Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 review

Samsung is actually getting again into the swing of issues following its return to the laptop computer enterprise in 2020. With final yr’s Galaxy Ebook 2 Professional and Galaxy Ebook 2 360, it equipped extraordinarily light-weight laptops that got here up just a bit brief with a number of key specs.

The category of 2023 sees Samsung stepping issues up on the spec entrance. Sure, the Galaxy Ebook 3 Professional 360 is one other light-weight laptop-cum-tablet with an extremely versatile show hinge. But it surely additionally packs a 120Hz 3K 16-inch AMOLED panel, Thirteenth-gen Intel Core processors, and an S Pen stylus as commonplace. 

All of it means that Samsung might need produced an all-round champ that may be, if not all issues to all individuals, then actually most issues to nearly all of individuals. Wishful considering, maybe?

Design & Construct

• 12.8mm
• From 1.66kg
• Aluminium construct

At 12.8mm thick, the Samsung Galaxy Ebook 3 Professional 360 isn’t as appealingly skinny as final yr’s 11.9mm Galaxy Ebook 2 Professional 360, however it’s fractionally. The payoff is that it feels extraordinarily strong. Regardless of the core design function being that you may flip that show proper round from a closed place to being back-to-back with the keyboard, it looks like a ‘regular’ laptop computer.

Speaking of that hinge, it’s one other good piece of engineering from an organization that has gotten excellent at this type of factor with its varied laptops and foldable telephones. The sturdiness issue has apparently been upped with this yr’s mannequin, which might clearly take months or years to check relatively than a few weeks. However like I mentioned, the truth that it looks like a standard laptop computer is a testomony to Samsung’s work. 

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No, this hinge doesn’t go the one-thumb check, that means I had to make use of my different hand to regular the chassis while opening, lest it skid off the again of my desk. However given the 360-degree feats that it’s able to, I’m inclined to offer Samsung a go – particularly provided that plenty of costly non-convertible laptops fail the check too.

To be clear, the Galaxy Ebook 3 Professional 360 display screen doesn’t flatten proper up in opposition to the keyboard when absolutely open, with both the rubber ft or the loosely connected S Pen sustaining a slight hole. But it surely nonetheless feels fairly strong when used as successfully a super-sized pill. The hinge additionally presents ample resistance when propped at a 135-degree angle, although any flatter and also you may discover that gravity takes a maintain over time.

At 1.66kg for the Wi-Fi-only variant (which is what I examined) and 1.71kg for the 5G mannequin, it’s appreciably mild for a full-sized laptop computer. It’s nowhere close to as mild because the 1.16kg non-convertible Galaxy Ebook 2 Professional, however then few laptops are. After all, that is additionally very heavy for a pill, so that you received’t be wielding the Galaxy Ebook 3 Professional 360 like an iPad when it’s absolutely opened out – not for lengthy anyway.

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You may specify the Ebook 3 Professional 360 in Graphite or Beige, each of that are constructed of premium aluminium. The latter color won’t sound all that interesting, nevertheless it may be value contemplating for those who’re averse to mucky fingerprints throughout your devices. Inside a number of days of dealing with this Graphite mannequin, I noticed a seemingly everlasting patina of grease throughout the lid.

The Samsung Galaxy Ebook 3 Professional 360 is properly provisioned on the connectivity entrance in comparison with many skinny rivals, beginning with two USB-C ports accessible on the left-hand facet (at the very least give us one on every, Samsung). However they’re full Thunderbolt 4 ports, which is one thing. 

In any other case, you get a single USB-A port, a microSD slot (a daily SD slot would have been extra helpful), an HDMI slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It’s a strong provision for a 2-in-1, maybe, however not a lot for a 16in laptop computer within the wider market.

There’s a 1080p webcam proper above that show, too, which is at all times good to see. 

Display screen & Audio system

• 16in AMOLED
• 120Hz
• 3K decision

We’re used to Samsung providing OLED shows in its laptops by now. What we’re not used to, and arguably this era’s largest contribution, is a 120Hz refresh fee. 

It’s set to scale dynamically between 60- and 120Hz by default, however flip it into 120Hz solely and it’s silky easy scrolling all the way in which. It’ll hit your battery life one thing continual, as I’ll go into later, however the possibility is most welcome for once you’re plugged into the mains.

Whereas this refresh fee is probably the most eye-catching a part of the Samsung Galaxy Ebook 3 Professional 360 show, it’s not the one factor that impresses. This can be a massive 16in panel with a 16:10 facet ratio, offering a large canvas for every part from picture enhancing to sketching.

It’s extraordinarily sharp too, with a 2880 x 1800 or 3K decision, which is a giant enchancment over the 1080p Samsung Galaxy Ebook 2 Professional 360.

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This being an AMOLED panel, you may count on deep blacks and eye-poppingly vibrant colors. I recorded a gamut protection of 99.9% sRGB, 95.3% Adobe RGB, and 99.4% DCI P3 within the default Auto color profile, which could be very robust and makes it appropriate for almost all of artistic work.

