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The Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 and the first-generation model are remarkably similar, at least from the outside. However, Samsung did replace a few important parts. For instance, the processor upgrades from an 11th to a 12th generation Intel. That is the biggest change, and it results in a significant increase in multicore performance. However, the Pro 360’s other, more minor improvements by Samsung enhance the overall user experience, elevating it to the top tier of two-in-ones at the moment.
The design, performance, and accessibility of numerous ports on the Galaxy Book 2 Pro make it a great lightweight laptop. The lifetime licence to utilise Office 365 apps on the laptop is a stroke of genius, while the premium build is another addition to the whole package. Given that the MacBook Air is now two years old, in our opinion, the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro is a far better option than the MacBook Air M1. also you can check our article on Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro review.
Design
The Galaxy Book 2 Pro 5G’s polish and precision are a result of Samsung’s long history of producing laptops and display panels. It’s a pretty well-made laptop that, although being small and light, never gives off the impression of being weak or inexpensive. When you pick it up, it’s clear that it’s a high-end portable computer, and that impression is shared by the typing and touchpad functions. Note the faint and tiny Samsung emblem on the laptop lid. The matte plastic chassis feels wonderful to the touch and will delight aficionados of simplicity.
We particularly appreciate the keyboard’s straightforward yet precise illumination for the keys. Moreover, the laptop has a general wedge shape and is thinner in the front than the back. There is no denying that this is a stylish device that exudes sophistication and style. For a laptop this light, we have a pretty good array of ports: one Thunderbolt 4 port, one USB Type-C port, one USB Type-A port, even an HDMI port, as well as a microSD card reader and a 3.5mm headphone/mic combination port.
Keyboard and touchpad
The full-sized keyboard on the Galaxy Book 2 Pro is quite standard and has a separate number pad. Although the latter feels a little crowded in, its inclusion is nevertheless appreciated, and it is pleasingly simple to locate and distinguish the arrow keys. It is right away cosy to type on. The travel on the keys is just right, and they are sturdy and evenly spaced.
Because they have a softer feel than you might prefer and don’t produce a loud clickety-clack, they are ideal for usage in public if you don’t want to feel self-conscious. To help with those late-night jobs, they are also illuminated. Despite the fact that you must hold down the Fn key in order to use the top row of function keys for important functions like changing the volume and screen brightness, they can also be used for other purposes. also you can learn our article on Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro review.
Behind the power button in the upper right corner of the keyboard, there is a fingerprint scanner that is quick and accurate enough. Below this keyboard is a suitable sized and responsive trackpad. Because of its enormous size and the actual clicky buttons’ limited effectiveness at the lower extremities, access might be difficult given our hands’ natural typing position. As a result, when seated at our desks, we tended to use the touch feature or put in an extra mouse.
Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro review: Display
The 15.6-inch display of the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 is ideal for both working and enjoying media. Watching television programmes like Moon Knight and Peacemaker is fantastic in tent mode. But any way you position the laptop, you’ll get the best possible viewing. The AMOLED display provides excellent black-to-white contrast and enhances colour vibrancy. This is particularly true for media that bombards you with a variety of hues and particle effects, like the concluding Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness video.
Everything on the screen is very clear despite the visual turmoil. Additionally amazing on this display is the most recent Stranger Things season 4 trailer. The display of the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 achieves an average brightness of 366 nits, according to our brightness test. This beats the 264 average of the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 and the 351 average of the Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 7. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, with an average brightness of 487 nits, takes first place.
The Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 achieved 123.6% of the sRGB colour spectrum in our colorimeter test (the closer to 100%, the better). This is considerably less than the Yoga 9i Gen 7 (197%) and just marginally more than its predecessor (120%). The maximum screen resolution is 1080p. Although I’d like a 15-inch laptop with a minimum 1440p resolution, the rich picture quality of the AMOLED screen made the lesser pixel count insignificant. Although a 2K or 4K display would have been preferable, the Full HD display is enough.
Audio
Expect not much depth and nearly no low-end from the Galaxy Book 2 Pro’s two AKG-tuned stereo speakers, but they do provide enough volume to fill our 18 by 12-foot listening room. For anything other than casual listening or watching short films, you’d be better off spending the extra money on a pair of wireless headphones. Although laptops don’t typically have the best audio, we were pleasantly surprised by the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360’s speakers.
Nothing ever gets muddy, and the highs, lows, and mids all come through perfectly. Having said that, the bass isn’t always present and, in other instances, is completely absent. Even if all of the elaborate guitar and keyboard solos sounded well enough, a song like Dream Theater’s “Awaken the Master” lacked power because of the average bass. However, the speakers are more than enough if you’re watching interviews or other conversational content on websites like YouTube. You can always utilize your favorite set of the best headphones if you genuinely detest the sound of the speakers.
