When it comes to laptops, Apple’s notebooks tend to get the most attention. And 2022 was no exception, as the Cupertino-based tech giant released the MacBook Pro 13-inch and MacBook Air M2 laptops.
I wasn’t a big fan of the former since that MacBook Pro model featured a dated design. (Do we really need a touch bar in 2022?) But the MacBook Air was a solid upgrade of the Air series. The two Apple notebooks stole headlines during the summer, but neither became my favorite laptop of 2022.
I reviewed the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 in mid-April. Going in, I wasn’t expecting much out of the unassuming 2-in-1 laptop. It didn’t have the most mind-blowing specs, and its inclusion of Samsung apps wasn’t something I cared for either.
But after testing the notebook during a short trip to Las Vegas, I found it better than I expected. In fact, it’s my favorite non-gaming laptop of the year. I’m kind of surprised by this myself, but below, I’ll explain why I’m still enamored with the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360.
The best part? You can save $500 on the Core i7 model right now.
Extreme portability
At 13.97 x 8.98 x 0.47 inches and weighing in at 3.11 pounds, the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 is one of the thinnest and lightest laptops I reviewed for Tom’s Guide. The MacBook Air M2 is thinner and lighter at 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches and 2.7 pounds, but Samsung’s laptop isn't that far behind.
As I said, I took the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 with me during a trip to Las Vegas. I was able to quickly retrieve it from my bag during airport check-in and similarly return it to my bag. Because the laptop is so light, it was also easy to use during the long flight from New York City to Nevada. It was a lifesaver in that regard.
Granted, the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 isn't unique in the world of ultrabooks in terms of thinness, but its portability makes it very easy to travel with — especially if you're used to traveling with bulkier laptops.
Understated design
The Galaxy Book2 Pro 360’s sleek all-black design looks great but also doesn’t draw much attention to itself. Because of that, I didn’t feel self-conscious when using the laptop in public. Sure, the new MacBook Air also has an understated design, but that big Apple logo on the back will draw attention from some. That wasn’t a concern with the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360.
With that said, the laptop still received a few stares. That’s because when most people think of laptops, they see silver or gray devices. An all-black notebook isn’t exactly typical, which I suppose defeats my goal of remaining inconspicuous. But since the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 only has an almost imperceptible Samsung logo on the lid, it’s not easy identifying the laptop’s identity. Even if people stared, it was passing glances at most.
Gorgeous display
At the end of each night during my trip, I’d use the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 to watch YouTube videos. The 15.6-inch AMOLED screen was ideal for this since it made everything look spectacular. Because the Galaxy Book2's a 2-in-1, I was able to watch content in tent mode so I’d have more space on the small hotel room table I situated the laptop on.
The AMOLED screen delivers strong contrast between blacks and whites and helps colors appear more vibrant. While not as bright as the MacBook Air M2’s LCD display, which averaged 489 nits of brightness during our lab tests, the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 and its 366 nits of average brightness was more than sufficient for me.
Like I said in my review, my only gripe with this laptop’s display is that it tops out at 1080p. I would have preferred a minimum 1440p resolution on a 15-inch screen. But given the AMOLED display’s rich picture quality, the lower pixel count was negligible. Things still looked great on it.
Great for productivity
The Galaxy Book2 Pro 360’s 12th gen Intel Core i7 CPU and 16GB of RAM gives it enough power for everyday computing. In the Geekbench 5.4 multi-core CPU benchmark test, the laptop scored 9,043. This is a smidge higher than the MacBook Air M2, which posted an 8,919 result on the same test.
I used the laptop for work before and after my Vegas trip and never had an issue with its performance. Even when I had more than 20 open tabs during a regular workday, the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 never buckled.
I’m a big fan of the spacious keyboard. I wrote the majority of my review on the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 without my hands cramping up. It has one of the best keyboards on any laptop I've reviewed. The keys also provide a satisfying amount of resistance, even if you’re accustomed to mechanical keyboards like me. I also like how I can adjust the backlight to adapt to ambient lighting conditions.
The large touchpad is as intuitive and easy to use as the keyboard. It’s responsive and accurate and never failed to properly read all of my swipes and gestures.
Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 bottom line
The MacBook Air M2 is one of the year’s overall best laptops. The M1-powered edition has long been one of our favorite laptops but the new iteration is a marked improvement. I’d easily recommend it to folks looking for an ultra-thin notebook.
But as great as Apple’s latest might be, the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 is still my favorite laptop of 2022, for all the reasons I mentioned above. It's certainly one of the best laptops out there.
Right now, retailers like Samsung and Best Buy are selling the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 for less than $1,000 as part of their respective Black Friday deals. Because of that, now is the perfect time to get this amazing laptop.
