Hands On: Samsung’s Galaxy Book Ion, the First QLED-Screen Laptop
Samsung’s new Galaxy Book Ion and its 2-in-1 convertible cousin, the Galaxy Book Flex, are the first laptops to offer screens based on Samsung’s QLED display technology. Check out our first impressions of these sleek new ultraportables.
By Tom Brant
Two new Samsung Galaxy Books slated for release in the US early next year could help the Korean tech giant get a new lease on the competitive ultraportable-laptop category. The new Galaxy Book Ion and Galaxy Book Flex bring familiar features from Samsung’s TV and phone lineups to the laptop for the first time, including quantum dot LED (QLED) screens and wireless charging.
The innovative new PCs, announced on Tuesday at the company’s developer conference in San Jose, Calif., will be available in a traditional clamshell laptop design (the Galaxy Book Ion, pictured above), as well as a 2-in-1 convertible chassis (the Galaxy Book Flex). They’ll replace Samsung’s current flagship laptop, the Notebook 9. Available in several screen sizes and configurations, the Notebook 9 is a solid premium offering, but some models suffer from disappointing build quality and lack features that are now expected in laptops that cost more than $1,000, including the option for 4K (3,840-by-2,160-pixel) displays.
The new Galaxy Book devices still don’t have 4K screen options, but they bring plenty of other innovations, including Samsung’s QLED display technology. It’s the first time this tech, which has long powered the company’s TVs, is available on a laptop. The new laptops also feature wireless charging built into their touchpads, a feature Samsung calls “PowerShare.” This wireless power delivery works with any Qi-compatible device.
The Galaxy Book Ion and Galaxy Book Flex are also the first Samsung laptops to be certified under Intel’s Project Athena, a set of design and technology standards that the chip maker hopes laptop manufacturers will adopt. Project Athena includes features like next-generation Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) support, all-day battery life, and Thunderbolt 3 ports. The two new Galaxy Books bring the total number of Athena-certified devices to 17, according to Intel.
Samsung also unveiled an Intel-powered version of its under-development Galaxy Book S. Unlike the Galaxy Book Flex and Galaxy Book Ion, which are based on Intel’s 10th Generation CPUs, the Galaxy Book S will use Intel’s next-generation “Lakefield” processors, and include LTE connectivity. Intel expects that the Galaxy Book S will be the first Lakefield device to go on sale, though neither company offered availability details.
Samsung previously said that a Galaxy Book S model packing Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8cx chip would arrive this fall, but the company offered no updates on that model.
Exact availability dates and pricing for the Ion and Flex are yet to come. Samsung did say to expect them in the US early next year, at prices akin to those of the current Notebook 9 lineup. PCMag got a chance to check out the new Galaxy Book devices; read on for our first impressions.
QLED’s Laptop Debut
One of two star attractions, the Galaxy Book Ion’s QLED screen is the first of its kind on a laptop. Unlike OLED screens, which have taken the laptop market by storm over the past year, QLED displays use familiar LCD panels and LED backlight arrays. The difference is their quantum dots, Samsung’s marketing term for nanoparticles that emit or alter light at different frequencies when exposed to electricity. This light-tweaking can produce more precise color in a wider range than the LCDs illuminated by white LEDs can.
The QLED display is only available in a full HD (1,920-by-1,080-pixel) resolution that lacks touch support.
A Qi-Equipped Touchpad
The other star attraction is the touchpad, equipped with wireless PowerShare charging capabilities. Any phone equipped with Qi wireless charging should be able to draw power from the laptop’s battery when it’s placed over the center of the touchpad.
Not Multitasking-Friendly
Unfortunately, because the Galaxy Book Ion lacks a touch screen, the wireless charging pad robs the laptop of the only means of cursor control when it’s in use. So you’ll have to choose between working on your laptop or wirelessly charging your devices.
A Full Number Pad Included
The 15.6-inch version of the Galaxy Book Ion caters to number crunchers with a dedicated number pad to the right of the main keyboard area.
A Prominent Fingerprint Reader
I didn’t get a chance to test out the very conspicuous fingerprint reader on the Galaxy Book Ion during my brief demo. The laptop’s webcam lacks IR sensors for face recognition, so using the fingerprint reader will be the most effective way to avoid typing your password when you log in.
Aura Silver
It might look white, but Samsung says the Galaxy Book Ion’s official color is “Aura Silver.” It’s the first such color that Samsung has offered on a premium laptop in a while; the company’s previous designs, including the Notebook Odyssey and Notebook 7, have come in darker shades of silver.
Two USB Type-A
The port selection is solid for such a thin machine, with two USB Type-A ports on the laptop’s right edge. There’s also a microSD card reader here.
