Samsung first announced the Galaxy Book in February. There are four versions of the device available spanning 10.6-inch and 12-inch form factors. The 10.6-inch version has a TFT Full HD display while the 12-inch gets a brighter Super AMOLED 1440p panel with enhanced colours.
Samsung is pitching the Galaxy Book as an ideal device for young users looking for 2-in-1 productivity and play. It’s less serious and productivity-focused than Microsoft’s Surface, despite the obvious parallels in the design of each device.
While Samsung is clearly targeting mobile professionals too, the Galaxy Book is meant to appeal to a wider audience that Microsoft previously designed its smaller Surface 3 for. Since the Surface 3 hasn’t yet spawned a successor, Samsung has taken the chance to gain a presence in this area of the market.
Both models come with fast seventh-generation Intel processors. In the case of the 10.6-inch version, it’s a dual-core 2.6GHz Core m3. This chip is more optimised for efficiency than performance but is still adept at multitasking and offers a snappy computing experience. The 12-inch Galaxy Book has a more powerful 3.1GHz Core i5 7200U processor.
The 10.6-inch device has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of 128GB of expandable storage. The 12-inch model has 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage as standard. It’s also available in a high-performance 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage configuration, albeit only when optional LTE support is specified.
Either Galaxy Book can be used with Samsung’s S Pen stylus, now updated to support Windows 10 PCs. It includes many of the features that were made famous by Samsung’s Galaxy Note Android phablets. Air Command, Smart Select and Screen Write join with Microsoft’s Windows Ink to offer what Samsung describes as a “convenient” digital writing experience.
As convertibles continue to remain popular with consumers, Samsung is hoping the Galaxy Book will succeed in the space formerly occupied by the Surface 3. It marks a renewed focus by Samsung on the PC market after having withdrawn its presence in key regions in the past few years. Worldwide PC sales are currently relatively buoyant, having recently risen for the first time in years.
“Today’s young professionals and entrepreneurs require a device that allows them to work without any limitations,” said Alanna Cotton, vice president and general manager of product marketing at Samsung Electronics America. “We are excited to bring to market the Samsung Galaxy Book LTE and Wi-Fi models, offering a 2-in-1 PC portfolio that delivers on power and performance.”
Pricing for the Galaxy Book in its minimal storage configuration and without LTE will start at $629.99 and $1,129.99 for the 10.6-inch and 12-inch versions respectively. Sales begin tomorrow in the U.S. online at Samsung.com and at Best Buy stores nationwide. Two colour options are available, silver and black, with the latter currently exclusive to Best Buy. Samsung will expand the Galaxy Book to more retailers next month.
