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Samsung Galaxy Book 2: At First Glance
As another venture into the Windows on ARM PC, Samsung has released the Galaxy Book 2 in 2018. The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 closely mimics the notable Microsoft Surface Pro series of detachable 2-in-1s.
Further down this review, you’ll see how the Samsung Book 2 fared in comparison with the Microsoft Surface Pro 6 in performance and appearance. However, when it comes to price, the Microsoft Surface Pro 6 is about $400 pricier than the Samsung Book 2.
Specifically, at the time we published this article in September 2021, the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 cost $329.95. This price tag covers the inclusion of a surface pen and type cover.
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Now that you know the price difference between these two devices, let us proceed to the physical differences (if any) and performance comparison.
Samsung Galaxy Book 2: Design, Dimension & Weight
The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 borrows the design concept of the Microsoft Surface Pro. The design similarities range from the detachable type cover to the kickstand and surface pen.
The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 is made of a dark silver magnesium chassis with an aluminum kickstand. The all-metal chassis is nice and sturdy.
As a stand-alone tablet device, you will easily notice the thick bezels surrounding the 12-inch screen. The bezels are even thicker than the thick bezels of the Surface Pro 6 making them look ancient.
On the top bezel, there is a 5 MP front camera but the camera has no infrared sensors for Windows Hello. Alternatively, there is a fingerprint sensor by the rear of the Samsung Book 2, which can be awkward to reach.
Nonetheless, the fingerprint reader supports Windows Hello for fast, accurate, and secure login to the Windows OS. I would have preferred a Windows Hello enabled camera but a fingerprint reader is a welcomed option as well.
The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 display is superb. The display features a high-resolution OLED touchscreen that produces color-rich images and videos.
The touchscreen is responsive to the finger’s touch as well as the included pen.
Speaking of the pen, it is not as impressive as the Surface Pro 6 pen that costs about $100 extra. However, it is functional with enough pressure sensitivity that delivers a seamless inking and annotating experience.
The eraser on the end of the pen works well just like a traditional eraser on paper. One issue with the pen is that the tip will get blunt eventually from continuous usage like a pencil.
However, Samsung includes an extra pen tip and a tool for changing the tips. Another drawback is the way the pen is stowed.
There is a magnet at the left side of the tablet for holding the pen. However, the magnet does not securely hold the pen in place and is not efficiently suitable for keeping the pen safe.
There is also a case for putting the pen in, to protect its tip but one can easily misplace that as well.
At the rear of the tablet, there is an 8 MP back camera that produces better image quality than the front-facing camera. There is also the kickstand similar to the Surface Pro 6’s.
The aluminum kickstand is a bit thin and wobbly but surprisingly it supports the device firmly. Nevertheless, the drawback associated with kickstand-supported devices including the Surface Pro 6, is noticeable in this device.
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By that statement, I’m referring to the kickstand digging into the thighs after long hours of usage.
Similar to the Surface Pro 6, the type cover completes the concept of a laptop replacement. Moreover, the type cover also attaches to the bottom bezel magnetically and at an angle that’s pleasing for comfortable typing.
Just like the surface pen, the type cover is also included, unlike the Surface Pro 6’s type cover that costs about $159 extra. However, the Alcantara material-type covers on the Surface Pro 6 are comfier than the plastic-type covers of the Samsung Book 2.
The keyboard has a layout of full-sized well-spaced backlit keys. In addition to that, the keys have enough key travel of about 1.6mm and ample force if actuation.
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Moving on to the touchpad, although small, it is responsive and allows the finger to glide on smoothly. Also, the touchpad buttons are clicky but there is a hollow sound to the clicks.
The type cover does not only act as the keyboard, it also acts as a protective covering for the screen when you close it. Thanks to the magnets on the keyboard edges and the rubber bumpers, the type cover stays securely in place and protects the screen.
The port selection on the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 is minimal at best. There are just two USB Type-C ports and a 3.5 mm headphone jack on the right-hand side.
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Moving on to the dimension and weight, the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 measures 287.5 x 200.4 x 7.4 mm. Also, it weighs just 793.8g without the type cover and 1089 g when you attach the type cover.
In comparison, the Surface Pro 6 weighs between 770g to 784g without the type cover. Meanwhile, it weighs about 1089g with the type cover.
When it comes to dimensions, the Microsoft Surface Pro 6 measures 292 x 201 x 8.5 mm.
Furthermore, the Galaxy Book 2 is lighter than the HP Envy x2 that weighs 680 g without the type cover. The HP Envy x2 weighs 1225 g when you attach the type cover.
In conclusion, the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 has an elegant design that passes on most fronts. The only notable flaw is that the magnet for holding the pen is not strong enough.
Hence, I will rate the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 a nine in this design review aspect.
Samsung Galaxy Book 2: Processor (CPU) Performance
The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 employs an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 Mobile Processor with 2 MB cache memory. The processor has a base frequency of 1.7 GHz and a maximum frequency of 2.95 GHz.
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The Snapdragon 850 is a lightweight processor and not a powerhouse. Hence, it is only suitable for less demanding tasks like checking email, surfing the web, and streaming videos.
The mobile processor is only compatible with mobile applications that you can install from the Playstore. As a result of the compatibility issue, it was impossible to run most of our customary benchmark tests.
However, I was lucky to get the Geekbench 4 multi-core benchmark suite to run. Geekbench 4 is a benchmark tool for checking the processing power of computers.