A Full-Size HDMI Output, Too
On the opposite edge, the generous port selection continues, with a full-size HDMI output, a USB Type-C/Thunderbolt 3 port, and an audio jack.
When the laptop’s display lid is open, the base tilts ever so slightly forward toward you, as seen above, which can improve typing comfort. This feature is common on Asus ultraportables, though few other manufacturers have adopted it.
How the Hinge Lowers the Keyboard
As you close the lid, the hinge lowers the laptop’s base so it’s flush with the tabletop again.
Cooling Vents
The Galaxy Book Ion’s cooling vents are very conspicuous, taking up a large portion of the laptop’s bottom cover. Their size is a bit puzzling, since the laptop isn’t packed with powerful components inside to require cooling. Intel’s 10th Generation “Comet Lake” chips, on paper, should be quite power-efficient, and while a discrete graphics card is offered on the 15.6-inch version, it’s a basic Nvidia GeForce MX250, which has much lower power and heat-dissipation requirements than its GeForce RTX and GTX kin.
Little Ion, Big Ion: 13-Inch and 15-Inch Models
Both the 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch Samsung Galaxy Book Ion models are incredibly thin and light. The small one is 0.51 inch thick and weighs just 2.14 pounds, while the larger 15.6-inch offering is 0.59 inch thick and weighs up to 2.78 pounds.
Both sizes of the Galaxy Book Ion use Comet Lake CPUs, while both sizes of the Galaxy Book Flex use Intel’s “Ice Lake” CPUs. Ice Lake and Comet Lake are both 10th Generation Intel chips, but Ice Lake uses a newer 10nm architecture, and its available integrated Iris Plus graphics silicon is more powerful than the Intel UHD Graphics silicon offered on some Comet Lake models.
Size Differences
The 13.3-inch Galaxy Book Ion measures 12 inches wide by 7.9 inches deep, while the 15.6-inch version is 14 inches wide by 9 inches deep.
Next, Meet the Galaxy Book Flex
Unlike the bright Galaxy Book Ion, the Galaxy Book Flex is available in Royal Blue. It shares many of the same features, including the QLED display. On both laptops, the display features an updated version of Samsung’s “Outdoor Mode,” which prevents the display from reaching its maximum brightness of 600 nits until ambient light is bright enough to warrant it. I appreciate this feature, since a too-bright display can dramatically and unnecessarily reduce battery life.
Unlike previous Samsung laptops, which lacked the ability to manually toggle Outdoor Mode on or off, the Galaxy Book Ion and Galaxy Book Flex have a function key that can accomplish this.
The Flex in Tent Mode
As a 2-in-1 convertible laptop with digital stylus support and a touch screen, the Galaxy Book Flex is a better choice than the Galaxy Book Ion for artists, content creators, and movie buffs.
One Big Touchpad
I didn’t get a chance to properly evaluate the Galaxy Book Flex’s touchpad comfort during my brief demo, but one thing I can say for sure: I appreciate the touchpad’s large size.
Full Number Pad, Plus a Pen
Like the Galaxy Book Ion, there’s a dedicated number pad on the 15.6-inch version of the Galaxy Book Flex. Unlike the Ion, the Flex features a built-in digital stylus that you can store in a slot on the laptop’s right edge.
A Pen That Doubles as…a Remote?
New for the Galaxy Book Flex’s pen is the ability to serve as a Bluetooth remote control. I used the pen’s button to play and pause YouTube videos during my brief demo, as well as to advance through PowerPoint slides. It’s a nifty feature, customizable depending on which app you’re using.
Drawing Support
For digital artists, the Galaxy Book Flex pen will work fine in a pinch, but it’s not as satisfying a drawing tool as the larger, more comfortable Apple Pencil is.
No USB Type-A Here
Unlike the Galaxy Book Ion, the Galaxy Book Flex doesn’t have USB Type-A ports. Instead, you get a (non-Thunderbolt 3) USB Type-C port on this edge, along with a microSD slot.
On This Side, Thunderbolt 3
On the other edge are two USB Type-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports next to the slot for the pen, along with the power button.
Two Sizes of Flex: 13-Inch and 15-Inch
The Galaxy Book Flex comes in both 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch versions. They’re a bit heavier than their Ion counterparts, weighing in at 2.5 pounds and 3.5 pounds, respectively. Other than the use of the Intel Ice Lake processors, the component configurations are the same as on the Galaxy Book Ion, including up to 16GB of memory, up to a 1TB SSD, and the option to get a GeForce MX250 GPU in the 15.6-inch version.
Wireless Charging
The Galaxy Book Flex also includes the support for wireless PowerShare in the touchpad. Thanks to the touch screen — and unlike on the Galaxy Book Ion — you’ll be able to use the Galaxy Book Flex while you’re charging a phone.
Originally published at https://www.pcmag.com on October 30, 2019.
