When it comes to smartphones, before mentioning the name of any brand, Samsung will definitely be the first that will come out of your mouth. It is no doubt that they have a firm foundation in the number one spot in the smartphone market. Io our present generation, mobility extends beyond smartphones to tablets and 2-in-1 detachable personal computers, this makes Samsung quietly adding Chromebook, Windows notebooks, and desktops to their collection of devices. The Samsung Galaxy Book 12 inch is the company’s second attempt to manufacture a detachable device, after last year’s TabPro S, and it was indeed a much-improved product.
Also read: Lenovo Flex 11 Chromebook Review (Features, Specifications and Price)
Samsung recently launched the Samsung Galaxy Book 12-inch, and in this post, we are dedicating a review to this masterpiece of a device. The review is basically based on personal experience, though yours might differ, in the end, there is still room for improvement overall though the device exceeds an above-average score.
Samsung Galaxy Book 12 inch Review: Features and Design
Top Notch Display, Performance, and Camera
The first thing you will notice in the packaging is the indication that says “premium”, the Samsung Galaxy Book 12-inch comes in a sleek black box with silver lettering. Though you are not supposed to judge a book from its cover, there is a message that is being passed from this first impression.
The next thing you cannot ignore is the quality of its display. The super AMOLED touch screen display of the Samsung Galaxy Book 12 inch, makes it perfect for multimedia and pictures look sharp and vibrant and full brightness. Though the bezels are a little bit large, I think the 12-inch screen is a good compromise when trading off size for portability. You can easily multitask well when you split the screen into two or three parts, which probably will not work well with a smaller screen size of 10 inches or less. Weighing just 6 pounds, we can classify the device as lightweight., though not the lightest 2-in-1 you can find in the market today but it is still portable.
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Another area in which the Samsung Galaxy Book 12-inch excelled greatly is the area of performance. You can install a variety of software on the device, such as One Note, Chrome browser, OneDrive, Skype, Office 365, Google Backup & Sync Apple iCloud, G Suite Sync, Facebook, Instagram, etc. be rested assured that they will all run smoothly. The 7th generation Intel Core i5 processor delivers enough horsepower for office productivity apps, multi-tab browsing, and light gaming.
The Samsung Galaxy Book 12 inch has a 13MP camera at its rear, which when compared to almost other detachable, is of very high quality. The only other detachable in the market right now that supersedes this is the Apple iPad Pro. The Galaxy Book 12 inch also came with two USB-C ports, which explains that Samsung is looking toward the future. You can also charge this device with your Galaxy S8 Plus charger. The audio capabilities of this device are also cool, as it produces clear and crisp sound, and the volume can go very high.
Another thing to appreciate is the Galaxy Book’s LTE option, and the WiFi AC was also a plus to this book.
Keyboard and Pen
The keyboard together with the S pen wrapped up into a $1,199 price tag placed on the consumer version of the Samsung Galaxy Book 12 inch. It is a good deal considering its competitors like iPad Pro and Surface Pro which do not come with s stylus or keyboard. The keyboard of this device works perfectly, as they are nice and punchy. Typing on the Galaxy Book 12 inch is fun and an experience you will love. The keyboard cover functions as a digital portfolio, which makes it handy to use when on the go. The cover is easily detachable and it stays on well too.
As for the Galaxy Book 12-inch pen, it is just fine for casual users, but it is not recommended for professionals who draw for a living or who take all their notes using a digital pen. The pen does not need charging or pairing.
Suggestions for Improvement
Just like you know that there are no perfect products coming from any manufacturer, there are some improvements that can still be made. Generally, I think the Samsung Galaxy Book 12-inch offers great value for the money it is been priced, I am fully impressed with its display, performance, keyboard, and camera. There are just a few areas where I think Samsung could improve, by my major complaint is that of the battery life. It is quite difficult to achieve the 11 hours of battery life as promised by the brand, you can only get between 3 to 6 hours of battery life. I was also expecting a much better experience with the OLED display. Before you proceed with your conclusions, read the disclaimer on the battery life below.
“Based on laboratory testing. Results may vary. Battery power consumption depends on usage platforms”
I was also expecting the fast charging capacity to apply in all situations, but I observed that it slowed down a bit when you are watching a movie with the device. to a point that it might start losing some battery life.
Conclusion
In all, I found the Samsung Galaxy Book 12 inch to be a very nice device to behold and work with. It has a great display, performance, camera, and a very functional keyboard and stylus. Though I would like to enjoy a longer battery life, this 2-in-1 detachable beats most of its competitors in the market.
Samsung Galaxy Book 12-inch Specifications
Network and Software
- GSM: No
- 3G: No
- 4G: LTE (Galaxy Book 4G only)
- SIM Type:
- OS: Windows 10 Home
Design
- Dimensions: 291.30 x 199.80 x 7.40 mm
- Weight: 754 g
- Display: 12.0 inches, 2160 x 1440 pixels, Super AMOLED display
- Sensors: Accelerometer, Ambient Light
Build:
- Colors: Black. Silver
- Hardware
- Processor Type: Dual-Core 3.1 GHz
- Processor Name: Intel i5-7200
Graphics Processor:
- RAM: 4 GB / 8 GB
- Internal Storage: 128 GB / 256 GB SSD
- External Storage: MicroSD card up to 256 GB
Camera
- Rear: 13-megapixel auto-focus, F/2.0 aperture, with LED flash
- Video recording: 1080p@30fps
- Front-facing: 5-megapixel camera
Multimedia
- Music Support: mp3, aac, aac+, eaac+, AMR
- Loudspeaker: Mono
- Video Support: mpeg4, h.263, h.264
- FM Radio: Yes
Connectivity
- Bluetooth: v4.0 A2DP
- WiFi: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
- GPS: Yes
- USB: v3.1; 2x USB-C ports
Others
- Charging: Adaptive Fast Charging
- Battery: 5070 mAh
- Announcement: February 2017
- Availability: February 2017
- Launch Price: £1,099.00 / £1,269.00
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