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Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro: Two-minute review
The Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro is a laptop in the ultrabook class, featuring a sublime design that keeps bulk to a minimum.
It looks and feels every bit as premium as any of our current best laptops. All materials are smooth to the touch, while the metal base is solid. The metal lid isn’t quite as stable as those on some other laptops I’ve tested, but it’s perfectly sufficient for normal use, and the hinge operates very well.
The price you pay for such solidity, though, is that the Galaxy Book6 Pro isn’t exactly light. I tested the 16-inch model, so I wasn’t expecting a featherweight unit, but it’s worth mentioning all the same. At least its thin profile makes it more portable than it otherwise would be.
The Book6 Pro’s all-round performance is excellent. It can handle all kinds of tasks without missing a beat, and I was also amazed by its gaming performance, despite the lack of dedicated GPU. It was able to run AAA titles at respectable graphical settings in perfectly playable states.
Note that you can feel some heat on the keyboard, with fan noise apparent, even when the laptop is under moderate stress. Thankfully, the noise is relatively hushed, and not likely to cause much disruption.
However, it was the 16-inch 3K AMOLED display of my review unit that really caught the eye. It’s as bright, sharp, and rich as you could wish for, while touchscreen functionality is also great. Unlike the majority of laptops screens, the rounded corners of the frame here add to the display’s appeal, while the super-thin bezel ensures that none of the copious real estate goes to waste.
The keys on the Galaxy Book6 Pro are a little heavier than you might expect, which can lead to presses failing to register, at least in my experience. The layout is also a little cramped — and it’s a shame that on a laptop of this size, Samsung has chosen to omit a number pad and most navigation keys.
I have fewer complaints about the touchpad, though. Its large size and incredibly smooth surface make navigation a cinch. Also, it mostly avoids encroaching on wrist space when typing; only on a few brief occasions did I accidentally trigger cursor movement.
Battery life is adequate, if not spectacular. It lasted 14 hours in our movie playback test, which is under an hour of that achieved by the Asus Zenbook S 16 and the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4), but an hour more than the Dell 16 Plus.
The Galaxy Book6 Pro is certainly a costly proposition, but when you consider all that it offers, its value becomes more apparent. It’s similarly priced to the aforementioned Zenbook, a close rival in many ways, and more expensive than the Dell 16 Plus. Nevertheless, it’s difficult for either of these alternatives to surpass the sheer quality and glorious display of Samsung’s super-slender machine.
Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro review: Specs
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
Base spec |
Review spec |
|
Price |
$1,899.99 / £1,699 (about AU$2,740) |
$2,199.99 / £2,199 (about AU$3,170) |
|
CPU |
Intel Core Ultra 7 356H (up to 4.7GHz, 16 cores) |
Intel Core Ultra X7 358H (up to 4.8GHz, 16 cores |
|
GPU |
Intel Arc Graphics (integrated) |
Intel Arc Graphics (integrated) |
|
RAM |
16GB LPDDR5x |
32GB LPDDR5x |
|
Storage |
US: 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD |
1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD |
|
Display |
16-inch 2,880 x 1,800 (WQXGA+), Dynamic AMOLED 2X, Anti-Reflective, touchscreen |
16-inch 2,880 x 1,800 (WQXGA+), Dynamic AMOLED 2X, Anti-Reflective, touchscreen |
|
Ports and Connectivity |
2 x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4), 1 x USB-A 3.2, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x 3.5mm combo audio; Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 |
2 x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4), 1x USB-A 3.2, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x 3.5mm combo audio; Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 |
|
Battery |
78Wh |
78Wh |
|
Dimensions |
14.1 x 9.8 x 0.5 inches (357 x 248 x 12mm) |
14.1 x 9.8 x 0.5 inches (357 x 248 x 12mm) |
|
Weight |
3.51lbs / 1.59kg |
3.51lbs / 1.59kg |
Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro review: Price & availability
- Starts from $1,899.99 / £1,699
- Available now
- Expensive, but in line with some others
Pricing for the Galaxy Book6 Pro starts from $1,899.99 / £1,699 (about AU$2,740; pricing and availability for Australia is TBC at the time of writing), with the models available now. It can be configured with 16GB or 32GB of RAM, and 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage. There are two Intel Core Ultra CPUs to choose from, the 7 356H and the X7 358H — the latter of which is reserved for the top-tier model. A variant with the Ultra 5 325 is coming soon.
The Galaxy Book6 Pro is an expensive laptop, then — although this isn’t too surprising, given its design and spec. The base model is similarly in price to the Asus Zenbook S 16, which also features a 3K OLED display, but 24GB instead of 16GB of RAM.
However, if you’re in the market for a large laptop that still offers plenty of quality for less, there’s the Dell 16 Plus. The base model is significantly cheaper than the Galaxy Book6 Pro’s, but it still arrives with an Intel Core Ultra 7 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. Its resolution is lower, but only slightly.
Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro review: Design
- Incredibly thin
- Solid metal enclosure
- Quite heavy
In line with many of Samsung’s mobile devices, the Galaxy Book6 Pro is a sleek, premium-looking machine. The dark grey colorway is also very fetching and somehow adds more interest than your typical monochromatic designs.
Every contour is completely flat, while the corners, which are more rounded than most, give the design a softer appearance. Even the underside of the laptop is free of the fuss , with just four discreet rubber feet in each corner.
What’s more, the Galaxy Book6 Pro’s build quality is exceptional. The all-metal chassis is supremely strong, and while the lid isn’t as stable as some other models when open, it stays put under normal usage. The hinge for it is satisfyingly smooth, too. The bezel around the display is incredibly thin, which is always great to see, but the lack of a physical privacy shutter for the webcam, not so much.
