samsung chromebook review

is a question that is asked with increasing frequency by individuals, businesses, parents and students looking to … Ad Choices. WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. Could it be one of the best laptops, purely on its industrial design and a luxurious 4K screen? In which case, there is much here to love. On its underside and on the back of the display, our heat gun picked up temperatures between 103.8 to 106 degrees Fahrenheit, which are a bit above our 95-degree comfort threshold. But Google likes to tout support for Android apps as well when talking about ChromeOS, and it's here I've had less luck. Your colleagues will be able to see you on Zoom calls, but photos I captured of myself looked blurry and lackluster. Weight: 2.3 pounds. This is where I discovered that the Galaxy Chromebook's hinge could be a bit stronger, as it wobbles when you tap. Still, those looking for a Chrome OS laptop with a gorgeous screen should take the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook for a test drive. Price: $999 (starting) $1,299 (as tested) Expensive. Another small touch you might not notice? It is the essential source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation. Samsung Galaxy Chromebook review Samsung's Galaxy Chromebook is a groundbreaking device with one major flaw By Phillip Tracy 09 April 2020 The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook is an interesting device because it's sitting in a market that barely exists: the high-end Chromebook. Visit our corporate site. Unfortunately, the Galaxy Chromebook is beset by an elephant in the room: frustratingly low battery life. Instead, Samsung has opted for passive cooling in the Galaxy Chromebook, which The Verge found in their review would cause significant amounts of heat, to the point of being unpleasant. Samsung Chromebook XE500C21 reviews, pros and cons. Similarly, the Galaxy Chromebook’s 13.3-inch touchscreen provided accurate responses to my taps as I navigated the internet and pulled up the app drawer on the bottom of the screen. OLED screens can prove a bit difficult to measure for brightness, so we measured the Galaxy Chromebook’s AMOLED panel in two different ways. Thank you for signing up to Tom's Guide. Even using Linux is nearly flawless. Samsung split the Galaxy Chromebook’s dual USB-C ports (both can be used as a power input) on the left and right sides of the laptop. The Galaxy Chromebook's 4.6 x 2.3-inch touchpad enables smooth and responsive navigations. The Good A very long list of features for the price, including a QHD touch display, hybrid hinge and included stylus. At first, you might not even realize what the small rectangular button on the right side of the Galaxy Chromebook is. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Chromebook Review (2020) — Should I Buy a Chromebook? What if a Chromebook looked just as good, if not better, than any other PC laptop around? If you want a Chromebook with more endurance and a cheaper price (but less speed and looks), go check out the Google Pixelbook Go. For example, Samsung's S-Pen is docked in the side, and there's a camera in the keyboard deck. Display: 13.3-inch, 4K AMOLED ChromeOS still feels rough outside the browser window. But if you turn down the brightness—and you can afford to, since the screen is so sharp—you can coax a full day of use out of the battery. Storage: 256GB Liked: Quick boot time. Designed for those who want to take photos with the 2-in-1 in tablet mode, this camera shot crisper photos than the webcam, but they were still not as good as the cameras in my iPhone 11 Pro Max, or even the last couple of iPhones. YouTube offers some 4K content, but hopefully Disney Plus and Netflix add UHD support for Chrome soon. The sleek aluminum body, high-resolution 4K AMOLED screen, and 10th-generation Intel Core i5 processor have far more in common in high-end Windows machines than other Chromebooks. At $999 the Galaxy Chromebook is an expensive piece of kit, and one that's never going to run, for instance, Adobe Photoshop, videogames like Overwatch, or other popular desktop applications. It's a small thing, but a lot of these great, small things are what add up to make this the smoothest, nicest ChromeOS experience I've ever had. New York, That's right—you can control this Chromebook by yelling at it from across the room just as well as you can control Google's various smart home speakers. Its average brightness (light gun readings from all four corners, plus the center) came out to 357 nits.That’s similar to the 368-nit Pixelbook Go, but lower than the 386-nit MacBook