Update 1/30/2020: The Samsung Galaxy Book S with Snapdragon 8cx is now available for pre-order, starting at $999. The device is set to be available from February 13th.

 

Samsung has introduced its new always-connected PC based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platform and featuring Microsoft’s Windows 10 OS. This time around the company went with the Snapdragon 8cx SoC, a clamshell form-factor, and a 13.3-inch display, emphasizing that its Arm-powered computers compete against mainstream x86-based laptops in terms of performance and capabilities. Like other Snapdragon-based Windows machines, Samsung is aiming for long battery lifetimes here, with the new Galaxy Book S rated to work for up to 23 hours on a single charge.

The Samsung Galaxy Book S is equipped with a 13.3-inch Full-HD LCD featuring a 10-point multi touch system and a 16:9 aspect ratio. By contrast, last year’s Galaxy Book2 used a 12-inch Super AMOLED display featuring a 2160×1440 resolution and a 3:2 aspect ratio. Unlike last year’s mobile PC, the new one is a laptop, not a convertible, so it cannot be used as a tablet. Considering that we are talking about an aluminum machine with a 13.3-inch display that weighs 0.96 kilograms, the clamshell form-factor makes more sense for mainstream users. Furthermore, the overall construction looks very solid.

The new Galaxy Book S laptop is expected to be considerably faster than its predecessor as it is based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8cx processor with eight general purpose cores (four Cortex-A76 and four Cortex-A55-class cores), a 10 MB L3 cache, the Adreno 680 GPU, and an eight-channel LPDDR4X-4266 memory controller. The SoC is accompanied by 8 GB of RAM as well as 256 GB or 512 GB of NAND flash storage (expandable with a microSD card).

When it comes to wireless connectivity, the Samsung Galaxy Book S includes Snapdragon X20 LTE modem (Cat 18, 5CA, 4x4 MIMO, depending on the market and operator), 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.0. The PC’s wired connectivity department is limited to USB Type-C that is used for data and charging, a microSD card slot, yet we do not know whether it has a 3.5-mm audio connector.

As far as imaging and multimedia capabilities are concerned, the Galaxy Book S has a 720p webcam, a built-in microphone as well as Dolby Atmos-badged stereo speakers co-designed with AKG. The laptop also has a Windows Hello-compatible fingerprint reader.

Apart from performance, one of the key improvements of the Galaxy Book S compared to its predecessor is its longer battery life. The PC comes with a 42 Wh battery that enables it to work for up to 23 hours (based on tests conducted by Samsung), up from 20 hours for last year's device.

Specifications of the Galaxy Book S
  General Specifications
Display 13.3-inch,
1920×1080
165 PPI
CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx
4 x Kryo 495 Gold at 2.84 GHz
4 x Kryo 495 Silver at 1.8 GHz
10 MB L3
Graphics Adreno 680 GB
RAM 8 GB LPDDR4X
Storage 256 - 512 GB
Wi-Fi 802.11ac Wi-Fi
Bluetooth 5.2
WWAN Qualcomm X20 Gigabit LTE
Cat 18, 5CA, 4x4 MIMO, up to 1.2 Gbps DL, up to 150 Mbps UL
USB 3.0 ? × Type-C
Webcam 720P
Other I/O Microphone, stereo speakers, trackpad, MicroSD card reader, etc.
Battery 42 Wh
Battery Life 23 hours
Dimensions Width 305.2 mm
Height 203.2 mm
Thickness 6.2 - 11.8 mm
Weight 960 grams
Price $999

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Source: Samsung

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  • Teckk - Thursday, August 8, 2019 - link

    Just the 1 USB port? Why...
  • SarahKerrigan - Thursday, August 8, 2019 - link

    It seems to have another USB port on the left side, but I agree - this would be a far more attractive machine if it was more expandable.
  • nico_mach - Thursday, August 8, 2019 - link

    I want all the ports, too, but this is a pretty small device. It's not a terrible tradeoff.
  • Tams80 - Thursday, August 8, 2019 - link

    There are companies that offer the kitchen sink (including SD card readers, USB A, ethernet, and even VGA) in almost as small and light machines though.
    There's really no excuse other than aesthetics and penny-pinching.
  • Santoval - Friday, August 9, 2019 - link

    Regarding "aesthetics", Samsung are apparently imitating Apple's obsession with minimalism and their "form over function" design approach. Apple are the ones who reduced the computer ports to ... 1 in some laptops (making them more... "minimal" but requiring dongles for just about anything, thus defeating the purpose of their design choice).
  • PeachNCream - Friday, August 9, 2019 - link

    I don't think its fair to blame Apple for the lack of ports on a Samsung device. That's like blaming a Pizza Hut in Dallas for a rash you got from eating at McDonalds in Sacramento.
  • zamroni - Friday, January 31, 2020 - link

    blame Johny who started the trend
  • NICOXIS - Thursday, August 8, 2019 - link

    720P webcam? really? I don't understand why manufacturers keep cheaping out when a 1080p or even 1440p came would cost a few more cents...
  • shabby - Thursday, August 8, 2019 - link

    All Macbooks have 720p cameras and some cost over 5k.
  • PeachNCream - Friday, August 9, 2019 - link

    Just because Apple fails to add higher resolution cameras does not excuse Samsung from also doing so. What is it with people blaming or giving some other company a pass on something just because Apple does it?

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