Samsung has announced its first two laptops for 2020. The Galaxy Book Flex and Ion bring stellar displays with QLED panels and beefy specifications.
As the name suggests, the biggest highlight of the Galaxy Book Flex is that its screen can bend all the way back, allowing for an extremely versatile display.
Galaxy Book Flex
As mentioned before, the name “Flex” comes from the laptop’s 360-degree rotating display. It has a 13-inch QLED panel with full HD resolution as well as touch and S Pen support, so it can be used as a tablet once its bent all the way back. The whole package weighs only 1.15 kg.
It will be powered by Intel’s (10th Gen) Ice Lake processors alongside 16GB LPDDR4X RAM and 1TB NVMe SSD storage. The 15-inch variant features Nvidia’s GeForce MX250 2GB GPU, whereas the 13-inch variant comes with Intel UHD graphics.
For connectivity, Galaxy Book Flex has two Thunderbolt 3 connectors, one USB C connector, a micro SD card slot, and a combo audio jack. There is also a fingerprint reader for extra security.
Specifications
| Galaxy Book Flex 13 | Galaxy Book Flex 15 | |
| Dimensions | 302.6 x 202.9 x 12.9 mm | 355.0 x 227.2 x 14.9 mm |
| Weight | 1.15 kg | 1.57 kg (External graphics model) 1.52 kg (Internal graphics model) |
| Display | 13.3-inch QLED FHD Display (1920 x 1080) | 15.6-inch QLED FHD Display (1920 x 1080) |
| CPU | 10th-generation Intel Core processor (Ice Lake) | 10th-generation Intel Core processor (Ice Lake) |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Plus Graphics or Intel UHD Graphics | Nvidia GeForce MX250 and Intel Iris Plus or Intel UHD |
| Memory | Up to 16GB (LPDDR4x) | Up to 16GB (LPDDR4x) |
| Storage | Up to 1TB SSD (NVMe) | Up to 1TB SSD (NVMe) |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), 802.11ax 2×2 | Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), 802.11ax 2×2 |
| orts | Thunderbolt 3 (2), USB-C (1), MicroSD reader, combo jack | Thunderbolt 3 (2), USB-C (1), MicroSD reader, combo jack |
Galaxy Book Ion
The Galaxy Book Ion is identical to the Galaxy Book Flex in terms of specifications. They look similar too with the only major difference being the standard laptop hinge on the Ion. No 360-degree display on this one.
There is no word on pricing or availability yet, but it is clear that the Galaxy Book Flex is going to be pricier due to its 360-degree hinge. Sales are scheduled to start between December 2019-January 2020.
Specifications
| Galaxy Book Ion 13 | Galaxy Book Ion 15 | |
| Dimensions | 305.7 x 199.8 x 12.9 mm | 356.1 x 228.0 x 14.9 mm |
| Weight | 0.97 kg | 1.26 kg (External graphics model) 1.19 kg (Internal graphics model) |
| Display | 13.3-inch QLED FHD Display (1920 x 1080) | 15.6-inch QLED FHD Display (1920 x 1080) |
| CPU | 10th-generation Intel Core processor (Comet Lake) | 10th-generation Intel Core processor (Comet Lake) |
| Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics | Nvidia GeForce MX250 or Intel UHD |
| Memory | Up to 16GB (DDR4) | Up to 16GB (DDR4) + 1 Sodimm |
| Storage | Up to 1TB SSD (NVMe) | Up to 1TB SSD (NVMe) + 1 SSD expandable slot |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), 802.11 ax 2×2 | Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), 802.11 ax 2×2 |
| Ports | Thunderbolt 3, USB-A 3.0 (2), HDMI, MicroSD card reader, combo jack | Thunderbolt 3, USB-A 3.0 (2), HDMI, MicroSD card reader, combo jack |