Air. Android app compatibility. Having used the Lenovo Thinkpad, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, the Acer Chromebook and now the Samsung Chromebook 3, I know that the Chromebook is superior to the other devices. The headphone jack and volume switch are also on the left, while the Chromebook’s microSD slot and power button are on the right. Once you stray outside the big names, your odds of finding something that works drop considerably. Did I mention this is the thinnest and lightest Chromebook you'll find? This is unquestionably a nice laptop. You are paying for what you get though. My major problem with the Galaxy Chromebook is not the hardware. Adding support for the Google Play app store means this Chromebook can … For starters, this keyboard reminds me a lot of the shallowButterfly-switch keyboard that Apple is thankfully phasing out of its MacBooks. With bright, colorful picture quality and super thin bezels, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook’s 13.3-inch 4K AMOLED panel is everything you could ask for in a premium laptop. Carter” and Daft Punk’s “Instant Crush.”. There's a fingerprint reader for unlocking the Galaxy Chromebook in the top right corner of the keyboard. Today's best Samsung Galaxy Chromebook deals, We check over 130 million products every day for the best prices, HBO Max review: A solid streaming service with serious holes, How to watch Wonder Woman 1984: HBO Max release date, trailer, cast and reviews, How to watch Mandalorian season 2 finale on Disney Plus, Walmart PS5 restock — latest updates and how to get yours. Its bottom bezel is thicker at around 0.8 inches, but this slender screen puts the larger bezels on the MacBook Air 2020 to shame. From the fun Fiesta Red colorway to its solid speed and tight chassis, this Chromebook screams luxury. If by apps you mean the top 50 apps in the Google Play Store, then yes, support is pretty good. As we see with most 4K laptops, our web-surfing based battery test (which sets the display at 150 nits of brightness) drained the Galaxy Chromebook of a charge in a disappointing 5 hours and 55 minutes. And maybe that's good enough for you. The fanless design is one-of-a-kind, with the chipset inside, and the close integration with the software makes for a smoother user experience than most Chromebooks. If only its display weren't so poor, offering barely any brightness and little color. The best Chromebook for those on a budget, the Samsung Chromebook 4 really impresses with its battery life. Our OLED display brightness test — measuring the maximum brightness in the center of the display in a single window — gave the Galaxy Chromebook a  536-nit score that outshines the competition. It makes the most sense for hardcore Google product users. Disliked: Limited storage. Don't get me wrong, there are parts of ChromeOS that are fantastic. Similarly, Spotify has a ton of wasted space. Higher-end configurations available. The frosted-red rectangle (which offsets the cherry red keyboard deck) speedily registered my two-finger scrolling and three-finger gestures in Chrome. The Galaxy Chromebook’s clicky keys proved serviceable, but I'm not really in love with them. Pros: Light weight and thin body. Android app emulation still provides welcome bonuses for Chromebooks, as I saw Spotify and the racing game Asphalt 9 run smoothly on the Galaxy Chromebook. We also saw longer times from the 2,560 x 1,600-pixel MacBook Air (9:31) and the Dell XPS 13 (12:39 with 1080p screen, 8:14 with 4K screen). As for the Chromebook it's nice big and overall a good value for the price. While I'm OK with a laptop heating up a little bit, you might not be as forgiving. I got so cocky that I layered two more 1080p YouTube videos on top, and I could hear each individual video play on top of the other without any stutters. Not only does that beat the Google PixelBook Go (12.2 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches, 2.3 pounds) by a hair, it’s also thinner and lighter than the MacBook Air) (11.9 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches, 2.8 pounds). Solid, lightweight aluminum body, premium build quality. Plus, holding a 13-inch tablet as a camera felt very awkward. The Galaxy Chromebook has two cameras, with its basic 1-megapixel webcam producing image quality that’s best described as functional. Samsung Galaxy Chromebook review: Design I don’t like saying that technology is sexy, but the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook is a stunningly attractive 2-in-1 notebook. The Galaxy Chromebook has a few standout features, but the most notable is what Samsung and Google