Knowledgeable's Ranking
Professionals
- Stellar battery life
- Gorgeous show
- Strong efficiency
- Spectacular port choice
Cons
- No touchscreen or S Pen assist
- Trackpad lacks precision
- Costly, particularly within the UK
Our Verdict
The Galaxy Guide 3 Professional packs lots into an impressively skinny and light-weight chassis, particularly on the 16in mannequin. However true pro-level efficiency is barely obtainable on the dearer Galaxy Guide Extremely.
Value When Reviewed
From $1,449.99
Greatest Costs At this time: Samsung Galaxy Guide 3 Professional
Samsung’s February 2023 Galaxy Unpacked occasion was all concerning the Ultras, with the up to date Galaxy S23 model joined by a brand-new Galaxy Guide Extremely.
However the latter was simply one in every of 4 new laptops introduced by Samsung, and the opposite three, cheaper choices are more likely to be extra standard. They embody the Galaxy Guide 3 Professional, an everyday clamshell laptop computer obtainable with both a 14in or 16in display screen.
None of those are touchscreens, they usually don’t have the S Pen assist we’ve come to affiliate with Galaxy Guide vary. And though I simply stated ‘cheaper’, the Guide 3 Professional isn’t precisely low cost. Is there sufficient right here to justify the excessive value? The quick reply to that's no, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a superb laptop computer for on a regular basis use, so don’t cease studying simply but.
Design, construct & ports
- Slick, premium design
- Impressively skinny and light-weight
- Good port choice
Samsung has caught with the identical primary design for its laptops since relaunching them in 2020, and there’s no signal of that altering any time quickly.
It means the Galaxy Guide 3 Professional has a near-identical aluminium physique and understated aesthetic to its predecessor, with a silver brand punctuating an in any other case very plain exterior.
Some may even see it as boring, however I really like the minimalist design Samsung has gone for. It’s obtainable in two colors – Graphite and Beige – and the Beige mannequin I examined definitely seems to be the half.
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That selection of supplies additionally helps the Guide 3 Professional to stay impressively light-weight for its measurement. The 14in mannequin weighs 1.17kg, whereas the 16in model is barely barely heavier at 1.56kg. It means each are very moveable, particularly with the chassis not more than 12.5mm thick.
A skinny and light-weight laptop computer typically dangers sturdiness, however that doesn’t appear to be a problem right here. The mix of premium supplies and a stable hinge design means the Guide 3 Professional feels impressively sturdy. You'll discover the wobbly show at instances, particularly whereas typing, however there’s no indication of it inflicting any long-term harm.
I’m additionally very glad to see a wholesome port choice, one thing which is constant throughout each sizes. Each USB-C ports assist Thunderbolt 4, making for quick knowledge switch and simple reference to a spread of different units and equipment. They’re joined by one USB-A, one full-size HDMI, a microSD card slot and a 3.5mm audio jack.
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If I’m being actually choosy, it’d have been good to have one other USB-A port – you should still want an adapter or hub – however I can’t actually complain. Many skinny and light-weight laptops dispose of the port fully.
Keyboard, trackpad & webcam
- Strong full-size keyboard, regardless of restricted key journey
- Big trackpad, nevertheless it lacks precision
- Nice fingerprint sensor and webcam, however no face unlock
Each sizes of the Galaxy Guide 3 Professional can comfortably accommodate a full-size keyboard, however solely the 16in mannequin features a separate quantity pad to the precise. A function like this falls into the ‘good to have’ class, however I wouldn’t have missed it if it wasn’t there.
The keys themselves undertake a ‘chiclet’ design, which means they've a separated, flatter form and supply considerably much less journey than on another laptops. This seems like a nasty factor, however typing on the Guide 3 Professional is nice. Every key feels very clicky and responsive, which improved the velocity and accuracy of my typing.
Samsung presents three ranges of backlighting. On the dimmest setting it’s brilliant sufficient to comfortably use in a room that’s utterly darkish, and at 100% the sunshine remains to be seen when there’s extra ambient gentle.
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The primary criticism of the keyboard is the row of perform keys on the prime. They provide all the same old fast entry to quantity adjustment, brightness controls and different key settings, however you'll want to maintain down the Fn key on the similar time to make use of them. That is one thing that impacts all Samsung laptops, nevertheless it annoys me each time.
Under the keyboard, you’ll discover an enormous trackpad. It extends throughout half of the width of the keyboard on the 16in mannequin, and covers nearly all the distance between the area bar and fringe of the gadget.
This offers the phantasm of extra management, however I discovered the other. Oddly, it lacked the precision of smaller variations, corresponding to those you’ll discover on different Galaxy Books. I typically had hassle clicking a selected space of the display screen or highlighting particular textual content. The cursor additionally typically moved erratically.
Plus, the sheer measurement of the factor led to a couple unintentional clicks just because it leaves restricted area to comfortably relaxation your palms. That seems like numerous criticism, nevertheless it’s not a dealbreaker.
