Can Galaxy Book S Beats Microsoft's Surface Pro 6?

Samsung recently announced a surprise release of the Galaxy Book S with an aim to change the way users’ thoughts of Windows 10 laptops, and at the same time, challenge Microsoft’s Surface Pro 6 and the like.

Surface Pro 6 is a cross between a tablet and laptop with an eye-catching appearance and powerful hardware. This is precisely what Samsung wants the Galaxy Book S to become.

Price

The Galaxy Book S is expected to be priced at $999 when it is released later this year. While Samsung keeps the price for other markets secret, that is an equivalent of Rs. 70,952.

With this price tag, the device belongs to the premium range of laptops, meaning users will hold certain expectations when they purchase it. In India, the Surface Pro 6 will set you back around Rs. 1,49,999.

The Galaxy Book S leans toward the laptop side, so it comes with a keyboard for a more comfortable typing experience without any extra cost. For now, no one can be sure of whether it will come equipped with a stylus.

Surface Pro 6 features a wide range of configurations, which boosts the overall price. But at the same time, users have more choices to power up their device.

So for now, these two devices are expected to be priced roughly similar. But since they both belong to the premium price bracket, they are still unaffordable for a lot of users.

Specifications

Samsung Galaxy Book S attracts lots of attention for being the first laptop to have a 7nm 64-bit Octa-core chipset, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx. Snapdragon chips are more well-known to power smartphones, but now, we have the chance to see how they work on laptops. With this feature, users of the Galaxy Book S may expect benefits like a more durable battery, always-connected cellular data, and instant-on boot times.

The Snapdragon 8cx is a chipset built for laptops so we may expect an improved performance over other chips.

According to Qualcomm, Snapdragon 8cx’s capacity can rival that of Intel Core i5 processor, which is quite a claim to make.

Users have the choice to acquire the Galaxy Book S in either 256GB or 512GB of SSD storage and 8GB of RAM. The microSD card slot allows users to expand the storage further, and you can always insert a SIM card for LTE mobile internet.

Surface Pro 6 comes equipped with hardware that has the potential to give it the edge in performance. The base model features a quad-core 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-8250U processor. So if what Qualcomm said about its Snapdragon 8cx is true, we will have a match in performance.

At first look, Qualcomm chipset seems to be better, with eight cores in comparison with four on the one from Intel. However, things are not that simple. Intel has proved their power with lots of Core i5 laptops so for now, when nothing is certain, Surface Pro 6 is the one with the edge here.

Users have the choice to opt for the Intel Core i7 processor and boost RAM from 8GB to 16GB. The onboard storage is 256GB SSD and microSD card reader on the Surface Pro 6, so until the Galaxy Book S makes it to the market, the offer from Microsoft is still the more powerful pick, especially if you stretch your budget for the i7 version.

Galaxy Book 6 has something Surface Pro does not, which is the LTE connection option, allowing users to go online wherever they are without the need to find Wi-Fi to connect to. Not relying on Wi-Fi also brings users a more secure connection as these hotspots usually have security implications.

Battery Life

One of the most notable disparities between the two devices is battery life. The Galaxy Book S can stay alive for up to 23 hours, courtesy of the Snapdragon 8cx. So this much time can translate to a few days of use, depending on what you want the device to do, of course.

On the other hand, Surface Pro 6 can sustain for only 6 hours and 45 minutes, which is a decent amount of time, but it is incomparable to that of the offer from Samsung.

Design

The Galaxy Book S’s back of the keyboard and the screen are covered by a robust aluminum case. The whole device is lightweight and thin, with just 0.96 kg of weight and 305.2 x 203.2 x 11.8mm when it stays close. This is the device you can feel confident holding with only one hand.

The best part is, this kind of thinness does not cost users of the 3.5mm headphone jack and the two USB-C ports. Plus, the display is measured 13.3 inches with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and 1080p resolution.

Surface Pro 6 does not stray far from the traditional look of others before it, but it is in no way a wrong decision as people are still fond of the stylish and sleek look.

Without the keyboard, the device weighs around 771g and has a thickness of 0.33 inches. However, when users attach the Type Cover on, the device is still lighter and slimmer than the Galaxy Book S.

When it comes to connectivity, Surface Pro 6 has to give it to Galaxy Book 6 as it features only the USB 3.0 port and a DisplayPort for external display.

While the 12.3-inches screen is bit smaller than that of the Galaxy Book S, the resolution of 2,736 x 1,824 can definitely make up for that shortcoming. This feature, coupled with 100% sRGB support and a high contrast ratio, makes for a vibrant and crisp visual experience. The 3:2 aspect ratio might give the device a boxier look than the Galaxy Book S.

So they both have their own advantages, the Surface Pro 6 with its thinness and portability, while the Galaxy Book S has a more appealing design.

Samsung Galaxy Book S vs. Microsoft Surface Pro 6: Which Should You Buy?

Microsoft Surface Pro 6 and Galaxy Book S have different targeted markets, so picking one to suit your need is easy.

If you want the most modern look and a durable battery, you cannot go wrong with the offer from Samsung. This is also true if you want to break free from Wi-Fi with LTE connection.

Those who are after a device with power in a portable shell, the Surface Pro 6 is right up your alley.

The price of these two devices are not low, but Surface Pro 6 usually get discounted so you might find a sweet deal if you can be patient.