When you head to your nearest electronics retailer to take a look at the newest laptops, what manufacturers come to thoughts? Dell? Lenovo? HP? How about Samsung? Like most classes of electronics, Samsung makes laptops that compete with the perfect manufacturers on the market and even pack in loads of distinctive options. The Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is Samsung’s newest premium flagship laptop computer, and whereas the worth appears excessive at first, it is really fairly aggressive spec-for-spec.The benefit Samsung has over the competitors is rolled largely into aesthetics and Galaxy ecosystem tie-ins. The machined aluminum body feels rather more solidly constructed than a plastic Lenovo, and the 120Hz AMOLED show appears to be like and feels smoother than any 60Hz OLED Dell provides on its laptops. Plus, it is obtained the newest Intel and Nvidia chips — not one thing all different distributors have simply but.And Samsung’s distinctive Galaxy software program not solely provides distinctive options to the laptop computer — issues like eye contact monitoring (opens in new tab), battery well being and charging just like a cellphone, and even particular stay wallpaper choices — but additionally ties deeply in with different Samsung merchandise. If you’ve got probably the greatest Samsung telephones (opens in new tab), a pair of Galaxy earbuds, or perhaps a Samsung TV, you are going to get extra out of this laptop computer than from different manufacturers.But not all is rosy. The laptop computer has some weird efficiency hiccups and annoying software program bugs, and it took me weeks of fiddling to get the battery life the place I wished it to be. I’m additionally not a fan of the brand new massively outsized touchpad which makes the laptop computer uncomfortable to make use of whereas sporting a watch. Plus, it is missing a couple of niceties from manufacturers like Lenovo that provide a bodily microphone mute button and digital camera privateness slider in-built. Is it price your cash? Let’s have a look.Price and availability(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)The Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra grew to become out there on February 22, 2023 and could be readily discovered in any respect the standard retailers the place laptops are bought. That consists of shops like Best Buy within the U.S. and retailers like Currys within the UK.For this overview, I used the cheaper model of the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra which retails for $2,399/£2,449.00 and features a 13th-gen Intel i7 processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, and 16GB of RAM.You can improve to a 13th-gen Intel i9 processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, and 32GB of RAM for about $600 extra. As regular with Samsung merchandise, buying and selling in your outdated electronics will assist lower a little bit of the fee down whenever you order by means of Samsung’s web site.
Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra
Today’s finest Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra offers
What I preferred(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)No doubt, if you happen to’re contemplating shopping for a Samsung Galaxy Book laptop computer it is doubtless since you already personal different Samsung merchandise. With the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra, Samsung is doubling down on its efforts to create a greater ecosystem and that is, in the end, the largest power of Samsung’s newest laptop computer.Right off the bat, you may be requested to signal into your Samsung account which is able to unlock a bunch of nice experiences that transcend the bodily boundaries of your gadgets. My Galaxy Buds 2 Pro routinely paired with the laptop computer. My Galaxy Z Fold 4 could possibly be instantly managed by my mouse and keyboard. These are issues that simply labored out of the field and, on the most, solely required me to press an OK button to get began.Being in a position to simply copy and paste between my cellphone and PC is a factor of magnificence.Among the numerous distinctive options, system multi-control (opens in new tab) is one in all my absolute favorites. When I’m at my desk and my cellphone is on the wi-fi charger, I can simply mouse over to my cellphone’s display screen and begin typing a message again or navigate an app with out really choosing my cellphone up.Better but, I can copy/paste between my Galaxy Book 3 Ultra and my Z Fold 4 by utilizing regular keyboard instructions. It’s so, so significantly better than sending hyperlinks between gadgets or hoping that browser sync appears like working right this moment.Swipe to scroll horizontallyCategorySamsung Galaxy Book 3 UltraShow16.0-inches (16:10), 2880 x 1800, 400 nitsProcessor13th Gen Intel Core i7-13700HGraphicsIntel Iris Xe + Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050RAM16GB / 32GB LPDDR5Storage512GB / 1TB NVME (plus enlargement slot)ConnectivityWi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1Ports1x USB-A, 2x USB-C, HDMI, MicroSD, 3.5mmBattery76WhAudioAKG Quad Speaker (Woofer Max 5W x 2, Tweeter 2W x 2), Dolby Atmos, 3.5mm jackCamera1080p, twin micsDimensions355.4 x 250.4 x 16.5 mmWeight3.9lbs / 1.79 kgAnd whereas there are a plethora of different nice options that I additionally cherished — the stay wallpaper included was a pleasant contact, Samsung — none of those options can be worthwhile in the event that they have been hidden away deep within the Start menu. That’s why it is so nice that the Galaxy Book Experience app is pinned proper on the taskbar on the backside of the display screen.This appears like a laptop computer constructed by Samsung for Samsung customers, not simply one other meaningless empty Windows laptop computer with no soul.This app prominently shows the entire Galaxy Book 3 Ultra’s distinctive options in a single place, even together with the shocking Samsung Settings app. I say “surprising” as a result of it is a separate layer of settings particular to Samsung’s additions to the Windows world and, once more, helps preserve all these essential settings in a single place for customers to search out.Back within the Galaxy Book Experience app, you may discover