Thursday, May 20, 2021
Samsung is one of the best laptop manufacturers right now, and over the last few years, it has released some of the best Windows laptops available. Featuring powerful specs, great battery life, and premium designs, Samsung devices are consistently cutting edge and high quality. Among them, our favorite is the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360, which is a powerful and sleek 15-inch convertible that delivers excellent performance for a great price.
Our pick
Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 15.6"
Cream of the crop
This laptop features a premium design with excellent performance for the cost, making it our favorite Samsung device.
Who should buy this laptop
The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 is perfect for people who want or need a laptop that's capable and long-lasting while also still capable of being used like a tablet. It's perfect for both productivity and recreation, making it suitable for a wide range of people (it can even do some light gaming thanks to Intel Xe). The 15-inch convertible form factor blurs the lines between the more common 13-inch convertible Ultrabook and larger 15-inch clamshell models, allowing users to enjoy the flexibility of the 2-in-1 form factor while also enabling them to utilize a larger display. It won't be ideal if you don't have 15 inches of space in your bag or if you're on a tight budget, but it's excellent otherwise.
Is it a good time to buy this laptop?
Since the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 comes with cutting edge 11th Gen Intel processors, powerful Intel Xe graphics hardware, and awesome features that will be useful for many years to come such as Wi-Fi 6E and Thunderbolt 4, right now is the perfect time to buy the device. It will be a long, long time before the capabilities of this laptop are deemed underwhelming.
Reasons to buy
- Awesome productivity performance
- Excellent AMOLED display
- Very thin and light
- Strong battery life
- Premium style and design
Reasons not to buy
- No 1440p or 4K option
- Webcam is disappointing
- Screen could be brighter
The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 can do it all
The best thing about the Samsung Galaxy Book 360 is how it performs. Equipped with up to an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU, Intel's brand new Xe graphics hardware, up to 16GB of LPDDR4x memory, and up to 1TB of SSD storage space, the device comes with all of the horsepower you need to stay productive and get work done efficiently. The laptop is also quite capable when it comes to viewing media as well, which makes it a strong option for people who like to watch TV shows and movies. It's even decent for playing games thanks to the industry-leading performance of Xe integrated graphics, although for more hardcore gaming experiences, you'd be better off with one of the best gaming laptops that come with more powerful dedicated NVIDIA GPUs. The only real letdown here is the webcam, which looks worse than competing laptops, albeit not unacceptably so. Ultimately, this is the Ultrabook for you if you're looking for something that can do it all and do it well.
Another standout feature of the device is its display, which features phenomenal color accuracy and support for both DisplayHDR 500 and inking (Samsung includes an S Pen with every unit). The brightness in terms of nits is a bit lower than other competing devices, but the screen still ends up looking plenty bright thanks to AMOLED technology. The lack of resolution options beyond standard HD is unfortunate, but the display still looks excellent nevertheless. Overall, the screen on the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 is fantastic.
The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 does it all, and does it well.
The physical design of the laptop is also stellar. At just 3.06 pounds and with dimensions of 13.97 x 8.98 x 0.47 inches, the device is incredibly thin and light despite its 15-inch size. This makes it a breeze to carry around with you, which is something that anyone mobile will appreciate greatly. The laptop also comes with a trio of USB-C slots, one of which is Thunderbolt 4, as well as a microSD card slot for extra storage. The cherry on top are the device's sleek color options: Mystic Bronze and Mystic Navy. These colors stand out and look premium, giving the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 a distinct and striking aesthetic.
Finally, battery life in the laptop is excellent, which is thanks to its 68WHr battery. On a full charge, the device can last up to 10.5 hours of average use. If you need to charge the laptop in a pinch, Samsung's included 65W AC adapter is capable of Super Fast Charging that can deliver 8 hours of battery power in just 30 minutes.
Alternatives to the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360
Samsung makes a lot of great laptops, so if the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 isn't up your alley, make sure you check out some of our other favorites from Samsung's full device lineup.
Runner-up
Samsung Galaxy Pro
Go clamshell
$1,100 at Best Buy $1,000 at Samsung
The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro is essentially the exact same as the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360, with the difference being that it only has half as much storage and isn't a convertible. The trade-off is that the price is a bit lower.
The non-360 variant of the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro is a strong alternative if you like the specs and design of the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360, but don't want a 2-in-1. It has a max of only 512GB of SSD storage available and trades one of the USB-C slots for a USB-A one as well, but you also save a few hundred dollars by opting for the non-convertible version. This makes it an attractive alternative.
Best 13-inch
Samsung Galaxy Book Flex2 Alpha
Same power, smaller size
From $850 at Samsung $1,050 at Best Buy
This convertible features similar specs to the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360, but is smaller, and costs considerably less as well.
If the size of the Samsung Galaxy Pro 360 puts you off but you still want a 2-in-1, don't overlook the Samsung Galaxy Book Flex2 Alpha. It has the same processor, GPU, and memory options, although it's worth noting that the max storage is only 512GB. Also, the Flex2 Alpha doesn't have any Thunderbolt connectivity, instead coming with dual USB-A ports and one USB-C one. That being said, it's one of Samsung's more affordable options, and it's also more portable thanks to its reduced dimensions.
Best ARM
Samsung Galaxy Book S 13.3"
Built for productivity
$800 at Microsoft $750 at Samsung
The Samsung Galaxy Book S is Samsung's most affordable productivity laptop, featuring ARM and a killer battery life.
If you'd prefer the lightweight battery-saving nature of ARM or you're on a tight budget, the Samsung Galaxy Book S will be perfect for you. Its Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx CPU isn't as capable as other processors, but it's still a great option for general productivity and comes with the added benefit of boosting the battery life hours comfortably into the double digits. The Galaxy Book S is also incredibly thin and light, making it very portable. Finally, the price of the Galaxy Book S is considerably lower than Samsung's other device, making it budget-friendly.
Bottom line
Samsung has a stellar lineup of various laptop options, but in our minds, nothing tops the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360. Between its superb specs, elegant design, and flexibility as a 2-in-1, we think it's definitely Samsung's best offering right now. That being said, other alternatives such as the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro, Samsung Galaxy Book Flex2 Alpha, and Samsung Galaxy Book S are also excellent too, so don't overlook them if the Galaxy Book Pro 360 isn't right for you.
If none of the devices in this roundup are suitable for your needs, make sure to check out our full list of the best Windows laptops for plenty of other devices from manufacturers like Dell, HP, and more.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. You'll find him doing reviews, editorials, and general coverage on everything Xbox and PC. Follow him on Twitter.
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