Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro vs Pro 360 vs Ultra: Price and availability
All three Samsung Galaxy Book 3 laptops were announced during the Galaxy Unpacked event on Feb. 1, 2023, and preorders are already live for all three (check them out at the links below). However, actual availability is only known for the Galaxy Book 3 Pro and Pro 360, which will become widely available starting Feb. 17. We’ll have to wait a bit longer for the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra.
We don’t know all the specific pricing yet. The Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro starts at $1,449, while the Pro 360 starts at $1,899. The base price for the former should be for the 14-inch Galaxy Book 3 Pro with a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. The Pro 360 starts with a 13th-generation Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD as well, but comes with a touchscreen.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is set to start at $2,399 and will include an Intel Core i7 processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD.
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Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro
The Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro is a premium aluminum laptop with 13th-generation Intel Core processors and options for a 14-inch or 16-inch screen.
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Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360
The Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 is a 16-inch convertible laptop with a stunning AMOLED display and 13th-gen Intel Core processors. A 5G model is also on the way.
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Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra
The Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is the most powerful device in the entire Galaxy Book lineup, with 13th-generation Intel Core H-series processors and Nvidia RTX graphics.
Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro vs Pro 360 vs Ultra: Specs
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3.9 pounds (1.79kg) |
| Starting price | $1,449 | $1,899 | $2,399 |
Performance: The Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is fast, but it’s not for everyone
One of the most important things you’ll want from a laptop is for it to keep up with whatever you want to do. On that front, all three of these laptops will do great. Both the Galaxy Book 3 Pro and Pro 360 come with Intel Core P-series processors, and while Samsung hasn’t specifically said which models it’s using, we can safely deduce that these are the Core i5-1340P and Core i7-1360P, both packing 12 cores and 16 threads, and with speeds up to 5GHz on the Core i7 model.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra features even more powerful Intel H-series models, which we expect to be the Intel Core i7-13700H and Core i9-13900H. These models have 14 cores and 20 threads, and they can boost as high as 5.4GHz on the Core i9 version, so you’re undoubtedly getting more performance here. While it’s still very early for these processors, we can get an idea of the performance by looking at some early scores for Geekbench 5.
| Intel Core i5-1340P (average) | Intel Core i7-1360P (average) | Intel Core i7-13700H (average) | Intel Core i9-13900H (average) | |
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| Geekbench 5 (single/multi-core) | 1,412 / 7,713 | 1,519 / 6,880 | 1,796 / 12,595 | 1,799 / 12,173 |
Keep in mind that there are very few scores we can pull from at this point to form an accurate average of each processor’s performance, which is likely why we’re seeing some lower-end models ahead of higher-tier ones. But you can clearly see the massive performance advantage of the H-series processors, and that can be a big benefit for the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra if you have very demanding workloads like video editing. There’s a caveat to this, but we’ll get to that in a bit. It’s also worth keeping in mind that the P-series scores aren’t low, and you’ll get great performance for general day-to-day tasks.
There’s also the matter of graphics performance, and here, the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra will also absolutely smash the Pro models simply because it has a discrete GPU. You can choose between an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 or 4070. While the latter should be significantly more powerful, either one will trounce the integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics included with the Pro model. Integrated graphics just aren’t that fast, and Intel hasn’t upgraded its integrated GPUs significantly since its 11th-generation processors. But again, not everyone needs this kind of power. If you’re browsing the web or watching movies, there’s no benefit.
It’s important to keep that in mind because there’s a downside to all that performance — poor battery life. It’s something you’re definitely going to notice. These powerful specs are going to drain the battery much faster, and the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra has the same 76Wh battery as the 16-inch Galaxy Book 3 Pro and Pro 360, so it’s simply not going to last as long on a charge, especially if you push it to its performance limits. On the topic of battery, the 14-inch Galaxy Book 3 Pro has a smaller 63Wh unit, and while it has a smaller display, other specs are the same, so it may also have shorter battery life than the 16-inch versions.
