Update 1/30/2020: The Samsung Galaxy Book S with Snapdragon 8cx is now available for pre-order, starting at $999. The device is set to be available from February 13th.

Samsung has introduced its new always-connected PC based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platform and featuring Microsoft’s Windows 10 OS. This time around the company went with the Snapdragon 8cx SoC, a clamshell form-factor, and a 13.3-inch display, emphasizing that its Arm-powered computers compete against mainstream x86-based laptops in terms of performance and capabilities. Like other Snapdragon-based Windows machines, Samsung is aiming for long battery lifetimes here, with the new Galaxy Book S rated to work for up to 23 hours on a single charge.

The Samsung Galaxy Book S is equipped with a 13.3-inch Full-HD LCD featuring a 10-point multi touch system and a 16:9 aspect ratio. By contrast, last year’s Galaxy Book2 used a 12-inch Super AMOLED display featuring a 2160×1440 resolution and a 3:2 aspect ratio. Unlike last year’s mobile PC, the new one is a laptop, not a convertible, so it cannot be used as a tablet. Considering that we are talking about an aluminum machine with a 13.3-inch display that weighs 0.96 kilograms, the clamshell form-factor makes more sense for mainstream users. Furthermore, the overall construction looks very solid.

The new Galaxy Book S laptop is expected to be considerably faster than its predecessor as it is based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8cx processor with eight general purpose cores (four Cortex-A76 and four Cortex-A55-class cores), a 10 MB L3 cache, the Adreno 680 GPU, and an eight-channel LPDDR4X-4266 memory controller. The SoC is accompanied by 8 GB of RAM as well as 256 GB or 512 GB of NAND flash storage (expandable with a microSD card).

When it comes to wireless connectivity, the Samsung Galaxy Book S includes Snapdragon X20 LTE modem (Cat 18, 5CA, 4x4 MIMO, depending on the market and operator), 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.0. The PC’s wired connectivity department is limited to USB Type-C that is used for data and charging, a microSD card slot, yet we do not know whether it has a 3.5-mm audio connector.

As far as imaging and multimedia capabilities are concerned, the Galaxy Book S has a 720p webcam, a built-in microphone as well as Dolby Atmos-badged stereo speakers co-designed with AKG. The laptop also has a Windows Hello-compatible fingerprint reader.

Apart from performance, one of the key improvements of the Galaxy Book S compared to its predecessor is its longer battery life. The PC comes with a 42 Wh battery that enables it to work for up to 23 hours (based on tests conducted by Samsung), up from 20 hours for last year's device.

Related Reading:

• Samsung Unveils Galaxy Book2: 12-Inch, Snapdragon 850 with X20 LTE, 20 Hrs
• Hands-On with Industry’s First 5G Laptop: A Lenovo with Qualcomm’s 8cx SoC and X55 Modem
• Qualcomm Tech Summit, Day 3: Snapdragon 8cx, the New ACPC SoC
• Spotted: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Wafer on 7nm
• Lenovo Announces Yoga C630: The First Windows on Snapdragon 850
• Huawei Readies Windows 10 Laptop Based on Qualcomm Snapdragon 850

Source: Samsung