Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro Review

Earlier this year, we took a look at Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra, which continues to push innovations within the smartphone space. Complimenting its mobile market, Samsung has its Galaxy Book4 Pro laptop readily available around the globe. Spending time with Ultrabook, the vision of Samsung’s shared ecosystem, where each device complements one another began to sink in.

There’s no argument that Apple has set the bar for what an established and well-rounded ecosystem can be within the tech space. All of its devices speak to each other, synchronizing data, media, etc. The more devices you have within the ecosystem, the better the supplemental experience is. While I’ve used many of Samsung’s devices in the past, I’ve never looked at its catalogue as having a robust ecosystem until now. Sure, Galaxy smartphones and the Galaxy Watch are a match made in heaven. But I never considered what the Galaxy Book4 Pro could do to improve a user’s experience.

Of course, it is an investment to go all in on Samsung’s 2024 catalogue. The Galaxy Book4 Pro series starts at $1,999 in Canada. Thankfully, Samsung makes a fairly compelling argument for why you should buy in as it offers plenty of perks with a compelling array of features and great performance. However, it’s the unified experience and ease of use that really stuck out to me during my time spent with the Galaxy Book4 Pro. Galaxy Book4 Pro is Samsung’s MacBook Pro and it achieves that goal in many effective ways.

Out of the box

Turning our attention to the Galaxy Book4 Pro’s specs, the mid-entry SKU features a 14-inch touch-enabled WQXGA+ AMOLED display with a 16:10 aspect ratio. Samsung’s latest laptop also features AKG Quad speakers, which admittedly do come in a bit quiet. There’s also Dolby Atmos support and a backlit keyboard. The build is exceptionally sleek and minimalist. The ‘Moonstone Gray’ chassis is thinner and lighter when compared to contemporary MacBook Pro devices.

Under the hood, you’ll find an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor. This chipset features 16 cores, split between six performance, six efficient cores, and two low-power efficient cores. Plus the Galaxy Book4 Pro comes with 16GB of LPDDR5X and 512GB of NVME SSD storage. As for ports, the Galaxy Book4 Pro features an HDMI 2.1 port, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB-A port, a Micro SD slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The device also offers a 76Wh battery, which provides around ten hours before a charge is needed.

It’s a compact device that is notably light, weighing only 2.7 lbs. With a tight form factor, the Galaxy Book4 Pro is a great option for students or those working a hybrid model at their jobs. It’s small enough to pack into a backpack or bag and take with you while on the go. Its touchscreen features are also surely to catch the eye of creators who wish to use the S Pen for creation.

Display

In previous laptop reviews, I’ve discussed how I find it difficult to remedy the use of a smaller display. 14 inches comes with a lot of concessions for my day-to-day workflow. It’s usually too difficult to pop open two windows at a time for productivity. As someone who traditionally uses dual monitors or a laptop with more screen real estate, it’s hard to adjust to a screen this size. Outside of these hurdles, the 3K AMOLED display of the Galaxy Book4 Pro beams when in use. The visuals were vibrant and sharp while supporting a slick 120Hz.

Whether it’s for studying or playing games, the Galaxy Book4 Pro provides an exceptional viewing experience. It provides 100 percent DCI-P3 as well as 100 percent sRGB, so you’ll find great colour contrasts with deep rich blacks. Samsung also integrates a glossy coating on its display panel. It’s designed to remove some of the glare users may experience. I didn’t notice a revolutionary change in anti-glare but my workstations are also not in direct sunlight most of the day.

Performance and gaming

Coming into my time with the Galaxy Book4 Pro, I had certain expectations as far as performance was concerned. With the understanding that the device was running on the back of an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H chip, I knew there was going to be a verifiable performance boost when compared to its predecessor. However, as far as optimization and gaming execution, I was uncertain of how it would stack against other contemporary laptops on the market.

Beyond all else, I think the Galaxy Book4 Pro excels at being a reliable device for day-to-day tasks and your workflow. Bouncing between web browsing, binging YouTube and Netflix, and editing shorter videos, I found the performance of the Galaxy Book4 Pro speedy and efficient. This is largely due to the adoption of the Intel Core Ultra 7 plus the integrations of the 16GB DDR5 memory and Samsung’s fast SSD. If you’re a student on the move or need a dependable workstation when at the office, this device will be able to get you through the day.

Where the Galaxy Book4 Pro does struggle is in its gaming performance. The Intel Core Ultra 7 is a great CPU but I found as though its optimization could have been better. With solid graphic processing, the CPU struggled to provide the same performance of AMD’s comparable Ryzen laptops. While you can still get decent performance out of games running on ‘High’ settings at 1080p, I was struggling to tap higher efficiency with unlock frames. Adding to this, the sound from the speakers is fairly lacklustre. It’s serviceable for consuming content but when you’re playing a competitive game or being immersed in an experience, I’d have preferred a better audio solution.

Building an ecosystem

This year, Samsung introduced a ton of AI-powered features with its Galaxy S24 series. I walked away fairly impressed by how they were implemented and how they were used. Unifying its collection of devices, Samsung opted to bring many AI-powered features to the Galaxy Book4 Pro and strengthened its ecosystem with the Galaxy Tab A9+. It helps create this shared experience where if you’re working from one device, it’s easy to carry over to another and doesn’t ever feel like you’re pushing back against the software.

For instance, Galaxy S24 Ultra has a stunning 200-megapixel wide lens, capable of taking exceptional photos. While I can edit the photos using Galaxy AI and the Galaxy S Pen on the phone, many users will likely want a larger canvas to play on. Using Quick Sync, media and files can be transferred between a S24 device and the Galaxy Book4 Pro or Galaxy Tab A9+. Photos can be transferred without a loss of quality. Galaxy Book4 Pro also features its own AI-powered editing features where I was able to remove unwanted shadows or things from the background without a ton of effort.

Galaxy Book4 Pro also works exceptionally well with the Galaxy Tab A9+. My favourite feature is using the Galaxy Tab A9+ as a secondary monitor. The uber stylish tablet supports an 11-inch FHD LCD screen, sporting a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. This makes for a wonderful complimentary device while using the Galaxy Book4 Pro for content creation or a typical workflow. With second-screen functions, you can open and manipulate secondary tabs and apps by mirroring the display of the Galaxy Book4 Pro. These apps can be used independently while you work off the main display of the laptop. It works seamlessly and considering the Galaxy Tab A9+ is a budget-friendly device, it’s a worthy investment for many user types.

Final thoughts

Samsung’s Galaxy Book4 Pro is a robust piece of technology, buoyed by its innovations in display technology and its ability to speak with other devices in the Samsung family. The Galaxy Book4 Pro offers well-rounded performance for your day-to-day needs whether that be the next study session or trip to the office. With its beautiful screen, productivity apps and content services radiate. Just don’t expect the Galaxy Book4 Pro to be your next gaming rig. Certain concessions need to be made while playing many titles. Plus, with sub-par speakers, immersion isn’t guaranteed.

Galaxy Book4 Pro starts at $1,999 in Canada.