The first Samsung Galaxy Unpacked of 2023 is finally here, and Samsung is making waves with the new Galaxy Book 3 series of laptops. This year, in addition to the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro and Book 3 Pro 360, which have been radically redesigned, we're also getting the brand-new Galaxy Book 3 Ultra, Samsung's most powerful laptop yet. All three laptops are up for pre-order today.
Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra
While all three laptops have a lot new to them, the star of the show this year is definitely the brand-new Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra. This is Samsung's most powerful laptop yet, and that starts with the 13th-generation Intel Core H-series processors inside. You can go up to a Core i9 processor, and that will get you 14 cores, 20 threads, and boost speeds up to 5.4GHz.
You can also add up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (with an option for an RTX 4050 also available), making this a viable laptop for some light gaming and more importantly, creative work. All of this is paired with up to 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, with one free slot available inside the laptop if you need more storage.
Another highlight of this laptop is the 16-inch display. It comes in a 16:10 aspect ratio that's ideal for productivity, and it's a stunning Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with up to 400 nits of brightness. It's much sharper than past Samsung laptops, too, with 2880 x 1800 resolution, and it has a smooth 120Hz refresh rate to make motion and animations look that much smoother.
The laptop also comes with a 1080p webcam — though there's no facial recognition — and the selection of ports is solid, including Thunderbolt 4, USB Type-A, HDMI, and a headphone jack. This also applies to the rest of Samsung's lineup this year. The Galaxy Book 3 Ultra comes in at 16.5mm thick, which is quite good for a laptop with discrete graphics, and it weighs 3.9 pounds. Unlike past Galaxy Book models, it uses an aluminum chassis, which feels more premium but is also significantly heavier than magnesium.
The Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is available for pre-order starting today, with prices starting at $2,399.
Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro and Pro 360
If you want something a bit more mainstream, the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro series is also a big step up from previous models. Of course, it now has 13th-generation Intel Core P-series processors, as you'd expect, along with up to 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. But everything else has been upgraded, too.
For starters, the Galaxy Book 3 Pro comes in new sizes: a 14-inch model and a 16-inch version, both with a 16:10 aspect ratio this time around. The Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 only comes in a 16-inch version, which has the same format as the clamshell variant, but now with support for touch and the S Pen, plus a 360-degree hinge so you can use it as a tablet.
In terms of specs, though, these displays are all the same as the Ultra model: Dynamic AMOLED 2X panels with 2880 x 1800 resolution, plus a 120Hz refresh rate. That's the new standard, and it's a huge step up from the Galaxy Book 2 Pro series, which still used Full HD 60Hz panels.
Similarly, the design of these laptops has also changed. Instead of aiming for an extremely light chassis, Samsung has now gone with a more premium feel with a solid aluminum chassis. That does make these new laptops noticeably heavier, at 2.58 pounds for the 14-inch Galaxy Book 3 Pro and 3.4 pounds for the 16-inch model (or 3.7 pounds for the Pro 360). They're still fairly light for their size, however, and they're also incredibly thin, measuring 11.3mm thick in the case of the 14-inch model, 12.5mm for the 16-inch clamshell, and 12.8mm for the convertible version.
Samsung is also bringing back a 5G option for the Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360, after last year's models didn't add a follow-up to the 2021 Galaxy Book Pro 360 5G.
The Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro lineup starts at $1,449, but that price will vary a lot depending on the size and configuration you choose. Pre-orders are available now, and the laptops will ship on February 17.
Samsung Galaxy ecosystem features
In addition to the new laptops themselves, Samsung is also continuing to improve the integration between its laptops and its phones. In addition to the Link to Windows functionality and all the Samsung apps available on its Galaxy Book laptops, the company has improved support for Samsung Multi Control. This feature lets you control your Galaxy tablet or phone using the keyboard and touchpad on your Galaxy Book laptop, and support for phones specifically is new this year. Previously, you could only interact with Samsung tablets this way. You can also still use a Galaxy tablet as a second screen for your laptop.
Additionally, you can now make it so that Expert RAW photos from your phone are automatically transferred to your laptop, so you can quickly start editing them in Adobe Lightroom. Other benefits of the Galaxy Book 3 series include support for Samsung Pass and Single Sign On, allowing you to sign in to all your Samsung apps while entering your Samsung account password just once.
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Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro
The Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro has been redesigned with a premium aluminum chassis and 14-inch or 16-inch display options.
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Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360
Samsung has also redesigned the Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360, and it's now available with a stunning 16-inch display,
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Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra
The brand-new Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is the most powerful of the lineup, featuring H-series Intel processors and Nvidia graphics.
