I examined Samsung’s flagship laptop computer and it gave my MacBook Professional a run for its cash

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

On the tail finish of spring-season laptop computer releases, Samsung’s Galaxy Book 4 Ultra shines with among the finest shows available on the market — now obtainable with touchscreen assist, efficiency configuration choices that ought to fulfill content material creators, work customers, and even avid gamers, and battery life that can impress everybody.

The Extremely laptop computer nonetheless suffers from comparable setbacks as its predecessor, which I examined final 12 months, together with the massive, bodily trackpad that both does not register faucets at occasions or turns into too delicate to inputs (the duality of this trackpad is kind of baffling, I do know), the shortage of a full-size SD card slot, and some too many Samsung-owned apps (learn: bloatware, in case you’re not a Samsung person) and advert pop-ups that should not be a speaking level at this worth.

You possibly can count on to pay between $2,400 to $3,000 for the Galaxy E book 4 Extremely, which is a giant ask, however the efficiency and {hardware} bundle you are getting in return justifies the worth level. My shopping for recommendation is to attend for one in every of Samsung’s gross sales occasions (often throughout main holidays) and make the most of its trade-in program, which may deduct as much as $600 extra. Working example: you’ll be able to choose up the best configuration, which comes with an Intel Core Extremely 9, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070, and 32GB of RAM, for $500 off on the time of writing.

Specs

Show	16-inch 3K AMOLED (2,800 x 1,800, 16:10) with 120Hz, 400 nits
Weight	4.1 kilos
Processor	Intel Core Extremely 7 155H, Intel Core Extremely 9 185H
Graphics	Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070
RAM/Storage	16GB or 32GB with 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
Battery	76Wh (as much as 21 hours)
Ports	2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x USB-A 3.2, 1x MicroSD slot, 3.5m headphone jack
Value	Starting at $2,399

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How I examined the Samsung Galaxy E book 4 Extremely

I’ve used the Samsung Galaxy E book 4 Extremely as my each day driver for the previous two weeks. My regular utilization consists of shopping the net, answering emails, writing articles like this, watching movies on YouTube and Netflix, and modifying images and movies for work and leisure. 

More often than not, the laptop computer is both hooked to an exterior monitor (which means I attempt to run as many home windows of apps and companies similtaneously potential) or utilized in tandem with my Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely with the assistance of Fast Share and Second Display screen. Each cross-platform options labored very easily, although they’re primarily appropriate with Samsung units and Samsung units solely.

For efficiency testing, I ran Cinebench 2024 to calculate the only, multi, and GPU scores of the laptop computer, whereas additionally taking notes on day-to-day points like fan pace and loudness, system temperature, body fee drops, and extra.

What are the Samsung Galaxy E book 4 Extremely’s finest options?

Massive, touchscreen, OLED show: Want I say extra? After I reviewed final 12 months’s Galaxy E book 3 Extremely, I discussed that “a show that’s each touchscreen-enabled and shiny is a recipe for a visible catastrophe.” With the Galaxy E book 4 Extremely, Samsung principally stated “Maintain my OLED,” and gave its 16-inch show touchscreen assist and a brand new anti-reflective cowl glass. These two options make interacting with a laptop computer this highly effective one of the crucial intuitive, visually satisfying experiences I’ve examined. 

Additionally: I examined Dell’s most underrated laptop computer and IT has intelligent options at an accessible worth

Stretching out a picture with a purpose to erase blemishes in Photoshop simply hits completely different when you’ll be able to pinch-zoom along with your fingers. (Now if solely Samsung can add S Pen assist.) Whereas the Galaxy E book’s new show just isn’t as anti-glare as say, Samsung’s S95D TV or Galaxy S24 Extremely, I’ve had no drawback utilizing IT beside the largest window at ZDNET’s New York workplace. Thoughts you we’re located on the best ground of the constructing, so daylight is the second most prevalent factor after awkward elevator rides.