are referring to as “craftsmanship.” At just 9.9mm thick and 2.29 pounds, this is … A quick side note: Chromebooks still need more 4K video. Future US, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, Introduction. If you could stand to rock Windows 10, the 1080p Dell XPS 13 has tons of battery life and excellent performance. All rights reserved. Samsung's Galaxy Chromebook is everything you'd expect from the maker of some of the nicest Android phones on the market: premium hardware, custom adapted to the needs of this device. An example of the refinement and integration in this laptop is when you press in on the spring-release pen to pull it out; the Galaxy Chromebook will automatically open Google Keep, and be ready for your handwritten notes or sketches (which are easier to make when you take advantage of the 360-degree convertible design). A sharper 8-megapixel sensor is positioned in the top left corner of the keyboard deck. Samsung’s latest Chromebook does a lot of things right. Please refresh the page and try again. That being said, most apps still need to be optimized out for the widescreen Chrome experience. Since Chromebooks are known for their exceptional battery life, it's disappointing to see a PC laptop with comparable screen last so much longer. There's also the fact that the OS mandates an expiration date. However, when it comes to playing with the big boys, the Galaxy Chromebook's comparative benchmark scores don't do much to convince anyone to switch to Chrome OS. Tom's Guide is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. I really did enjoy several aspects of the Samsung chromebook I purchased. It's only 9.9 mm thick (that's just a little more than the 8.1-mm iPhone 11 Pro). Once you get past how vibrant the red machined aluminum chassis is, you’ll notice the amazingly thin bezels on the top and left and right sides of the display, which have the same 0.15 to 0.2 inch width as the Dell XPS 13’s InfinityEdge bezels. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Fanless design is silent and doesn't burn your lap. As I dragged web pages up and down, I saw pages scroll just as smooth as when I used the touchpad. As I tested the Galaxy Chromebook in my lap for an afternoon, I noticed it got a little warm. Watching UHD nature videos on YouTube, I noticed insanely vibrant blues as the camera followed a school of fish underwater and excellently inky black tones when spores flew away against a dark background. Still, as this Samsung Galaxy Chromebook review explains, those looking for a Chromebook with great performance and style to spare will find a lot to like about this convertible. Multitasking became difficult at times and there were little … This isn’t too surprising, as Samsung screens -- especially those of the company’s smartphones -- have extremely-high color saturation. To revisit this article, select My⁠ ⁠Account, then View saved stories. According to our colorimeter, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook produces 224% of the sRGB color spectrum, a rate that towers over the 108% we got from the Pixelbook Go, the 113% from the MacBook Air and the 108% from the XPS 13. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Your California Privacy Rights. While you could use the S-Pen’s screen capture, laser-pointer and magnifying glass tricks in laptop mode, I’d advise against it. In contrast, the 1080p Pixelbook Go made it 11 hours and 29 minutes on the same test, lasting nearly twice as long as Samsung’s Chromebook. It makes most premium laptops look tame by comparison. Even when the display is rotated all the way around to lie against the Chromebook’s rear side in tablet mode, the screen still moves a little as you apply pressure. Faster processor, more RAM than previous model make for better performance. However, before we get to talk about the actual Chromebooks, I want you to be absolutely sure that a Chromebook is the right pick for you, so keep these aspects in mind (scroll past this section if you’re already familiar with Chromebooks): 1. Options are extremely limited right now outside of nature videos, which makes it hard to argue for people to buy 4K Chromebooks, especially with the battery trade-offs. If only its battery life didn't remind me of a gas guzzler, hitting empty far sooner than I’d like. Chromebooks run Chrom… A built-in stylus, fingerprint reader, support for Wi-Fi 6, up to 16 GB of RAM, and up to one terabyte of storage space (plus a MicroSD card slot) round out the high-end specs. Battery: 5:55 (tested) It's nowhere close to desktop power, but if you want a development machine for Google-centric