However, there are signs that Samsung is looking to replicate this success in other areas. The company has been producing laptops for many years, but the release of the Galaxy Book Flex in 2020 saw its PCs go in a different direction. A thin, lightweight convertible with built-in S-Pen was something we hadn’t seen before, and it was generally well-received. Indeed, in our 9/10 review we praised its attractive display, solid performance and great battery life. This high score put it at the top of our best 2-in-1 chart, but it failed to make an impression on the best overall laptop chart. That’s mainly due to the strength of the competition, with the Huawei MateBook 14, HP’s Envy 13 and the new M1 MacBook Air all offering a more well-rounded experience for most people. We also have to consider the Galaxy Book Flex 2 5G, which officially arrived in the UK in January. It adds Intel Tiger Lake chips, 5G connectivity and a rear camera to look like a very useful upgrade. Look out for a full review on Tech Advisor soon. Moving forward, it looks like Samsung will continue to heavily invest in its Galaxy Book line. A recent report from SamMobile suggests the company will add new ‘Pro’ and ‘Pro 360’ models to the range. These will likely be pitched as premium versions of the existing Galaxy Book devices, with the latter offering convertible functionality via a 360-degree hinge. Both will be available with 13.3in or 15.6in OLED displays, as well as Intel Core i5/i7 processors (likely Tiger Lake) and Wi-Fi and LTE connectivity. However, only the Galaxy Book Pro 360 will get 5G support. It’s not mentioned explicitly, but we’d be very surprised if either came without a built-in S-Pen stylus. The SamMobile article suggests Samsung has already received Bluetooth certification for the Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360, so a potential release might not be far away. The main concern here would be price – the Galaxy Book Flex cost £1,349/US$1,349.99 at launch, and the ‘Pro’ moniker would suggest these devices will be even more expensive. With many great budget laptops available for under £500, a high asking price may be hard to justify for many people. Nonetheless, it’s exciting to see Samsung fully commit to its laptop division, and a recent partnership with Microsoft offers deep Windows 10 integration with its smartphones. It might not be long before the Korean giant is rivalling Lenovo, HP and even Apple for a spot among the laptop elite. Check out our best laptop and best 2-in-1 charts to see what the new devices will be up against. As the resident expert on Windows, Senior Staff Writer Anyron’s main focus is PCs and laptops. Much of the rest of his time is split between smartphones, tablets and audio, with a particular focus on Android devices.
