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Samsung recently introduced the Galaxy Book 2 Pro series, which is its lineup of premium lightweight ultrabooks. Those are likely to get most of the attention, but if you don't want to spend over $1,000 on a laptop, the new Samsung Galaxy Book 2 360 might be a better option for you.
This is a more mainstream convertible, and it's interesting because it's a follow-up to last year's Galaxy Book, which wasn't available as a convertible. This year actually seems to be going in the opposite direction. Samsung has only really announced and launched the Galaxy Book 2 360 in the US, though there is a typical clamshell model coming to some markets.
If you want to know everything there is to know about the new Galaxy Book 2 series, you've come to the right place. We have the specs, release date, and pricing information to help you out. Keep in mind that available configurations may vary by market.
Specs
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Price |
TBD |
Starting at $899.99 (with Intel Core i5) |
While Samsung has listed these specs on its global websites, there's no indication that the Galaxy Book 2 is coming to the US. Additionally, only the Intel Core i5 or i7 models of the Galaxy Book 2 360 have been announced for the US.
Samsung Galaxy Book 2 and Galaxy Book 2 360 availability
Pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 360 opened on March 17, 2022, and the device was officially released on April 1, 2022. Only the Core i5 and Core i7 models were made available in the US, as mentioned above.
Unfortunately, the standard Samsung Galaxy Book 2 was never officially released in the United States at all. This standard model exists in some markets, but many launch details aren't clear, indicating this wasn't a major focus for Samsung.
Samsung Galaxy Book 2 360 pricing
The Galaxy Book 2 360 started at $899.99 in the United States for the base model, featuring an Intel Core i5, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. If you want to upgrade, you can get it with an Intel Core i7, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage for $1,099.99. Those are the only two options available, and Samsung tends to streamline the configuration options for its laptops.
The situation with the standard Galaxy Book 2 varies by region. The standard model is not available in the United States or most other major markets, and pricing is unclear in regions where it is available. It will likely be much cheaper, though, especially with some configurations including HDDs for storage and just 4GB of RAM.
What's new in the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 series
The new Samsung Galaxy Book 2 is naturally a successor to last year's Galaxy Book, so it comes with some upgrades. The biggest news is for the Galaxy Book 2 360, which is a new form factor and has some more notable upgrades. The standard Galaxy Book 2 really only has newer processors and even cheaper models with an HDD. We'll focus on comparing the Galaxy Book 2 360 to the original Galaxy Book.
A convertible form factor
The original Galaxy Book come in a clamshell form factor, and that was the only option you had unless you opted for the Pro models. With the Galaxy Book 2 series, the clamshell form factor has actually been pushed to the side somewhat, with it barely being mentioned anywhere.
Instead, the focus is now on the Galaxy Book 2 360. This is a convertible laptop, meaning the hinge can rotate 360 degrees. You can use it as a normal laptop, but you can also rotate it all around to use it as a tablet, or use it in "tent mode" to watch movies and videos, for example.
A smaller and better display
The display on the Galaxy Book 2 360 is also a very noteworthy upgrade. It now uses a Super AMOLED panel, giving you bright, vivid colors, true blacks, and high contrast ratios compared to last year's model. The display is also smaller now, at 13.3 inches, which is actually more suitable for the Full HD resolution of the panel. Plus, the smaller size makes it more manageable as a convertible, so you can more easily switch to tablet mode.
The standard Galaxy Book 2 is using an identical display to last year's model. It's a 15.6-inch Full HD panel, and while Samsung hasn't shared specifics, it's likely a TFT panel again.
12th-generation Intel processors
The last of the big upgrades is in the processors, which have been upgraded to Intel's latest. 12th-generation Intel processors use a hybrid architecture, with P cores focused on high performance and E cores designed to be more efficient. In total, you get up to 10 cores and 12 threads with 12th-generation processors, compared to the maximum 4 cores and 8 threads of 11th-generation CPUs.
Unlike the Pro series, the Galaxy Book 2 is still using U-series processors with a 15W TDP, not the 28W units. Still, this is a significant upgrade if you care about performance, and it should also help deliver much better battery life.
While these new processors would support LPDDR5 RAM, Samsung is sticking with LPDDR4x here. Additionally, the Galaxy Book 2 360 doesn't have the option for discrete graphics, which you could get in last year's Galaxy Book.
Where to buy the Samsung Galaxy Book 2
If you're interested in buying the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 360, you can buy it below directly from Samsung. The clamshell Galaxy Book 2 is not planned to launch in the US. You can always check out the best Samsung laptops you can buy right now if you don't want to wait. We also have a list of the best laptops in general, if you're not committed to Samsung devices.
Samsung Galaxy Book 2 360
The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 is a fairly lightweight convertible powered by 12th-gen Intel processors and featuring a Full HD AMOLED display.