Samsung’s New Notebook 9 Pro Laptop Comes With An S Pen Stylus
Samsung has launched a new flexible laptop that features the company’s S Pen stylus to enable digital inking with compatible Windows 10 apps. The convertible device is available in two form factors and comes with a range of premium hardware options.
The Notebook 9 Pro was launched at the Computex 2017 technology show in Taipei, Taiwan this week. It is offered in 13.3-inch and 15-inch formats. Both have a 360-degree rotating touchscreen that can transition between tablet and laptop operating modes.
The Full HD LED displays offer wide viewing angles of up to 178 degrees. Samsung said there is “professional grade” color accuracy that makes the devices suitable for use when editing photos and watching videos. The company’s RealView display technology helps to keep colors vibrant without making them appear unrealistic.
The headline feature of the Notebook 9 Pro is its built-in Samsung S Pen. While more conventionally paired with the company’s Note series of phablets, the Notebook 9 is one of a growing selection of Samsung PCs to feature the stylus. It works with Windows 10’s Ink Workspace feature to let you interact with the display using the pen.
The S Pen can distinguish between over 4,000 levels of pressure. It has built-in tilt detection for a more natural writing experience. Samsung said it offers “precise and natural” handwriting that lets you use notetaking apps in the same way as pen and paper. It has a 0.7mm tip and comes supported by Samsung Air Command, the company’s own note taking and drawing software for digital styluses.
Processing power comes courtesy of an Intel Core i7-7500U processor. It’s a popular choice for high-end mobile devices that has made an appearance in several other laptops at Computex this year. It’s clocked at 2.7GHz but can boost up to 3.5GHz when temperatures allow.
The 15-inch version of the Notebook 9 features a dedicated AMD Radeon 540 graphics card, which is capable of handling moderate gaming workloads. It’s supported by 16GB of DDR4 memory, giving professionals the freedom to use demanding applications. The smaller 13.3-inch device makes do with Intel’s HD Graphics 620 and a lower 8GB of RAM.
The rest of the features are present on both models. There’s a 256GB SSD as standard, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, two USB 3.0 ports and a single USB Type-C port. The 720p HD webcam is basic but should be capable of handling simple Skype chats and business conference calls. The 54Wh battery in each supports fast charging to let you quickly top up its capacity when you’re away from your desk.
The Notebook 9 Pro is one of a long line of premium laptops, convertibles and tablets to come out of Computex this year. Samsung is clearly going after professional users by offering a refined design, high-performance hardware, and support for Windows’ inking features which are steadily growing in popularity. The company noted that customers have been asking it to build products which include innovative capabilities.
“Consumers today require their laptop to let them multitask more than ever and with the Notebook 9 Pro, Samsung delivers just that, a powerful and versatile device with superior computing experience,” said Alanna Cotton, vice president and general manager of product marketing at Samsung Electronics America. “We continue to push boundaries in our notebook line by bridging powerful computing with gorgeous displays, and now our revolutionary S Pen which enables consumers to do even more.”
Samsung is yet to announce when the Notebook 9 Pro will launch or how much it will cost. Its premium hardware suggests it’s likely to carry a suitably high price tag though, confirming its intentions as a device for professional users. It will rival the likes of Microsoft’s new Surface Pro and Apple’s MacBook Pro at the luxury end of the market.
[Featured Image by Samsung]
