Samsung’s Galaxy Book Pro 360 is among the first devices to result from a partnership between Samsung and Intel, with the goal of establishing the same type of connectivity between phones and laptops as Apple’s ecosystem.
A Galaxy smartphone is required to get the most out of the laptop and phone here. The Your Phone app is also compatible with other Android phones & iPhones. However, the latter was a letdown. If you currently own a Galaxy phone, Galaxy Buds Pro, and a Galaxy Tab, the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 is an excellent choice for your next laptop.
The 360 suffix adds capabilities that the normal Galaxy Book Pro lacks, most notably its 360-degree hinge that transforms the touchscreen laptop into a tablet with S-Pen capability. In addition, unlike the standard Galaxy Book Pro, the Pro 360 includes 5G capability.
The smartphone has evident similarities to the Galaxy Flex 2 – the ultra-premium 13inch 5G foldable that costs £1,649. However, is it several hundred pounds less expensive? Of course, £1,124 for the Pro 360 is still a significant investment.
What will you see here?
Price and Availability
The Galaxy Pro 360 is priced differently depending on connection, CPU, and display size. If you haven’t already guessed, it’s an expensive piece of equipment. You should only buy this machine if you don’t plan on upgrading for a while.
The Galaxy Book Pro 360 from Samsung is available in a variety of configurations and pricing. The entry-level model starts at $1,599.99 and includes an Intel Core i5-1135G7 CPU, 8GB RAM, and a 512GB SSD.
The CPU may be upgraded to an Intel Core i7-1165G7, and the screen can be increased to 15.6 inches rather than 13.3 inches.
The HP Spectre x360 (2021), a 2-in-1 with a 360-degree hinge with touchscreen and comparable performance on paper, is perhaps the most apparent competitor to the Galaxy Book Pro 360, with pricing beginning at $1,349 / £1,199.
The Galaxy Book Pro 360 is available with built-in 5G capability. However, this version will not be available until later this year.
Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 Design
The Pro 360 is ultra-thin (11.9mm) and lightweight. You may save weight by selecting the smaller 13.3in the model. The 15.6inch Mystic Navy model with a Core i7 CPU and 512GB storage is much more interesting.
But it’s not just about appearances. Samsung also claims MIL-STD-810 military-grade protection, which means the Galaxy Book Pro 360 should be able to endure exposure to severe conditions including rain, cold temperatures, and shock.
Ports And Connectivity
The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 has a Thunderbolt 4 port, two USB-C ports, a standard headphone jack, and a microSD card for networking. When compared to the MacBook Air M1 (2020), you have somewhat better connectivity choices, but not the full-size USB connector that the HP Spectre x360 (2021) provides, which means you may still need a dongle for one or two home devices.
S-Pen
On top of the travel adapter & USB-C cable, the bundle includes an S-Pen. The stylus is black and plastic, and it lacks the superior construction and feel of the laptop. The S-Pen is magnetic and connects to the notebook just on the top, which feels a little strange. We would have like to see another alternative, such as a storage place for the pen. The Apple Pencil is much more elegantly placed on the side of the iPad Pro.
Keyboard & Trackpad
The Galaxy Book Pro 360 has a full-size backlit keyboard with a number pad, which is a nice touch if, like me, you dislike using the number buttons on the top row of the keyboard. The number pad is a touch tight, but after a few days of usage, it becomes second nature.
The highly dependable fingerprint scanner is likewise located in the upper right corner of the keyboard, which even serves as the power button.
While a large trackpad occupies over a third of the wrist area, it will make users extend to reach the keys beyond what felt comfortable while working at a table. Wearers of smartwatches may find this particularly unpleasant. Again, if you’re using the Pro 360 on your lap, it’s less of an issue.
Despite its less-than-ideal bottom bezel, the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 is unquestionably one of the most elegant, lightest, and premium-feeling laptops on the market today.
