Samsung introduces three new laptops to the UK, including an Intel-based variant of the Galaxy Book S
After years in the wilderness, Samsung is returning to the UK laptop market with a bang in 2020, launching another three laptops in addition to the Snapdragon 8cx-powered Samsung Galaxy Book S announced just recently.
Two of the new models – the Samsung Galaxy Ion, and Samsung Galaxy Flex – first surfaced in Hong Kong last year and launched in the US at the beginning of May. These have now touched down in the UK and will be able to purchase from 15 June. They’ll be joined by the Intel core version of the Samsung Galaxy Book S from the end of the month.
Samsung Galaxy Flex: Price, specifications and release date
The Samsung Galaxy Flex is a 2-in-1 machine with a 360-degree hinge that allows it to be used in tablet, laptop, stand and “tent” orientations. It’s 12.9mm thin, weighs 1.16kg and it will be available in two colours: Royal Blue and Aura Silver. It’s a smart-looking laptop.
It also comes with a number of handy extras. There’s an S Pen stylus (with 4,096 levels of sensitivity) that stows neatly away in the body of the laptop; a fingerprint scanner, which like the Samsung Galaxy Book S is built into the power button; and a touchpad with integrated Qi wireless charging so you can charge your compatible phone or earphones.
As for the display, that’s a 13.3in 1,920 x 1,080 resolution QLED touchscreen effort, which is both HDR10+ certified and has a super-bright 600nit outdoor mode. Inside, you’re getting a 10th gen Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB NVMe SSD. Perhaps most impressive, however, is the quoted battery life, which amounts to a scarcely believable 19.5 hours of video playback.
The Flex is the most expensive of the three new models, costing from £1,349.
Samsung Galaxy Ion: Price, specifications and release date
For the Samsung Galaxy Ion, Samsung has opted for the more traditional clamshell laptop design, but it’s a rather smart-looking thing all the same. The spine is highlighted in metallic blue and the rest of the angular chassis is finished in silver, providing a nice contrast with that colourful hinge.
Unlike the Flex, the Ion is available in two sizes – 13.3in and 15.6in, both QLED touchscreens with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 – but aside from this it does share a lot of the same features.
There’s a fingerprint reader and the screen has the same ultra-bright 600nit outdoor mode that should make the laptops great for working in the garden. And inside, the Ion is powered by a 10th gen Intel Core i5 processor with 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.
In a slight surprise, though, Samsung has added a modicum of upgradeability to the Ion with a spare SSD for storage expansion.
The 13.3in and 15.6in Galaxy Ion will be available alongside the Galaxy Flex from the 15th of June and will cost £1,249 and £1,299 respectively.
Samsung Galaxy Book S, Intel variant: Price, specifications and release date
The last and most mysterious of the announcements was that Samsung will be releasing an Intel variant of the Galaxy Book S. We’ve already covered this in our full review of the Qualcomm version recently, which you can read here and this one is identical in all respects, aside from the fact that it has an as-yet-unspecified Intel Core processor inside.
To recap, though, the Galaxy Book S is very slim and light, measuring a mere 11.8mm thin and weighing a mere 950g. It has a 17-hour battery life, has a bright QLED display that peaks at 600nits and a fingerprint reader built into the power button.
The Galaxy Book S will be available for £999 from the end of June. We look forward to bringing you a full as and when we get our hands one.
Source: expertreviews.co.uk
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