Introduction and design
Samsung has been a sleeping giant in the notebook world. Sure, it has had a couple of standout Chromebooks and premium Windows laptops, but only recently has it found its groove with a more affordable Surface competitor (Galaxy TabPro S).
Now, the Samsung Notebook 9 seems poised for another big win for the company in the Ultrabook space. Weighing less than most tablets – let alone the MacBook Air – this 13-inch laptop also offers a decent chunk of storage, Full HD screen and Intel Core i5 processor power at just $949 (about £649, AU$1,247).
It’s not as affordable as the thrifty Asus ZenBook UX305, but the Notebook 9 is one stellar entry-level Ultrabook.
Design
If you’ve seen a Samsung laptop in the last four years, the Notebook 9 will look familiar. Prior Notebook Series 9 owners will notice this 13-inch Ultrabook apes the design Samsung introduced in 2012 with the Series 9 notebook.
With both machines sharing the same name, this is arguably part homage and part “Why fix a design that already works?”. Though some notebooks like the HP Spectre 13 and Lenovo Yoga 900S are just now becoming stunningly thin, Samsung did it first.
Like other Samsung products, the Notebook 9 is all about curves. Eschewing hard edges, you’ll find a slightly rounded lid and a rolling slope that extends from hinge to the depressed keyboard deck before rising again to meet the slightly raised palm rest.
The only hard right angles on this laptop are found on its edges, which form a defined spine that wraps around the periphery. But even then, this sharp angle gives way to a sloped underside, making it seem as if the Notebook 9 is thinner than it actually is.
Not that this notebook needs any niptuck trickery.
Measuring in at 13.64 x 9.33 x 0.57 inches (34.6 x 23.7 x 1.45cm), this Ultrabook is as thin as they come, besting even the 0.68 inch (1.7cm) MacBook Air. It’s also lighter than most notebooks, weighing a scant 1.85 pounds (0.84kg) – far less than the 2.96 (1.34kg) pound MacBook Air and even the 2.03 pound (0.92kg) MacBook.
The Notebook 9’s featherweight chassis can be attributed to its magnesium and aluminum build. Most premium laptops like the MacBook Air and Asus UX305 come etched from an aluminum block, but magnesium affords Samsung’s Ultrabook the same level of quality at a fraction of the weight.
However, most magnesium spun notebooks like the Lenovo LaVie Z and LG Gram 15 can feel a bit plasticky. Samsung has countered this by sprinkling enough aluminum into the mix to make the Notebook 9 feel solid and rigid.
The only flimsy area that has me worried is the squishy lid, which depresses easily due to a noticeable air gap between the screen lid and the display itself.
Thin but practical
Laptops like the HP Spectre 13 and MacBook have sacrificed ports in the name of ultrathin and feather weight builds, but Samsung has made clever use of space to retain full-sized ports. You’ll find a USB 3.0 port where the Notebook 9’s svelte form thickens to a more curvaceous rump.
What’s more, the Notebook 9 features a SD card reader, which is a rarity for devices this thin. Most rivals like the Surface Pro 4 support microSD as a disappointing alternative or, worse, omit the card reader entirely.
I love Samsung’s implementation for the SD card reader, too. A small flip-up flap conceals the SD card reader while helping to maintain the Notebook 9’s slender form. It’s a smart inclusion when other notebooks have simply compromised their own aesthetics to make room for interfaces.
Unfortunately, Samsung couldn’t find the room to add full-sized versions of everything. HDMI, VGA and DisplayPort are all available on this 13-inch laptop, but you’ll have to purchase a new set of cables to work with the micro-sized connectors.
Light taps
On top of full-sized USB 3.0, the Notebook 9 also features a spacious keyboard replete with a massive glass trackpad. Unfortunately, travel feels a little on the short side, but you get a nice, crisp click when you bottom out the keys.
The keyboard also features a unique, but inoffensive teal-green backlight. It stands out from the crowd of white-backlit keyboards on Ultrabooks like the Dell XPS 13 and Lenovo Yoga 900. The display also tilts back to a full 180-degrees, so you shouldn’t have any problems finding a comfortable typing angle.
Just below the vibrantly colored keyboard, you’ll be treated to a large trackpad that spans across a decent chunk of the keyboard deck. Aside from the roominess, you’ll love the touchpad simply because of how smooth it is.
Specifications, performance and features
The Samsung Notebook 9 is only available in one Intel Core i5-powered configuration that starts at $949 (about £649, AU$1,247). Not a bad price considering, as the MacBook Air comes with the asking price of $1,099 for the same configuration and a lower resolution screen.
The Asus ZenBook UX305 is still the bargain basement winner with an Intel Core m3 model available for only $699 (£649, AU$999). And for those of you that feel the Core m is an inferior processor family, the firm recently introduced a $799 (about £555, AU$1,092) Core i5 version of its ever popular ZenBook.