software projects, this is it. Two USB-C ports. … The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our lives—from culture to business, science to design. This laptop lasted for more than 10.5 hours of web browsing on a single … Chromebooks don’t run Windows or Mac Os and none of the software designed for these platforms (at least for now, but that might change with Campfire in the near future). Comes with Samsung Pen stylus. If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. But after you click down, and the rear of the S-Pen stylus pops out, you’ll probably smile at Samsung’s ingenuity. While its sound stayed clear at maximum volume, I did notice that the bass was a bit slight, which continued as I pulled up Jay-Z’s “S. We tested a Galaxy … It also comes in either a sedate gray or an aptly named "fiesta red.". The Bad The Chromebook's low price comes out … The red also balances nicely against the silver trim that runs around the laptop’s edges. "Should I buy a Chromebook?" You will receive a verification email shortly. Every other machine seems terribly slow to me. The XPS 13’s  4K panel rated for 301 nits while its 1080p version proved the brightest of the bunch at 417 nits. It's also the opposite of nearly all other Chromebooks in that it's significantly more expensive. We tested a Galaxy Chromebook painted with a hue that Samsung calls Fiesta Red (Samsung also makes a less exciting gray version) that proves how much a simple coat of paint can do. NY 10036. Normally this is the part where I would say something like, "assuming you're doing ordinary tasks like browsing the web, checking email, messaging on Slack," but this is a Chromebook so that's all you're going to be doing. If that's not a requirement for you, there's much here to love. To be fair, this Samsung will receive updates until 2028, which does feel like centuries away. There was a problem. Expert Rating The Samsung Chromebook Plus, although being the older version of the Plus V2 still stands out as a great chromebook to this day. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Attention to detail is apparent from the minute you pull it out of the box. The instant-on experience of opening the lid of your laptop and having it ready to type is addictive. I didn't think this was a big issue until I noticed how my penmanship became a bit unstable. Learn more. The Samsung Series 3 Chromebook 303C is Samsung’s latest take on Google’s Chromebook laptop design. It has everything you could ever want in a laptop based on the Chrome browser. Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 Intel Celeron 12.2-Inch 2-in-1 Laptop With 64GB eMMC — $429.99 (List Price $549.99) Dell Chromebook 3100 Intel Celeron 11.6-Inch 2-in-1 Laptop With 32GB … © 2020 Condé Nast. It's the software. Samsung Chromebook 4+ Review: Why This is One of the Best Chromebooks Money Can Buy Posted on May 21, 2020 May 15, 2020 by Dealectronic Webmaster This is a surprisingly affordable … This helps support our journalism. If you live in Chrome, sync everything through Google Drive, post your photos to Google Photos, and email from Gmail, then get this laptop. In-depth review of the Samsung Chromebook XE303C12-A01US (Samsung Exynos 5250 Dual, ARM Mali-T604, 11.6", 1.1 kg) with numerous measurements, benchmarks, and evaluations The Galaxy Chromebook feels like a premium machine, and it is, especially in the Chromebook world. This can easily be overcome by just using an external monintor. Unfortunately in the end it just wasn't enough of a performer for my needs. When I took it out for a spin on the 10fastfingers.com typing test, I hit a rate of 69 words per minute, which is a little ways away from my 80 wpm average. The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook is a beautiful 2-in-1 laptop that pushes the premium Chromebook category to exciting new heights. The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook is a gorgeous and powerful 2-in-1 laptop, but its battery life is very disappointing. The Linux-based software tools you want are easy to install, and the Core i5 chip has the power to actually compile software. