Available in either 13.3-inch or 15.6-inch screen sizes with 12th-generation Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processors and up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage, there’s plenty of choice with the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360. We took the 15.6-inch Core i7 16GB/512GB model, which costs £1,249 in the UK or $1,349.99 in the US (with a 1TB SSD), for a (360-degree) spin. If thin, light and minimalist are must-have features for you, then despite its 15.6-inch screen, the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 is definitely one for your shortlist. My review unit had a pale magnesium grey chassis, which Samsung calls Silver. There are also versions in Burgundy and Graphite. Either way, the build is very solid – there was no flex in the lid of my review unit, for example, although Samsung makes no mention of MIL-STD testing. This 15.6-inch laptop measures 354.85mm wide by 227.97mm deep and 11.9mm thick and weighs 1.41kg. This weight, which is perfectly reasonable, puts into perspective just how light the 16-inch LG Gram 16 is, at 1.199kg. If you need to travel with your laptop, there’s good news in that the power adapter is a standard phone-charger-style plug with a retracting pin, and the charge cable is USB-C at both ends, adding minimal weight and bulk to a rucksack. Samsung bundles its S Pen stylus, which is useful for note-taking and form-filling on the touch screen, in either laptop or tablet mode. However, the stylus is too large to fit in a ‘garage’ on the laptop’s chassis, so it needs to be carried separately. Don’t lose it. The S Pen does adhere to the chassis of the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 magnetically, but the arrangement is unconventional. The upper section of the lid is magnetised, which means you must reach round the chassis when working in laptop mode to retrieve the stylus. I knocked it to the floor a couple of times – something I would not want to do when working in a café rather than in my home office. I tried getting the stylus to sit in place vertically so I could see part of it and retrieve it more safely, but the magnet system isn’t designed for vertical hold, and the stylus slipped around. It also distracted me from the screen. This is all basic ergonomics, and Samsung could do better. The 15.6-inch screen’s width allows Samsung to put a separate number pad to the right of the QWERTY keys – laptop designers can either do this or use the space on either side of the keyboard for speaker grilles. The number pad’s keys are a decent size, and there’s a double-height Enter key that’s slightly thicker at the top. I managed to train myself to hit it accurately with relative ease, and the arrangement is better than that I encountered on the Huawei MateBook D 16. Elsewhere the keys are all large and easy to hit accurately, and there is plenty of travel and good bounce-back. The keyboard is quiet in use, while the touchpad is large and responsive. There is a fingerprint sensor embedded in unmarked on/off key, which sits in the top right-hand corner of the number pad. A webcam is vitally important these days and the 1080p resolution on offer here is good to see. The webcam supports Auto Framing to keep the user in frame and in focus, and this worked well. There is no privacy cover or IR support, though. The screen is an AMOLED panel, which means it delivers bright images with vibrant colour. Touch sensitivity is valuable, and not just in tablet mode: prodding at the screen can be more efficient than using the touchpad or a mouse in everyday laptop mode, too. The screen is reflective, which some might find distracting. A 15.6-inch screen lets you work easily with two documents side by side, and in tablet mode the larger screen is great for a variety of pen-based activities. Video looks good in both laptop and tablet mode. SEE: Best Windows laptop 2022: Top notebooks compared That said, the FHD resolution (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) is relatively low, and the 60Hz refresh rate could be higher. Samsung’s decision to locate grilles for the two speakers on the underside of the chassis makes sense in the context of tablet mode, as grilles sitting either side of the keyboard would output audio right into a desk or the user’s lap in that orientation. As it is, sound is of a similar strength in both modes. However, it lacks the depth required for serious movie watching or music listening, with treble dominant across different soundscapes. My Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 review unit was powered by Intel’s 12th-generation Core i7-1260P processor with integrated Iris Xe Graphics, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage, a configuration that costs £1,249 in the UK. The nearest equivalent model in the US has a 1TB SSD and costs $1,349.99. Buyers seeking more affordability can opt for a Core i5-1240P version. Our Core i7-1260P review unit with 16GB of RAM delivered Geekbench 5 CPU scores of 1052 (single core) and 7303 (multi core). By contrast, Apple’s late-2020 M1-based MacBook Air scored 1730 and 7590 respectively (running the benchmark in native M1 mode). In the Compute GPU benchmark using the OpenCL API, the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 scored 18842, which is broadly on a par with the M1 MacBook Air in this mode. Whatever configuration is selected, there’s a modest set of ports with one or two notable absentees. You get a Thunderbolt 4 port, two USB-C ports, a MicroSD slot and 3.5mm audio in/out jack. Connectors like HDMI, Ethernet and USB-A will require a hub or docking station. Wi-Fi is bang up to date, though, with Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.1 is also here. Samsung is big on cross-device data sharing. So screen sharing with a Galaxy Tab 8 tablet is integrated, along with software called Samsung Multi Control that allows effective use of both screens in unison. Owners of compatible Samsung phones can share files between devices, and can even share access to phone apps. Samsung says the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360’s 68Wh battery will provide 21 hours of video playback, with fast charging for 30 minutes delivering 8.3 hours of use. I put the laptop to the test with my usual regime of writing into web apps, streaming video and listening to music. From a full charge it lost 37% in three hours, suggesting battery life of just over eight hours. That’s a lot less than Samsung’s claim, so it would be wise not to stray far from a mains power source for too long. To test charging speed, I started when the battery had fallen to 30%. It rose to 41% after 15 minutes, to 51% after 30 minutes and to 61% after 45 minutes.
Conclusions
Samsung’s Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 is a frustrating mix of excellent and irritating features: bundling the S Pen is a good idea, but it’s marred by the unusual magnetic attachment; the OLED touch screen is sharp and vibrant, but its FHD resolution is disappointing. Elsewhere the keyboard is good and performance of the Core i7 model solid, and the range of configuration options, including dropping down to a Core i5 and a 13.3-inch screen, means that buyers can choose exactly what works best for them. Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 specifications
Alternatives to consider
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