Spec Sheet
Here is the Samsung Notebook 9 configuration sent to techradar for review:
- CPU: 2.3GHz Intel Core i5-6200U (dual-core, 3MB cache, up to 2.8GHz with Turbo Boost)
- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 520
- RAM: 8GB DDR3 1866
- Screen: 13.3-inch, FHD (1,920 x 1,080) LED anti-reflective display
- Storage: 256GB m.2 SSD
- Ports: 2 x USB 3.0, mini HDMI, mini VGA, mini DisplayPort, SD card reader, headset jack
- Connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1
- Camera: 720p HD webcam
- Weight: 1.85 pounds
- Size: 13.64 x 9.33 x 0.57 inches (W x D x H)
Performance
With an Intel Core i5 processor on tap, the Samsung Notebook 9 is a solid performer and handles multi-tasking like a champ. Although this laptop only comes equipped with integrated graphics, I was able to easily play a few rounds of Hearthstone and begin my journeys into the world of Hyper Light Drifter.
Admittedly, neither of these games are really pushing this machine, especially with both games maxing out at 30fps and the earlier even being optimized for iPads. However, it’s nice to be able to play a few titles on Ultrabook-grade hardware rather than streaming from an Xbox One or Gaming PC running Steam.
Benchmarks
Here’s how the Samsung Notebook 9 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
- 3DMark: Cloud Gate: 5,534; Sky Diver: 3,335; Fire Strike: 816
- Cinebench CPU: 284 points; Graphics: 40.97 fps
- GeekBench: 3,021 (single-core); 6,327 (multi-core)
- PCMark 8 (Home Test): 2,665 points
- PCMark 8 Battery Life: 2 hours and 56 minutes
- Battery Life (techradar movie test): 4 hours and 20 minutes
Samsung’s ultralight machine pulls its weight in our benchmarking tests, delivering numbers in step with other Core i5-powered machines like the Dell XPS 13. Thanks to a m.2 SSD, it’s even a step ahead of some machines like the LG Gram 15, which is equipped with an older form of SATA III flash storage.
The Notebook 9 has been advertised with battery life lasting up to 10 hours; however, in my own experience, it only managed to last about half as long. Five hours of run time is disappointing considering Samsung is angling this machine as an Ultrabook, a class of notebooks known for their all-day battery life.
However, considering how thin and light this thing is, the short run time is a little easier to swallow. Thankfully, the Notebook 9 is also pretty quick to recharge, taking only two hours to fully juice up the battery from empty.
Popping sounds and sights
While battery life isn’t all too impressive on the Notebook 9, I have to say the display is stunning. The Full HD screen is plenty sharp for its 13.3-inch size and it produces incredibly vibrant colors and distinct levels of contrast.
Colors are almost too vivid – not to the point of being oversaturated as Samsung’s older Galaxy device – but warm enough to make the display inaccurate for image editing. The good news is you can easily tweak the display and switch to a cooler setting through the preloaded Samsung Settings panel.
The onboard speakers are decent in their own right. Despite being placed on the underside of the laptop (and at the thinnest edge, too), the speakers produce clear and loud audio. Unless you’re pressing the front edge of the machine directly into your lap, you’ll still be able to clearly hear your tunes streaming out of the small tweeters.
Bundled software
Although Samsung is known for bolting a ton of Android apps on its smartphones, the firm has kept the preloaded software to a bare minimum on the Notebook 9. Samsung Settings comes in handy for tweaking settings such as your device’s power management and the color temperature on the display. Meanwhile, Samsung Update – as the name suggests – will keep all of the bundled apps up to date.
Verdict
Samsung has always had an impressive fleet of notebooks. It cracked the formula for ultrathin laptops well before the MacBook reinvented mobile computing. However, this brilliance often came with a price reaching upwards of $2,000. Now, the Notebook 9 offers a higher level of performance in the same slender form-factor at a fraction of the price.
We liked
With almost all Ultrabooks offering the same level of performance, one of the biggest differentiators is design – and the Notebook 9 is styling. While other laptops have gone for edgier looks, Samsung’s 13-inch offering packs an impressive helping of curves.
Top that off with a gorgeous screen, speedy SSD,surprisingly loud speakers, a mighty competitive price, and the Notebook 9 puts forth a package that’s tough to beat.
We disliked
I’m all for thinner machines, but not at the expense of battery life. The handful of micro-sized video ports are a minor annoyance, but there’s no real fix for limited run times. If you’re looking for something longer-lasting, you would be better served by the Asus ZenBook UX305.
Final verdict
At the end of the day, the Samsung Notebook 9 is a solid machine and is slightly more affordable than most Ultrabooks. Beyond that, it’s a stand out rig that’s lighter and thinner than most, while offering a gorgeous screen that can’t be ignored. The Notebook 9’s lower price also makes it more approachable than premium machines like the Dell XPS 13 or HP Spectre 13.
Source: techradar.com