Samsung Notebook 9 hands-on review: Design and build
Samsung’s Notebook 9 series features two incredibly lightweight and thin notebooks, 13.3in and 15in, but we’ll be concentrating more on the 13.3in variation in this hands on. The first and most prominent feature of the Notebook 9, at least to us during our time with it, is just how light it is. Measuring in at 313.8 x 218.5 x 13.4mm and weighing in at only 1.85lb, you could pick it up between two fingers with ease (although we don’t recommend this!) making it an ideal laptop for those that want a portable laptop without compromising on performance, which we’ll come to below. Design wise, it reminded us of the MacBook Air – especially with an aluminium body and black keys (it’s available in Iron Silver or Modern Pink). We were quite impressed by the keyboard, as it’s an Underwriters Laboratories certified ergonomic keyboard, which provides enhanced comfort and accuracy. While we found typing on the Notebook 9 to be comfortable, we noticed that the keys had a slightly matte feel which helped stop our fingers from slipping when typing, which was a nice touch. Read next: Best budget laptops
Samsung Notebook 9 hands-on review: Features and spec
Let’s talk features and spec. One interesting feature of the Notebook 9 is its 180-degree viewing angle, which lets you flatten out the laptop if necessary. It also features a special mode that’ll flip the display when it’s laid flat, making it easier to show people opposite you the latest funny cat video on YouTube, or whatever else it is you do on your laptop. While it has limited use, it’s nice to have the option to use it. The Notebook 9 features a 13.3in full-HD (1920×1080) display that we found extremely bright with vivid colours, and provided fairly decent viewing angles. The display was crisp, and we think it’s good enough for both productivity and media consumption. The laptop also features 10 hours of battery life on a single charge (the 15in variation boasts 12 hours) and thanks to the built in Quick Charging, you can fully charge the laptop in around 90 minutes. Let’s talk spec; The 13.3in Notebook 9 features Windows 10, an Intel processor including an Intel Core i7, and when coupled with 4/8GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB SSD, you get a notebook that performs well with a variety of tasks. It also features 2xUSB 3.0 ports, a micro HDMI port, mini Ethernet & VGA ports, as well as a 3-in-1 memory card reader, making it pretty versatile for a notebook. It’s worth noting that the larger 15in model also features a USB Type-C port, making it fairly future-proof. During our hands on, we noticed just how responsive the laptop was – it felt as if apps were opening instantly, and performed well generally. Once we get it back to PC Advisor Towers, we’ll be able to run more in-depth benchmark tests to find out just how powerful it is. See also: Best gaming laptops
Samsung Notebook 9 hands-on review: Pricing and availability
So, when will we be able to get our hands on Samsung’s Notebook 9 series? It hasn’t got an exact release date just yet, with Samsung only confirming an ‘early 2016’ release in ‘select markets’. There’s no word yet on pricing either, so make sure you keep checking back as we’ll be updating this article with more information as we get it. Read next: Best laptop bags Lewis Painter is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor. Our resident Apple expert, Lewis covers everything from iPhone to AirPods, plus a range of smartphones, tablets, laptops and gaming hardware. You’ll also find him on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.
