Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro and Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 hands-on training

Samsung has announced two updates to its premium Galaxy Book line: the Galaxy Book 2 Pro and Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360. Prices for the devices will start at $1049.99 and $1249.99, respectively; They hit shelves April 1st with pre-orders starting March 18th. Galaxy Book 2360 budget budget convertible version of Galaxy Book normalIt will also ship on April 1st with a starting price of $899.99.

Both Pro models come in 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch sizes, while the regular 2360 is only 13.3-inch. As you can guess from the names, the Galaxy Book 2 Pro is a clamshell while the Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 is a 2-in-1 convertible with a touch screen and S Pen support.

These devices look very similar to the Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360 models we reviewed last year. like beforeThe smallest Galaxy Book 2 Pro is just 1.92 pounds and 0.44 inches thick. It’s still one of the lightest laptops you can buy, and picking up really does mess with your mind. But it also makes remarkably few compromises on this portability. In particular, 15 inches manages to squeeze the HDMI port into this tiny chassis. Many laptops this size are now USB-C exclusively. (The 360 ​​model is, as you’d expect, a little heavier.)

The main update to the chassis is that all new models feature 1080p webcams. There are also some new software features aimed at improving the video call experience, including some new features in background and face effects, as well as an automatic framing tool that keeps you centered as you go. This is a somewhat predictable investment as more workers continue to embrace remote and mixed settings.

The screens (all in FHD AMOLED) are much brighter than they were on last year’s models. me It wasn’t affected by the brightness In any of the 2021 Galaxy Book Pros, so I’m glad to see this change. I picked up some glare from bright lights in the Samsung demo area, although I had no trouble seeing anything on the screens. Unfortunately, all of these devices still have a 16:9 aspect ratio, which many other premium lines have strayed from this year.

The Pro convertible is also available in a new burgundy color, as well as graphite and silver. It’s very nice in person and feels smooth, although the graphite display is still my favorite.

These devices can be configured with up to 12th-Gen Core i7, 32GB of RAM (2360 book has a maximum size of 16GB), and 1TB of storage (2360 book has a maximum capacity of 512GB). Samsung says it will be certified through Intel’s Evo program (which means Intel confirms that device performance, battery life, and other important features are nearing completion).

Meet Pro . models Microsoft Safe PC requirements, which means that it includes many hardware-based security components like TPM 2.0 and virtualization-based security, as well as features that consumers may be interested in most, such as biometric authentication. (Both devices have fingerprint sensors in their power buttons.)

And both Pro models support some of Samsung’s own connectivity features, which has always been a major attraction for Galaxy Books among Samsung fans. This includes single sign-on, Smart Key (which makes it easy to transfer data, photos, settings, etc. between computers) and SmartThings home dashboard support.

An interesting addition is the Multi Control, which allows you to use the Galaxy Tab S8 as a secondary display alongside the Galaxy Book 2 Pro. I tried it with my 15-inch Book 2 Pro 360, and it worked; I was successfully able to move the cursor back and forth between two Galaxy devices, drag windows etc. I had quite a bit of a lag when navigating the Tab S8 – the cursor seemed to have trouble keeping up with my gestures, even though it eventually did follow them. This is something Samsung will hopefully shut down as the release date approaches.

Stay tuned for our full reviews of these devices, as we’ll have more impressions of the new webcams and software features.

Photography by Monica Chen