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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  • vladx - Thursday, August 8, 2019 - link

    Yes travelling businessperson
  • lbatra - Thursday, August 8, 2019 - link

    nobody buys so far. But they are looking to build a market so far. 8cx is the 1st serious attempt to do that
  • lbatra - Thursday, August 8, 2019 - link

    market "for it"*
  • Gunbuster - Monday, August 12, 2019 - link

    Show me one single working professional running last years model w10 on ARM? The use case is imaginary.
  • domboy - Thursday, August 8, 2019 - link

    I do, but I'm waiting to see if Microsoft released a ARM version of the Surface first... cause that's the device I really want. This laptop looks good though, but I want a convertible more than a laptop.
  • Wilco1 - Thursday, January 30, 2020 - link

    You mean the Surface Pro X? https://www.amazon.com/NEW-Microsoft-Surface-Pro-T...
  • lmcd - Thursday, August 8, 2019 - link

    I'd be interested in a Windows on ARM laptop from competing ARM SoC vendors, but I'd really prefer someone other than Qualcomm. Nvidia Tegra or a Samsung chip, or ideally an NXP i.MX QuadMax.

    Qualcomm's near-monopoly in the US phone market is too frustrating for me to ever buy a laptop-like product from them.
  • lmcd - Thursday, August 8, 2019 - link

    I'm personally willing to ignore the Windows part when I inevitably pick up a Pinebook Pro, but I know for some people that's a difficult proposition. I'd really like other ARM vendors to succeed in this space. Qualcomm and Apple are good competitors for the space, but arguably less open than Intel and AMD at this point.
  • PeachNCream - Tuesday, August 13, 2019 - link

    My Pinebook experience was pretty good, but you're getting more of a tinkering device than something upon which you can depend to accomplish the usual computing tasks. They do the job and the hardware is fun, but an everyday computing device they are not.
  • voicequal - Thursday, January 30, 2020 - link

    There are many other ARM SoC vendors, but hard to find a better modem. That's why it's Qualcomm here.

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