Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 13 in review: Lightweight 2-in-1 laptop with stylus input and OLED display

The Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 is a slim, portable 2-in-1 laptop that weighs just 1,040 g and is the convertible version of the recently reviewed Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro . The 2-in-1 laptop doesn’t differ much from its predecessor in terms of looks. The changes (Alder Lake processor instead of Tiger Lake) are more focused towards the internals.

Competitors for the Galaxy Book2 Pro include devices like the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga G1 , the Fujitsu LifeBook U9311X , and the Dynabook Portégé X30W-J . The Galaxy Book’s gray-black (graphite) metal case has smooth, matte surfaces. The sleek and elegant laptop doesn’t have any flashy design features, but its slim exterior is enough to make it look eye-catching.

The integrated battery (screwed, not glued), and the rest of the hardware are accessible after removing the bottom cover. The laptop doesn’t show any manufacturing flaws. The gaps are accurate, and there are no material protrusions.

The lightweight construction comes at a price, however. The base unit and the lid can be warped; the base unit can be pressed inwards at its edges. The hinges keep the screen firmly in place, but it does wobble a bit.

Opening the lid with one hand is possible. The Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 NP930QED weighs about 1,040 g. The Fujitsu LifeBook U9311X also weighs similarly.

The Dynabook Portégé X30W-J , on the other hand, remains just under the 1,000 g mark. The Samsung laptop is ahead of these two when it comes to being compact. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga G1 is bigger and heavier than the competition.

The number of available interfaces is modest. The laptop offers a combo audio jack and three USB-C ports (1x Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB 3. 2 Gen1).

The latter are used to supply the laptop with energy (Power Delivery) and/or as video outputs (DisplayPort via USB-C). The Thunderbolt 4 port also allows the connection of a docking solution or an external GPU. The ports are located in the rear areas of the right and left sides.

This keeps the space next to the palm rest free of cables. A nifty feature is that both the power adapter and an external monitor can be plugged in on both sides — definitely an advantage for a mobile device. The microSD memory card reader (reference card: AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) falls into the category of moderately fast card readers with maximum transfer rates of 64.

7 MB/s (transferring 250 jpg image files of around 5 MB each) and 86. 7 MB/s (copying large data blocks). The Wi-Fi transfer rates determined under optimal conditions (no other Wi-Fi devices nearby, short distance between laptop and server PC) are excellent and correspond to the capabilities of the built-in Wi-Fi chip (Intel AX211; 802.

11 ax). A Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 variant with LTE or a 5G modem is not available. Users will have to resort to the predecessor if they need this as it comes in a variant with a 5G modem.

Samsung’s website has it listed if you are interested. The webcam (2. 1 MP) creates images with a maximum resolution of 1,920×1,080 pixels.

There are problems with color accuracy. Colors deviate significantly from the target and, furthermore, the camera does not have a mechanical shutter. The convertible comes with a fingerprint scanner to provide secure biometric access.

Alternatively, Windows Hello can be used to access the device securely. In addition, a Trusted Platform Module (2. 0) is also on board.

Besides the usual documents (warranty information, Quick Start guide), the laptop comes with a stylus – the S-Pen. The interior is accessible after removing the bottom cover. Four screws are hidden under the four rubber feet (plugged in, not glued), and they need to be removed.

After that, the bottom cover needs to be removed carefully (!) – it’s quite tightly in place, and it could be bent easily. Once this is done, the SSD (PCIe 3), the fan, the speakers, and the battery become accessible. In Germany, Samsung includes a two-year warranty with the 13.

3-incher. A two-year extension costs 89 Euros (~$94). The smooth keys of the backlit chiclet keyboard have a short travel and a clear pressure point.

The resistance provided by the keys is acceptable, and the keyboard doesn’t yield during typing. The three-stage key illumination is controlled via a function key. Overall, Samsung delivers a keyboard that is suitable for everyday use here.

A multitouch-capable ClickPad (approx. 11. 4 x 6.

7 cm) acts as a mouse replacement. Its smooth surface makes it easy for fingers to glide on it. It also responds to inputs in the corners.

The pad offers a short travel and a clear pressure point. The touchscreen supports ten touch points, and it responds to inputs quickly. It can be operated through touch inputs as well as with the included S-Pen.

The latter weighs just under 8 grams, and it fits well in the hand. The pen attaches magnetically to various parts of the case. However, the device doesn’t have a slot for the stylus.

