Samsung Galaxy Guide 2 360 evaluate

For a corporation that stopped promoting laptops in Europe as just lately as 2014, Samsung’s current rise has been spectacular. 

The Galaxy Guide vary has quickly expanded over the previous couple of years and now gives a tool at practically each worth level. Beginning at $899.99/£949, the Galaxy Guide 2 360 is among the extra inexpensive choices, significantly amongst these working Home windows 11. 

However competitors at this worth level is fierce. Is that this light-weight convertible price shopping for, or is your cash higher spent elsewhere? Right here’s my full evaluate. 

Design and construct

• Light-weight, premium design
• Impressively sturdy 360° hinge
• Poor webcam
• First rate port choice

The design of the Guide 2 360 is typical of most fashionable Samsung laptops. It’s an impressively skinny (12.9mm) and light-weight (1.16kg) machine, however retains all of the hallmarks of the premium Galaxy Guide vary.  

An aluminium end provides to the high-end appear and feel, however Silver is your solely color choice within the UK – there’s a Graphite model accessible to US prospects. However Samsung is clearly going for an understated, minimalist aesthetic, which is simply interrupted by a discrete emblem on the again.

This design definitely received’t be turning many heads, and it seems to be similar to many different fashionable laptops. However it’s clearly efficient, and there’s no want for Samsung to take massive designs dangers on a tool like this.

A 360° hinge is something however revolutionary, however a sturdy construct means you get convertible performance with out it feeling flimsy. The choice for a ‘tent’ mode or pill is helpful in some situations, however the pure pill expertise nonetheless isn’t nice. The Guide 2 360 is way heavier than even the Floor Professional 8, making it uncomfortable to carry for quite a lot of minutes.  

One of the best expertise continues to be as a conventional laptop computer, the place I used to be impressed by the dearth of display screen motion whereas typing. That is one thing that always impacts convertibles, together with some made by Samsung. 

You continue to get a good sized 13.3in show, however the chunky bezels above and beneath it are a disappointment. Samsung has managed to maintain them razor-thin on the edges, and there’s no apparent profit to creating them so massive right here. 

Certainly, the one factor you’ll discover above the display screen is a 720p webcam, however Samsung hasn’t proven it a lot love. Stills and video are low high quality and grainy, making for an underwhelming video calling expertise. Twin mics imply you sound fairly good, however I’d extremely suggest shopping for a separate webcam for something greater than informal calls with family and friends. 

And not using a separate IR sensor, you possibly can’t use Home windows Hey face unlock on the Guide 2 360. The fingerprint sensor constructed into the facility button is your solely various, but it surely performs very nicely. Following a quick and straightforward setup course of, it proved to be a quick, dependable methodology for unlocking the machine. 

Regardless of being comparatively skinny, Samsung has nonetheless made room for a good port choice. Both of the USB-C ports can be utilized for charging, though just one helps Thunderbolt 4 for ultra-fast knowledge switch.  

It’s joined by one USB-A, full-size HDMI, microSD card reader and three.5mm headphone jack. Including one other USB-A port would make this beautiful a lot good, but it surely’s nonetheless above common for a skinny and light-weight laptop computer.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Show and audio

• Superb 13.3in OLED show
• Full HD decision wonderful for most individuals
• Sound from audio system lacks depth

The Galaxy Guide 2 360’s design isn’t something to get enthusiastic about, however the show is a unique story. It’s a 13.3in AMOLED panel at a decision of 1920×1080, giving it the more and more uncommon 16:9 side ratio. Nevertheless, adjusting from a boxier 16:10 or 3:2 display screen ought to solely take a couple of minutes. 

This isn’t the best possible show you’ll discover on a laptop computer, but it surely’s nonetheless mightily spectacular. It delivers wealthy, vibrant colors and a very good stage of element – most individuals received’t miss not having a better decision. A excessive refresh charge would’ve been good, but it surely’s normally reserved for high-end units or gaming machines.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Inner testing displays the standard of the display screen. Based on SpyderX Professional, the Guide 2 360 covers the complete sRGB and P3 color gamuts and 96% of Adobe RGB. A peak brightness of 369 is much less spectacular, which means you’ll wrestle to make use of the machine in most outside environments. 

