The Samsung Galaxy Book 5 Pro, released in early 2025, aims to be a premium, portable, and powerful laptop designed for peak productivity. With a starting price of $1,449, it enters a competitive market, facing rivals like the MacBook Pro.
Design and Build
The Galaxy Book 5 Pro sports a minimalist design with a dark gray finish. Its thin and lightweight chassis makes it comfortable to use on the go. The laptop weighs around 3.44 lbs (1.56 kg) for the 16-inch model, making it quite portable for its size. The aluminum chassis feels sturdy.
Display
Samsung is known for its displays, and the Galaxy Book 5 Pro doesn't disappoint. It features a 16-inch WQXGA+ (2880 x 1800) touchscreen AMOLED display. The display's colors are vibrant, and it handles gradients well. The screen also has an anti-reflective coating. The display has a 120Hz refresh rate, offering smooth motion. Color accuracy is excellent, covering 100% of the sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamuts and 95% of Adobe RGB, making it suitable for creative work.
Performance
The Galaxy Book 5 Pro is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V "Lunar Lake" processor with Intel Arc graphics. This combination delivers good performance for everyday tasks, creative programs, and even some gaming. The Lunar Lake processor prioritizes battery life over raw performance. It also includes an Intel AI Boost NPU for AI tasks.
Memory and Storage
The Galaxy Book 5 Pro offers various configurations: * 16GB RAM + 512GB SSD * 16GB RAM + 1TB SSD * 32GB RAM + 1TB SSD
Battery Life
The Galaxy Book 5 Pro has a 76.1Wh battery. The Intel Core Ultra 7 "Lunar Lake" processor focuses on efficiency, resulting in all-day battery life.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The Galaxy Book 5 Pro features a full-size keyboard with good key travel. The touchpad is large and clicky. The keyboard also has customizable backlighting.
Ports
The Galaxy Book 5 Pro offers a good selection of ports: * 2 x Thunderbolt 4 * 1 x USB-A 3.2 * 1 x HDMI 2.1 * 1 x microSD card reader * 1 x headphone jack
Software and Features
The Galaxy Book 5 Pro comes with Windows 11 Home and a suite of Samsung apps. Some users may find the number of pre-installed apps excessive. The laptop includes Galaxy AI, enhancing the user experience. It also functions as a Copilot+ PC, providing access to Windows 11's AI features.
Audio and Camera
The Galaxy Book 5 Pro has a quad-speaker array tuned by Dolby Atmos. The sound quality is decent but may sound tinny, especially at high volumes. The webcam films in 1080p at 30fps, providing adequate image quality in well-lit environments.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Lightweight and portable design.
- Gorgeous AMOLED display.
- Good performance for everyday tasks.
- Long battery life.
- Good port selection.
Cons:
- Mediocre webcam.
- Subpar speakers.
- Some find the short key travel distance on the keyboard.
- Samsung bloatware.