Finally, in terms of RAM and storage, the three laptops are very similar. The only difference is that the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra starts with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, but considering the price disparity, that’s to be expected.
Display and design: Clamshell vs convertible
We’re throwing these categories into one because these three laptops are nearly identical in many ways. First of all, they all have the same specs for the display: It’s a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with 3K (2880 x 1800) resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and 120% coverage of DCI-P3. The only difference is that the Galaxy Book 3 Pro clamshell model comes in 14 and 16-inch sizes while the others are only 16 inches. And, of course, the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 is a convertible laptop, so the screen supports touch input and the S Pen.
The three laptops also generally follow the same design language. All three are made from aluminum, and all but the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra come in Graphite and Beige colorways (the Ultra only comes in Graphite). There are some differences in portability, too. The 14-inch Galaxy Book 3 Pro is naturally the easiest to carry around, weighing just 2.58 pounds, while the 16-inch version weighs 3.4 pounds.
The Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 starts at 3.7 pounds, or 3.77 pounds for the 5G model. It’s a bit heavier and thicker thanks to the convertible design, and 5G support also adds some weight thanks to the required modem and antennas. Of course, being a convertible means you can use it as a tablet or in a few other modes, so that difference in weight may be worth it to you.
Finally, the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is the heaviest, starting at 3.9 pounds, and it’s also significantly thicker at 16.9mm, compared to just 12.8mm for the thickest Pro model. It’s all thanks to the powerful specs packed inside, such as the 45W processors and discrete Nvidia graphics.
Ports and connectivity: Mostly the same, with two exceptions
At first glance, all three Samsung Galaxy Book 3 laptops seem to have the same port setup. There are two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB Typa-A port, HDMI, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. That’s actually a solid setup across the board.
However, there are two major differences. For one, the Galaxy Book 3 Pro and Pro 360 support HDMI, yes, but it’s HDMI 1.4. That means you can’t plug in a 4K monitor at 60Hz unless you use one of the Thunderbolt ports. The Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is the only one to support HDMI 2.0, enabling support for this kind of display.
The other difference is that the Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 is the only model that offers the option for cellular connectivity. Indeed, you can get 5G support if you go with Samsung’s convertible, and it’s not available on any other model. A 5G laptop means you can stay connected to the internet wherever you go without relying on spotty Wi-Fi connections or public networks that may risk your privacy. Not everyone needs it, but it can be essential for mobile workers.
Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro vs Pro 360 vs Ultra: Which should you buy?
Buying any of these Galaxy laptops is a surefire way to get a great experience no matter who you are. However, there are some clear points you need to look at if you’re trying to decide between them. First, it’s important to remember that for web browsing, writing documents, or watching movies, any of these laptops will be fantastic in terms of the display and performance. And if those things are your main focus, then the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro models are better for their portability and battery life.
On the topic of portability, the clamshell Galaxy Book 3 Pro is the only one to come in a 14-inch size, and if you want something to carry around, that’s definitely your go-to here. On the other hand, if you want more versatility, the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 is a convertible, so you can use it as a tablet or a laptop, depending on the situation. Plus, it’s the only model with (optional) 5G support.
The Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is for very specific users that need more power. Whether you’re editing videos or complex images, developing software, or gaming, that extra processing power will make a world of difference. But that all comes at the cost of portability, battery life, and of course, price. You have to make sure you need that power before splurging on it.
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Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro
The Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro is a premium aluminum laptop with 13th-generation Intel Core processors and options for a 14-inch or 16-inch screen.
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Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360
The Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 is a 16-inch convertible laptop with a stunning AMOLED display and 13th-gen Intel Core processors. A 5G model is also on the way.
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Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra
The Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is the most powerful device in the entire Galaxy Book lineup, with 13th-generation Intel Core H-series processors and Nvidia RTX graphics.