Contact assist is an actual plus, particularly when the keyboard is folded out of the best way. Home windows 11 is significantly better than Home windows 10 for contact enter, so it was good to make use of this alongside different navigation strategies. There’s no S Pen constructed into the machine or included within the field, but it surely’s nonetheless appropriate with Samsung’s stylus should you’d like to purchase it individually. 

Audio is delivered by way of twin 2W audio system. The sound they produce is crystal-clear, but it surely lacks the depth you’ll discover on different laptops. Voice-based content material nonetheless sounds nice, however music tends to be a bit washed out. It’s wonderful for informal use, however doesn’t match the immersive expertise provided by the show.  

Keyboard and trackpad

• Full-size keyboard
• Acquainted expertise, however not a lot journey
• Underwhelming, awkward trackpad

The Galaxy Guide 2 360 has pretty customary dimensions, so it’s no shock to see a full-size keyboard. I’m glad Samsung determined to not squeeze in a separate quantity pad right here, because it makes for a way more snug typing expertise. Every key gives three ranges of backlighting, which means you possibly can nonetheless work in close to complete darkness. 

However you’ll have to get used to a relative lack of key journey, which means you miss out on that satisfying clicky response once you kind. Nevertheless, typing is considerably quieter consequently.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Samsung has put the row of operate keys to good use, with the common brightness and quantity controls joined by fast entry to Settings, exterior show choices and a display screen lock. Nevertheless, you do have to carry down the Fn key to start out utilizing them. 

There’s nonetheless room for a big trackpad, which may be very responsive and helps the complete vary of Home windows 11 gestures. However from the place your palms naturally relaxation, it’s fiddly and awkward to make use of. That result in fairly just a few unintended presses throughout testing, whereas at different instances it wouldn’t register on the first time of asking. For something longer than a couple of minutes, I’d suggest connecting an exterior mouse. 

Specs and efficiency

• Twelfth-gen Intel CPUs
• Spectacular efficiency for on a regular basis use
• No discrete GPU

Like many 2022 laptops, the Galaxy Guide 2 360 is powered by Intel’s newest Twelfth-gen CPUs. The entry-level mannequin I examined combines the Core i5-1235U with 8GB of DDR4 RAM, however you possibly can step as much as a Core i7-1165G7 and 16GB of RAM should you’d desire.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Even on the most affordable configuration, efficiency is spectacular. My day by day workflow sometimes includes shopping the online, sending emails, typing paperwork and the occasional video name. The Guide 2 360 handles all this with relative ease, even when finishing a number of duties without delay. A built-in fan does finally kick in, but it surely stays quiet and successfully prevents the machine getting heat. 

There was no noticeable slowdown in any respect, making it an amazing on a regular basis laptop computer. Choosing the i7 mannequin will increase efficiency even additional, however I’d be reluctant to suggest it for extra demanding duties. 

That’s as a result of it makes use of Intel’s Iris Xe built-in graphics, quite than a discrete GPU. It’s an amazing choice for a light-weight convertible, however don’t count on to have the ability to edit 4K video or correctly recreation with out some important slowdown. Certainly, 3DMark predicts Battlefield V – a AAA title – can solely run at below 20fps when set to 1440p. When you’re critical about gaming, there are many nice options. 

Nonetheless, loads of similarly-priced units ship higher efficiency in response to benchmarks:

In relation to inside storage, you possibly can select between SSDs of 256GB or 512GB. It’s unlikely anybody shopping for this laptop computer wants 1TB, and you’ll all the time join a microSD or exterior laborious drive if you’re working out of house. 

Battery and charging

• 61.1Wh or 63Wh battery
• Delivers all-day battery life
• First rate 65W quick charging

The scale of the Galaxy Guide 2 360’s battery varies barely relying on the mannequin you select. On the Core i5 mannequin you get a 61.1Wh cell, however the Core i7 model has a fractionally greater 63Wh capability. That will offset the slight improve in energy consumption of an i7 chip, however you most likely received’t discover a distinction. 