Based on the test result, the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 scored 3,849 points. Comparatively, the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 performed better than the HP Envy X2.
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Specifically, the HP Envy X2 scored 3,186 points and it runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor.
In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 performed below the Microsoft Surface Pro 6. The Surface Pro 6 scored 12,488 points.
Accordingly, the groundbreaking performance of the Surface Pro 6 is not surprising. The performance of the Surface Pro 6 is attributed to its more powerful Intel Core i5 processor.
Finally, the performance of the Snapdragon 850 processor of the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 is respectable. However, it is no match for the Intel Core i5 processor of the Microsoft Surface Pro 6.
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Samsung Galaxy Book 2: Memory (RAM) Performance
The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 is equipped with 4 GB RAM. The 4 GB memory is barely sufficient for efficiently running the computer.
Consequently, applications take longer to load. The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 might be passable at performing light casual tasks.
However, you don’t want to saddle it with a handful of tasks at the same time. To test the performance limit of the Samsung Galaxy Book 2, I opened a dozen of browser tabs.
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When I tried to switch between the tabs, the screen went blank white for some seconds before the content reappeared. Obviously, the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 does not fare well under pressure.
Users that are heavy on multitasking are not in luck with this device. Such users can go for the more powerful Microsoft Surface Pro 6 instead.
However, for light activities, the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 fares well.
Finally, it was impossible to run the customary memory performance benchmark test. Nonetheless, I will rate the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 a seven in this memory performance review.
Samsung Galaxy Book 2: Storage Options & Performance
The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 employs a meager 228 GB SSD for internal storage. Apart from the limited storage capacity, the SSD on this device is also not very fast.
To determine the storage performance of the Samsung Galaxy Book 2, I performed a file copy test. In the test, the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 and its competitors were required to copy 4.9 GB of files.
Consequently, the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 completed the task in 43 seconds at a rate of 118 MBps.
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Due to compatibility issues, I was also not able to carry out the customary storage benchmark test. However, I will rate the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 a seven in this storage performance review section.
Samsung Galaxy Book 2: Graphics Card Performance
The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 employs the integrated Qualcomm Adreno 630 GPU. The graphics card is only suitable for light graphical intensive tasks like playing videos.
In terms of gaming, the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 is not powerful enough to handle intensive games. Nevertheless, you can play pre-installed games that come with Windows like Candy Crush or Dirt 3.
Consequently, the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 played Dirt 3 car racing game on low settings at 23.9 fps. Comparatively, the Surface Pro 6 played the same game at 80.9 fps.
Furthermore, you can also play web-based games. In order to access unlimited games, I installed the Steam launcher app and was able to play several games.
As a basis of benchmarking, luckily I was able to run the 3DMark Cloud Gate benchmark test. 3DMark Cloud Gate is a DirectX 11 graphics benchmark for evaluating the 3D rendering abilities of basic notebooks.
Based on the test result, the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 scored 1,116 points. In comparison, the Microsoft Surface Pro 6 scored 8,443 points.
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In conclusion, the graphics performance is another aspect where the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 lags behind its look-alike competitor. Hence, I will rate the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 a seven in this graphics review section.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Samsung Galaxy Book 2: Battery Life & Performance
On the battery front, the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 employs a 6120 mAh battery. Samsung has made a claim that the battery will deliver up to 20 hours of battery life.
However, the battery performance of the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 from my battery test is not in line with Samsung’s claim.
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The battery test involved continuous surfing of the web over WiFi and screen brightness set to 150 nits. Consequently, the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 lasted 10 hours 41 minutes.
The battery life of the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 is however longer than that of the Surface Pro 6. Precisely, the Surface Pro 6 lasted 9 hours 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, the HP Envy lasted a much longer period of 14 hours 22 minutes in the same test.
In conclusion, the battery performance of the Galaxy Book 2 is better than that of Surface Pro 6. However, it falls behind the HP Envy x2.
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Putting the performance from the test into consideration, I will rate the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 a nine in this battery review section.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 has a lot of things going for it, such as its vibrant OLED display. It also has a good battery performance, integrated LTE, and a cheaper price than the Microsoft Surface Pro 6. Hence, it is safe to say that the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 is worth it.
The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 is a 2-in-1 this implies that you can use it in either tablet mode or laptop mode. In tablet mode, you can detach the type cover and use the touchscreen with or without the surface pen. To use as a laptop, simply attach the type cover and you are good to go.
The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 chassis is made of aluminum, the kickstand is made of magnesium while the keyboard is made of plastic.
The Fingerprint Sensor is located at the back of the Samsung Galaxy Book 2. It is placed next to the back camera by the top-left corner.
At the time we published this review in September 2021, the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 costs just $329.95.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 successfully mimics the design concept of the Microsoft Surface Pro 6. However, it does a lot of things better than the Surface Pro 6.
For instance, the integrated LTE of the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 ensures that the device is always connected. Also, its OLED display is far more vibrant than its look-alike competitor.
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Another noteworthy feat of the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 is its better battery performance. Additionally, the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 is a less expensive option without the extra cost of the essential components.
However, the major place where the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 fails to impress as much as its competitor is its processor performance. The memory space is also very limiting.
Finally, I will recommend the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 only to users that perform light computing tasks and prioritize connectivity and battery life above other things.
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