Preview Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro notebooks

Because more working from home has almost become a matter of course for many people, there is more demand for notebooks. Reason enough for Samsung to sell notebooks in the Netherlands again. Read the preview of the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 with S Pen and the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro here, because PC-Active was there when Samsung showed these models. Please note that these were pre-production models, so there may still be changes.
Samsung has chosen to release two versions of the new models: both the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 with S Pen and the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro are available in a 13.3 inch and 15.6 inch version. There are quite a few differences between the models, the most important of which we discuss here. The regular Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro has a so-called clamshell version, which is the ‘normal’ version. With the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 you can completely flip the screen (yes, 360 degrees) and you have a tablet, as it were.

Design and design
As with many notebooks nowadays, these Samsung notebooks also look sleek and what is most striking: very thin and lightweight. For example, the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro with 13.3 inches is 1.12 cm. thin and 870 grams ‘heavy’ and the 15.6 inch version 1.32 cm ‘thick’ and weighs 1.17 kg. The 360 ​​versions are also remarkably thin and not heavy at 1.15 cm. and 1.04 kg. (13.3inch) and 1.19cm and 1.41kg (15.6inch). The aluminum tops are a bit fingerprint-sensitive, perhaps because the correct coating had not yet been applied. Only the 360 ​​models also have an aluminum bottom.

Processor and memory
All new Galaxy Book2 Pros will be equipped with the latest 12th generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processors. In terms of graphics, they are equipped with the Intel Iris Xe Graphics, while the Pro 15.6 inch also has Intel Arc Graphics. In terms of RAM you can choose from 8, 16 or 32 GB (LPDDR5) and in terms of SSD storage memory you can choose from 256, 512 GB or no less than 1 TB. In addition, all models are equipped with a micro-SD slot, so that you can opt for more storage memory.

Display and S Pen
All models have a full-HD resolution or 1920 x 1080 pixels with 16:9 image format. Fine in itself, but not really for these so-called Pro models. At this price level, the competition often comes with screens with higher resolutions such as 2560 x 1440 (qhd) and there we also see image sizes of 16:10 and 3:2. Samsung has deliberately chosen this for these models, so that they do not consume much power/battery. Still, we think this is a missed opportunity, but because more new notebooks from Samsung will appear later this year, we expect models that will have this. And then we actually expect a model that is between the 13.3 and 15.6 inch version…
Those AMOLED screens do look good, with the 360 ​​models having SUPERAMOLED screens with a touchscreen, which I am a fan of myself. You can use the S Pen for this, for which no separate space is reserved in or on the laptop to store it, as is the case with the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

Battery and Connectivity
With the battery, the various laptops should be able to last for about 21 hours; the 13.3-inch models have a 63Wh battery and the 15.6-inch models have a 68Wh battery. The 65-watt universal USB-c fast charger is beautiful, which not only charges this Galaxy device super fast, but also all Galaxy mobile devices. Handy for at home, but even more so when you’re on the go. have when you are on the go. The regular Pros have a headphone, Thunderbolt and usb-c connection as well as a usb-a connection, while the 360s have 2 usb-c ports. Incidentally, the Pro 15.6 inch also has an HDMI connection.
As with the new Samsung Galaxy S22s, these notebooks have Wi-Fi 6E, the new ‘standard’ (although they are already talking about Wi-Fi 7). We also see Bluetooth 5.1 and the 15.6-inch version of the regular Galaxy Book 2 Pro also supports 5G.

Webcam and sound
As reported at the beginning, much more is done at home and Samsung is aiming for these models. That is why there is a better webcam for video calling. All these Galaxy Book 2 Pro (360)s are equipped with 1080p webcam that now has an 87-degree field of view, while its predecessor had ‘only’ 77 degrees. Samsung also has a lot of software improvements: for example, there is the new Auto Framing function within Studio Mode, so that you are always in the center of the picture, whether you move to the left or right. Due to other improvements, the background is not disturbing, you can also blur this background and with Face Effect you always look your best.
For better communication, the two-way noise cancellation blocks out background noise from both you and your colleagues. Furthermore, with the Max 5W output Smart Amp you are assured of a balanced sound, even when it is loud, and the Galaxy Book2 Pro series supports sound technology from AKG and Dolby Atmos.

Software
Of course, these new models are equipped with Windows 11, but the collaboration with Microsoft goes much further. According to Microsoft, the best Microsoft apps and services are now part of the Galaxy ecosystem and the Galaxy Book2 Pro series is the first consumer notebook to bear Microsoft’s secured-core PC quality mark. Consumers need exactly the same security at home or on the road as at the office, according to Microsoft. In addition to a rpm 2.0 module, there are also various software functions, such as virtualization-based security (VBS) and Windows Hypervisor Code Integrity service (HVCI).
You can also easily transfer data and settings to a new device with the Galaxy Book Smart Switch. Once transferred, the Galaxy Book2 Pro series should seem fairly familiar, because you work on the intuitive One Book UI 4.0 that you already know from other Galaxy devices: same user interface, same apps, same menus. Finally, with Single Sign-On, you only need to log into your Samsung account once to access your Galaxy apps.

Price, colors and availability
The Galaxy Book2 Pro will be available on April 1 in Graphite and Silver for a suggested retail price starting at €1,449 (13inch, i7, 16GB RAM and 512GB storage). The Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 is also available in Burgundy for a suggested retail price of € 1,549 (13inch, i7, 16GB RAM and 512GB storage).