Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 (15-inch) review: a light and bright convertible

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The light is a great screen. That's the whole thing you sign up for when you buy a book. They are not the most powerful laptops out there, and they are not what I would recommend people be issued for. For those looking for a great multimedia laptop that is easy to carry around, this is the one.

That is certainly the case with the new 15-inch convertible addition to the book line. It has a weight of 3.11 pounds and is under a half inch thick. It's a good option for all people shopping in the ultraportable space, but has some extra features that will appeal to fans of the brand. I would probably order this laptop right now because there is not much to dislike about it as long as you know what you are getting.

• Display: 15.6-inch Super AMOLED, 1920 x 1080
• Dimensions: 13.97 x 8.98 x 0.47 inches (354.85 x 227.97 x 11.9 mm)
• Weight: 3.1 lbs (1.41 kg)
• Processor: Intel Core i7-1260P
• RAM: 16GB
• Storage: 1TB
• Wireless: Wi-Fi 6E, 802.11 ax 2x2, Bluetooth v5.1
• Ports: one Thunderbolt 4, two USB Type-C, one 3.5pi headphone/mic, one microSD slot
• Price: $1,549.99

This is a book that doesn't miss a beat on the screen front. Videos and photos looked great because of the panel's vivid colors. It is fairly accurate, covering 100 percent of the sRGB gamut, 96 percent of AdobeRGB, and 99 percent of P3 in our testing. The 15-inch screen of the Book Pro was a bit dim, maxing out at just 276 nits, but the new screen has a brighter 391 nits. You can use the S Pen on the touch panel, which is included in the box.

One thing to be aware of is that the screen has a 1920 x1080 resolution, so the image is noticeably more pixel-y than what you would see on a higher-resolution screen. This is one of the best-looking panels you will find at this price point, and it starts to get pretty expensive. It is not as cramped-feeling on a 15-incher as it is on smaller machines, but it is also 16:9, which isn't my preference.

The weight is next. The laptop is easy to carry around at 3.11 pounds. The Book2 comes in a new Burgundy color, but the model is the same as last year's. It's even lighter than the 14-inch MacBook Pro, and it's over a pound lighter than the Dell XPS 15. I don't think there are many 15-inch convertibles lighter than this one, but it's hard to find them with OLED at this price.

If you aren't impressed by the two features I have just discussed, this probably isn't the laptop for you. They are the two main qualities of the line and the two places where it is solidly at the top of its category. If you buy this, they are what you are paying for.

Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it. It is impossible for us to read and analyze all of these agreements. We started counting how many times you have to agree to use devices when we review them.

You will need to agree to the following in order to start using the Book2 Pro.

• A request for your region
• A request for your keyboard layout
• Connect to Wi-Fi
• Microsoft software license terms and Samsung end-user software license agreement
• Sign in with a Microsoft account
• Create a PIN

You can either say yes or no.

• Connect to Wi-Fi
• Set up fingerprint sign-in
• Privacy settings (location, Find My Device, sharing diagnostic data, inking and typing, tailored experience, advertising ID)
• Customize device for entertainment, gaming, school, creativity, business, and/or family
• Microsoft 365 free trial
• Join GamePass

There are seven mandatory agreements and eleven optional agreements to use.

Let's talk about the software. The computer should have broad appeal, but it will be more popular with the fans of the company. You can charge it with the 65W Universal Charger from SAMSUNG. It has many apps that are identical to their mobile counterparts, which is why it has the OneUI interface tweaks. There is a laundry list of apps that you can use. I found the number of programs intimidating, but those with the best phones will know which to use.

Second Screen is a feature that allows you to use a second screen, similar to Apple's Sidecar feature or the third-party Duet Display. It took me five seconds to get up and running with the Tab S8 Ultra. I was able to drag and drop windows between the two devices, and it was very easy to navigate on the S8. If I were to buy a book, I would probably also buy a Tab because the ability to whip out a second screen in an airport or coffee shop seems very handy, and the fact that you only need to bring one charge is also a plus.

I was able to easily share photos between the Tab S8 and the Tab S8 using Quick Share, a competitor to AirDrop. This was slower than AirDrop, but it still worked.

There is also Studio Mode, which has a number of tools to help you look better on video calls. Some of them worked well. Blur blurred the background behind me while Auto Framing kept me in frame as I moved around. Color, which replaces your background with a solid color of your choice, had a bit of trouble figuring out where the edges of my hair were. I looked like an alien because of some of the Face Effects, which are supposed to shrink your nose, enlarge your eyes, and generally make you look more conventionally attractive in real time. If you want to use them with the Book2's camera, these are all there.

The port selection is probably the only downside of the book. There are only three ports, one of which is Thunderbolt 4. This will be fine for some people, but I'd like to see something on there.

One of the new P-series chips from Intel, the Core i7-1206P, is one of the things that comes with my test unit. All three colors are the same price, and you can get a 512 gigabyte storage and 8 gigabyte RAM configuration. The price for a 13.3-inch model is $1,249.99. This isn't a cheap laptop, but it is a reasonable price for a Dell XPS 15 with a Core i7 and anOLED screen. That will get you a beefier chip and a higher resolution screen.

The lack of a graphics card or H-series processor is not ideal for intense professional work or gaming. It could keep up with all the tasks I needed it to do, including all kinds of streaming and phone calls, as well as photo editing, both on battery and power. It was not far behind it on the multicore benchmark and beat the 11th Gen Dell XPS 15 on Cinebench R23 Single. This is a good chip.

The deck was warm in the keyboard area but not uncomfortably so. The only time I heard the fans was when I was running a long call on the battery, and they weren't loud enough to distract me.

The battery life was good. I averaged eight hours and 47 minutes of continuous work with the screen at 200 nits of brightness, which is the best result I have seen from a 12th Gen Intel processor so far. It's not quite as long as the one I used last year, but it will still get you through a full day of work.

If you know what you're getting, I don't think you'll have any complaints. It has a good battery life, a great screen, and is one of the lightest 15-inchers you can find. The various features of the GALAXY APPLIANCES will be icing on the cake for the owners of the phones and tablets. The highlight of this laptop is how easy it is to transport places and bring a second screen along.

If I were looking for a 15-inch multimedia device instead of a powerful workstation, I wouldn't buy this one. Microsoft's 15-inch Surface Laptop 4 is the primary one that comes to mind. The Book2 is not a convertible and the top model gives you half the storage for the same price. I think the Book2 Pro is a no-brainer for everyone, and I think it's worth considering. The thin port selection means it wouldn't be my laptop of choice, but it offers an excellent package in a space that doesn't have a lot of competitors.