Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro Review: Pro In Name Only

Worth When Reviewed

From $1,449.99

Greatest Costs Immediately: Samsung Galaxy E book 3 Professional

Samsung’s February 2023 Galaxy Unpacked occasion was all in regards to the Ultras, with the up to date Galaxy S23 model joined by a brand-new Galaxy E book Extremely. 

However the latter was simply one among 4 new laptops introduced by Samsung, and the opposite three, cheaper choices are more likely to be extra widespread. They embody the Galaxy E book 3 Professional, a daily clamshell laptop computer accessible with both a 14in or 16in display. 

None of those are touchscreens, and so they don’t have the S Pen assist we’ve come to affiliate with Galaxy E book vary. And though I simply mentioned ‘cheaper’, the E book 3 Professional isn’t precisely low cost. Is there sufficient right here to justify the excessive worth? The brief reply to that’s no, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a wonderful laptop computer for on a regular basis use, so don’t cease studying simply but.

Design, construct & ports

• Slick, premium design
• Impressively skinny and light-weight
• Good port choice

Samsung has caught with the identical fundamental design for its laptops since relaunching them in 2020, and there’s no signal of that altering any time quickly. 

It means the Galaxy E book 3 Professional has a near-identical aluminium physique and understated aesthetic to its predecessor, with a silver emblem punctuating an in any other case very plain exterior.  

Some may even see it as boring, however I like the minimalist design Samsung has gone for. It’s accessible in two colors – Graphite and Beige – and the Beige mannequin I examined actually seems the half. 

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That selection of supplies additionally helps the E book 3 Professional to stay impressively light-weight for its dimension. The 14in mannequin weighs 1.17kg, whereas the 16in model is barely barely heavier at 1.56kg. It means each are very transportable, particularly with the chassis not more than 12.5mm thick. 

A skinny and light-weight laptop computer typically dangers sturdiness, however that doesn’t appear to be a difficulty right here. The mixture of premium supplies and a stable hinge design means the E book 3 Professional feels impressively strong. You’ll discover the wobbly show at occasions, particularly whereas typing, however there’s no indication of it inflicting any long-term harm. 

I’m additionally very glad to see a wholesome port choice, one thing which is constant throughout each sizes. Each USB-C ports assist Thunderbolt 4, making for quick knowledge switch and straightforward reference to a variety of different gadgets and equipment. They’re joined by one USB-A, one full-size HDMI, a microSD card slot and a 3.5mm audio jack. 

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If I’m being actually choosy, it’d have been good to have one other USB-A port – you should still want an adapter or hub – however I can’t actually complain. Many skinny and light-weight laptops dispose of the port totally. 

Keyboard, trackpad & webcam

• Strong full-size keyboard, regardless of restricted key journey
• Big trackpad, nevertheless it lacks precision
• Nice fingerprint sensor and webcam, however no face unlock

Each sizes of the Galaxy E book 3 Professional can comfortably accommodate a full-size keyboard, however solely the 16in mannequin features a separate quantity pad to the correct. A function like this falls into the ‘good to have’ class, however I wouldn’t have missed it if it wasn’t there. 

The keys themselves undertake a ‘chiclet’ design, that means they’ve a separated, flatter form and supply considerably much less journey than on another laptops. This seems like a foul factor, however typing on the E book 3 Professional is nice. Every key feels very clicky and responsive, which improved the velocity and accuracy of my typing. 

Samsung presents three ranges of backlighting. On the dimmest setting it’s vibrant sufficient to comfortably use in a room that’s utterly darkish, and at 100% the sunshine remains to be seen when there’s extra ambient mild.

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The principle criticism of the keyboard is the row of operate keys on the prime. They provide all the same old fast entry to quantity adjustment, brightness controls and different key settings, however you might want to maintain down the Fn key on the similar time to make use of them. That is one thing that impacts all Samsung laptops, nevertheless it annoys me each time. 

Under the keyboard, you’ll discover an enormous trackpad. It extends throughout half of the width of the keyboard on the 16in mannequin, and covers virtually your complete distance between the house bar and fringe of the machine.  

This offers the phantasm of extra management, however I discovered the other. Oddly, it lacked the precision of smaller variations, equivalent to those you’ll discover on different Galaxy Books. I typically had hassle clicking a selected space of the display or highlighting particular textual content. The cursor additionally generally moved erratically.

Plus, the sheer dimension of the factor led to some unintended clicks just because it leaves restricted house to comfortably relaxation your palms. That seems like loads of criticism, nevertheless it’s not a dealbreaker. 

On the top-right of the keyboard, you’ll discover a energy button which doubles as a fingerprint sensor. It’s simple to arrange, quick and dependable – simply what you need.  

Nevertheless, that’s your solely biometric choice for unlocking the E book 3 Professional. With no IR sensor, it doesn’t assist Home windows Howdy face unlock.  

