Samsung Galaxy Book
Can this Microsoft Surface Pro alternative really be a contender?
Hybrids are still a relatively small part of the portable computer universe, but they’ve become the de rigueur portable computer for boardroom execs. With that in mind, is the Samsung Galaxy Book the ultimate portable for home and business?
Perhaps. It’s an iPad Pro-like tablet with either a 10.6in or 12in screen, along with a detachable keyboard and a bundled S Pen. Both models use Intel’s latest Kaby Lake processors; a dual-core 2.6GHz Core m3 on the smaller model, and a 3.1GHz Core i5 with the 12in version. Junior comes with 4GB of memory and either 64GB or 128GB of eMMC storage, while Senior has either 4GB or 8GB of RAM and a 128GB or 256GB SSD.
The displays on both models are 1,920 x 1,260, but there’s one big difference between them. While the Book 10 is an LCD, the Book 12 features a Super AMOLED display.
There’s an updated S Pen, too, with more precise sensitivity than before. I’ve never been sold on writing onscreen, but after playing with Samsung’ s Galaxy Book at MWC, I can see it being the perfect companion for meetings in the future. Even better, this year’s S Pen doesn’t need a battery to work.
The keyboard cover is interesting. Even after its most recent iteration, Microsoft’s Surface Type Cover was always too shallow for my liking, as was Apple’s Smart Keyboard, but Samsung has nailed it. The touchpad is big, with plenty of room for multi-touch flourishes. And the keyboard itself has a surprising amount of depth given its thinness, with each key giving a good amount of feedback with every press.
There’s still plenty of cynicism about Windows 10 as a tablet OS, and it doesn’t have many apps that make the most of touch and pen. However, if you’re primarily a Microsoft Office user, then the company has made a good job of integrating support into its products.
The big issue at present is the price, something Samsung failed to share with us at MWC or since. Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4 costs around £800, so if Samsung can undercut this with its 10.6in model then it could well be the contender Samsung promises. Until we get official pricing, though, I’ll remain only cautiously optimistic.