Chromebooks tend to be pretty straightforward machines. But for Samsung’s first ever Galaxy-branded Chromebook, it crammed super premium components into every corner of the machine, and the result might just be the nicest Chromebook ever made. Seriously.
Looking back, if you wanted to choose the best Chromebook ever regardless of price, the winner would probably be the Google PixelBook from 2017. But with the Galaxy Chromebook, Samsung might have just beat Google at its own game. (Though to be fair, Google did partner with Samsung to help design and tweak the Galaxy Chromebook for optimal performance.)
With a base price of $US1,000 ($1,439), the Galaxy Chromebook costs about the same as the old Pixelbook at launch, and like the Pixelbook the Galaxy Chromebook runs Chrome OS and features a 360-degree 2-in-1 hinge, but that’s about where the similarities end.
At just 0.38-inches, the Galaxy Chromebook is ridiculously thin, though thanks to its sturdy aluminium chassis, there’s only the tiniest hint of flex. But the Galaxy Chromebook’s best feature is without a doubt its 13.3-inch 4K AMOLED touchscreen, which sports practically non-existent bezels and super vibrant colours, which are just downright mesmerising. The Galaxy Chromebook’s screen will even get HDR 400 certification, which is something almost no other Chromebook can claim.
Inside, the Galaxy Chromebook comes with some pretty high-end specs including a 10th-gen Intel Core i5 CPU (and possibly a Core i7 option available sometime in the future), along with support for Wi-Fi 6, a microSD card slot, fingerprint reader, and up to 16GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD. The Galaxy Chromebook even comes with a built-in stylus that has its own little storage slot, so you won’t have to worry about losing it when travelling.
Samsung even did something tricky by adding a second camera to the Galaxy Chromebook’s deck. For stuff like video calls, there’s still a 1-MP webcam above its display. However, to help users take advantage of various Google AR apps or simply take pictures of stuff like a whiteboard a bit more easily, when the Galaxy Chromebook is transformed into tablet mode, that 8-MP camera above the keyboard suddenly turns into a pretty solid rear-facing shooter.
And like pretty much every modern Chromebook, Samsung’s Galaxy Chromebook supports Android apps, the Google Assistant, and all your normal Google Drive integration. And on top of that, to improve how the Galaxy Chromebook works together with your phone, Samsung added Click-to-Call and the Messaging app too.
Also before I forget, I have to mention that the Galaxy Chromebook’s Fiesta Red paint job looks absolutely fantastic. (Alternatively, the Mercury Grey ain’t bad either.)
Admittedly, for $US1,000 ($1,439), the Galaxy Chromebook might seem a bit simple compared to a similarly priced Windows machine. But every single spec and component feels super-premium. And for all the people who grew up on Chromebooks and might be looking for a new machine that’s really nice, the Samsung Chromebook has suddenly become the top contender. So keep an eye for this thing as it’s expected to go on sale sometime in Q1 2020.
Editor’s Note: Stay tuned for news of an Australian release and pricing.