The keys are more solidly planted than those of other laptop keyboards, and they also feature backlighting — which, in my opinion, is pretty much an essential feature.
Best of all, though, is just how thin the Galaxy Book6 Pro is. It’s reminiscent of the MacBook Air M1, since it thins out towards the front end. Given my review unit was the 16-inch model, I wasn’t too surprised by its weighty feel, but this does somewhat negate the utility of that slender form when it comes to portability. Still, it certainly makes it easier to slide in and out of a bag.
Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro review: Performance
- Surprisingly capable graphical performance
- Superb display
- Keys are a little heavy
Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro benchmarks
3DMark: Night Raid: 46,524; Fire Strike: 13,987; Steel Nomad: 1,413; Solar Bay: 28,816; Solar Bay Unlimited: 29,056; Solar Bay Extreme: 4,270; Solar Bay Extreme Unlimited: 4,300
Geekbench 6.5: Multicore: 16,837; Single-core: 2,880
Cinebench R23: Multi Core: 16,250; Cinebench R24: Single Core: 121; Multi Core: 995
Crossmark: Overall: 2,125; Productivity: 1,906; Creativity: 2,567; Responsiveness: 1,670
Passmark Overall: 9,831.3; CPU: 36,603.9; 2D Graphics: 889.8; 3D Graphics: 9,241.2; Memory: 4,155.5; Disk: 43,906.2
BlackMagicDisk: Read: 4,369MB/s; Write: 3,371MB/s
HandBrake 4K to 1080p: 85fps
Total War: Warhammer III: 1080p, Medium: 76fps
Total War: Warhammer III: 1800p, Ultra: 22fps
Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 14 hours and 52 seconds
The general performance of the Galaxy Book6 Pro is very good. It handles basic browsing and productivity tasks, as well as 4K streaming, with ease.
What surprised was just how well it handled games. Despite lacking a dedicated GPU, it managed to run Cyberpunk 2077 with the Ray Tracing: Ultra preset selected, without succumbing to disruptive slowdowns or stuttering. Intel’s XeSS Super Resolution 2.0 (in Auto mode) and Frame Generation were both enabled during my sessions.
Of course, the Galaxy Book6 Pro isn’t going to dethrone the best gaming laptops, and the keyboard layout can feel a little cramped when in the typical WSAD position; but it’s impressive, nonetheless.
Some heat was noticeable all over the keyboard during such intensive tasks, no doubt a corollary of that ultra-thin design — but, thankfully, the temperatures remained well within comfortable bounds. Some fan noise did become apparent, even under moderate workloads, but I didn’t find this too disturbing.
The AMOLED display is every bit as sumptuous as you’d expect it to be. The 3K resolution is satisfyingly crisp, while colors are vibrant and the contrast expectedly deep. The touchscreen functions well, too, responding quickly and accurately to my finger inputs.
I was also fond of the bezel’s rounded corners, which soften the frame and make on-screen content appear neater somehow. It’s a small touch that I wish more laptop displays featured; the best MacBooks have it, but only in the top corners, not the bottom as well.
The keys are nicely damped, but still display relatively shallow travel. However, they’re heavier than others, which resulted in some of my presses failing to register, requiring more force than I’m accustomed to producing. This may be an adjustment you’ll need to make as well, if you’re someone with a light touch.
While the layout is comfortably spaced for typing, it’s a shame there’s no number pad and only a few navigation keys (Insert/ Prt Sc and Delete) on the Galaxy Book6 Pro, given the 16-inch real estate of my unit.
The touchpad on the 16-inch model of the Book6 Pro is large, which is great for navigation. Despite this, there’s also enough room on the sides for resting your wrists while you type. There were times when the cursor moved as a result of my palms coming into contact with the pad, but this wasn’t frequent or long-lasting enough to cause a problem.
Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro review: Battery life
- Middling longevity
- Quick to charge
The Galaxy Book6 Pro offers an average battery life. When I ran a movie on a continuous loop, it lasted 14 hours. This is well below Samsung’s claimed figure of up to 30 hours. However, it’s only an hour less than what the Asus Zenbook S 16 and the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) managed.
However, it lasted over an hour more than the Dell 16 Plus. It’s also quick to charge, taking about two hours to go from empty to full.
Should I buy the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro?
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
Notes |
Rating |
|
Value |
Super expensive, although the base model isn’t too bad for an ultrabook. |
3.5 / 5 |
|
Design |
It’s hard to find fault with the build quality and materials here. It’s exceptionally thin, but quite heavy. |
4.5 / 5 |
|
Performance |
The Galaxy Book6 Pro performs well, even on graphical tasks, while that huge OLED touchscreen display is truly stunning. The keys are a little heavy, though, and the layout of them is compromised. |
4.5 / 5 |
|
Battery life |
Decent, but nothing to write home about. Longevity is somewhere in the middle compared to its rivals. |
3.5 / 5 |
|
Total |
If your pockets are deep enough, you’re unlikely to be disappointed with how this laptop looks and performs. |
4.5 / 5 |
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro if…
Don’t buy it if…
Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro review: Also consider
How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro
- Tested for several days
- Ran our series of benchmarks
- Plentiful laptop reviewing experience
I tested the Galaxy Book6 Pro for several days. I used it for all kinds of tasks, from general browsing and light productivity to 4K streaming and AAA gaming. I also ran our series of benchmark tests, designed to assess every aspect of a laptop’s performance.
I have plenty of experience reviewing computing devices of all kinds. I’ve tested numerous laptops, from budget offerings to top-tier gaming machines. I’ve also reviewed desktops, Chromebooks, and tablets.
Read the full article here
