Samsung stopped selling laptops in the Netherlands in 2014, but has recently returned. The Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro is one of the models that is for sale in the Netherlands and is notable for its very low weight in combination with an OLED screen.
Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro (NP950XED-KF2NL)
Price € 1499,-
Processor Intel Core i7-1260P
RAM 16GB
Storage 512GB SSD
Screen 15.6 inch OLED (1920 x 1080)
OS Windows 11 Home
Connections Thunderbolt 4, usb-c, usb, 3.5mm headset jack, HDMI 1.4, microSD card reader
webcam 1080p camera
wireless Wi-Fi 6E, bluetooth 5.1
Dimensions 35.5 x 22.6 x 1.2 cm
Weight 1.13 kilograms
Battery 68 Wh
Website www.samsung.nl
8 Score 80 
- Pros
- Good battery life
- Low weight
- OLED screen
- Silent operation
- Negatives
- Only Full HD screen
- Glossy screen edge
- Lots of installed software
Samsung stopped selling laptops in Europe in 2014, but the company continued in other parts of the world. The Galaxy Book2 Pro is therefore the successor to the Galaxy Book Pro. In addition to the tested Galaxy Book 2 Pro, Samsung is also launching a convertible Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 with a touch screen.
Both laptops are for sale with a 13.3 and 15.6 inch screen, so you can choose from four different laptops. We received from Samsung the 15.6 inch version of the Galaxy Book2 Pro† Immediately after unpacking, the low weight is noticeable, despite the large screen, this laptop weighs only 1129 grams.
The magnesium and aluminum metal housing is designed to be lightweight and remarkably thin. Still, the laptop feels sturdy. Only the area around the keyboard can be pressed a bit. You can take it with you in your bag without any worries and the low weight is of course very pleasant. In the thin housing, Samsung has provided a considerable number of connections in the form of Thunderbolt 4, usb-c, usb, HDMI 1.4, a headphone jack and a microSD card reader.
Lots of unnecessary software
The Galaxy Book2 Pro not only stands out because of its thin housing, but also because of the large amount of pre-installed software. Samsung has pre-installed more than 20 of its own services and programs that you also know from their smartphones, such as Bixby, Samsung Notes and Samsung Gallery.
These applications, which partly duplicate applications in Windows itself, are especially useful for users of other Samsung devices. If you are not, fortunately you can simply remove the software.
OLED screen with shiny edge
Samsung is known for OLED screens and such a screen is also used on this laptop. OLED screens stand out because of their colors, high contrast and good viewing angles. It is a nice screen to work with, although it remains only Full HD. Less attractive is that the screen is finished with a loose edge that reflects even more than the screen itself.
A Full HD camera is placed above the screen that produces a sharp image. The camera only has trouble with situations with different lighting conditions (such as the setting sun). However, it is a much better camera than used in many other laptops.
The keyboard is logically very flat, but it does have a pleasant touch and is remarkably quiet. It is nice that the laptop is equipped with a numerical field and that the on-off switch is equipped with a fingerprint scanner. The keyboard backlight has three brightness levels. A spacious glass touchpad is placed under the keyboard that works excellently.
Good performances
The Intel processor used is a model with 12 cores, which, in combination with 16 GB of RAM and a fast SSD, ensures excellent performance. In PCMark 10, this laptop achieves an excellent score of 5209 points. In Cinebench R23, the single-core score is an excellent 1536 points. The multi-core score of 9213 points in Cinebench R23 indicates good performance in applications designed for multiple cores.
When the same benchmark is run for a longer period of time, the score drops to a still good 8523 points. During normal use, the laptop is quiet, but the cooling is audible during heavier tasks.
The laptop is equipped with a 68Wh battery with which you have a working time of about twelve and a half hours during normal office work. The SSD is a PM991a from Samsung’s own stable. With a read and write speed of 2204.77 and 1194.96 MB/s, it’s not the fastest SSD you can buy right now. Nevertheless, the score of 167.53 MB/s in the PCMmark10 Quick System Drive Benchmark is quite good and this SSD is of course more than fast enough for normal work.
The housing can be opened easily, but only the SSD can be replaced if necessary. It is striking that a second M.2 slot is available, making the storage even easier to expand. All other components cannot be replaced, even the WiFi adapter is soldered.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro is a laptop that mainly stands out due to its low weight and thin housing. At the same time, you get a well-performing device with an OLED screen. You do pay for that low weight, because the same good performance can also be found on cheaper laptops.
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