The glossy OLED touchscreen display (13. 3-inch, 1,920×1,080 pixels) provides an excellent contrast and black level, as well as fast response times. The brightness level (375 cd/m²) is good.

The maximum brightness of 322 cd/m² is slightly lower on battery power. The brightness control of the OLED panel is achieved by dimming individual lines within the displayed screen content. This happens at brightness levels of 90% and below at a frequency of 60 Hz.

This effect is similar to the well-known PWM flickering , but it’s not directly comparable. While a low PWM frequency could trigger headaches and/or eye problems in sensitive users, this doesn’t necessarily have to occur in the case of the method employed here. The display shows a very good color reproduction out of the box – the color deviation is within the desired range.

The display doesn’t suffer from a blue tint, either. The color-space coverage using the Standard color profile is pleasing: The sRGB and DCI-P3 color spaces are covered by 100%, and the Adobe RGB color space is covered by 97%. The color-space reproduction can be adjusted towards one of the three color spaces using the preinstalled Samsung settings software.

The viewing-angle stable panel is legible from every position. However, it’s difficult to view the screen outdoors due to the reflective display surface. With the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360, Samsung has a portable 2-in-1 laptop in its lineup that offers enough processing power for office and Internet applications.

The laptop has four manufacturer-specific performance profiles (“High Performance”, “Optimized”, “Quiet”, “Silent”), which can be toggled between via the “Fn” + “F11” key combination. The battery tests and benchmarks were carried out using the “Optimized” profile. The Core i7-1260P processor (Alder Lake) is composed of four performance cores ( Hyper-Threading, 2.

1 to 4. 7 GHz), and eight efficiency cores (no Hyper-Threading, 1. 5 to 3.

4 GHz). This results in a total of 16 logical CPU cores. The Cinebench R15 benchmark’s multithread test is processed briefly at high clock rates (P cores: 4 to 4.

1 GHz, E cores: 3. 2 GHz), after which the clock speeds drop a bit (P cores: 3. 5 to 3.

9 GHz, E cores: 2. 9 to 3. 1 GHz).

The single-thread test is run at 2. 2 to 4. 7 GHz (P cores), and 1.

2 to 3. 5 GHz (E cores), respectively. Clock rates are considerably lower on battery power.

All in all, the benchmark results aren’t satisfactory. Although the CPU can counter short-term load peaks with a lot of computing power, it falls short of its capabilities on the whole – especially during prolonged load. The power limits have been set relatively low in order to ensure sufficient cooling for the CPU.

The processor isn’t built for the slim case of the NP930. We verify if the CPU Turbo is consistently used when plugged in by running the Cinebench R15 benchmark’s multithread test in a loop. It’s only possible to maintain high clock rates for a short time.

The results, and therefore the CPU’s operating speeds, drop significantly within the first seven runs. This is followed by a continuous fluctuation of the clock rates. The P and E cores fall below their base clock speeds.

The “High Performance” profile produces a more consistent performance development. The fast and smooth system offers enough performance for office and Internet applications. The RAM’s transfer rates are normal for LPDDR5-5200 memory (dual-channel mode, soldered, no memory banks).

This is accompanied by good PCMark results. The standardized latency monitor test (web browsing, 4K video playback, high-load Prime95) showed irregularities with DPC latencies. The system doesn’t seem to be suitable for real-time video or audio editing.

Future software updates could bring improvements or even worse performance. The system drive is a PCIe 3 SSD (M. 2 2280) from Samsung that delivers good transfer rates.

The storage space (256 GB) is rather poor for a 1,500-Euro (~$1,573) laptop. Furthermore, Samsung could have definitely opted for PCIe 4 in a device like the Galaxy Book. The integrated Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EU GPU is unable to maintain its maximum clock rate of 1,400 MHz for a prolonged period of time.

The GPU executes our The Witcher 3 test at fluctuating clock rates that drop over the course of the test (750 to 1,150 MHz). The “High Performance” profile provides slightly higher clock speeds. The benchmark results are below the average that has been determined so far for this GPU.

The 2-in-1 device isn’t a gaming laptop. Nevertheless, the laptop brings quite a few games smoothly onto the screen – at low resolutions and low settings. Titles with moderate hardware requirements allow you to play at higher settings.

In order to verify whether the frame rates remain largely constant over a prolonged period of time, we let the game The Witcher 3 run for about 60 minutes at Full HD resolution and maximum quality settings. The character is not moved. A drop in frame rates wasn’t found.

