Samsung Galaxy Book 2 360 review

Price When Reviewed

From $899.99

Best Prices Today: Samsung Galaxy Book 2 360

For an organization that stopped promoting laptops in Europe as not too long ago as 2014, Samsung’s contemporary upward push has been spectacular. 

The Galaxy Book vary has abruptly expanded over the previous few years and now provides a tool at just about each and every worth level. Starting at $899.99/£949, the Galaxy Book 2 360 is without doubt one of the extra reasonably priced choices, in particular amongst the ones operating Windows 11. 

But pageant at this worth level is fierce. Is this light-weight convertible value purchasing, or is your cash higher spent in different places? Here’s my complete review. 

Design and construct

• Lightweight, top class design
• Impressively sturdy 360° hinge
• Poor webcam
• Decent port variety

The design of the Book 2 360 is conventional of most current Samsung laptops. It’s an impressively skinny (12.9mm) and light-weight (1.16kg) tool, however keeps all of the hallmarks of the top class Galaxy Book vary.  

An aluminium end provides to the high-end feel and look, however Silver is your handiest color possibility in the United Kingdom – there’s a Graphite model to be had to US consumers. But Samsung is obviously going for an understated, minimalist aesthetic, which is handiest interrupted through a discrete brand at the again.

This design for sure received’t be turning many heads, and it appears to be like similar to many different fashionable laptops. But it’s obviously efficient, and there’s little need for Samsung to take giant designs dangers on a tool like this.

A 360° hinge is anything else however modern, however a sturdy construct approach you get convertible capability with out it feeling flimsy. The possibility for a ‘tent’ mode or tablet turns out to be useful in some eventualities, however the natural tablet enjoy nonetheless isn’t nice. The Book 2 360 is way heavier than even the Surface Pro 8, making it uncomfortable to carry for quite a lot of mins.  

The best possible enjoy remains to be as a conventional pc, the place I used to be inspired through the loss of display motion whilst typing. This is one thing that ceaselessly impacts convertibles, together with some made through Samsung. 

You nonetheless get a tight sized 13.3in show, however the chunky bezels above and underneath it are a sadness. Samsung has controlled to stay them razor-thin at the facets, and there’s no glaring receive advantages to creating them so giant right here. 

Indeed, the one factor you’ll in finding above the display is a 720p webcam, however Samsung hasn’t proven it a lot love. Stills and video are low high quality and grainy, making for an underwhelming video calling enjoy. Dual mics imply you sound beautiful just right, however I’d extremely counsel purchasing a separate webcam for anything else greater than informal calls with family and friends. 

Without a separate IR sensor, you’ll be able to’t use Windows Hello face release at the Book 2 360. The fingerprint sensor constructed into the ability button is your handiest choice, nevertheless it plays rather well. Following a quick and simple setup procedure, it proved to be a quick, dependable approach for unlocking the tool. 

Despite being moderately skinny, Samsung has nonetheless made room for a tight port variety. Either of the USB-C ports can be utilized for charging, even though just one helps Thunderbolt 4 for ultra-fast information switch.  

It’s joined through one USB-A, full-size HDMI, microSD card reader and three.5mm headphone jack. Adding every other USB-A port would make this beautiful a lot best possible, nevertheless it’s nonetheless above moderate for a skinny and light-weight pc.

Display and audio

• Very just right 13.3in OLED show
• Full HD answer nice for most of the people
• Sound from audio system lacks intensity

The Galaxy Book 2 360’s design isn’t anything else to get fascinated by, however the show is a special tale. It’s a 13.3in AMOLED panel at a answer of 1920×1080, giving it the increasingly more uncommon 16:9 side ratio. However, adjusting from a boxier 16:10 or 3:2 display must handiest take a couple of mins. 

This isn’t the very best show you’ll in finding on a pc, nevertheless it’s nonetheless mightily spectacular. It delivers wealthy, colourful colors and a very good point of element – most of the people received’t leave out now not having the next answer. A excessive refresh price would’ve been great, nevertheless it’s generally reserved for high-end units or gaming machines.