every part from the Samsung Gallery and display screen recording options to stay wallpaper, Samsung Notes, Quick Share, Samsung Flow, and even utilities like Samsung Recovery and system care.In abstract, this appears like a laptop computer constructed by Samsung for Samsung customers, not simply one other meaningless empty Windows laptop computer with no soul.Image 1 of 5(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)Samsung did an exemplary job of {hardware} design with many of the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra. The second you’re taking it out of the field, you may discover simply how high-quality this laptop computer feels. Its absolutely aluminum body is extraordinarily properly put collectively and, but, it is lighter than similarly-specced rivals just like the MacBook Pro — 3.9lbs vs 4.3lbs, respectively.The full-sized keyboard features a num pad — one thing I’m an enormous fan of even when I do not use all of it that always — and the keys themselves really feel good sufficient to sort on. It’s no Lenovo keyboard however nothing is, actually. This is a butterfly-style keyboard with very low journey keys so it takes little effort to press them. Plus, they’re very quiet.(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)What’s not quiet are the audio system, which get very loud and have very good digital encompass sound regardless of missing a bit within the bass division. I used to be enjoying Minecraft RTX with my son at one level and clearly heard the Creeper sneaking up behind us, which is not one thing I can say about most laptops I’ve ever used.I additionally actually take pleasure in that Samsung left a pleasant lip on the sting of the lid to make it simpler to open. Too many OEMs overlook this essential {hardware} characteristic and it makes them irritating to open.(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)Samsung outfitted the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra with a 120Hz AMOLED show that is able to shifting between 60Hz and 120Hz relying on what’s occurring on display screen. I do not understand how good OLEDs are with stopping burn-in on laptops however Samsung routinely allows focus mode out of the field which fades UI parts after a couple of seconds to maintain burn-in at a minimal.The show can also be good and vibrant and it is extraordinarily simple to work within the solar — not one thing I can say of the IPS show on my Lenovo X1 Carbon. The draw back is that I ended up lowering the show refresh fee to 60Hz and setting the efficiency to the “optimized” setting simply to get the battery life to the place I wished it to be. On the intense facet, a minimum of these have been easy choices that resulted in very optimistic modifications to the expertise.Above the show is a webcam of very good high quality, delivering much better image high quality than I’ve seen on different laptops I’ve used. The 1080p decision is extraordinarily crisp and the 87-degree viewing angle makes it simpler to slot in the body irrespective of the way you’re sitting.The AMOLED show is good and vibrant and it is extraordinarily simple to make use of whereas working within the solar.But it isn’t simply the standard that is good, it is also the options. When you begin any video assembly or recording software program, a little bit utility bar seems on the underside of the display screen that opens up a number of choices to boost the video high quality.Things like auto-HDR lighting, background blurring, automated topic framing, and even eye contact monitoring are all one click on away and accessible as quickly because the digital camera begins. There’s no config required right here, no further app to launch. It simply works, and that is an ideal feeling on a PC.What could possibly be higher(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)I’m going to start with this large slab of a touchpad not as a result of it is the worst characteristic of the laptop computer — and even probably the most offensive drawback — however as a result of it is an issue that irritated me each single day I used the laptop computer whereas sporting a smartwatch.Big touchpads are good in idea however, because it seems, make it extraordinarily uncomfortable to sort whereas sporting a watch. That’s as a result of it pushes the keyboard thus far up that your wrists and a number of other inches of forearm must relaxation on the metallic under it. If you have ever tried typing on a flat floor like this whereas a watchband digs into the underside of your wrist, you may know what I’m speaking about.This hurts. (Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)The trackpad can also be centered on the principle keyboard as a substitute of centered on the laptop computer itself. I hate when OEMs do that on a laptop computer as a result of it is simply plain awkward. As a results of the location and sheer dimension of this touchpad, I discovered myself recurrently erroneously shifting the cursor with my palm whereas typing.It additionally does not like clicking when tapping very a lot and I sometimes needed to push the pad in to click on issues on the laptop computer as a substitute of simply tapping. Yes, I made positive faucet to pick was chosen in Windows which, in actual fact, is the default out-of-the-box setting, anyway.But these complaints may not trouble you want they trouble me. Rather, I’ve a sense the display screen design and unusual efficiency hiccups on the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is perhaps extra of a problem for folks.There’s no purpose this show needs to be so shiny.While the 120Hz AMOLED show is a pleasant characteristic to have and the show will get loads vibrant, lots of the brightness issue is in the end lowered due to the extraordinarily shiny coating Samsung placed on this show. It’s not a touchscreen — which is often further shiny — so what provides, Samsung? If I have been holding this laptop computer long run past simply the overview interval, I’d be shopping for a matte end display screen protector ASAP.