A peak brightness of 358 nits is nothing to put in writing dwelling about, so this isn’t the laptop computer to get for those who’re planning on working exterior quite a bit in the summertime months. It’s simply high-quality for indoor utilization, nonetheless.

By way of sound output, there’s an AKG-tuned quad-speaker system on board, with two 5W woofers and two 2W tweeters, in addition to Dolby Atmos assist. The sound is crisp and clear, nevertheless it lacks the bass and the wealthy spaciousness of a MacBook Professional, such that I didn’t really feel inclined to take heed to any music on it with out hooking up a set of headphones however its extra audio provision than many laptops.

Keyboard, Trackpad & S Pen

• Restricted journey chiclet keyboard
• Giant however off-center trackpad
• Bundled S Pen stylus

The typing expertise on the Samsung Galaxy Ebook 3 Professional 360 could be very achieved, with a full-sized keyboard that features a numerical pad and correctly distinguished arrow keys. That’s a fantastic begin.

As for the precise keys, the low degree of journey on these chiclet keys implies that it falls a bit of wanting the easiest within the enterprise. I a lot most popular typing on my MacBook Professional and certainly the non-chiclet Dell XPS 13 Plus, each of which offer a greater really feel resulting in fewer typing errors. It’s nonetheless an honest provision, particularly for a 2-in-1.

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You additionally get an honest fingerprint sensor constructed into the bodily energy button within the high proper nook, which proved extraordinarily dependable throughout my time with the laptop computer.

I’m not solely pleased with the Ebook 3’s trackpad, although. It’s lots massive sufficient, however the truth that it’s set barely to at least one facet actually messed with my sense of what was a left-click and what was a right-click. I believe I might adapt given extra time, and it’s technically consistent with the QWERTY keyboard (blame that lopsided numerical pad), nevertheless it’s not an entirely pure expertise out of the field. 

Mechanically talking the trackpad is barely clicky within the decrease part, with bodily relatively than haptic suggestions. Additionally, whereas the touchpad is sufficiently responsive generally broad sweeps navigation, I discovered it a bit of imprecise when doing subtler issues like attempting to finesse the place of a cursor in a doc. I used to be relieved to hook up my mouse.

All in all, it will get nowhere close to the delicate brilliance of a MacBook touchpad, which is the extent Samsung must be judged in opposition to given its pedigree and pricing.

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The place Samsung knocks it out of the park on the enter entrance is with its S Pen stylus, which comes bundled with each Samsung Galaxy Ebook 3 Professional 360. It stashes away on the lid of the laptop computer utilizing magnets when not in use, which isn’t probably the most reassuringly safe becoming while you’re out and about. 

If you find yourself utilizing it, nonetheless, the stress sensitivity and sheer responsiveness make for a genuinely pen-like expertise. Mixed with that wonderful show, it’s a fantastic system for scrawling notes or sketches.

Specs & Efficiency

• Thirteenth-gen Intel chips
• No discrete GPU possibility
• As much as 1TB storage

The Samsung Galaxy Ebook 3 Professional 360 runs on a Thirteenth-gen Intel Core processors My check mannequin ships with an i7-1360P and 16GB of RAM, whereas the bottom mannequin comes with an i5-1340P with 8GB of RAM.

No, it’s not a match for the powerhouse that’s the Samsung Galaxy Ebook 3 Extremely, however then few laptops proper now are.

I had no issues utilizing the Samsung Galaxy Ebook 3 Professional 360 for basic work duties. It zipped by way of a number of Chrome tabs, emails, 4K video streaming and extra with out breaking a sweat. I solely seen the followers kicking in now and again, they usually weren’t distractingly loud after they did.

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Naturally, that is no gaming laptop computer, with not one of the discrete GPU choices of the Extremely mannequin. Older 3D titles like Portal 2 run simply high-quality, however something vaguely current received’t run in optimum style. I used to be in a position to play by way of the open part of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order on the default Medium settings, however there have been frequent halts and stutters as varied cinematic parts loaded in. 

Within the CPU-focused Geekbench 5 multi-core check, the highest variant of the Ebook 3 Professional 360 pips the Samsung Galaxy Ebook 2 Professional and the Dell XPS Plus 13 with their twelfth gen Intel Core i7 processors. It additionally matches the MacBook Air M2, however predictably will get obliterated by the MacBook Professional M2 Professional.

Relating to our ordinary GPU benchmarks, the generational benefit to its chip sees the Samsung Galaxy Ebook 3 Professional 360 besting these aforementioned Home windows rivals fairly handily.

Storage choices are suitably diverse, with 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB all on the desk. You’ll have to take the quicker processor and better RAM allotment at 16GB not 8GB if you’d like the extra capacious SSD choices, nonetheless.

Battery Life & Charging

The Samsung Galaxy Ebook 3 Professional 360 packs a pretty big 76Wh battery, which broadly supplies the sort of stamina we’ve come to count on from a contemporary Home windows 11 laptop computer. In different phrases, not horrendous, however nonetheless not fairly ok for a full working day, actually nothing to hassle an Apple silicon MacBook. 

