Samsung isn’t a new name in the PC business. The company has been selling laptops, just like many other things, for a long time. It did even in India before it decided to discontinue this product category almost a decade ago. But given the demand of the PC market, and the number of new brands experimenting with their luck, Samsung is back again. Maybe, just like Apple, Samsung is also trying to create its own ‘Galaxy’ ecosystem. But will it succeed and is the Galaxy Book2 Pro worth the money?
First look at this machine and I can feel the Samsung touch everywhere -- right from the design to the screen to the power onboard. The Galaxy Book2 Pro looks ultra-premium. I won’t mind calling it an ‘elitebook’ but the name’s already been taken by HP. This 13-inch laptop has a wedge design (remember the iPad Air) with the sleekest point measuring 11.2mm, which also contributes to making it feel feather-light at 870 grams. And yet, Samsung hasn’t compromised on any ports. All the ports, right from USB-C ports on the left (includes two - one for charging, another supporting Thunderbolt 4) to full USB port, HDMI, microSD card slot and a 3.5mm jack, all neatly tucked into the sides. Even the 13.3-inch display has very sleek bezels on the sides and the top, and a slightly thicker one at the bottom.
Samsung has spilt its screen magic on this machine too – and with a 1920 x 1080 AMOLED display that looks stunning and colours pop out. And the keyboard is well spaced with nice travel between the keys that makes it super convenient to type. The trackpad supports finger gestures. For security unlocking the machine, a fingerprint scanner has been added to the top right of the keyboard. While the laptop embeds basic hardware the software security features (latter from Microsoft), the addition of Samsung’s military-grade Knox would have been great. I loved the new Burgundy colour Samsung showcased during the product launch, however, it is yet to come to India. My review unit was dipped in Silver, which looked nice as it was neither matte nor shiny.
Contrary to the sleek design, the innards of this machine are power-packed. Running Windows 11 Home, the machine is powered by 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor with 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD and Iris Xe integrated graphics, which handled my workload including multiple Chrome tabs (approximately 25 across multiple windows), image and video editing, heavy downloads, streaming videos and long hours of video conferencing without any hiccups.
It is good for casual gaming (titles such as Dota 2, and Dead or Alive). There were no freezing issues but the machine was warm after about 20 minutes of gaming. But it won’t be able to handle GTA V. Unlike most companies who ship laptops with just one month free trial of Office 365, this one comes with a lifetime licence to use Office Suite valid (only on the machine). Plus, there are some additional apps such as Samsung Studio Plus for video editing. And then there are some more apps such as Samsung Notes, Samsung Recovery, Samsung Switch, etc. that can come in handy. The full-HD camera for video calls is impressive. The only letdown was the downward-facing AKG Stereo Speakers that were not loud, and during some of the video meetings, it became hard to hear what the other person was saying.
Looking at the hardware and the company’s vision, Samsung is aiming to offer an ecosystem experience, just the way Apple does. Seamless sync between devices, and secure share among others. I am addicted to the Apple ecosystem, working on Notes that sync across iPhone, Mac and even iPad. And also the AirDrop for sharing files and links between these devices and any other Apple device. Along the same lines is Samsung’s QuickShare which I used for sharing files and videos from the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Galaxy Notebook 2 Pro.
Yes, unlike the Galaxy flagship smartphones and now the S8+ tablet, this one is accompanied by a 63W charger. Matching the laptop’s profile, the charger is compact in comparison to most laptop chargers and only slightly bigger than Samsung’s smartphone adapter. I used the Galaxy Book2 Pro as my primary machine for over a month, without any complaints. The battery lasted me around seven hours of work and juiced up to 100 % in less than two hours.
While the Galaxy Book2 Pro is a stylish yet powerful machine, but it doesn’t support a touchscreen. It that’s a must, Samsung also has a 360 variant where the display goes back converting it into a tablet, which is also accompanied by an S Pen that comes in handy to write notes, draw and sketch or even highlight documents.
Specs: 13.3-inch fullHD AMOLED, 60Hz, 16:9 aspect ratio, 12th Gen Intel i7 processor, 16GB RAM, 512GB SDD, Windows 11 Home, HDMI, USB A, USB C x 2, microSD card slot, 3.5mm, 63W charger, Windows Office 365 lifetime, 870 grams, 304.4 x 199.8 x 11.2 mm
Price: Rs 1,14,990
Colour: Silver
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