Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 Review: Big Screen Entertainment Machine

Samsung has released several Galaxy Books over the years. Despite being generally good devices with a recognizable brand name, most of them remain Samsung-enthusiast shopping; No one has really entered the mainstream conversation.

So it seems reasonable that the Galaxy Book Pro 360 is not a direct sequel to any pre-existing Galaxy Books. Instead, it is Samsung’s attempt to combine the best features of previous PCs and create a device that Samsung knows it can do really well.

It worked. The Galaxy Book Pro 360 is targeting a fairly specific audience, but in two areas – its OLED screen and its three-pound weight – it’s a groundbreaking device with little competition in the market. But what is truly extraordinary is that you don’t have to sacrifice much to get those extraordinary features. It is solid in other areas that matter, it comes with some clean software and has some significant problems. If there is one device that can take the Galaxy Book out of the Samsung super-fans arena and bring it into the mainstream market, this is it.

The 15-inch Galaxy Book Pro 360 starts at $ 1,299. For the base price, you get a Core i7-1165G7, 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. For $ 200 you can upgrade to the model I’m reviewing, which has 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The only other difference between these configurations is that the base only comes in “Mystic Navy” (the color of the unit I have), while the pricier also comes in “Mystic Bronze”. There is also a 13-inch model, starting at $ 1,399.99, which will support 5G at some point (though it hasn’t yet).

That is competitive pricing. The Samsung Book Flex has an MSRP of $ 1,399 for the 8GB / 512GB model as Samsung’s most recent ultraportable touchscreen (although it is on sale now). The comparable Surface Laptop 4 and Surface Pro 7 Plus models start at as low as $ 1,499. All Galaxy Book Pro 360 models also ship with the S Pen, which is the same as the S Pen on the Galaxy Book Flex, except that it is 2.5 times thicker. As I noted in my initial look at Book 360, it really does feel like a real pen (especially compared to the S Pen you get with a Galaxy Note phone, which feels like toys in comparison ), However I wish that there was somewhere in the chassis to store it.

The quad-core Core i7-1165G7 is the same processor that powers many of the best consumer laptops on the market. The Pro 360 was fine for the large load of Chrome tabs and apps that I pushed during each day of testing. The performance was snappy, and I rarely heard fans spin (though I have occasionally heard Kundalini from the processor). Note that there is no discrete GPU option, but Iris X graphics can support some light gaming and graphic work.

Then, there are several customization features that you can change in the Samsung Settings app. If you want total silence, you can swap between cooling profiles with “no fan” mode. You can toggle “Studio Mode,” which is supposed to increase the quality of your video on a call – while it wasn’t night and day, I found that it made me feel a little better in low-light settings. One feature I didn’t like was the secret screen, which claims to be a privacy screen, but actually only makes the app you’re using either translucent or dark (and it works with every app does not do). It may be a little harder to spy on, but it also makes the work an awkward experience, and you can get a similar effect by lowering your screen. If you’re looking at highly sensitive content, I’d invest in a laptop with a real privacy shield (like HP’s Elite Dragonfly).

And then there are some bonuses for those who are already Samsung devotees: you can expand your performance on the Galaxy Tab S7 or S7 Plus and quickly file files between Galaxy devices with Samsung’s Quick Share function Can move. And the Pro 360 comes with some Samsung software, including Samsung Notes (which can sync between devices) and SmartThings.

Most (very few) quibbles with the device come from outside. For one, the blue chassis is a fingerprint magnet (the lid was all smoldered after half a day of use). I also experienced some occasional palm-rejection issues with the touchpad, which improved when collided with the lowest sensitivity but did not disappear. And I know some people prefer the flat keyboard, but it is too flat for my taste, with just 1mm travel.

But there are some reasons why the Galaxy Book Pro 360 really stands out, and they easily make up for those quibbles. The first screen is. The 13-inch Galaxy Book Pro 360 will be one of the 13-inch OLED laptops available in the market. OLED is more common in the 15-inch level, but it is unusual to see outside manufacturer-centric workstations with discrete GPUs. The most obvious use for this 15.6-inch OLED panel is potential entertainment rather than on-the-go creative work. (This is especially true because it is just 1920 x 1080 resolution, not 4K.)

The screen is quite sharp with vibrant colors. (This maximizes our colorimeter, covering 100 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 100 percent of the SRGB color gamut). As we expect from the OLED panel, it offers bright white and unique black color. If you are looking for a 15.6-inch laptop with an OLED display, you are unlikely to find one at a lower price.

That said, there are a few things to note. First of all, it does not get the maximum, super bright at only 276 nits in my test. It brought back some glare from the outside, although I was still able to use it. Second, it is 16: 9, which is an aspect ratio that I have sworn on forever because it is tight for multitasking. And third, there is some stuttering when you type or use the touchscreen. It is not worst I’ve ever seen it, but it’s there.

Another extraordinary feature: The Galaxy Book Pro 360 is truly portable. It is a few millimeters thicker than the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (0.46 in). And at three pounds, it is easily one of the lightest 15-inch laptops you can buy. The 15-inch Surface Laptop 4 and the Galaxy Book Flex, both also known for their lightweight builds, are about half a pound heavier. I never considered buying a 15-inch laptop myself, because of how much they weigh; This is the first 15-incher I’ve reviewed that I can actually carry myself all day.

The third benefit is one I did not expect: battery life. This laptop has a 68Wh battery, which is not too big for a 15-inch (although it is often larger for a 15W processor with integrated graphics than you often do). It also has a display that may suck the battery. Samsung’s last attempt at an OLED laptop had disappointing results. So I was pleasantly surprised to know how long the Galaxy Book Pro 360 lasted. I charged an average of 10 hours and 23 minutes during my testing, which included using about a dozen Chrome tabs and some apps that had around 200 nits of brightness. If you are using it only for entertainment and not as the primary function driver, then you are more likely to get it.

I am a fan of the 15-inch Galaxy Book Pro 360, though I think its audience is quite exclusive. It is a laptop worth considering if you are out and about and are looking for an excellent big-screen entertainment experience, and perhaps you also need to take notes or create artwork for class in your spare time. Bonus points if you are already plugged into the Samsung ecosystem. Not everyone needs that kind of laptop – but if you do, it’s good to see.

The weight of the device is a huge advantage, but even more impressive is that you are not sacrificing a lot to achieve that weight. You get a premium build, a capable processor with plenty of RAM and storage, a good port selection, a good screen with stylus support, and all-day battery life, all at a competitive price. What made this laptop so worth its price is that the lightweight chassis is icing on the cake – it’s not a feature you’ll have to compromise a ton of other things to get.

If you are a fan of Samsung that has not yet sold on the Galaxy Book lineup, I would say that this is what you will get. I wish the hinge would be stronger, I wish the keyboard wasn’t so flat, and I wish the screen was a bit sharper. But I don’t see any of those things significantly hindering the overall experience. For once, Samsung has worked hard to defeat 2-in-1.