In mild work circumstances, which concerned predominantly Chrome-based looking and Google Doc utilization, a smattering of YouTube movies, and common e-mail and Slack utilization, I discovered that the Ebook 3 Professional 360 would present the important battery warning (at round 6%) after 7 hours of utilization, with a lunch break thrown in. 

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This was with the display screen set to an adaptive refresh fee and with HDR turned off, which is the default state. With 120Hz and HDR lively, the laptop computer would solely get by way of 4 hours of such a typical work day.

Our ordinary looping 720p video check, with the display screen brightness set to a reasonably dim 120 nits, ran for 14h 26m earlier than powering down. That’s about half an hour lower than the Samsung Galaxy Ebook 2 360, and is properly wanting the LG Gram 16 (to not point out these MacBooks), however is in any other case removed from the worst end result we’ve seen.

Come recharge time, Samsng bundles in its ordinary 65W brick. I clocked the charging fee at 37% over the primary half-hour from a powered down state. That’s not as speedy because the Galaxy Ebook 2 360, nevertheless it’s about proper for the scale and spec of the laptop computer. A full cost will take just below 1 hour 45 minutes.

All in all, that is maybe the one elementary space that holds the Galaxy Ebook 3 Professional 360 again from being the all-round nice it may very well be. If Samsung can engineer a 2-in-1 that may reliably get by way of a full working day on a single cost, they’d actually be in enterprise. 

Software program & Apps

• Home windows 11 Professional
• Galaxy Ebook Expertise

Samsung doesn’t mess with the Home windows 11 software program on its laptops half as a lot because it tinkers with its smartphones, however you continue to get a bit of Samsung bloat. 

Probably the most helpful apps embody Samsung Notes, which mixes a daily word taking app with S Pen integration. It might probably even precisely translate handwritten notes to digital textual content, which feels faintly magical, to not point out genuinely helpful. Samsung Noteshelf locations much more of the onus on utilizing Samsung’s good stylus, with added services like automated form creation.

Elsewhere you get the likes of Fast Search, Fast Share, Bixby, and Samsung Gallery, that are various shades of inessential, relying on how invested within the wider Samsung ecosystem you’re.

Jon Mundy / Foundry

By way of third celebration preinstalled functions, there are hyperlinks to obtain Adobe Lightroom and Clip Studio Paint, which is sensible inside the context of that included S Pen stylus and lovely AMOLED show. This actually is a superb software for budding artists.

Value & Availability

The Samsung Galaxy Ebook 3 Professional 360 is available in numerous variants for the UK market, all accessible direct from Samsung. Costs begin at £1,549 for the entry mannequin, which provides you a Thirteenth gen i5 processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage, and Wi-Fi solely.

You may bump that spec as much as a Thirteenth gen i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage – which is the mannequin examined right here – for £1,849. Or you may high out at 1TB of storage for £2,049.

There’s additionally a 5G possibility, which provides you the baseline spec plus cell community connectivity for £1,999. I’m unsure why there isn’t a money-no-object possibility that offers you the highest spec with 5G connectivity.

You should purchase it from Samsung in addition to retailers like Amazon, AO, Currys and John Lewis.

Within the US you get simply the one spec possibility from Samsung, with an i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage for $1,899.99. Nonetheless, BestBuy has the 512GB mdoel for $1,699.99.

Take a look at the next charts for extra choices such because the Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED:

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Ebook 3 Professional 360 is maybe probably the most compromise-free 2-in-1 convertible we’ve examined. Its refined design makes the laptop computer appear and feel like a daily full-sized laptop computer, but the show can rotate by way of 360-degrees, and the bundled S Pen turns it into an artist’s delight.

The important thing element right here is the brand new 16in AMOLED show. With a 3K decision and a 120Hz refresh fee, it’s as fluid as it’s sharp and vibrant.

Efficiency doesn’t let the facet down, although the battery will barely get you thru a working day. Making full use of that stunning 120Hz AMOLED show will actually take its toll, too. 

It’s a disgrace the typing and trackpad expertise isn’t fairly on the elite degree, that means energy customers will nonetheless profit from going for a non-convertible possibility over this one. However Samsung has produced its greatest 2-in-1 but, doubtless.

Specs

• Mannequin examined:
• Home windows 11 Professional
• 16in 3K AMOLED show (16:10 facet ratio, 2880 x 1800, 120Hz)
• Intel Core i7–1360P
• Intel Iris Xe graphics
• 16GB LPDDR5 RAM
• 512GB SSD
• Full-size keyboard with backlighting
• 1080p FHD Digital camera
• Quad audio system (2 x 5W, 2 x 2W)
• Fingerprint energy button
• 1x HDMI
• 2x Thunderbolt 4
• 1x USB 3.2
• MicroSD Multi-media Card Reader
• 3.5mm jack
• 76 Wh battery
• 65W charger
• Wi-Fi 6E
• Bluetooth 5.1
• 355.4 x 252.2 x 12.8mm
• 1.66kg