As our #5 choice for the best Chromebook for Linux (see our other suggestions for the best chromebook), the Samsung Chromebook Pro is a premium laptop that natively runs on Chrome OS but has suitable specs for running Linux as well. Its foldable 360° touchscreen allows the Chromebook to be useful both as a laptop & in tablet mode, & it even comes with an S Pen for increased touchscreen functionality.
Why We Like It – Samsung Chromebook Pro
In this Samsung Chromebook Pro review, we will go over the direct competitor to the ASUS Chromebook Flip C302. The Samsung Chromebook Pro offers an m3 Processor (the Samsung Chromebook Plus uses an ARM Processor), can run your favorite Android app from the Google Play Store, and has a beautiful 2400 x 1600 touchscreen display.
- You Can Easily Take Notes On Google Keep Using the Included S Pen & the Touch Screen
- Doubles As Both A Laptop & A Tablet
- Can Download Android Apps from the Google Play Store
- Battery Life Could Be Improved
- The S Pen Has Noticeable Input Lag
Display Type
Unlike a normal laptop (which has an aspect ratio of 16:9), the Chromebook Pro has an aspect ratio of 3:2. The 12.3-inch LED panel puts out an impressive 400 nits of brightness, which is far above the normal 200-300 nit range found in most other laptops. The IPS screen is capable of producing 118% of the sRGB color gamut, & doubles both as a display and a touchscreen. Although it has a glossy finish, you can still expect a fairly wide viewing angle from the Chromebook Pro’s display. You can read our review of the Samsung Chromebook Pro Convertible (Xe510C24-K01Us) to see how this stacks up.
Resolution
The Chromebook Pro has an excellent display, which is partially due to its high resolution of 2400 x 1600. A common resolution for Chromebook is 1024×768; full HD is 1920 x 1080. The unusual resolution is both a result of the 3:2 aspect ratio of the screen, but also extra effort on the part of Samsung to ensure a crystal-clear viewing experience. The high resolution makes the Samsung Chromebook a perfect option for viewing Netflix, Hulu, or any other HD content. If you need a good alternative (with great picture quality but not excellent resolution), you can also check out our Samsung Series 5 550 Chromebook Review.
Battery Life
Unfortunately, the Samsung Chromebook falls short when it comes to battery life. It’s definitely nowhere close to the nearly 18-hour battery life of the Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630, lasting barely over 8 hours from full charge to complete depletion. This is actually below the average battery life of similar Chromebooks, which last approximately 8 hours and 41 minutes While eight hours of use isn’t horrible, it definitely would have been nice to see at least ten hours of battery life from a Chromebook that costs nearly $800.
Weight
Weighing in at a mere 2.4 pounds, the Samsung Chromebook Pro is extremely easy to carry around on your day-to-day adventures and will be barely noticeable as you do. This is partially due to its aluminum frame, but also to the fact of how slim the device is. Despite doubling as both a laptop & a tablet, the Chromebook Pro is only 0.55 inches thick. Also, the overall device isn’t that big either, at 11.06 x 8.72 inches, so you can easily fit it into your bag.
Durability
This Chromebook has a very high-quality build with a premium feel to it. Encased in aluminum, the overall look is very minimalist but does well for overall quality. There are no marking on it, save two Samsung logos and one Chrome logo on the back. It does feature a full-sized keyboard, but due to the unique shape of this laptop, the sides of the keyboard had to be cut, resulting in much smaller buttons at the edge of the keyboard. This may take some getting used to, but the keyboard itself is well-made.
Inputs
Like many other Chromebooks, the Samsung Pro doesn’t have a lot of storage, offering only 32GB of internal memory (if you’re looking for a Chromebook with more internal storage, check out our Google Pixelbook i5 review!). It has two USB C ports (both of which can be used to charge the device), a microSD card reader, a holder for the S Pen, & a 3.5mm headphone jack. While the USB C ports can be used as a display out, it would have been nice if Samsung had included either an HDMI port or a mini DisplayPort on this $788 Chromebook.
Samsung Chromebook Pro Review Wrap Up
The Samsung Chromebook Pro is a unique laptop and tablet combination with crystal clear visuals, good performance, and decent storage space. Although both the storage space and the battery life could use an upgrade, this model is nonetheless one of the best Chromebooks on the market today, and should definitely be on your wishlist if you’re looking for a new, multi-purpose Chromebook!