As an alternative, you’ll discover a single 1080p webcam above the show. It’s the most effective built-in sensors on any laptop computer, providing spectacular element and dealing with publicity nicely. Alongside twin studio mics, the E book 3 Professional is a superb laptop computer for video calling. 

Display screen & audio system

• Wonderful 120Hz AMOLED show
• No touchscreen or S Pen assist
• First rate quad audio system

Samsung is aware of how one can make a fantastic show, and the Galaxy E book 3 Professional’s display is among the finest you’ll discover on any laptop computer. It delivers a wealthy, detailed and vibrant viewing expertise that you simply’ll need to maintain coming again to

It’s a 2880×1800 AMOLED panel on each 14in and 16in fashions, leading to a shift to the 16:10 facet ratio for the primary time. It is a good transfer for most individuals, because the taller display permits you to slot in barely extra content material. Pictures and movies in 16:9 will embody black bars above and beneath (letterboxing), however they nonetheless look tremendous.  

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Color accuracy can also be wonderful. In line with inner testing, it covers the total sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamuts, plus 98% of Adobe RGB – the most effective outcomes we’ve seen on any laptop computer.  

That’s earlier than you even get to the refresh charge, which may be mounted at 60Hz and 120Hz or dynamically swap between the 2. The latter presents a fantastic stability between additional fluidity and battery life, so I’d advocate it for most individuals. You received’t discover the excessive refresh charge as a lot as on a smartphone, nevertheless it nonetheless makes every little thing really feel easy and slick.

With all that in thoughts, it ought to most likely come as no shock that the top-of-the-line Galaxy E book Extremely has the very same show specs. You possibly can’t get a lot better than this on a shopper laptop computer. 

Nevertheless, neither of those gadgets are touchscreens, that means there’s no S Pen assist both. Samsung makes loads of laptops which do, nevertheless it’s value being conscious of in the event you’re contemplating this particular machine. 

By way of brightness, a take a look at results of 405 nit is true in keeping with Samsung’s marketed 400-nit most. It means you will get away with utilizing it exterior, simply not below vibrant daylight. 

Audio isn’t fairly as spectacular, however the E book 3 Professional can positively maintain its personal. It has quad audio system and Dolby Atmos assist, serving to it to ship crisp, room-filling sound. It’s higher suited to voice-based content material than music, although, with bass-heavy music tracks sounding barely washed out. 

Nonetheless, these audio system are tremendous for informal use equivalent to video calls. 

Specs & efficiency

• Intel Thirteenth-gen P-series CPUs
• Strong efficiency, however not for demanding workloads
• 512GB or 1TB SSDs (microSD expandable)

Regardless of the Professional title, the Galaxy E book 3 Professional’s efficiency specs aren’t something particular. It presents a selection between Intel’s Core i5-1340P and Core i7-1360P, from the 2023 Raptor Lake vary. 

Whereas it’s nice to see 13^th-gen chips arrive in laptops so quickly after they have been introduced, these are solely from the P-series, relatively than the extra succesful H-series discovered within the Galaxy E book Extremely. You additionally miss out on the Core i9 choice. 

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Samsung is beneficiant in relation to RAM, although. You get 16- or 32GB of the DDR5 customary, which helps maintain every little thing working easily – even in the event you depend on Google Chrome, which tends to make use of so much. 

Efficiency is excellent consequently, with even the Core i5 mannequin excelling throughout a variety of on a regular basis duties. I primarily used it for internet shopping, social media, watching movies and managing information, all of which it might deal with with none issues by any means. 

However you’ll run into points with extra demanding workloads, the place the shortage of a discrete GPU is extra noticeable. The machine makes use of Intel’s Iris Xe built-in graphics, which makes it unsuitable for duties equivalent to video modifying or gaming. 

In abstract, the E book 3 Professional is loads highly effective sufficient for most individuals. However it might’t deal with the sort of intensive workloads the ‘Professional’ title may counsel.  

Nevertheless, within the benchmarks beneath, it greater than holds its personal.

In contrast to some laptops, there’s loads of inner storage whichever mannequin you select. The E book 3 Professional begins with a 512GB SSD, however you may improve to 1TB in the event you’d choose. If that’s not sufficient, it helps enlargement through microSD card as much as 2TB. 

By way of connectivity, the machine options each Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1. Solely the previous is the most recent customary, however you’re unlikely to overlook not being upgraded to Bluetooth 5.3. An absence of 5G (or 4G) could be extra grating, although.  

Battery & Charging

• 63Wh battery on 14in, 76Wh on 16in
• Excellent battery life
• 65W charging barely underwhelming

Battery capability is one thing that varies considerably between sizes of the Galaxy E book 3 Professional. The 14in mannequin is provided with a decent 63Wh cell, however the 16in model bumps that as much as 76Wh. 