Internal trying out displays the standard of the display. According to SpyderX Pro, the Book 2 360 covers the whole sRGB and P3 color gamuts and 96% of Adobe RGB. A height brightness of 369 is much less spectacular, which means you’ll battle to make use of the tool in maximum out of doors environments. 

Touch reinforce is an actual plus, particularly when the keyboard is folded out of the way in which. Windows 11 is far better than Windows 10 for contact enter, so it used to be great to make use of this along different navigation strategies. There’s no S Pen constructed into the tool or incorporated within the field, nevertheless it’s nonetheless suitable with Samsung’s stylus when you’d like to shop for it one by one. 

Audio is delivered by means of twin 2W audio system. The sound they produce is crystal-clear, nevertheless it lacks the intensity you’ll in finding on different laptops. Voice-based content material nonetheless sounds nice, however track has a tendency to be a bit of washed out. It’s nice for informal use, however doesn’t fit the immersive enjoy introduced through the show.  

Keyboard and trackpad

• Full-size keyboard
• Familiar enjoy, however now not a lot commute
• Underwhelming, awkward trackpad

The Galaxy Book 2 360 has relatively usual dimensions, so it’s no marvel to peer a full-size keyboard. I’m happy Samsung made up our minds to not squeeze in a separate quantity pad right here, because it makes for a a lot more relaxed typing enjoy. Each key provides 3 ranges of backlighting, which means you’ll be able to nonetheless paintings in close to general darkness. 

But you’ll have to get used to a relative loss of key commute, which means you fail to spot that pleasurable clicky reaction while you kind. However, typing is considerably quieter consequently.

Samsung has put the row of serve as keys to just right use, with the common brightness and quantity controls joined through fast get admission to to Settings, exterior show choices and a display lock. However, you do have to carry down the Fn key to begin the usage of them. 

There’s nonetheless room for a big trackpad, which could be very responsive and helps the whole vary of Windows 11 gestures. But from the place your fingers naturally relaxation, it’s fiddly and awkward to make use of. That result in relatively a couple of unintended presses all the way through trying out, whilst at different instances it wouldn’t check in on the first time of asking. For anything else longer than a couple of mins, I’d counsel connecting an exterior mouse. 

Specs and function

• Twelfth-gen Intel CPUs
• Impressive efficiency for on a regular basis use
• No discrete GPU

Like many 2022 laptops, the Galaxy Book 2 360 is powered through Intel’s newest Twelfth-gen CPUs. The entry-level type I examined combines the Core i5-1235U with 8GB of DDR4 RAM, however you’ll be able to step as much as a Core i7-1165G7 and 16GB of RAM when you’d choose.

Even at the most cost-effective configuration, efficiency is spectacular. My day by day workflow in most cases comes to surfing the internet, sending emails, typing paperwork and the occasional video name. The Book 2 360 handles all this with relative ease, even if finishing a number of duties without delay. A integrated fan does in the end kick in, nevertheless it stays quiet and successfully prevents the tool getting heat. 

There used to be no noticeable slowdown in any way, making it an excellent on a regular basis pc. Opting for the i7 type will spice up efficiency even additional, however I’d be reluctant to counsel it for extra challenging duties. 

That’s as it makes use of Intel’s Iris Xe built-in graphics, reasonably than a discrete GPU. It’s an excellent possibility for a light-weight convertible, however don’t be expecting so that you could edit 4K video or correctly sport with out some vital slowdown. Indeed, 3DMark predicts Battlefield V – a AAA identify – can handiest run at below 20fps when set to 1440p. If you’re fascinated with gaming, there are many nice possible choices. 

Still, a number of similarly-priced units ship higher efficiency in step with benchmarks:

When it involves inside garage, you’ll be able to choose from SSDs of 256GB or 512GB. It’s not likely any individual purchasing this pc wishes 1TB, and you’ll be able to at all times attach a microSD or exterior laborious pressure if you’re operating out of house. 

Battery and charging

• 61.1Wh or 63Wh battery
• Delivers all-day battery lifestyles
• Decent 65W immediate charging

The length of the Galaxy Book 2 360’s battery varies quite relying at the type you select. On the Core i5 type you get a 61.1Wh cellular, however the Core i7 model has a fractionally upper 63Wh capability. That might offset the slight building up in energy intake of an i7 chip, however you most likely received’t realize a distinction. 