Spacious keyboard with stunning tactility: I am not as obsessed with keyboards as my ZDNET colleague Cesar Cadenas, however I kind sufficient on daily basis to have a really feel for what’s good and what’s not. That is to say I fee the Galaxy E book 4 Extremely keyboard a 7/10; IT‘s spacious, with a full-on quantity pad for the information crunchers, a devoted Copilot key for fast entry to the Home windows AI assistant, and quiet but tactile suggestions on every key that invitations you to maintain typing and typing.

The one quirk with the laptop computer is that IT takes a worrying period of time besides up. I typically discovered myself staring blankly on the display after urgent and holding the facility button, just for the Samsung brand to look proper as I used to be ready to seek for a charger. 

Battery life that lasts and lasts: That’s my flawless segue into charging and battery life, two different points I am a giant fan of with the Galaxy E book 4 Extremely. Save for the unwieldy, cheese-slice-sized charger that comes within the field, there’s not a lot for me to complain about when IT involves powering the laptop computer and its endurance. 

Additionally: I examined LG’s 17-inch Gram Professional and IT‘s the big-screen, light-weight laptop computer to beat

On common, I bought roughly ten hours of utilization earlier than needing to prime up the system. That is spectacular for a 16-inch, 3K OLED laptop computer that is powered by a discrete graphics card. After I did must cost, the proprietary energy brick gave the Galaxy E book a 55% cost after half-hour.

Intel Core Extremely and discrete GPU make all of the distinction: You are not unsuitable to chalk up the improved effectivity of the Galaxy E book to the brand new Intel Core Extremely 7 or 9 chips powering the unit. I might do the identical. Once you mix the backend capabilities of Intel’s NPU with a discrete Nvidia GeForce 4050/4070 GPU that is now not the latest available on the market however nonetheless nice, you get a system that runs most apps and companies fluidly, together with Adobe Premiere Professional, Lightroom, and gaming on Steam. 

Listed below are the Cinebench scores, in comparison with competing laptops, for reference. Whereas the Galaxy E book 4 Extremely’s scores will not set any data, they’re according to the trade commonplace and aggressive with Apple’s flagship MacBook, which is nice to see.

Cinebench 2024	Samsung Galaxy E book 4 Extremely (RTX 4070)	Apple MacBook Professional 16 (M3 Professional)	Dell XPS 16 (2024)
CPU (Single)	105	142	103
CPU (Multi)	965	1,035	976
GPU	8,135	6,604	10,264

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What I might wish to see within the subsequent mannequin 

Much less bloatware and adverts, extra options for everybody: For a near-$3,000 laptop computer, the quantity of pre-installed apps, pop-up adverts to obtain McAfee’s antivirus service, and Samsung-exclusive options lessens what would in any other case be a premium person expertise. Such issues are frequent on cheaper laptops as a result of they permit producers to dump a lot of the retail price. In Samsung’s case, IT‘s charging extra for a laptop computer that is not shy about promoting you companies you might or might not want. That is a no-no for me.

Additionally: One of the best laptops of 2024: Professional examined and reviewed

A smaller haptic trackpad: If I might repair something hardware-related, IT can be the trackpad. Whereas the abnormally giant trackpad on the Galaxy E book 4 Extremely is beneficial in principle, the off-centered placement of IT meant I might often transfer the mouse or, worse but, register a click on when my palm was merely resting down. 

The trackpad can also be a bodily one, which means IT presses down as an alternative of mimicking the texture of IT through haptic motors like on the MacBook Professional and Dell XPS. Consequently, after I did need to click on, drag, or faucet on one thing, I needed to discover the “candy spot” on the trackpad to register IT correctly. In any other case, urgent too near the corners and edges would oftentimes not register something in any respect.

Last thought  

Whereas IT‘s straightforward to advocate the Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra because the “MacBook Professional for Samsung customers,” a number of upgrades this 12 months, together with the Intel Core Extremely chip for AI functions, touchscreen show, and improved battery life, make the laptop computer a formidable pickup for nearly each Home windows person. Simply word that in case you’re a content material creator who depends on full-sized SD playing cards to switch images and movies, you will need to choose up a dongle or docking station to work with the Galaxy E book. There’s additionally no charging port on the laptop computer’s proper aspect, so you will need to assume twice when situating close to an outlet.

Alternate options to contemplate 

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