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Why the Samsung Galaxy Fold and the Galaxy Book S make for a perfect one-two mobile punch

The Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Book S make a great mobile entertainment and productivity combination. (Source: Notebookcheck)
The Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Book S make a great mobile entertainment and productivity combination. (Source: Notebookcheck)
Whether you like it or not, think it’s necessary or not, the Samsung Galaxy Fold is a revolutionary device. Similarly, the Samsung Galaxy Book S also heralds a revolution as well in offering up to 25 hours of battery life in a thin and light ultrabook. Read on to find out why they have become my indispensable mobile companions.

Firstly, I am not paid by Samsung, nor is Notebookcheck. We are an independent site and this article reflects my views and personal experiences as someone who has purchased both these devices and used them. Secondly, I am completely platform agnostic. I choose to buy and use technology that best meets my personal needs regardless of who makes it. For many years this was, for me, Apple. Now I am predominantly ensconced in the Android and Windows camp and the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Book S are two of the reasons why. My other two devices are an Alienware Aurora R9 and a Mac mini, the latter of which I own solely because GarageBand and Logic Pro continue to be my preferred digital audio workstation apps.

I have been a compulsive adopter of new technology and go through devices far more quickly than I should. Why? Because, like many of you, I’ve been looking for the best possible combination of mobile devices when I am on the go. In the past, this has meant carrying an iPhone and a MacBook with me. More recently it has been carrying an iPhone or an Android phone along with an iPad Pro and keyboard combination. However, Apple’s very specific user interfaces and lock downs finally took their toll on me and in the meantime, both Android and Windows have become improved in stability, performance and reliability, as has the hardware.

When I saw the Galaxy Fold for the first time, I immediately knew that was the device for me.  I liken it to what it was like when the iPhone arrived on the scene – I was able to ditch my iPod and phone combo (then a Sony-Ericsson) and just carry the one device thanks to the convergence of technologies it brought to the user experience. The Galaxy Fold is like that for me as it has meant that I no longer need to carry both a smartphone and tablet around. While it mightn’t make sense for everyone, it makes perfect sense for me. And I really do love it as the additional screen real estate it offers makes multi-tasking a breeze while making everything else a lot easier or more enjoyable than on a regular smartphone. The smaller front display is still quite useful for quick tasks as well.

I have even been able to get Office-suite productive with my Galaxy Fold as well by purchasing a rollable Bluetooth keyboard and combining it with a Bluetooth mouse. That set up has certainly turned a few heads in meetings that I have attended for my other gig as a Senior Policy Officer in local government roads and transport policy. While the Fold has been great in that scenario, it isn’t a set up that is going to work while on a train, which is how I typically commute to and from the office. The lack of proper mouse support on the iPad and the general shortcomings of Android tablets for Office productivity has never really cut it for me, even though I love the tablet form factor for its lightweight and compact portability. In many instances, I would also have three devices in my bag – a smartphone for general use, a tablet for entertainment and a MacBook Air for productivity.

Enter the Samsung Galaxy Book S. Although Chromebooks have used ARM chipsets for a while, none have been as powerful as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx found in the Galaxy Book S. Of course, Chrome OS also has its limitations, and like an iPad or Android tablet, doesn’t offer the freedom of using a fully functional desktop operating system. Although it is not a tablet, it is the most tablet-like notebook that I have ever used thanks to a weight of just 960 grams (2 pounds). Its battery life of up to 25 hours of continuous video playback is also a huge selling point. Although Windows 10 on ARM also has its own constraints when running x86 applications which is possible in 32-bit emulation, it is still a fully robust operating system in its own right with full capabilities in every other regard. It is also all that I need when I am on the go as my work-related activities are either browser or Office-based.

While I am back to two devices, the dual-purpose nature of the Galaxy Fold means that I get my general-purpose mobile computing done on the go while also doubling as a great device for entertainment on the go too. It’s a great mobile gaming console and a perfect way to enjoy social media feeds and lean back and watch video. However, when I want to get to work, the always-on, always-connected nature of the Galaxy Book S makes it very tablet-like as well but more productive. If something needs to be done, for either of my two gigs, I can just jump on the Galaxy Book S and knock it out without a drama. An added bonus is that I can use the same charger for both devices as well which really amps up the convenience factor.

Everyone’s requirements are different, but for me, the one-two-punch of the Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Book S is a killer combo.

(Source: Notebookcheck)
(Source: Notebookcheck)
(Source: Notebookcheck)
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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2020 02 > Why the Samsung Galaxy Fold and the Galaxy Book S make for a perfect one-two mobile punch
Sanjiv Sathiah, 2020-02-29 (Update: 2020-02-29)