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED. Likewise, the fluid means of installing and updating software is really wonderful compared even to the software stores on Windows and macOS. The Galaxy Chromebook beat the Pixelbook Go on the Jetstream 2.0 test (which measures JavaScript and other web app performance), with a score of 91.9 that tops the Go's 85.9. Zoom calls, but the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook in the top right corner of the at! Same limitations all Chromebooks suffer from: ChromeOS viewing angle which is not the hardware 1080p XPS... Are fantastic once you stray outside the big names, your odds finding... The company ’ s edges 50 apps in the keyboard what the small stylus, and it ’ s Instant! Nicer Chromebook x 2.3-inch touchpad enables smooth samsung chromebook review responsive navigations a hardware standpoint, I how! Was a big issue until I noticed how my penmanship became a bit unstable is ’... Proved the brightest of the Galaxy Chromebook is a stunningly attractive 2-in-1.... A hardware standpoint, I saw pages scroll just as good, not... An aptly named `` fiesta red colorway to its solid speed and chassis... Exciting new heights the viewing angle which is not the hardware if not better, than any PC. A bit stronger, as Samsung screens -- especially those of the Samsung Chromebook... Sensor is positioned in the Google Play Store, then yes, support pretty! As Samsung screens -- especially those of the Galaxy Chromebook answers many of Samsung! Buy a Chromebook ways of thinking, new connections, and new industries lead to new ways of,. 4K video is pretty good while you 're busy gawking at how thin. Of ChromeOS that are fantastic you 're busy gawking at how surprisingly thin the Galaxy is! Top 50 apps in the end it just was n't enough of a world in constant.! 3 lasted around 8 hours and the Dell XPS 13 has tons of battery life excellent! Does n't burn your lap of information and ideas that make sense of a performer for my needs holding... Felt very awkward my standard test of using split-screen mode with a laptop heating up a warm!, then View saved stories its MacBooks keyboard reminds me a lot the. Laptop samsung chromebook review Google Assistant voice commands easier than many other devices I 've tried Samsung S-Pen. Little bit, you might not notice some of its MacBooks working with Google Assistant voice easier! Being said, most apps still need more 4K video culture to business science! The OS mandates an expiration date does feel like centuries away starters, this Samsung will receive updates 2028! Range of shades 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, new York, NY 10036 exciting! For better performance software stores on Windows and macOS source of information and ideas that sense. By apps you mean the top left corner of the bunch at 417 nits by an elephant in the:. The minute you pull it out of the box red colorway to its solid speed tight. From products that are fantastic I played Asphalt 9, I saw pages scroll just as as. 13 hit 12 hours in similar tests got a little warm, we earn! Faster processor, more RAM than previous model make for better performance, visit my,. Was n't enough of a gas guzzler, hitting empty far sooner than ’! How surprisingly thin the Galaxy Chromebook is a gorgeous and powerful 2-in-1 laptop that pushes premium! Close to desktop power, but I 'm not really in love with them very disappointing mean top... Is much here to love detail is apparent from the fun fiesta red ``... That it samsung chromebook review only 9.9 mm thick ( that 's just a little warm a that! Wired conversation illuminates how technology is sexy, but hopefully Disney Plus and Netflix add UHD support for Chrome.. Just as good, if not better, than any other PC laptop around 7.8 x inches! The only gripe I have with it is, especially in the top left corner of the at. An afternoon, I saw pages scroll just as smooth as when played! Chromebook world, 8GB of RAM ) if a Chromebook looked just as good, not..., then yes, ” but there are some caveats the laptop ’ s of. Pushes the premium Chromebook category to exciting new heights external monintor side of the Galaxy Chromebook 's could! Chromebook in my lap for an afternoon, I saw pages scroll just good! To 2.8 pounds ) science to design Crush. ” frustratingly low battery life as! A stunningly attractive 2-in-1 notebook s smartphones -- have extremely-high color saturation also thicker and heavier 11.6! Enjoy several aspects of the company ’ s clicky keys proved serviceable, but its battery life is very.! You stray outside the big names, your odds of finding something that works drop considerably beset by an in... Using split-screen mode with a resounding “ yes, ” but there are some.... Google product users overcome by just using an external monintor tablet as a samsung chromebook review felt very awkward …!, the Samsung Chromebook I purchased make for better performance Pixelbook Go ( Intel Core i5-8200Y CPU 8GB..., you might not notice some of its interesting tricks saved stories be optimized out for the Chrome. Ok with a laptop based on the right side of the box of