(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)While we’re with regards to screens that are not touchscreens, why on this planet did Samsung resolve to make an “Ultra” model of its laptop computer however not embrace — and even assist — the S Pen? The S Pen is synonymous with many Galaxy merchandise lately and I feel it was an enormous mistake for Samsung to depart such an apparent characteristic out of this product.As I mentioned earlier than, whereas 120Hz is good to have, you may positively wish to drop it to 60Hz in order for you any hope of first rate battery life in any respect. With the laptop computer set to 120Hz and efficiency mode, I could not even get 2 hours out of a full cost on most days.Why on this planet did Samsung resolve to make an “Ultra” model of its laptop computer however not embrace — and even assist — the S Pen?And that brings me to my complaints about efficiency. This is the primary laptop computer with a 13th-gen Intel CPU and whereas peak efficiency and benchmark scores are very spectacular, one thing is wonky with the general efficiency of the machine.For one, I observed that video calling appears to completely tank this factor. In the previous month with the laptop computer, I discovered that I am unable to have a video chat and one other app — particularly Photoshop — open with out the video name and audio stuttering wildly. I haven’t got this situation on my Lenovo X1 Carbon with an 11th-gen i7 processor, so I’m unsure what the deal is right here however it was constant between video platforms and reboots.(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)This is especially unusual as a result of gaming efficiency on this machine is so sturdy. That’s to not say it is good — if you wish to run Fortnite with epic settings and ray-tracing, you may must dumb it all the way down to 1080p decision, as an example — however having a contemporary RTX GPU means you’ll be able to allow DLSS (opens in new tab) and get “magical” framerate boosts in most video games.Performance is bizarre. Video calls could be stuttery and laggy when virtually nothing else is occurring, but, I can play Fortnite at 60fps on Ultra settings with ray-tracing enabled.I do not take a lot inventory in benchmark scores or what they imply for the ultimate expertise as a result of, positive sufficient, the distinction between final 12 months’s fashions and this 12 months’s is fairly substantial. Geekbench 6 OpenCL rating on a GeForce RTX 3050 Ti sits round 57,000 factors whereas the GeForce RTX 4050 within the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra scores a whopping 70,000 factors.Keep in thoughts, this can be a low-power 4050 designed for laptops. A standalone 4000-series card will push greater than double these numbers in a desktop laptop.Likewise, a 12th-gen Intel Core i7 in comparable laptops nets about 2100 single-core and 11,300 multi-core rating in Geekbench 6. The 13th-gen Intel Core i7 within the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra ramps that as much as a formidable 2500 single-core rating and 12,100 multi-core. All nice numbers present the uncooked enchancment in compute efficiency as long as every part else is buzzing alongside usually.The SSD efficiency appeared to be a little bit slower than another laptops I’ve seen at this worth vary — 6600 MB/s learn and 4900 MB/s write efficiency in CrystalDiskMark — however that is not even near “poor” efficiency by any metric.The competitors(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)Among the numerous PC distributors, my two favorites are Lenovo and Dell. And whereas any Windows-based machine will assist Microsoft’s Phone Link app for handy cellphone pairing, you may nonetheless be lacking among the deeper options Samsung provides on Galaxy gadgets.If these aren’t an enormous deal for you, the Dell XPS sequence has been the plain favourite of tech web sites and customers for years, providing stellar specs and construct high quality alongside nice efficiency and battery life. Dell does not provide a non-touch OLED and their shows are solely 60Hz however the firm’s thermals and battery life are top-notch and the XPS sometimes provides niceties like a built-in SD card reader and a centered keyboard and touchpad.Lenovo’s Carbon X1 Extreme hasn’t but been up to date with a 13th-gen Intel or 4000 sequence Nvidia GPU however that additionally makes it a cheaper choice till Lenovo provides the extra up to date variations. Regardless of which processor or GPU you select, Lenovo’s {hardware} design is fantastic in most features. Sure, it is a cheaper-feeling plastic shell however Lenovo’s keyboards are legendary of their typing high quality and its laptops provide a built-in privateness shutter for the digital camera and a {hardware} microphone mute swap — one thing most OEMs simply do not provide.Should you purchase it?(Image credit score: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)I’ll be frank. My preliminary impressions of the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra weren’t nice. I bumped into software program bugs and peculiar efficiency issues, to not point out poor battery life and common discomfort whereas typing.But Samsung has since issued software program updates that mounted the few bugs I bumped into. I found out that I wanted to modify the show to 60Hz and run in optimized mode to get battery-life-to-performance ratio, and gaming efficiency is now stellar as soon as I noticed that Nvidia DLSS works magic on RTX GPUs.While I want a few of these issues have been a little bit extra apparent out of the field, this form of tweaking is not unusual on Windows machines. On the optimistic facet, the entire distinctive Samsung Galaxy ecosystem options have been as plug-and-play as I may have presumably hoped for.Linking my cellphone and earbuds was easy, and I can now use my Tab S7 as a second display screen whereas I’m touring so I haven’t got to lose my second monitor productiveness. In a nutshell, the issues that make the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra distinctive are the issues that work actually, very well, and that is a testomony to how good of a tool Samsung has constructed.I simply want it labored with an S Pen.
Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra
Effortlessly pair your cellphone, pill, earbuds, and different Samsung merchandise with the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra to create the last word Samsung ecosystem expertise.