Samsung is back with a smart new laptop that’s taking aim at Apple’s popular MacBook
Samsung has announced a couple of new AI PC laptops at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Vegas and one of them is definitely after a slice of Apple’s MacBook Pro pie.
The Galaxy Book5 Pro has been announced alongside the Galaxy Book5 360 and it not only comes in the same screen size options as the MacBook Pro (M4), but it has a touchscreen, it’s slimmer and lighter than Apple’s alternative, and it has a slightly longer claimed battery life at up to 25 hours compared to up to 24 hours.
Available in 14-inch and 16-inch models, the Galaxy Book5 Pro has a premium design (and a premium price), and the 16-inch model measures 12.5mm thick and weighs just 1.56kg. The 14-inch model meanwhile, is 11.6mm thick and weighs 1.23kg.
Both screen options for the Galaxy Book5 Pro have a 2880 x 1800 pixel resolution, 500 nits peak brightness and they have a variable refresh rate between 48Hz and 120Hz for smooth scrolling and gameplay. They run on Intel’s latest Core Ultra (Series 2) processor, supported by Intel Arc Graphics, while an Intel AI Boost NPU should ensure Galaxy AI runs smoothly.
Speaking of Galaxy AI, the Galaxy Book5 Pro models and the Galaxy Book5 360 have a couple of new features compared to what you’ll find on Samsung’s current smartphones, including AI Select that works in a similar way to Circle to Search on Galaxy phones, allowing you to press an icon, select a search area and get instant relevant results in a side bar. You might want to know what trainers a friend is wearing in an Instagram post for example, or find where a bag is from.
There’s also Photo Remaster on the AI front that will let you retouch images and clear up blurry photos.
The Galaxy Book5 360 also offers these Galaxy AI features, and it runs on the same processor and NPU as the Galaxy Book5 Pro model. There is only one size option of 15.6-inches however, and the display resolution is slightly lower at 1920 x 1080 pixels. You’ll find the same peak brightness but the refresh rate drops to 60Hz.
The Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro and Galaxy Book 5 360 will be available to pre-order from 22 January, with an on sale date of 7 February. Both have 16GB of memory, but the Galaxy Book5 Pro has a choice of 512GB or 1TB storage options, while the Galaxy Book 5 360 has 256GB, 512GB and 1TB options.
The Galaxy Book5 Pro starts at £1,499 and the Galaxy Book5 360 starts at £1,249.