On the top-right of the keyboard, you’ll discover a energy button which doubles as a fingerprint sensor. It’s simple to arrange, quick and dependable – simply what you need.
Nevertheless, that’s your solely biometric choice for unlocking the Guide 3 Professional. With no IR sensor, it doesn’t assist Home windows Whats up face unlock.
As a substitute, you’ll discover a single 1080p webcam above the show. It’s the most effective built-in sensors on any laptop computer, providing spectacular element and dealing with publicity properly. Alongside twin studio mics, the Guide 3 Professional is a good laptop computer for video calling.
Display & audio system
- Glorious 120Hz AMOLED show
- No touchscreen or S Pen assist
- First rate quad audio system
Samsung is aware of easy methods to make an awesome show, and the Galaxy Guide 3 Professional’s display screen is among the greatest you’ll discover on any laptop computer. It delivers a wealthy, detailed and vibrant viewing expertise that you simply’ll wish to preserve coming again to
It’s a 2880×1800 AMOLED panel on each 14in and 16in fashions, leading to a shift to the 16:10 facet ratio for the primary time. It is a good transfer for most individuals, because the taller display screen permits you to slot in barely extra content material. Photographs and movies in 16:9 will embody black bars above and beneath (letterboxing), however they nonetheless look fantastic.
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Color accuracy can be wonderful. In keeping with inside testing, it covers the total sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamuts, plus 98% of Adobe RGB – the most effective outcomes we’ve seen on any laptop computer.
That’s earlier than you even get to the refresh fee, which will be fastened at 60Hz and 120Hz or dynamically change between the 2. The latter presents an awesome steadiness between further fluidity and battery life, so I’d advocate it for most individuals. You received’t discover the excessive refresh fee as a lot as on a smartphone, nevertheless it nonetheless makes every part really feel clean and slick.
With all that in thoughts, it ought to most likely come as no shock that the top-of-the-line Galaxy Guide Extremely has the very same show specs. You possibly can’t get a lot better than this on a client laptop computer.
Nevertheless, neither of those units are touchscreens, which means there’s no S Pen assist both. Samsung makes loads of laptops which do, nevertheless it’s price being conscious of if you happen to’re contemplating this particular gadget.
By way of brightness, a take a look at results of 405 nit is correct in step with Samsung’s marketed 400-nit most. It means you will get away with utilizing it exterior, simply not below brilliant daylight.
Audio isn’t fairly as spectacular, however the Guide 3 Professional can positively maintain its personal. It has quad audio system and Dolby Atmos assist, serving to it to ship crisp, room-filling sound. It’s higher suited to voice-based content material than music, although, with bass-heavy music tracks sounding barely washed out.
Nonetheless, these audio system are fantastic for informal use corresponding to video calls.
Specs & efficiency
- Intel Thirteenth-gen P-series CPUs
- Strong efficiency, however not for demanding workloads
- 512GB or 1TB SSDs (microSD expandable)
Regardless of the Professional title, the Galaxy Guide 3 Professional’s efficiency specs aren’t something particular. It presents a selection between Intel’s Core i5-1340P and Core i7-1360P, from the 2023 Raptor Lake vary.
Whereas it’s nice to see 13th-gen chips arrive in laptops so quickly after they have been introduced, these are solely from the P-series, quite than the extra succesful H-series discovered within the Galaxy Guide Extremely. You additionally miss out on the Core i9 choice.
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Samsung is beneficiant on the subject of RAM, although. You get 16- or 32GB of the DDR5 commonplace, which helps preserve every part operating easily – even if you happen to depend on Google Chrome, which tends to make use of lots.
Efficiency is excellent because of this, with even the Core i5 mannequin excelling throughout a spread of on a regular basis duties. I primarily used it for internet searching, social media, watching movies and managing recordsdata, all of which it might deal with with none issues in any way.
However you’ll run into points with extra demanding workloads, the place the dearth of a discrete GPU is extra noticeable. The gadget makes use of Intel’s Iris Xe built-in graphics, which makes it unsuitable for duties corresponding to video modifying or gaming.
In abstract, the Guide 3 Professional is a lot highly effective sufficient for most individuals. However it might’t deal with the sort of intensive workloads the ‘Professional’ title may recommend.
Nevertheless, within the benchmarks beneath, it greater than holds its personal.
In contrast to some laptops, there’s loads of inside storage whichever mannequin you select. The Guide 3 Professional begins with a 512GB SSD, however you may improve to 1TB if you happen to’d choose. If that’s not sufficient, it helps enlargement by way of microSD card as much as 2TB.
By way of connectivity, the gadget options each Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1. Solely the previous is the most recent commonplace, however you’re unlikely to overlook not being upgraded to Bluetooth 5.3. A scarcity of 5G (or 4G) is perhaps extra grating, although.
