I think that its laptops deserve more recognition than it is currently getting. The company unveiled the next generation of its PCs at the conference. Last year's models brought vibrant panels while maintaining sleek profiles. This time around, the new Book 2 series has improved S Pens and a gorgeous burgundy color option.
There are three models in the lineup, including a convertible, a clamshell, and a high-end 2-in-1. They all have 13-inch screens, with the Pro and Pro 360 also having 15-inch versions. The only 14-inch option of the lot is coming later this year, which is interesting given the industry has generally been moving towards that size.
Like most computers launching this year, theGalaxy Book 2s run Windows 11 and come equipped with Intel's 12th-gen Core i5 or i7 processors. This year's AMOLEDs can hit up to 500 nits of brightness, making it easier to see in challenging lighting conditions. I was unable to take the machines out to read under direct sunlight at a recent hands-on in New York. It was easy to watch the videos on the books in the brightly lit demo space.
In my review of the Book Pro 360 last year, I said that the new model feels outdated in an era where most laptops have shifted to 16:10 screens. A few extra lines of text could be seen if the display had a thumb-wide bezel. They all run at 1,920 x 1,080, which is more power efficient than 4K for machines that are thin and light.
I enjoyed the vibrant colors on the panels, almost as much as I enjoyed scrawling on them. The Book 2 Pro 360 has an S Pen, but it doesn't ship with one. The Pro isn't touch-enabled and doesn't work with the stylus. There isn't much new about the S Pen, though it has improved the latency. The pen is a separate accessory that you might leave behind. It was included in the onboard slot of the GALAXY Book Flex.
The main upgrade for this generation of theGalaxy Book is higher-resolution webcams. All three models now offer cameras that are more powerful than their predecessors, which means they already take better pictures. The poorly exposed pictures from the 720p camera were caused by the aggressive beauty filters built into the last year's book. The camera app looked like the stock Windows version with no weird filters on my face.
It seems like it has cleaned up its software. There were features from previous models like a faux privacy screen and a security feature that would snap pictures of people making failed login attempts. I didn't have time to hunt them down during the hands-on, so that doesn't necessarily mean they're gone. The demo units gave a clean Windows 11 experience.
I am ashamed to admit that the burgundy color option is my favorite thing about the new laptops from the company. It's the same shade as the S22 Ultra, and after covering boring silver, black, white and even copper laptops for years, I'm just grateful that it's not just different. The fiery red Chromebook and the blue Book Flex are some of the more colorful notebooks. I never thought I could lust after a burgundy laptop, but here I am, I want a PC for its color.
The Book 2 Pro is light and thin, and in spite of its daintiness it felt premium and sturdy. Dell's and Microsoft's Surface products are some of the best in the world, but they are not as elegant as HP's laptops.
There are features that will make a difference. The big keyboard and huge touchpad on the 15-inch Book 2 Pro 360 was responsive during my time with it. I don't use numpads anymore, but the larger models come with them, which could be useful for those working with numbers a lot. I enjoyed typing on the 13-inch versions of the book.
The $50 price hike is my main gripe with the book. I'm not sure a brighter screen and sharperWebcam alone are worth the extra cost of the Book 2 Pro 360. I need to test these devices out for longer to gauge their real-world performance and determine things like battery life and thermal efficiency. Pre-orders start on March 18th and will be available on April 1st. The Book 2 Pro goes for $1,050 and the Book 2 is only available from April 1st onwards.
You can get all of the news from the conference right here.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
