If I was a customer looking for a laptop, my first question would likely be about the weight. For over a decade now, my simple thumb rule is that I won’t carry a laptop that weighs above 1kg. I’ve moved from a Sony Vaio to a MacBook Air to my current travel workhorse — a MacBook 12 that weighs 920gm. And that’s one reason why I’ve had eyes on the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro since its first unveil at the Mobile World Congress in March. Does Samsung’s new premium laptop back up its svelte form with a solid performance?
Lighter than you think
You won’t need more than three fingers to hold up the Book 2 Pro. It’s just 11.2 mm thin and weighs 870gm; we dare you to find a lighter premium laptop with a screen of this size. We checked out the 13.3-inch variant; there’s also a 15.6-inch option for those who prioritise screen real estate over heft. Coming to design, don’t let the slinky form fool you. The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro is sturdy with an all-metal build that looks every bit premium. The Book 2’s keyboard did take some getting used to though.
I’ve always had to live with limited ports on ultra-light laptops; but not on the Book 2 Pro. There’s a full array of ports including an HDMI port and two USB-C ports. One can even work as a charging port, and you can also use the in-box 65W Type-C charger to power up your tab or Android smartphone. This eliminates the need to carry multiple chargers on a short trips.
Binge-watch cred
A vibrant display is a given; this a Samsung laptop after all. Videos come alive on this 13.3-inch AMOLED display (1920 x 1080 pixels) with a 60Hz refresh rate. Quite a few rivals offer 90Hz refresh rate laptop displays at this price range though. The display is backed by AKG-tuned speakers with Dolby Atmos. I watched the season 4 finale of Ozark on this laptop and didn’t really miss the big-screen experience.
Power packed
Set-up is simple; there’s a fingerprint authentication embedded on the power key. The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro is propelled by the latest 12th Gen Intel Core processors that allow you to sail through an assortment of tasks. Our review unit was packed with a generous 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. The performance was impressive; this is a laptop that can handle almost anything you throw at it and it multi-tasks effortlessly. I managed a whole day of work (about 8 hours of screen time) with the battery; that’s certainly not best in class but we’ll take it given the ultra-slim form.
WFH proof
Laptop use-case scenarios have changed for many users in today’s post-pandemic world. A recent internal research study by HP revealed that average consumers spent 60 hours per week using laptops in 2021, up from 35 hours in 2019. It’s not just MS Office applications, photo editing or browsing anymore. Virtual meetings and video calls are a big part of laptop usage times in 2022, even as many of us have made the transition to office or blended work models. You get a 1080p FHD webcam with wider field of view angles in the Book 2 Pro. The Studio Mode feature has been upgraded and offers Auto Framing – you’re perfectly centred even when you move around the frame.
Samsung’s Book 2 Pro is the perfect work + play machine for users who appreciate a portable, light-weight design. It runs on Windows 11 layered with Samsung’s intuitive OneUI Book 4; mighty convenient if you use a Samsung smartphone and if you need to move files seamlessly. The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro is feature- packed, nothing unusual from a laptop that costs upwards of Rs 1 lakh, but it’s the slinky form that wins you over.
Prices for the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro start at Rs 1,06,990.
