Samsung launched its new Galaxy Book laptops at its virtual event on April 28.
The new Galaxy Book Pro, Galaxy Book Pro 360, and Galaxy Book all focus on mobile performance and portability. Both the Galaxy Book Pro 360 and Galaxy Book Pro come in 13.3 and 15.6-inch sizes, while the Galaxy Book comes in just 15.6-inch.
Galaxy Book Pro 360
The Galaxy Book Pro 360 is a convertible laptop with a 360-degree folding hinge. The device weighs just 1.04kg and comes with an S Pen for on-screen annotations. Samsung says that the Galaxy Book Pro 360’s S Pen is 2.5 times thicker for a more true-to-life pen feel. As a side note, the S Pen for the Galaxy Book Pro 360 is not Bluetooth enabled and is not compatible with the other Galaxy Books.
| Device | Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 13 | Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 15 |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-1135G7
Intel Core i7-1165G7 |
Intel Core i5-1135G7
Intel Core i7-1165G7 |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe | Intel Iris Xe, Nvidia GeForce MX450 |
| Memory | 8GB LPDDR4X | 8GB LPDDR4X |
| Storage | 512GB | 512GB |
| Display | 13.3-inch 1920 x 1080p AMOLED | 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080p AMOLED |
| Battery | 63Wh | 68Wh |
| Ports | 1x Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB-C, 1x headphone/mic combo jack, 1x MicroSD, 1x optional nano-SIM | 1x Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB-C, 1x headphone/mic combo jack, 1x MicroSD |
| Weight | 1.04kg | 1.39kg |
| Camera | 720p | 720p |
| Price | Starting at CA$1,600 | Starting at CA$1,730 |
A big selling point of this laptop is its 1920x1080p Super AMOLED display. Compared to LCD displays, OLED displays generally have better contrast since they can disable their backlight in dark scenes. The panel used for the Galaxy Book Pro 360 covers the full DCI-P3 color space.
Powering the device is Intel’s 11th-gen Core i5-1135G7, and Core i7-1165G7 processors. The 13-inch models use Intel’s Xe integrated graphics, while the 15-inch models get the Nvidia GeForce MX450 dedicated graphics. While the Galaxy Book Pro 360 offers up to 16GB of memory and 1TB of storage for the U.S. market, the Canadians will only get 8GB of memory and 512GB of storage.
Despite being just 11.5mm thick, the 13-inch Galaxy Book Pro 360 comes with a 63Wh battery. The 15-inch model has a slightly larger 68Wh. Samsung says that the devices can handle 20 hours of continuous video playback or 16 hours of general productivity, although it did not specify which model. During the presentation, Samsung noted that it added an extra safety feature to the battery.
For input, the Galaxy Book Pro 360 features the Pro keyboard with a 1mm key travel. Additionally, Samsung shifted the keyboard up slightly to make room for a 23 per cent larger trackpad. The device also carries a 720p HD webcam with a dual-array microphone.
Port selection includes one Thunderbolt 4 port, two USB-C ports, a 3.5mm combo audio jack, and a microSD card slot.
Several Samsung software experiences tie in the new Galaxy Books with Samsung’s other devices. Features like Quick Share and Quick Search can manage files between devices faster, and Second Screen lets the user turn a Galaxy Tab into a second display.
The Galaxy Book Pro 360 is available for pre-order now starting at $1,600. All pre-orders include a free pair of Galaxy Buds Pro wireless earphones. The devices are expected to ship on May 14.
Galaxy Book Pro
The Galaxy Book Pro uses a traditional clamshell design and is even lighter than the Galaxy Book Pro 360. The device is just 11.2mm thick and weighs 870g. For comparison, the 12.3-inch Surface Pro 7 is 790g without its keyboard cover.
| Device | Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 13 | Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 15 |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-1135G7
Intel Core i7-1165G7 |
Intel Core i5-1135G7
Intel Core i7-1165G7 |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe | Intel Iris Xe, Nvidia GeForce MX450 |
| Memory | 8GB LPDDR4X | 8GB LPDDR4X |
| Storage | 256GB | 256GB |
| Display | 13.3-inch 1920 x 1080p AMOLED | 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080p AMOLED |
| Battery | 63Wh | 68Wh |
| Ports | 1x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB-C, 1x USB-A, 1x headphone/mic combo jack, 1x MicroSD, 1x optional nano SIM | 1x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB-C, 1x USB-A, 1x HDMI, 1x headphone/mic combo jack, 1x MicroSD |
| Weight | 0.87kg | 1.15kg |
| Camera | 720p | 720p |
| Price | Starting at CA$1,470 | Starting at CA$1,600 |
Its internals is largely the same. It also uses Intel’s 11th-gen i5 or i7 processors, 8GB memory, but comes with just 256GB of storage. The tight storage space may make the device less appealing considering its high starting price.
In addition, the Galaxy Book Pro uses a 1920 x 1080 AMOLED display instead of Super AMOLED. According to Samsung, a Super AMOLED display is 20 per cent brighter, 20 per cent more power-efficient, and has 80 per cent less sunlight reflections than regular AMOLED. It also packs the touch sensors and the screen into a single layer.
The Galaxy Book Pro is available for pre-order now starting at CA$1,470. All pre-orders include a free pair of Galaxy Buds Pro wireless earphones. The devices are expected to ship on May 14.
Galaxy Book
Samsung announced the Galaxy Book for the affordable end. The 15.6-inch Galaxy Book comes with a 1920 x 1080 PLS display, Intel 11th-gen Core i3 processor, MX450 dedicated graphics, 8GB of RAM, and up to 512GB of storage.
| Device | Samsung Galaxy Book |
| Processor | Intel Core i3 |
| Graphics | Intel UHD, Nvidia GeForce MX450 |
| Memory | 8GB LPDDR4X |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB |
| Display | 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080p PLS |
| Battery | 68Wh |
| Ports | 2x USB-C, 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI, 1x headphone/mic combo jack, 1x MicroSD |
| Weight | 1.16kg |
| Camera | 720p |
| Price | Starting at CA$859 |
The Galaxy Book will be available for US$549 (~CA$676). Availability for Canada is yet to be determined.
The Samsung Galaxy Book Odyssey gaming laptop will not be available in Canada.
Update on April 30 at 3:05 pm: Added Canadian pricing for the Galaxy Book.