In basic, battery lifestyles is very good. You’re having a look at a complete day on a unmarried price, equipped you don’t play numerous hi-res movies or stay the brightness on the subject of max – greater than will also be stated for lots of laptops at the present time.  

What’s extra, our trying out proves you’ll be able to eke much more out of the battery. Looping a 720p video at 120 nits isn’t conventional of real-world utilization, however the Book 2 360 lasted 14 hours and 58 mins – one of the vital best possible ratings we’ve observed. That used to be with battery saver mode became off, too. 

When you do run out of price, the 65W adapter incorporated within the field will quickly get you up and operating once more. I recorded 24% in quarter-hour from off, then 46% through the 30 minutes mark. In below 75 mins, it used to be absolutely charged. Either of the 2 USB-C ports can be utilized to get those spectacular speeds.

Software

• Windows 11 Home
• Lots of pre-installed Samsung instrument

As anticipated, the Galaxy Book 2 360 runs Windows 11 Home out of the field. Unlike with telephones, the instrument enjoy this is in step with virtually each and every different Windows 11 pc. It’s well-optimised for a 13in show, and there are many customisation choices to be had.

However, that hasn’t stopped Samsung from pre-installing numerous its personal apps. The corporate has its personal variations of settings, gallery, notes, updates, along separate seek and sharing equipment. These essentially upload one thing to the enjoy you probably have a Samsung phone or tablet, whilst they’re simple to forget about for everybody else. 

As it’s operating the newest {hardware}, the Book 2 360 will likely be a few of the first to get any new instrument updates. It’ll be supported through Microsoft and Samsung for many future years. 

Price and availability

The Galaxy Book 2 360 remains to be a top class tool, nevertheless it’s a significantly better deal in america than the United Kingdom. For the Core i5 type I examined you’ll pay $899.99/£949.99, whilst stepping as much as i7 prices you £$1,099.99/(*2*). 

That places it in flagship pc territory, the place there are already a number of nice choices. Despite having a decrease ticket than another Samsung laptops, the Book 2 360 can’t be thought to be an reasonably priced tool in any way.  

A extra real looking space of good fortune is amongst 2-in-1 units, the place the Pro type from 2021 ranks extremely. Its successor has the S Pen incorporated and the choice for a fifteen.6in display, however when you don’t care about both of these items the common Book 2 360 remains to be a tight select. 

Verdict

If you wish to have your subsequent pc to be a convertible, the Galaxy Book 2 360 is surely value taking into consideration. 

Despite now not having one of the best specifications, it plays effectively throughout 3 key pillars of an excellent pc: show, efficiency and battery lifestyles. Charging speeds are respectable too, whilst there are extra ports than you’d be expecting from this kind of skinny and light-weight tool. 

However, it’s now not all just right information. The Book 2 360’s webcam is an actual sadness, whilst the keyboard and trackpad may each do with some paintings. 

These received’t be dealbreakers except you depend at the inside digital camera for video calls, even though the power of the contest makes it tougher to counsel. If you’re set on a Samsung pc this may occasionally serve you effectively, however higher worth for cash will also be discovered in different places.

Specs

Samsung Galaxy Book 2 360 specifications: 

• 304.4 x 202.0 x 12.9 mm 
• 1.16kg 
• 13.3in Full HD AMOLED show (16:9 side ratio, 1920×1080) 
• Full-size keyboard with backlighting 
• 720p webcam 
• Dual 5W audio system
• Fingerprint energy button 
• Intel Core i5-1235U or i7-1165G7
• Intel Iris Xe graphics 
• 8/16GB LPDDR4 RAM 
• 256/512GB SSD 
• 1x USB 3.2 
• 1x USB-C 
• 1x Thunderbolt 4 
• 1x HDMI
• 1x 3.5mm jack 
• 61.1Wh (i5) or 63Wh (i7) battery
• 65W charger
• Wi-Fi 6E 
• Bluetooth 5.1
• Windows 11 Home