Samsung hints it will give Galaxy Book the Galaxy S23 Ultra treatment
Phone Ultra and Tab Ultra, meet Book Ultra
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Samsungis dropping hints that its nextGalaxy Book Windows laptop, expected at Unpacked on February 1, will get the Ultra treatment, similar to theGalaxy Tab S8 Ultratablet and the upcomingGalaxy S23 Ultraphone. That likely means an S Pen on board, since Samsung shut down its Note family of devices to focus on Ultra. We could also see improved cameras – as well as a sky-high price tag.
In ablog post from TM Roh, President and Head of the Mobile eXperiences (MX) Business, Samsung digs deep into what the evolution from Note to Ultra branded devices means. Roh cites performance and camera capabilities, then says that “Ultra means big.”
In advance of the Samsung Unpacked event in San Francisco, the company is already taking online reservations for two devices, a smartphone and a Galaxy Book, presumably a Windows laptop following up on theGalaxy Book 2 Pro. That laptop tops out at 15 inches, but we might see Samsung launch something even larger, perhaps to compete withApple’sbest Macbook Pro.
Here’s what a Galaxy Book Ultra would be
TheMacbook Pro was updated today with a faster M2 Pro processor, so it would make sense for Samsung to try to reclaim some momentum in the weeks before launch by teasing a new device. The company may be a more worthy Apple competitor in the phone space, but its Galaxy Book 2 Pro reviewed well in our tests.
A best guess would add a pen, a Samsung-branded S Pen of course, to the Galaxy Book Ultra. We’d also expect to see a camera upgrade, and since the webcam is the most important lens on a laptop, that’s the camera that should get a boost. We’d also expect to see a performance boost, so the latestIntelsilicon inside would be a good bet.
Samsung speaks to connectivity quite a bit in its blog post, so we’d also expect a Galaxy Book Ultra to come with cellular connectivity options, perhaps even fast 5G networking. A laptop, which sits still and has a huge antenna compared to a smartphone, is a better candidate for the fastest mmWave 5G, if you’ll be using your laptop in a connected area.
Of course, Samsung could just be referring to connectivity between the laptop and the new Galaxy S23 phones. It’s possible that the laptop could rely entirely on the new phones for cellular connectivity, with a suite of automated software to make that connection happen when the two are within range. We’re hoping for the latter, as 5G laptops are still a rarity.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
Lot’s of hints but no real details
Unfortunately, the blog post gives us few actual concrete details or even deducible hints about what to expect in a new phone. We can only surmise so much about a new laptop because there is no Ultra version of the Galaxy Book, and these are the features a Galaxy Book would need to match theGalaxy S22 Ultraor the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra.
We will have more on the new phones and laptops, and any new Samsung devices, in our ongoingcoverage of the Samsung Unpackedevent. We’re expecting great new cameras, cool new laptops, and perhaps even some surprises yet to come.
Phil Berne is a preeminent voice in consumer electronics reviews, starting more than 20 years ago at eTown.com. Phil has written for Engadget, The Verge, PC Mag, Digital Trends, Slashgear, TechRadar, AndroidCentral, and was Editor-in-Chief of the sadly-defunct infoSync. Phil holds an entirely useful M.A. in Cultural Theory from Carnegie Mellon University. He sang in numerous college a cappella groups.
Phil did a stint at Samsung Mobile, leading reviews for the PR team and writing crisis communications until he left in 2017. He worked at an Apple Store near Boston, MA, at the height of iPod popularity. Phil is certified in Google AI Essentials. He has a High School English teaching license (and years of teaching experience) and is a Red Cross certified Lifeguard. His passion is the democratizing power of mobile technology. Before AI came along he was totally sure the next big thing would be something we wear on our faces.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 2024 is our Laptop of the Year because it wasn’t just a home run for Qualcomm, it helped start the AI PC revolution
Dell launches massive sale ahead of Black Friday - here are the 5 best laptop deals
New fanless cooling technology enhances energy efficiency for AI workloads by achieving a 90% reduction in cooling power consumption
