Samsung Galaxy Book 5 Pro Review: A Techie’s Take

The Samsung Galaxy Book 5 Pro is designed to be portable yet powerful with a sleek look. This review specifically examines the 16-inch model, but it can be purchased in 14-inch sizes as well.

Design & Build:

The 16-inch Galaxy Book 5 Pro has an aluminum body that is slim but also sturdy. It comes in Gray or Silver. The fingerprint-resistant coating reduces smudges, although some cleaning now and then is essential. The hinge, unlike the Galaxy Book 5 360, does not rotate 360 degrees. However, it still allows comfortable viewing from different angles.

Ports & Connectivity:

Connectivity is good and includes dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB 3.2 port, a microSD card slot as well as a headphone jack. Although this is perfectly fine, the addition of an extra USB-C port on the right side would have improved port balance.

Security:

Security features are robust. Unlocking the device is easy and dependable with the built-in fingerprint sensor on the power button. The biometric security, in addition to a dedicated security chip that safeguards crucial information, provides enhanced protection.

Keyboard & Touchpad:

The fully assembled keyboard offers edge-to-edge design, along with a separate number pad. Unfortunately, this may result in unintentional key strokes. Nevertheless, users will appreciate the comfortable and customizable backlit typing experience. Slim laptops typically have low travel distance on the keys, and this one is no exception.

While the massive touchpad is adjustable to fit your likings, its positioning to the far left can feel odd and does require some getting used to.

Display:

The 16 inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display comes with a visual treat as it features a 3K resolution (2880 x 1800). The display captures every detail with utmost sharpness, it features a wide range of colors, deep black tones and striking contrast. The display further comes with vibrant colors and strong blacks allowing anti-reflection coating to lower glare while still achieving good visibility around a variety of environments. Peak brightness sits at 400-nits, while the responsive refresh rate full VRR support sits between 40 Hz and 120 Hz, conveying motion seamlessly and reducing the chances of screen tearing.

Audio:

With 38-mm woofers and quartet AKG speakers, the display achieves powerful sound quality. Video and music watchers can expect immersive audio with Dolby Atmos support.

Webcam & AI:

The webcam captures at 720p yet still has viewers looking their best with background blur, eye contact simulation and automatic framing. Although these features greatly enhance image quality, the AI image search powered by Bing is lacking goals and consistently misses the targets.

Performance:

With an Intel Core i7-1360P processor plus 16 GB of RAM alongside an integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, multitasking for the user becomes a walk in the park, alongside web browsing and productivity apps.

Gaming:

The laptop is not a dedicated gaming one, but its integrated Intel GPU allows for some less intensive game playing.

Like most modern laptops, the Galaxy Book 5 Pro is struggling with some demanding titles like “Indie and the Great Circle”. The laptop experiences performance drops during gameplay, including noticeable frame drops and other graphical glitches.

Battery Life:

Battery life on the laptop is solid. With mixed usage, I tested it and got more than 10 hours of battery life and even did get to watch more than 20 hours of video playback uninterrupted. Video editing tasks drained the battery in around 6-7 hours. Recharging the laptop took roughly 2 hours with the included 65W adaptor.

Storage:

The Galaxy Book 5 Pro is customizable and comes with a great variety of storage options ranging from 256GB and for heavier users a terabyte SSD.

Overall:

The Samsung Galaxy Book 5 Pro is perfect for day to day activities and multitasking, it is a pretty good looking and functional laptop. Its eye-catching design, smooth performance, and extended battery life make it a great choice for gammers and creatives alike. Though the laptop could use an update on the webcam and gaming graphics, it still remains one of the leaders in the premium laptop world.