Watch out, OLED: Samsung bringing QLED Galaxy Book Ion and Galaxy Book Flex NT930X laptops in 2020
Most consumer laptops come with TN or IPS displays. Higher-end models like the Dell XPS 15 or Gigabyte Aero 15 may come with IGZO or OLED panels that are generally brighter and more color accurate than TN or IPS. Soon, users will have yet another laptop display technology to choose from: QLED.
While QLED television sets have been available for years, this marks the first time that a laptop will sport the panel. QLED promises deeper and brighter colors than the usual IPS panel in a similar manner to OLED. But unlike OLED, however, QLED relies on a backlight for illumination and so contrast ratios won't be as pitch black as they appear on OLED. QLED should therefore be a middle-ground option between IPS and OLED with prices that will hopefully be more affordable than the $2000+ OLED laptops currently in market.
Samsung, who also happens to be the supplier for most OLED panels found on the latest laptops from HP, Dell, Razer and others, will launch two new Galaxy laptop models early next year equipped with 1080p QLED displays: the Galaxy Book Flex convertible and the Galaxy Book Ion clamshell each in 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch form factors. The larger 15.6-inch versions will get optional GeForce MX250 graphics while the Galaxy Book Flex 13/15 and Book Ion 15 will integrate an S Pen recess and a free DDR4 SODIMM slot, respectively.
All SKUs will sport Intel Ice Lake CPUs with Thunderbolt 3, a fingerprint reader, and up to 1 TB of NVMe storage.
Senior Vice President of Samsung's PC Mobile Communication Business YoungGyoo Choi calls the new QLED Galaxy laptops "powerful with unparalleled portability and display innovation."
While exact prices are unknown, we can expect both models to become available during the first half of 2020 meaning that these will more than likely be on the CES 2020 show floor for hands-on time. The spec tables below reveal impressive hardware and features considering the ultra-thin chassis designs.
| Galaxy Book Flex 13 | Galaxy Book Flex 15 |
Dimensions | 302.6 x 202.9 x 12.9 mm | 355.0 x 227.2 x 14.9 mm |
Weight | 1.15kg | 1.57 kg (External graphics model) 1.52 kg (Internal graphics model) |
Display | 13.3" QLED FHD Display (1920 x 1080) | 15.6" QLED FHD Display (1920 x 1080) |
CPU | Intel® 10th generation Core™ Processor (Ice Lake) | Intel® 10th generation Core™ Processor (Ice Lake) |
Graphics | Intel® Iris Plus Graphics or Intel®UHD Graphics | NVIDIA® GeForce® MX250 Graphics with GDDR5 2 GB Graphic Memory (External graphics model) Intel® Iris Plus Graphics or Intel® UHD Graphics (Internal graphics model) |
Memory | Up to 16GB (LPDDR4x) | Up to 16GB (LPDDR4x) |
Storage | Up to 1TB SSD (NVMe) | Up to 1TB SSD (NVMe) |
WLAN | Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), 802.11 ax 2x2 | Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), 802.11 ax 2x2 |
Camera / Mic | 720p HD / Dual Array Mic | 720p HD / Dual Array Mic |
Audio | AKG Stereo Speakers with Smart Amp | AKG Stereo Speakers with Smart Amp |
Security | Fingerprint | Fingerprint |
S Pen | Built-in S Pen | Built-in S Pen |
Keyboard | Backlit | Backlit |
Battery | 69.7Wh (Typical) | 69.7Wh (Typical) |
Ports | Thunderbolt™ 3 (2) | USB-C (1) | UFS/MicroSD Combo | HP/Mic | Thunderbolt™ 3 (2) | USB-C (1) | UFS/MicroSD Combo | HP/Mic |
Source(s)
Samsung
