/11.9mm thick
- Weight 1.04 / 1.41kg
- 1920 x 1080 pixel Super AMOLED touchscreen
- S-Pen compatible
- Backlit keyboard and numeric keypad on 15.6″ models
- 12th Gen Intel Evo processor (i5/i7)
- Intel Iris X graphics processor
- 8/16/32 GB LPDDR5 RAM
- 256/512/1TB SSD storage memory
- Connectivity Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth v5.1
- Thunderbolt 4 (1), USB-C (2), 3.5mm headphone/mic jack and microSD slot
- 1080p camera / dual microphone
- AKG 4/5W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos sound
- Battery up to 21 hours of video playback
- 65W USB-C Charger
- Fingerprint reader on the on/off key
- Windows 11 and One UI Book 4
Available in silver, graphite or burgundy
I was able to test the different models for an hour, but I’ll stick to my first impression. I picked up the 13.3-inch Galaxy Book 2 Pro and found it weighed nothing. With a well-distributed 870 grams and an 11.2-millimeter profile when the lid is closed, my 6.7-inch phone felt like a brick in comparison.
Despite this renewed commitment to ultraportability, Samsung hasn’t skimped on ports. The Galaxy Book 2 Pro has, on the one hand, a USB-C Thunderbolt 4 interface, an additional USB Type-C and a full-size HDMI port. On the other side, a micro SD card slot, a USB 3.2 type A port and a 3.5 millimeter headphone and microphone jack.
The 15.6-inch model with 5G connectivity adds a nano SIM card tray. The Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360, meanwhile, removes the HDMI port and USB-A port, but adds a third USB Type-C port. On all models, the charger is a small 65W USB-C power adapter. A 30-minute charge gives you a day’s worth of battery life.
The Galaxy Book 2 Pro has a 33% brighter AMOLED display with Samsung’s trademark saturated colors, but the Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 leaves it behind with a Super AMOLED touchscreen. This laptop brings the best of Galaxy phones to the office, including support for the S Pen (which now offers lower latency).
On the downside, both models retain a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, including the 15.6-inch versions. Surely this pixel density has a significant advantage on computer performance and battery consumption, but it seems slim compared to what you see in phones.
Thinness isn’t incompatible with performance in the case of the Galaxy Book 2 either. Don’t expect an i9 and an Nvidia RTX among its configurations, but you can count on the latest generation of Intel i5 and i7 processors and, for the first time, a dedicated GPU on the Pro model.
The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 can be configured with 12th Gen Intel Evo processors (which have a multi-core architecture similar to big.LITTLE, with powerful cores and efficient cores), and dedicated Intel Iris X or Intel Arc integrated graphics. They are up to 1.7 times faster than their predecessors.
They’re not far behind when it comes to memory, with options of up to 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. Nor in connectivity: W-Fi 6E, Bluetooth v5.1 and optional 5G cellular connection in 15.6-inch models.
One of Samsung’s big claims for these Galaxy Books is its “enterprise-level” security integrations. Samsung worked with Microsoft to improve system security by integrating hardware and software from the start to protect the user against firmware-level attacks. In addition, the user’s fingerprint is stored in a separate microprocessor (Finger Print Unit) to ensure data integrity.
Continuing with privacy enhancements, Samsung has brought Private Share to the desktop, a feature in Galaxy phones that uses blockchain technology to revoke access to shared documents over a period of time. One of the weak points of the original Galaxy Book was the webcam
. In the Galaxy Book 2, the camera increases its resolution from 720 to 1080p and its field of view from 77 to 87 degrees, adding several software tricks. Besides. New laptops can center the frame on the person speaking or open the frame as you move around the room.
It also improves sound, with up to 5-watt stereo speakers and two-way microphones with machine learning-based noise cancellation.
Windows is still Windows, but new Samsung laptops have been given the face of One UI, with icons and programs that will be familiar to users of Galaxy devices. Like Samsung Notes, which in addition to editing notes can also edit photos, even with advanced features such as automatic deletion of people and objects.
Many of Samsung’s Windows integrations are tied to ecosystem continuity. Second Screen lets you use a Galaxy Tab tablet as an external monitor, as well as copy and paste text between devices. A hub is also added to control home automation.
Smarthings Find to locate your laptop even when it’s turned off, Galaxy Book Smart Switch to transfer files and settings from an old PC regardless of manufacturer, Samsung File Tracker to locate files in a calendar view, and also the voice assistant Bixby, which replaces the deceased Cortana. For some reason, laptops also include Alexa (among other examples of bloatware).
The new Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro will arrive in more markets than its predecessors from April. The Galaxy Book 2 Pro starts at $1,050. The Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 starts at $1,250, with the S Pen included in the price. Models with 5G and the Galaxy Book Business, with the business-oriented Intel vPro platform, will be more expensive. This article is translated fromGizmodo in Spanish . Read it
original article.