First Impressions
The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 360 is set to be more iteration than innovation, but if you’re looking for a luxurious and thin laptop that comes with a big screen and a stylus, it could be worth the high price it demands.
-
Intel Core UltraNew Intel CPUs introduce dedicated NPU for AI workloads. -
Anti-glare coating3K 16:10 Adaptive 120Hz display now comes with a matte coating to combat reflections. -
Samsung ecosystemWorks in tandem with Samsung Galaxy phones and earbuds.
Introduction
Another year, another upgrade to Samsung’s flagship Galaxy Book set of devices. The range has been updated and is now on sale, with the Galaxy Book4 Ultra seeing the most changes. I’ve had time to go hands-on with the new Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 360.
Since Samsung’s laptop strategy became more focused, with the Galaxy Book Ion and Flex dalliances going the way of the dodo, it’s come so close to ruling the realm. The hardware is often impeccable on the outside but, like with my experience with the Galaxy Book3 Pro, they fall slightly short on fan noise and performance compared with competitors.
In 2024, the fourth iteration of this era of Samsung laptops is here, with the full suite of devices getting an upgrade. The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 360 might be the model with the fewest changes, but a boost up to an Intel Core Ultra chip could have a big impact.
Design
- Same look and dimensions as last year
- New anti-reflective coating
- New colour options
If you take a look or two at the new Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 360 in its “new” Moonstone Grey hue then you’ll find it near indistinguishable from the Galaxy Book3 Pro 360 in its Graphite colour, but they are indeed different laptops.
However, the weight and dimensions remain the same, at 1.66kg and 355.4 x 252.2 x 12.8 mm as well as the trackpad and keyboard layout, meaning a fingerprint reader remains as well.
Right-side view, closed
Right-side view, open
The first indication you’ll get of an upgrade is when you see the display, with all of Samsung’s new Galaxy Book4 Pro and Ultra options adopting a new Anti-reflective cover glass. This is a welcome change as Samsung’s laptop displays have been extremely glossy in the past.
Of course, while the new Moonstone Grey and the older Graphite colours do look similar, you’ll certainly know the difference between the debuting Platinum Silver and older Beige picks.
If you were hoping for a switch-up on looks, then you aren’t going to get it. That may be a disappointment for some, but welcome for others. I’m a big fan of the sleek, thin and understated design of these laptops so keeping things the same is fine by me, even though some may find the look a tad dull.
The ports largely remain the same too, with two Thunderbolt 4, one USB-A 3.2, a MicroSD card reader and a headphone jack. The only change is to the HDMI port, with it not being an HDMI 2.1 option rather than HDMI 1.4. In terms of wireless connectivity, it sticks with Wi-Fi 6E but drops the options for 5G that were available last year.
Specs and Performance
- A slight price increase
- New Intel Core Ultra chips
Despite a boost up to Intel’s latest and greatest Core Ultra chips, there hasn’t been a huge price bump laid at consumers’ doors.
The base configuration of the new Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 360 (in the UK) comes with 16GB RAM LPDDR5X RAM, a 512GB SSD and an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H chip. That starts at £1799 and gets bumped up to £1,999 if you opt for a 1TB SSD. That’s £50 extra compared with the same specs, but with an Intel Core i7 1360P chip, on the Galaxy Book3 Pro 360.
We don’t have US pricing quite yet, but will update this hands-on with those details when we receive them from Samsung.
With the new model, you can’t get the price down by opting for a lower SSD, RAM size or CPU, with the 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD and Core i5 options available last year now gone.
Like last year, there’s only one size now available on the 360 model, a 16-inch that comes with Samsung’s Dynamic AMOLED 2X display tech with a 2880×1800 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. Being a 360 device, it, of course, comes with a rotating hinge and touch display, while Samsung’s typically excellent S Pen is included to take full advantage.
It’s 2024 and this laptop has an Intel Core Ultra chip that features a dedicated NPU for AI workloads so you know that’s going to be a touted feature. The chip enables Windows Studio Effects, letting you natively blur your background, add auto-eye contact and auto-framing on video calls. That’s all there to work alongside Samsung’s included 1080p Hi-Res Wide-Angle camera.
Samsung is keen to tout its ecosystem-related features too, with your other Samsung devices able to work alongside this laptop. A new feature is the ability to use your Samsung Galaxy phone camera as a webcam, just as you now can with an iPhone and a MacBook.
The laptop also features what Samsung calls your “AI photo editing ally”, named Photo Remaster. It’s a tool to help enhance blurry photos and let you tweak other visual settings. One new feature reserved for Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro users is the ability to Auto Switch between your Galaxy phone and tablet to the new Galaxy Book4 range.
You’ll have to wait for my full review where I can put the performance of the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 360 through its paces. I’ll be seeing if it’s up to serious productivity tasking, what it can do graphically, if there’s any improvements to fan noise and thermals from the last model and how the speakers perform. The size of the battery is the same too, so I’ll be checking out just how long it lasts on the new model.
Latest deals
Early Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 360 builds upon the previous model with some simple touches, like an improved HDMI port, new anti-reflective coating and a tweaked set of colour options. Other than that, it’s all about the AI capabilities and Samsung ecosystem offerings that Intel’s latest chips and it being a “Galaxy” device can offer.
You won’t find it for quite as cheap though, with lower priced variants eliminated this time out. But, if you’re interested in the new higher base spec then there’s thankfully only a £50 price bump from the Galaxy Book3 Pro 360.
You’ll have to wait for our full review to fully put this year’s performance, display, audio and battery life through its paces. It’ll also be worth looking out for our coverage of other devices in this range, with the Galaxy Book4 Ultra getting the most upgrades from last year, while there’s a new touchscreen for the standard Galaxy Book4 Pro too. Last year, I was mighty impressed by the cheaper non-Pro models too, like the Galaxy Book3 360, so seeing how that new model performs will be an intriguing proposition too.
