Review Are These Samsung and Apple Notebooks Worth the Money?

Ernst Roelofs, Bert van Dijk, Aad Munsterman and Rob Coenraads

Apple MacBook Air M3

This spring, Apple quietly released the MacBook Air with M3 processor. The differences with the predecessor MacBook Air M2 are quite small. It is remarkable that Apple calls these M3 MacBooks the best AI consumer laptop: apparently AI will play a major role at the upcoming WWDC developer conference.

Performances

The MacBook Air M3 is available in two display sizes (13.6” and 15.3”), 4 colors (Midnight, Space Gray, Starlight and Silver), 8-core CPU, 8 or 10-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine. The RAM ranges from 8 to 24 GB, storage from 256 GB to 2 TB.

The cheapest (13.6”) MacBook Air costs €1,199, the most expensive (15.3”) costs €2,979.

We received the MacBook Air M3 from Apple in a 15.3-inch version (2880 x 1864 pixels), 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD storage in the color ‘Midnight’ with a suggested retail price of € 2,059.

New and used

The M3 is 20 percent faster than the M2 and has faster Wi-Fi and anti-fingerprint coating. If you can afford it, 512GB of storage gives a bit more comfort than the entry-level model with 256GB of storage memory. If you opt for 16GB or more of RAM, that gives a speed increase in some cases. It is striking that you can now connect a second screen, but only with the lid of the MacBook closed.

The energy-efficient MacBook Air has no fan, something you would only miss during ‘heavy’ processing. Nevertheless, the MacBook does not get really warm and is therefore comfortable to use on your lap.

15.3 inch is larger in terms of screen tracking path pleasant to work with, but a bit more awkward on your lap than the 13-inch model.

The number of ports is limited to 2 Thunderbolt/USB 4 and a MagSafe 3 power port. You can also use the Thunderbolt port for power, but then you have one port less.

Purchase advice

If your current MacBook is still sufficient, there is no reason to replace it. The M3 is 20 percent faster than the M2 and 60 percent faster than the M1. You will certainly notice that difference in more demanding applications and perhaps AI applications. Compared to the latest MacBook Air with Intel processor, the M3 MacBook Airs are ten times faster! But if you are patient, those MacBooks can also be used for less demanding tasks.

The 15.3-inch MacBook Air M3 we tested gets 4 stars for its performance, despite its price.

Product: Apple MacBook Air M3 15.3”

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 360

The new Book4 series consists of four models: Book4 360, Book4 Pro, Book4 Pro 360 and Book4 Ultra ranging from € 1,699 to € 3,699. We tested the Book4 Pro 360 with a suggested retail price of € 2,299. The 360 ​​indicates that it is a 2-in-1 model and ‘Pro’ is more for the business user. In addition to all modern technology, it has a touch screen and an S-pen is included.

Design and screen

It is not a compact model with 355 x 252 x 12.8 mm and a weight of 1660 grams. This is (partly) due to the 16 inch screen with an aspect ratio of 16:10, so that the user has more vertical space available than standard 16:9 screens. This 360 model can be folded completely, so that it can be used in a tent form or completely flat as a tablet.
The special 3K Dynamic Amoled 2X touch screen with anti-reflective coating has 2880 x 1800 pixels with 120Hz. Furthermore, the beautiful 16-inch screen has complete sRGB and DCI-P3 color coverage and thanks to the maximum brightness it gives a great image. Incidentally, the 15-inch version has a considerably lower recommended retail price.

Processor, memory and more specifications

Our test model NP960QGK is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor (4.8 MHz) and an Intel Arc Graphics adapter. This 155H processor has a dedicated NPU (Neural Processing Unit) for AI workloads. The RAM is 16GB, 1TB storage capacity and it is also equipped with Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, micro SD slot, HDMI 2.1a port, USB 3.2 / 10Gbps, 2x USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 / 40Gbps, combi headphone output and microphone in.
The touchpad is large at 150 x 108mm and works well as does the keyboard. Sound is reproduced by four speakers, tuned by AKG and Dolby Atmos, and sound good.

The Pro 360 has a battery capacity of 76Wh and comes with a 65W AC adapter. This capacity is for about 13-14 hours of work and that is very good. A full charge via the fast charger takes about 1.5 hours.

Software

Windows 11 Home is installed and opens quickly with the responsive fingerprint scanner at the top right that also doubles as the power button. In addition to the familiar Samsungutilities Like Samsung Update, there are also features available for collaboration with other Samsung devices such as Galaxy smartphones and tablets.

Practical test

The test results look great for this machine with recent technology. Start-up and processing are fast. Under heavy load, the noise of the fans remains low, but the clock speed of the processor is reduced to reduce heat development.

Conclusion

The Galaxy Pro 360 is a beautiful solid laptop with a thin and light design. The screen is sublime with a vivid and clear image and it also has modern processor technology and scores great performance. Given the limited upgrade options, we would have also liked to see 32GB of RAM, a Windows Hello webcam and Wi-Fi 7 for this price.

Product: Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 360, model NP960QGK

Suggested retail price: €2,299.00

Pros:
* sublime screen
* high performance

Negatives:
* price
* limited hardware upgrades possible