Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra blends power and portability
16in thin and light packs 13th-gen Intel innards and a dedicated GPU
Samsung’s overhauled Galaxy Book laptop line-up has a new hero model. The Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra measures in at less than 17mm, yet has room inside for an 13th-gen Intel CPU and dedicated Nvidia graphics, plus a super-high resolution AMOLED screen. In case the already capable Book3 Pro laptop and Book3 Pro 360 convertible weren’t already beefy enough for you.
The 16in Windows 11 notebook is looking to rival the latest MacBook Pro with an all-aluminium build that weighs in at a transport-friendly 1.79kg. Underneath the sleek exterior beats either a Core i7 or Core i9 processor, derestricted to pull 45 watts of power for maximum performance. It’s paired to as much as 32GB of RAM, and your choice of Nvidia RTX 4050 or RTX 4070 GPUs, which should both be able to run modern games at high detail settings – when they aren’t tasked with pro-grade office work like 3D rendering or video editing.
Samsung has borrowed display tech from its smartphone line-up, meaning the Book3 Ultra’s 16in panel maxes out at 2880×1800. It’s a 120Hz panel, with an en vogue 16:10 aspect ratio for squeezing more content onscreen than the cinematic 16:9 displays found on older laptops. Brightness is pegged at 500 nits, and it’s HDR 500 True Black certified to boot. Four Dolby Atmos-approved speakers tuned by AKG should deliver equally impactful audio, and there’s a 1080p webcam with dual noise cancelling microphones for crystal clear video calls.
There’s no shortage of ports at the sides, despite the svelte dimensions. There are twin USB Type-C/Thunderbolt 4s, a single USB 3.2 Type A, a microSD card slot, 3.5mm combi jack and HDMI 2.0 port for 4K video output. It charges over USB-C, with the bundled power brick also able to top up any of Samsung’s other gadgets at their maximum rated speeds.
Connectivity between Samsung devices is supposed to be seamless now, with the ability to drag and drop files between phone and laptop, share a keyboard and mouse, and use a Samsung tablet as a second screen. You’ll be able to activate your phone’s wireless hotspot with a single click, and share RAW photos shot on a new Samsung smartphone automatically.
The Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra debuted alongside the S23 smartphone series and Galaxy Book3 laptop, but performance fans will have a little longer to wait: it’ll be available to pre-order from the 14th of February, on general sale from the 22nd. You’ll have a choice of Beige and Graphite colours, but maybe give your bank manager a heads up first: prices are set to start at £2449, and climb higher if you want the best graphics card.
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor 