Graphics and gaming
Two DirectX 12 gaming simulations from UL’s 3DMark, Night Raid (more subdued, ideal for laptops with integrated graphics) and Time Spy, are used to assess the visual performance of Windows PCs (more demanding, suitable for gaming rigs with discrete GPUs). These benchmarks always yield modest results when integrated graphics are used, and the current set is no exception.
The Dell XPS 15 and the Asus Vivobook Pro both come with an entry-level discrete GPU from Nvidia called the GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, which is a substantial improvement over the Intel and AMD integrated graphics found in the other laptops. Today’s integrated graphics are enough if you don’t have a 3D-intensive job or pastime and don’t want to play expensive games. If you do require a laptop for those uses, search for one with at least an RTX 3050 Ti; for truly professional 3D applications, go for one with an even more powerful GPU.
Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro review: Performance
The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro utilizes a 12th-generation Intel CPU, like many modern laptops. The Wi-Fi only model has an Intel Core i7-1260P option if you want additional power but the 5G variant only has an Intel Core i5-1240P CPU as standard. Only 8GB of lightning-fast LPDDR5 RAM are provided as standard in this 5G variant. Again, if you want to increase that RAM to 16GB, you must only use Wi-Fi. Oddly, the SKUs are a touch different in the US, offering Core i7 processors with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage with Intel Arc graphics.
The laptop performed well during our time with it, running many online tabs, email, Slack, and numerous Google docs simultaneously without even a slight hiccup. Without any problems, we were also able to perform some light image modification. The majority of users will most likely use this gear just to that amount. We can confirm that PUBG will run on Very Low settings, however the frame rates and results are not great.
For that, you can thank Intel’s integrated graphics Iris Xe. It can handle the essentials, even a protracted Monster Train session, but it can’t push around modern 3D visuals like a dedicated GPU can. Not as competitive are a PCMark 10 score of 4900 and a 3D Mark Night Raid score of 13861. The fan noise, which seemed a little intrusive and blowy when the laptop was under moderate load, is a minor drawback to be aware of.
Battery life
When it came to battery life, the original Galaxy Book Pro was a battery powerhouse, and the Book2 Pro is no slouch either. In our looped movie battery life test, it lasts for an astounding 16 and a half hours, much above the Intel Evo laptop target of nine hours. This is remarkably close to the performance of its predecessor. When it comes to productivity workloads, the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro actually outperforms its predecessor in terms of battery life, managing 14 hours and 16 minutes in the PCMark 10 battery test. you can read our article on Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro review.
For such a small and light laptop, this performance is truly astounding, outperforming many of its rivals in the same price bracket and beyond. Obviously, you won’t get these numbers if you set Windows 11’s battery profile to “Performance,” put on the keyboard backlighting, and maximise the brightness. Nevertheless, the Galaxy Book2 Pro should comfortably survive through an entire workday and a long commute before needing to be recharged. Oh, and it also charges completely in just one hour thanks to Thunderbolt 4 power delivery.
Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro review: Heat
The Centre underside of the 2-in-1 was the hottest spot during our normal heat test, which entails passing a heat gun over the laptop after streaming 15 minutes of full HD video. This area reached a temperature of 97.7 degrees Fahrenheit. The Galaxy Pro Book 360 (85.5 degrees) and Surface Laptop Studio (88 degrees) run considerably cooler. Over 95 degrees Fahrenheit is typically seen as uncomfortable. We don’t like how hot this laptop runs, therefore we suggest using it on a desk or other flat surface rather than your lap.
Configuration options
Currently, the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro has a beginning price of $1,050 (£999, or approximately AU$1,525), but if you want the 15-inch screen found on our review model, you’ll have to start out paying $1,150 (£1,099, or approximately AU$1,670). You may upgrade to a Galaxy Book2 Pro with an Intel Core i7-1260P CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage for the same price, which will give you a device with an Intel Core i5-1240P processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. The i7 chip is speedier and makes use of the extra RAM despite having the same number of cores as the other processor. These premium variants are priced at $1,350 (£1,399, roughly AU$1,950).
Conclusion
There are several positive qualities about the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360, including its thinness, lightness, speed, and durability. But there are several problems that keep it from being recognized. To begin with, for a laptop of this price, we’d like to see a screen with a greater resolution and refresh rate.
The limited number of physical ports and sockets is somewhat restrictive, and the stylus support is also glitchy. The Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 is a 2-in-1 convertible with a huge screen that is worth considering if nothing less would do, in part because of its competitive pricing and in part because there are so few alternatives.