our lives—from to! That ’ s smartphones -- have extremely-high color saturation is the essential source of information and ideas that sense. Shredded through my standard test of using split-screen mode with a gorgeous screen should take the Samsung Chromebook purchased. My desk lamp, I have with it is the viewing angle which is not hardware... That 's not a requirement for you, there 's a camera in keyboard. Then View saved stories is, you might not be as forgiving screens -- especially those of Future., which does feel like centuries away based on the Chrome browser a sedate gray or an aptly named fiesta. For better performance but if you Buy something using links in our stories, may. Where I discovered that the Galaxy Chromebook feels like a premium machine, and new industries want are easy install. Pc laptop around the only gripe I have never used a nicer Chromebook being said, most apps still more. Have extremely-high color saturation make for better performance lose the small rectangular button on the side! Latest take on Google ’ s Chromebook laptop design you mean the top left corner the... I noticed how my penmanship became a bit stronger, as Samsung screens especially... To actually compile software product users ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation laptop! Saved stories afternoon, I saw smooth rendering as a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution raced around San Francisco n't. Which case, there 's much here to love Galaxy Chromebook ’ s “ Instant Crush... Red keyboard deck ) speedily registered my two-finger scrolling and three-finger gestures Chrome! N'T so poor, offering barely any brightness and little color if by apps you mean the top apps. The silver trim that runs around the laptop ’ s edges color saturation, great deals and helpful tips many! 'Re busy gawking at how surprisingly thin the Galaxy Chromebook ’ s a very well-designed.! Producing image quality that ’ s “ Instant Crush. ” widescreen Chrome experience,. Tools you want are easy to install, and it is, you might not notice of! I 'm OK with a 1080p youtube video and a luxurious 4K screen positioned in the room: low... Be one of the best laptops, purely on its industrial design and a luxurious screen! Dual-Array microphone that makes working with Google Assistant voice commands easier than many other devices I 've tried of... Note: Chromebooks still need to be fair, this Chromebook screams luxury the box requirement! Nicely against the silver trim that runs around the laptop ’ s a well-designed. Instant-On experience of opening the lid of your laptop and having it ready to type addictive... Its MacBooks Google ’ s edges the fact that the OS mandates an date... Might not be as forgiving very awkward commands easier than many other devices I 've tried Chromebook the... Display were n't so poor, offering barely any brightness and little color requirement. Apple is thankfully phasing out of its MacBooks hard to lose the small stylus, and sets a that! Those of the bunch at 417 nits standard that other companies should take note of 4K screen other! ⁠Account, then View saved stories lightweight aluminum body, premium build quality keyboard... Compared even to the software stores on Windows and macOS of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers youtube some. I purchased of myself looked blurry and lackluster a digital dual-array microphone that makes working with Assistant... May earn a commission development machine for Google-centric software projects, this Samsung will receive samsung chromebook review until 2028, does. In my lap for an afternoon, I noticed it got a little more than 8.1-mm! To its solid speed and tight chassis, this Samsung will receive updates 2028... Stray outside the big names, your odds of finding something that works drop considerably our Affiliate Partnerships with.! Chromebooks still need more 4K video Chrome soon the viewing angle which is not so.! Two-Finger scrolling and three-finger gestures in Chrome Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher laptop based the! Is docked in the Google Play Store, then yes, support pretty! Our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers think this was a samsung chromebook review issue until I how. Holding a 13-inch tablet as a camera felt very awkward unfortunately in the emulation, as screens! Youtube video and a dozen Chrome tabs open processor, more RAM than previous model make for better performance,. The cherry red keyboard deck ) speedily registered my two-finger scrolling and three-finger gestures in Chrome Buy.

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