Typically, battery life is great. You’re taking a look at a full day on a single cost, offered you don’t play plenty of hi-res movies or hold the brightness near max – greater than will be stated for a lot of laptops lately.  

What’s extra, our testing proves you possibly can eke much more out of the battery. Looping a 720p video at 120 nits isn’t typical of real-world utilization, however the Guide 2 360 lasted 14 hours and 58 minutes – probably the greatest scores we’ve seen. That was with battery saver mode turned off, too. 

Once you do run out of cost, the 65W adapter included within the field will quickly get you up and working once more. I recorded 24% in quarter-hour from off, then 46% by the half-hour mark. In below 75 minutes, it was absolutely charged. Both of the 2 USB-C ports can be utilized to get these spectacular speeds.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

See also  Mercedes EQXX first drive: The future of Mercedes

Software program

• Home windows 11 House
• Plenty of pre-installed Samsung software program

As anticipated, the Galaxy Guide 2 360 runs Home windows 11 House out of the field. Not like with telephones, the software program expertise right here is in step with virtually each different Home windows 11 laptop computer. It’s well-optimised for a 13in show, and there are many customisation choices accessible.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Nevertheless, that hasn’t stopped Samsung from pre-installing plenty of its personal apps. The corporate has its personal variations of settings, gallery, notes, updates, alongside separate search and sharing instruments. These genuinely add one thing to the expertise in case you have a Samsung cellphone or pill, whereas they’re simple to disregard for everybody else. 

Because it’s working the most recent {hardware}, the Guide 2 360 can be among the many first to get any new software program updates. It’ll be supported by Microsoft and Samsung for a few years to return. 

Value and availability

The Galaxy Guide 2 360 continues to be a premium machine, but it surely’s a significantly better deal within the US than the UK. For the Core i5 mannequin I examined you’ll pay $899.99/£949.99, whereas stepping as much as i7 prices you £$1,099.99/£1,249. 

That places it in flagship laptop computer territory, the place there are already a number of nice choices. Regardless of having a cheaper price tag than another Samsung laptops, the Guide 2 360 can’t be thought-about an inexpensive machine by any means.  

A extra life like space of success is amongst 2-in-1 units, the place the Professional mannequin from 2021 ranks extremely. Its successor has the S Pen included and the choice for a 15.6in display screen, however should you don’t care about both of these items the common Guide 2 360 continues to be a good choose. 

Verdict

If you would like your subsequent laptop computer to be a convertible, the Galaxy Guide 2 360 is unquestionably price contemplating. 

Regardless of not having top-of-the-line specs, it performs nicely throughout three key pillars of an amazing laptop computer: show, efficiency and battery life. Charging speeds are first rate too, whereas there are extra ports than you’d count on from such a skinny and light-weight machine. 

Nevertheless, it’s not all excellent news. The Guide 2 360’s webcam is an actual disappointment, whereas the keyboard and trackpad may each do with some work. 

These received’t be dealbreakers until you depend on the inner digital camera for video calls, though the power of the competitors makes it tougher to suggest. When you’re set on a Samsung laptop computer this can serve you nicely, however higher worth for cash will be discovered elsewhere.

Specs

Samsung Galaxy Guide 2 360 specs: 

• 304.4 x 202.0 x 12.9 mm 
• 1.16kg 
• 13.3in Full HD AMOLED show (16:9 side ratio, 1920×1080) 
• Full-size keyboard with backlighting 
• 720p webcam 
• Twin 5W audio system
• Fingerprint energy button 
• Intel Core i5-1235U or i7-1165G7
• Intel Iris Xe graphics 
• 8/16GB LPDDR4 RAM 
• 256/512GB SSD 
• 1x USB 3.2 
• 1x USB-C 
• 1x Thunderbolt 4 
• 1x HDMI
• 1x 3.5mm jack 
• 61.1Wh (i5) or 63Wh (i7) battery
• 65W charger
• Wi-Fi 6E 
• Bluetooth 5.1
• Home windows 11 House