Samsung Galaxy Book Hands-On – Best 2-in-1 Windows Tablet Yet?

Samsung Galaxy Book – the TabPro S’s Replacement

A few days after its local launch (July 29), I was able to spend some time with the Samsung Galaxy Book. Huge thanks to Samsung for lending me one!

After failing to do a live unboxing/initial impressions video, I decided to just do a short hands-on with the live demo unit that I was lent. And I have to say, this is the best Windows 10 2-in-1 tablet that I have tried so far.

Putting it in the leagues of the iPad Pro 10.5 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 would be unjust. But considering my experiences with those two, I couldn’t help but compare.

For related content, check these out:

• iPad Pro 10.5 Review – Is It Worth Upgrading To?
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 Review

So, for whom is the Samsung Galaxy Book?

If any, I see it as something that Windows-dependent professionals on the go would prefer to bring on a daily basis. Being 8.9mm thin and 648g heavy in bare, it isn’t too much to bring everyday. With the included keyboard cover, S-Pen, and multiport adapter out of the box, the PhP 44,990/USD 900 price tag felt a little bit justified on my end. Considering original Samsung SRP, I can’t help but notice how huge the difference is with the base m3, 4GB RAM and 128GB internal storage variant.

I understood the pricing meant that it would go against Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4 that goes for PhP 54.9k/USD 1100 (7th Gen i5, 4GB RAM, 128 GB Internal), the single 7th Gen core m3 variant felt a little bit offish. I kind of hoped that they brought in an i5 variant instead.

How it like?

As an ultraportable 2-in-1 tablet, it’s pretty handy. Over the weekend, I was able to bring it with me. With its heft and center of mass, I wouldn’t recommend to hold it as a thinner and lighter tablet. Trying to watch anime while on the bus was a bit unsettling. On a plane though, it’s going to be an entirely different story.

Display

The display, despite being a TFT LCD felt nice to watch and type on with the scaling being perfect for its 1920×1280 resolution. FHD content was meant for this, and I have yet to try 4K.

Performance

Unlike its full-on Android tablet counterpart, this was more of a productivity tablet with its Windows 10 OS out-of-the-box. Doing office work on it is a breeze, thanks to the dual-core Intel Core m3 that runs at 1.0GHz (up to 2.6GHz Turbo Boost) and is thankfully hyperthreaded.

While many may find the 4GB of DDR3 RAM (which I believe is LPDDR3-1866), it kept up with my transitions between word processing and web browsing. Lag was virtually absent in the entire weekend that I spent with it.

Using Krita x64 on it was more than satisfying because of the 4096 pressure points of the included S-Pen. I’m no digital artist, but it was fun drawing whatever came to mind. I initially thought that the Intel HD 615 wouldn’t be enough, but I have yet to test its limits in graphics processing.

Speakers

As I’ve said, this is meant to be a productivity station. The stereo speakers didn’t do our music justice. Personally, I have no complaints or whatsoever since I usually listen/watch with my earphones or over-ears on.

Battery

Its 4000mAh battery is advertised to last for 9 hours – and I’m starting to believe Samsung. I topped it off this Saturday before heading into a cosplay event and haven’t charged it ever since. In my estimation, I have used it actively for about 6 hours already. The fact that there’s still about 20% left in the battery and that in itself is amazing.

Keyboard

Typing on a chiclet keyboard has been a regular thing for me as of late since I don’t have enough desk space to accommodate my tenkeyless whenever I’m at home. Thing is, the spacing and the 1.5mm travel distance feels pretty nice. The tactility the provided keyboard cover provides is respectable so far.

(Initial) Final Thoughts

All purposes and intents considered, I’m starting to lean more towards the iPad Pro 10.5 because of its responsiveness. Furthermore, the only Windows-dependent programs I use for work are video editing software. I may have to spend PhP 7500/USD 150 or so for a keyboard and Apple Pencil, but the total pricing will still be around the same.

Stay tuned for I will make sure to test every nook and cranny of this little wonder. Expect a full review next week!