Battery & Charging
- 63Wh battery on 14in, 76Wh on 16in
- Excellent battery life
- 65W charging barely underwhelming
Battery capability is one thing that varies considerably between sizes of the Galaxy Guide 3 Professional. The 14in mannequin is provided with a good 63Wh cell, however the 16in model bumps that as much as 76Wh.
That’s because of the bigger show, though I can’t touch upon how that impacts the 14in Guide 3 Professional. What I can say is that battery life on the 16in mannequin is actually wonderful.
It’s mirrored in our 720p video loop take a look at, the place the Guide 3 Professional lasted an unbelievable 18 hours. That’s the most effective scores we’ve ever seen, bettered solely by ARM-based units.
Video playback doesn’t essentially mirror real-world utilization, whereas 120 nits of brightness is comparatively dim. Nevertheless, turning on battery saver on the default 20% (quite than turning it off, as was the case for this take a look at) will assist it final lengthy.
However it might comfortably final a full eight-hour workday on a single cost, even with excessive brightness and the show set to 120Hz. When you solely use it in your spare time, three and even 4 days are inside attain.
The battery capability performs an enormous function right here, as does the improved energy effectivity of 13th-gen Intel CPUs.
Once you do finally run out, Samsung features a 65W charger within the field. This can be utilized to cost any Galaxy units which use USB-C, however speeds on the Guide 3 Professional are barely underwhelming.
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I recorded 33% in half-hour and 66% in 1 hour from off. That’s fantastic for most individuals, however definitely not the quickest.
Software program
- Home windows 11 Dwelling out of the field
- A number of pre-installed Samsung apps, however not disruptive
- Will get updates all through Home windows 11’s lifespan
The Galaxy Guide 3 Professional ships operating Home windows 11 Dwelling.
However not like on its telephones, Samsung’s software program tweaks aren’t important except you personal different Galaxy units. The person interface is an identical to some other Home windows 11 gadget, with solely a handful of additional apps pre-installed.
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These are as follows: Move (for syncing between units), Restoration, Account, Bluetooth Sync, Gallery, Notes, Fast Share, Second Display and Galaxy Guide Expertise (fast entry to key options). Samsung additionally has its personal model of Settings, nevertheless it’s nothing like the total Home windows 11 model.
The excellent news is that these can all be uninstalled at any time, and it’s simple to keep away from interacting with them altogether. However you probably have a Samsung cellphone or pill, some options can be genuinely helpful.
One other constructive is that each one Home windows 11 units are anticipated to get updates during the working system’s lifespan. Microsoft is but to substantiate how lengthy that’ll be, nevertheless it often helps (standard) main variations for round a decade – that will take us to 2031.
Value & availability
The Galaxy Guide 3 Professional isn’t Samsung’s most costly 2023 laptop computer, nevertheless it nonetheless doesn’t come low cost.
You’ll pay at the very least $1,449.99/£1,349 for the 14in mannequin, whereas stepping as much as the 16in begins at $1,549.99/£1,449 – offered you don’t have a tool to commerce in.
Nevertheless, Core i5 fashions aren’t obtainable within the US, so the like-for-like costs are considerably increased within the UK.
These are excessive costs for a client laptop computer. Lots of the options in our greatest laptop computer chart are both higher worth for cash or supply further performance, however that doesn’t imply you need to rule out the Guide 3 Professional fully.
It’s an awesome laptop computer, only a bit overpriced, so preserve your eye out for any offers and reductions.
Verdict
The Galaxy Guide 3 Professional isn’t as class-leading as its value could recommend. However there are various highlights together with a stunning 120Hz AMOLED show (14in or 16in), a powerful number of ports and stellar battery life.
You additionally get Samsung’s trademark premium design, plus some nice video calling options.
Efficiency is stable too, however it might’t deal with the demanding workloads you may affiliate with a ‘Professional’ laptop computer. With an iffy trackpad and no contact (or S Pen) assist, there are sufficient causes to hesitate earlier than shopping for one – particularly at full value.
With the Extremely taking most of the headlines and 360 fashions providing extra performance for much less, the Guide 3 Professional leads to an ungainly center floor. It’s a powerful laptop computer, however so are many others round this value – together with the LG Gram 16, Huawei MateBook 16s and Microsoft Floor Laptop computer 5.
Specs
- Show: 16:10 AMOLED, 14in or 16in (each 2880×1800), 120Hz
- Processor: Intel Core i5-1340P, Intel Core i7-1360P
- Graphics: Intel Iris Xe
- Reminiscence: 8/16/32GB
- Storage: 256/512GB/1TB SSD (expandable as much as 2TB by way of microSD)
- Ports: 2x USB-C (each Thunderbolt 4), 1x USB-A, HDMI 1.4, microSD, 3.5mm audio jack
- Digital camera: 1080p front-facing
- Wi-fi: WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1, 5G (elective)
- Battery: 63Wh (14in), 76Wh (16in)
- Charging: 65W USB-C (included)
- Working system: Home windows 11 Dwelling
- Colors: Graphite, Beige
- Weight: 1.17kg (14in), 1.56kg (16in)