To sum up this Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 review: a smart-looking laptop with equally smart features that’s easily one of the best 2-in-1 laptops you can buy right now.
When you think of the best laptops, Samsung might not be the first manufacturer that comes to mind. In fact, it’s probably not the second or third either. At T3, we’ve previously reviewed the Samsung Galaxy Book S which actually turned out to be a 5-star product with a premium design and equally premium performance.
Samsung knows exactly what they’re doing when it comes to computing, so I was excited to try out the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 which is new for 2021 and boasts some pretty serious specs. It’s a lightweight 2-in-1 laptop with the S Pen stylus included, and the keyboard has a separate number pad, so it caters for everything from creative tasks to data entry.
You get the choice of a 15.6inch display or 13.3inch, and to power it, either the 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 or the i7-1165G7 with different storage options too. I tested out the 15.6inch, i7 version of the laptop with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage.
All sounds pretty impressive, right? Find out how I got on when I tried it out, here’s the full Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 review.
Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 review: video overview
Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 review: features and what’s new
The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 is completely new, there’s no preceding model to directly compare it to - instead Samsung has combined some of the best features of previous Galaxy Books into one convertible touchscreen device, particularly an AMOLED display and lightweight build. At launch, Samsung also announced the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro, a clamshell-style laptop that doesn’t convert to a tablet and doesn’t have a touchscreen.
Other key features of the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 include its fingerprint sensor, the separate number pad on the keyboard and the S Pen which is included in the box. It also hooks up to Samsung SmartThings to control your smart home devices and works with SmartThings Find which uses a network of 68 million other Galaxy devices to help pinpoint the location of yours.
Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 review: price and availability
Launched in April 2021 at the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event, the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 is available to buy now direct from Samsung.
In the US, the 15.6inch version of the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 comes with an Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor with the choice of 8GB RAM / 512GB storage for $1,299.99 or 16GB RAM / 1TB storage for $1,499.99.
In the UK, the 15.6inch version of the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 comes with an Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, 16GB RAM and 512GB storage for £1,499. Or for a cheaper option, you can pay £1,249 to get the Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor, 8GB RAM and 512GB storage.
The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 isn’t available yet in Australia.
Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 review: screen and design
Sporting a large 15.6inch FHD (1920 x 1080) display, the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 carries on the tech giant’s OLED laptop trend. This time, it uses a Super AMOLED display, which means the touch screen capabilities are integrated into the panel as opposed to added using an extra layer. Ultimately that helps to save on bulk. It offers stunning picture quality, with intricate detailing, sharp lines and vivid colours with incredibly deep, dark blacks.
You’ll easily be able to use it for more creative tasks like photo editing and honestly, you won’t see many FHD screens that look better than this one. Despite not being available in ultra-high-definition 4K, the screen is a wonder. But with an aspect ratio of 16:9, it does feel wide and short, it means that on web pages you get more width but not quite enough length. For some tasks, it feels like a good thing, although not so much for others.
The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 is incredibly thin and light, just 11.9mm thick and it weighs only 1.39kg. That’s tiny for a computer with such a big screen! So this laptop is perfect for using out and about. You can take it on the train, to cafes and from room to room without it taking up loads of bag space, or being a hassle to move around. Not only that, but it’s one of the reasons this laptop looks so sleek. Its slender aluminium chassis has a smart, glossy finish, and comes in a Mystic Navy or Mystic Silver. I did find myself constantly trying to wipe away stubborn fingerprint marks though, as they looked very obvious on the navy blue version.
By pushing the screen back by 360-degrees you can convert the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 into a tablet. Because it’s so thin and light, the tablet mode doesn’t feel as clunky and awkward as other 2-in-1 laptops, and the hinge feels sturdy so you don’t feel worried you might break it.
Included in the box, you get the S Pen stylus which will be great for quick note-taking or sketches in tablet mode. One slight flaw is that there’s no slot to put the S Pen into when you’re not using it, so you’ll have to remember to keep it in your laptop bag separately. Or, it can be attached to the laptop magnetically. The S Pen is great, it responds well to pressure and didn’t miss anything when I used it to make a few notes.
