This past week, Samsung unveiled two new laptops which will become available for sale in the beginning of 2020, the Galaxy Book Flex and the Galaxy Book Ion. They both use Intel 10th gen processors (Ice Lake and Comet Lake), and are part of Intel Project Athena. They also use Samsung's QLED display technology, which is cheaper than OLED, but produces very bright images. Although prices are not available yet, they both seem fine, as they are thin, light and have a good reported battery life.
The specs are below. They both look very compelling, and the Galaxy Book Ion is significantly lighter than the MacBook Air. What are your first impressions as an alternative to the Air?
The specs are below. They both look very compelling, and the Galaxy Book Ion is significantly lighter than the MacBook Air. What are your first impressions as an alternative to the Air?
Galaxy Book Flex 13 | Galaxy Book Flex 15 | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 302.6 x 202.9 x 12.9 mm | 355.0 x 227.2 x 14.9 mm |
| Weight | 1.15kg | 1.57 kg (External graphics model) 1.52 kg (Internal graphics model) |
| Display | 13.3" QLED FHD Display (1920 x 1080) | 15.6" QLED FHD Display (1920 x 1080) |
| CPU | 10th Generation Intel® Core™ Processor (Ice Lake) | 10th Generation Intel® Core™ Processor (Ice Lake) |
| Graphics | Intel® Iris Plus GraphicsUS or Intel®UHD Graphics | NVIDIA® GeForce® MX250 Graphics with GDDR5 2 GB Graphic Memory (External graphics model) Intel® Iris Plus Graphics or Intel® UHD Graphics (Internal graphics model) |
| Memory | Up to 16GB (LPDDR4x) | Up to 16GB (LPDDR4x) |
| Storage | Up to 1TB SSD (NVMe) | Up to 1TB SSD (NVMe) |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), 802.11 ax 2x2 | Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), 802.11 ax 2x2 |
| Camera / Mic | 720p HD / Dual Array Mic | 720p HD / Dual Array Mic |
| Audio | AKG Stereo Speakers with Smart Amp | AKG Stereo Speakers with Smart Amp |
| Security | Fingerprint | Fingerprint |
| S Pen | Built-in S Pen | Built-in S Pen |
| Keyboard | Backlit | Backlit |
| Battery | 69.7Wh (Typical) | 69.7Wh (Typical) |
| orts | Thunderbolt™ 3 (2) | USB-C (1) | UFS/MicroSD Combo | HP/Mic | Thunderbolt™ 3 (2) | USB-C (1) | UFS/MicroSD Combo | HP/Mic |
| Galaxy Book Ion 13 | Galaxy Book Ion 15 | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 305.7 x 199.8 x 12.9 mm | 356.1 x 228.0 x 14.9 mm |
| Weight | 0.97 kg | 1.26 kg (External graphics model) 1.19 kg (Internal graphics model) |
| Display | 13.3"QLED FHD Display (1920 x 1080) | 15.6"QLED FHD Display (1920 x 1080) |
| CPU | 10th Generation Intel® Core™ Processor (Comet Lake) | 10th Generation Intel® Core™ Processor (Comet Lake) |
| Graphics | Intel® UHD Graphics | NVIDIA® GeForce® MX250 Graphics with GDDR5 2 GB Graphic Memory (External graphics model) Intel® UHD Graphics (Internal graphics model) |
| Memory | Up to 16GB (DDR4) | Up to 16GB (DDR4) + 1 Sodimm |
| Storage | Up to 1TB SSD (NVMe) | Up to 1TB SSD (NVMe) + 1 SSD expandable slot |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), 802.11 ax 2x2 | Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), 802.11 ax 2x2 |
| Camera / Mic | 720p HD / Dual Array Mic | 720p HD / Dual Array Mic |
| Audio | AKG Stereo Speakers with Smart Amp | AKG Stereo Speakers with Smart Amp |
| Security | Fingerprint | Fingerprint |
| Keyboard | Backlit | Backlit |
| Battery | 69.7Wh (Typical) | 69.7Wh (Typical) |
| Ports | Thunderbolt™ 3 | USB 3.0 (2) | HDMI | UFS/MicroSD Combo | HP/Mic | Thunderbolt™ 3 | USB 3.0 (2) | HDMI | UFS/MicroSD Combo | HP/Mic |