Samsung Galaxy Book vs Microsoft Surface Specs, Price Comparison: New Samsung 2-in-1 Cheaper, Comes Out April 21
Samsung has unveiled the Samsung Galaxy Book line of Windows 10 devices at the Mobile World Conference 2017, aiming right at Microsoft's acclaimed Surface Pro tablets. As details on the features and pricing emerge, the value proposition of the new Samsung two-in-one devices becomes clearer.
The Korean company has announced that the Samsung Galaxy Book will come in a 10.6-inch and 12-inch form factor, with Wi-Fi and Long-Term Evolution (LTE) variants for those who favor the different modes of connectivity. What's interesting is the price ranges that Samsung is choosing for the tablets.
The smaller Galaxy Book 10 will be prices at $630, while the larger Galaxy Book 12 will go for $1,130, and that is for the Wi-Fi only devices. The LTE version of the 12-inch variant will be priced at $1,300, which is $170 more than its Wi-Fi-only counterpart, according to Samsung's announcement.
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The flagship model of the Samsung Book, the 12-inch LTE, will be available at Verizon Wireless starting Friday, April 21. The Galaxy Book 12-inch Wi-Fi, as well as the Galaxy Book 10.6-inch Wi-Fi, will be available for preorders on the same day, April 21, at Samsung.com and a few select retailers including Best Buy.
The tablets will be available for general purchase a month later, on April 21. As for color variants, Silver will be available everywhere while the Black variant will be exclusive to Best Buy.
BGR notes that at those prices, the two-in-one devices already come with the Samsung S Pen stylus and a keyboard case — something that the company made sure to highlight in their WDC 2017 reveal. In contrast, the Surface Pro 4 does not come bundled with a stylus or a keyboard cover.
Additionally, for the same specs as the Galaxy Book 10, the equivalent Microsoft Surface 4 tablet will cost $799, a $169 difference when it comes to price for similar hardware.
The 12-inch Galaxy Book features a super active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) display, but still features a smaller resolution than the Surface Pro 4, albeit with a more vivid display. The 10.6 Galaxy Book makes do with full high-definition (HD) resolution using conventional flat panel display technology, according to CRN.
Samsung leverages Intel's new processors, putting in a seventh-gen Intel Core i5 in its 12-inch Galaxy Books, while the Surface Pro 4 is stuck at the sixth gen Core i5 and i7. The new chip also gives the Galaxy Book an edge when it comes to battery life.
The 12-inch Galaxy Book has two Universal Serial Bus type C (USB-C) ports. The Surface Pro has USB-A, a Mini DisplayPort, microSD and Surface Connect Ports. Microsoft's tablets also provide more options for memory, up to 16 GB compared with Samsung's 8 GB cap. Storage for the Surface Pro 4 also goes up to 1 TB while the Galaxy Book tops off at 256 GB for the 12-inch model.