The GPU’s fluctuating clock rates are reflected in fluctuating frame rates. The “High Performance” profile improves this behavior. Repeating our The Witcher 3 test at reduced settings (1,366×768 pixels, medium) using the “High Performance” profile shows that playable frame rates can be achieved on a sustained basis.

However, the rates drop from an initial 50 fps to about 40 fps after a few minutes. Higher frame rates would require a sharper reduction of the settings or resolution. In everyday use (office, Internet), the fan is usually idle and silence prevails.

A maximum sound pressure level of 33. 9 dB(A) is reached under load – this noise level is hardly worth mentioning. A completely silent operation can be achieved with the “Silent” profile.

All of this is at the expense of processing power. The case temperatures remain in the green range in everyday use (office, Internet). The laptop heats up noticeably under load (stress test).

The CPU temperatures reach the red zone at times here. Correspondingly, the CPU clock rate is lowered significantly in the course of the test. The CPU (1,000 MHz) and GPU (600 to 1,000 MHz) run at low clock speeds at the beginning of the stress test (Prime95 and FurMark run for at least an hour).

The rates drop to their respective minimum possible speeds quite quickly. The stress test represents an extreme scenario. We use this test to check whether the system remains stable under full load.

The stereo speakers produce a decent sound that lacks bass. We recommend using headphones or external speakers for a better sound experience. The Galaxy Book doesn’t show any problems in terms of energy consumption.

The stress test (Prime95 and FurMark run for at least an hour) increases consumption up to 51 watts – but only for a short period of time. Power consumption drops significantly quite quickly. The same can be seen in our The Witcher 3 test.

With a nominal output of 65 watts, the included USB-C power adapter has enough capacity. The 13. 3-inch device achieves runtimes of 9:40 hours and 14:35 hours in our Wi-Fi test (accessing websites via a script) and video test (playing the short film Big Buck Bunny (H.

264 encoding, Full HD) in a loop), respectively. The laptop’s power-saving features are disabled during both tests, and the display brightness is set to about 150 cd/m². In addition, the wireless modules are disabled for the video test.

In principle, the Samsung laptop delivers very good battery runtimes. However: The Tiger Lake-based competitors achieve similar, partly better endurance rates with smaller-capacity batteries. In other words: In terms of watt-hours, the Galaxy Book2 isn’t that good.

A direct comparison with the Tiger Lake predecessor of our current review sample illustrates this: The device gets an average of 25% better battery life out of an identical battery. With the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360, Samsung offers a 2-in-1 laptop that focuses on portability. The slim device weighs about 1,040 grams.

A 63 Wh battery allows for real-world runtimes of about 10 to 15 hours (display brightness of about 150 cd/m²). The included USB-C power adapter (65 watts) can be plugged into all three USB-C slots (2x USB 3. 2 Gen 1, 1x Thunderbolt 4).

Moreover, the Thunderbolt 4 port allows plugging in a docking solution or an external GPU. Samsung delivers a quiet, portable work device with the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360, but its chosen hardware configuration seems a bit half-baked. A Core i7-1260P processor, 16 GB of RAM (LPDDR5, dual-channel mode), and a 256 GB SSD equip the device for office and Internet use.

Good: The laptop always runs quietly, and it can also operate silently if necessary – with reduced processing power. It barely heats up in everyday use, but it does so noticeably under load. The Core i7 responds to short load peaks with a lot of processing power, but it’s forced to take things more slowly during prolonged load.

In general, it constantly remains below its capabilities. Basically, the Alder Lake P CPU was designed for a different class of devices. To be able to cool it sufficiently in the slim Galaxy Book2, it’s operated at lower power settings.

The built-in OLED touchscreen display (13. 3-inch, Full HD) offers an excellent black level, and it covers the DCI-P3 color space completely. This is accompanied by stable viewing angles, good color reproduction, fast response times, and sufficiently high brightness.

Unfortunately, the panel has a glossy surface. The Dynabook Portégé X30W-J could be an alternative to the Samsung convertible. It offers two Thunderbolt 4 ports, better battery life, and a touchscreen display with a matte surface.

Another option would be the Galaxy Book Pro 360 , which is still available. The predecessor of our current review sample offers less computing power, but much better battery life. In addition, a version with a 5G modem is available.

At the time of writing, you can find the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 in Best Buy’s online store for around $1,250 with the Core i7-1260P, 8 GB RAM, and a 256 GB SSD. If you need more storage space, Samsung’s online store lets you choose the maxed-out version that comes with 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD for around $1,450. .