The keyboard features a separate number pad, a laptop rarity that will please anyone who works with lots of spreadsheets. Typing does take a bit of getting used to though. I initially kept making mistakes as the keys are so close together and they are off-centre to make room for the number pad. Despite that, it’s a nice typing experience, the keys feel solid and smooth with bright backlighting.
A fingerprint sensor is hidden in the power button and works efficiently to unlock the laptop. Most of the times I touched it, the laptop unlocked within a couple of seconds although admittedly not every time. There’s no IR camera so you won’t get face unlocking through Windows Hello. A massive mouse pad sits below that, and although I probably only used a small amount of it, for creative tasks that will be really useful.
On the frame, with the laptop being so thin, there’s no space for tonnes of ports like HDMIs. The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 just has three USB-Cs, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a MicroSD card slot.
Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 review: performance
Under the hood, the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 has the 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7, 16GB RAM and 512GB storage as well as a more-than-capable GPU, the Intel Xe Graphics.
Together, these specifications certainly bode well for the laptop, they’re not the absolute best you can get but they’re up there.
On 3D Mark's TimeSpy graphics test, it scored a respectable 1,775 so although not built for hardcore gaming, it will certainly cope well with low-intensity play. Where this laptop thrives is in productivity. It will cope with all sorts, from word processing to a bit of photo editing. I even found it handled itself well when I had dozens of tabs and windows open at once. On Geekbench 5 it scored 1,240 in single-core and 5,334 in multi-core - that’s comparable to similarly priced laptop the LG Gram 17 review (2021) and it’s much higher than the Asus ZenBook Flip S, which sits at the top of T3’s guide to the best 2-in-1 laptops. The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360’s performance isn’t quite record-beating but it’s definitely respectable.
WiFi 6E support means that if you have the newest generation of WiFi set up at home, you’ll be able to make the most of the fastest internet speeds possible from the laptop. It also has Bluetooth 5.1 so you’ll have strong, reliable connections with those devices too. Currently, you can’t get the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 with 5G but that may be something that comes in the future.
The 68Wh battery did a good job in my tests - I ran a video on it at full brightness over two hours, in that time it dropped by 20% suggesting it would have lasted 10 hours in total. That’ll easily last you the workday. When it does run out you won't have the hassle of a massive charger to carry around with you either. The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 comes with a tiny USB-C charger, if I didn’t know better I would have thought it was a smartphone charger.
This isn’t just a Windows 10 PC, it’s a Galaxy Book Windows PC. That means you get the benefit of seamless integration with your other Galaxy tech including your Samsung Galaxy smartphone. That means sharing files between devices is quick and easy while using a Galaxy tablet as a second screen is possible too. You can even use it to control your smart home through SmartThings, and locate your Galaxy kit using SmartThings Find.
Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 review: verdict
Simply put, the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 is one of the best lightweight laptops out there right now. It not only impressed with its sleek, slim design but it also packs in plenty of extra features.
It won’t be suited to absolutely everyone though. Gamers won’t get the power they need from it, and creative professionals may find the aspect ratio of the screen frustrating. But for anyone who needs a versatile everyday workhorse, or a laptop to stream TV, movies and YouTube videos on - the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 is an excellent choice, especially if you’ve already bought into the Galaxy ecosystem.
Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 review: also consider
If it’s good looks you’re after, check out the Huawei MateBook X Pro (2021) which is a stylish, slick computer that ticks almost every box you could need for a day-to-day laptop. It’s slightly cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 and doesn't convert to a tablet, but is just as portable, and it’s great to type on if low-profile keyboards are your preference.
For anyone who absolutely needs a 2-in-1 laptop then the Microsoft Surface Book 3 is one of T3's top picks, you can find out more about it here: Should I buy the Microsoft Surface Book 3?
Despite all of that, the Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) is still one of the best laptops you can buy in 2021. It’s fast, sleek, slim and silent. Definitely worth adding to your shortlist, especially if you’re an iPhone user.
If you are a student, then these are the best student laptops and the best Chromebooks could be worth a look too.
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