Display
The display on the Galaxy Book Pro 360 is quite lackluster for the price. While the appearance of Super AMOLED may lead you to assume a display experience akin to that of Samsung’s flagship phones, this is not the case. The Pro 360’s display resolution is limited to 1920 x 1080 and is very dull in comparison to other expensive laptops on the market.
The display of the Galaxy Book Pro 360 is very dim when compared to other Samsung Galaxy Laptops. It can achieve a maximum brightness of 284.4nits, behind other Galaxy devices like the Galaxy Book (325nits) and the expensive Galaxy Book Flex 2. (382nits). When the lighting circumstances are more difficult, it can increase to roughly 350 nits.
But it’s not all gloom and doom. If there’s one thing the Pro 360’s display does right, it’s vibrancy. Colors pop straight out of the screen, making up for the reduced resolution. Indeed, the depth of colors and contrast in 1080p films may pass for better resolution.
Specifications & Performance
The Intel Evo Core i7 processor powers the Pro 360. To fulfill the Evo criteria, a laptop must have an 11th Gen Intel Core, deliver over 9 hours of battery life on a Full HD screen, wake in less than a second, and have a Thunderbolt 4 connection. All of those conditions are met by Pro 360.
The Galaxy Book 360 will provide dependable performance. If you use resource-intensive apps, the fan can become noisy at times, although Samsung provides the option to hush the fan via its performance settings. Unless you’re always running many demanding programs, the fan is unlikely to be an issue.
In terms of unlocking and starting quickly, being always linked online, and having a smart battery that optimizes performance, the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 shares many similarities with a smartphone – not to mention being as portable as possible.
Surprisingly, the Pro 360 lacks a dedicated graphics card. Instead, you get the integrated Iris Xe. Given the Pro 360’s pricing, Samsung should include a discrete GPU, particularly when notebooks under £1,000, such as the Huawei Matebook 14, HP Envy 13, and Acer Swift 5 (2021), all have an Nvidia MX350. AAA games aren’t really a possibility without a dedicated GPU, but casual games should suffice.
Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 – Battery Life
The battery life of Samsung’s Galaxy Book Pro 360 is excellent, with a fast charger giving 9 hours of energy after only 30 minutes of charging. According to Samsung, a fully charged battery may last up to 21 hours on a single charge. The short version is that you can get through an entire day’s work without needing to recharge the Galaxy Book Pro 360, and you can’t really expect more from such a small and slender portable. Of course, if you perform heavier and more demanding tasks, the battery will drain faster.
The charging cable isn’t particularly long, so if you need to charge while working, make sure you’re close to a power outlet or have a power bank with Power Delivery nearby.
How long does the Galaxy Book Pro 360 last?
The battery life of the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 is both outstanding and slightly disappointing. While continuous web browsing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness, lasted 11 hours and 59 minutes.
Does Galaxy Book Pro 360 have an SD card slot?
Two USB-C ports & one Thunderbolt 4 port are available. There is also a 3.5″ headphone jack and an SD card slot.
Is Galaxy Book Pro 360 good for students?
The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 is a terrific laptop for creatives, students, and professionals who prefer to take notes or draw on their work, thanks to its gorgeous AMOLED display, long battery life, and comfortable S Pen stylus.
Conclusion
When it comes to productivity and entertainment, the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 is a powerful all-rounder. It is not only speedy and dependable, but it is also elegantly designed and lightweight.
The display might be a little brighter, but given how beautiful the colors are on this screen, you won’t notice. Similarly, if the 1920 x 1080 resolution bothers you over time – especially given the price – you may want to seek elsewhere.
The Pro 360’s defining feature, of course, is its 360-degree hinge, which changes the laptop into a tab – and for that, Samsung charges at least £135/$200 more than the ordinary Galaxy Pro.
That said, if you use a variety of creative tools, are often on the road, and want a powerful and flexible gadget that can handle work and leisure, the Galaxy Pro 360 is an excellent choice. You simply need to save money for it.