That’s as a result of bigger show, though I can’t touch upon how that impacts the 14in E book 3 Professional. What I can say is that battery life on the 16in mannequin is really wonderful. 

It’s mirrored in our 720p video loop take a look at, the place the E book 3 Professional lasted an unimaginable 18 hours. That’s the most effective scores we’ve ever seen, bettered solely by ARM-based gadgets. 

Video playback doesn’t essentially mirror real-world utilization, whereas 120 nits of brightness is comparatively dim. Nevertheless, turning on battery saver on the default 20% (relatively than turning it off, as was the case for this take a look at) will assist it final lengthy. 

However it might comfortably final a full eight-hour workday on a single cost, even with excessive brightness and the show set to 120Hz. When you solely use it in your spare time, three and even 4 days are inside attain. 

The battery capability performs an enormous function right here, as does the improved energy effectivity of 13^th-gen Intel CPUs. 

Whenever you do finally run out, Samsung features a 65W charger within the field. This can be utilized to cost any Galaxy gadgets which use USB-C, however speeds on the E book 3 Professional are barely underwhelming.

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I recorded 33% in half-hour and 66% in 1 hour from off. That’s tremendous for most individuals, however actually not the quickest. 

Software program

• Home windows 11 Dwelling out of the field
• A number of pre-installed Samsung apps, however not disruptive
• Will get updates all through Home windows 11’s lifespan

The Galaxy E book 3 Professional ships working Home windows 11 Dwelling.

However in contrast to on its telephones, Samsung’s software program tweaks aren’t vital until you personal different Galaxy gadgets. The consumer interface is equivalent to every other Home windows 11 machine, with solely a handful of additional apps pre-installed. 

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These are as follows: Circulation (for syncing between gadgets), Restoration, Account, Bluetooth Sync, Gallery, Notes, Fast Share, Second Display screen and Galaxy E book Expertise (fast entry to key options). Samsung additionally has its personal model of Settings, nevertheless it’s nothing like the total Home windows 11 model. 

The excellent news is that these can all be uninstalled at any time, and it’s simple to keep away from interacting with them altogether. However when you’ve got a Samsung cellphone or pill, some options will likely be genuinely helpful. 

One other constructive is that every one Home windows 11 gadgets are anticipated to get updates all through the working system’s lifespan. Microsoft is but to verify how lengthy that’ll be, nevertheless it often helps (widespread) main variations for round a decade – that will take us to 2031. 

Worth & availability

The Galaxy E book 3 Professional isn’t Samsung’s costliest 2023 laptop computer, nevertheless it nonetheless doesn’t come low cost.  

You’ll pay a minimum of $1,449.99/£1,349 for the 14in mannequin, whereas stepping as much as the 16in begins at $1,549.99/£1,449 – supplied you don’t have a tool to commerce in.

Nevertheless, Core i5 fashions aren’t accessible within the US, so the like-for-like costs are considerably greater within the UK. 

These are excessive costs for a shopper laptop computer. Most of the options in our greatest laptop computer chart are both higher worth for cash or supply additional performance, however that doesn’t imply it’s best to rule out the E book 3 Professional totally. 

It’s a fantastic laptop computer, only a bit overpriced, so maintain your eye out for any offers and reductions. 

Verdict

The Galaxy E book 3 Professional isn’t as class-leading as its worth could counsel. However there are various highlights together with a beautiful 120Hz AMOLED show (14in or 16in), a formidable number of ports and stellar battery life.  

You additionally get Samsung’s trademark premium design, plus some nice video calling options. 

Efficiency is stable too, however it might’t deal with the demanding workloads you may affiliate with a ‘Professional’ laptop computer. With an iffy trackpad and no contact (or S Pen) assist, there are sufficient causes to hesitate earlier than shopping for one – particularly at full worth. 

With the Extremely taking lots of the headlines and 360 fashions providing extra performance for much less, the E book 3 Professional results in an ungainly center floor. It’s a formidable laptop computer, however so are many others round this worth – together with the LG Gram 16, Huawei MateBook 16s and Microsoft Floor Laptop computer 5.

Specs

• Show: 16:10 AMOLED, 14in or 16in (each 2880×1800), 120Hz
• Processor: Intel Core i5-1340P, Intel Core i7-1360P
• Graphics: Intel Iris Xe
• Reminiscence: 8/16/32GB
• Storage: 256/512GB/1TB SSD (expandable as much as 2TB through microSD)
• Ports: 2x USB-C (each Thunderbolt 4), 1x USB-A, HDMI 1.4, microSD, 3.5mm audio jack
• Digicam: 1080p front-facing
• Wi-fi: WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1, 5G (optionally available)
• Battery: 63Wh (14in), 76Wh (16in)
• Charging: 65W USB-C (included)
• Working system: Home windows 11 Dwelling
• Colors: Graphite, Beige
• Weight: 1.17kg (14in), 1.56kg (16in)