One of the best laptops for creative professionals I've tested isn't a MacBook Pro or Asus

I have largely ignored Samsung’s Galaxy Book laptop series, but recently I learned that was a mistake. I should’ve been paying closer attention to the lineup because the tech giant offers some impressive tech. The Galaxy Book5 Pro 360, a convertible laptop with a stellar design, has opened my eyes.

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It sports a 16-inch 3K touchscreen running at a 120Hz refresh rate and covers 120% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. Colors are vibrant, shadows are deep black, and on-screen animations are velvety smooth. This laptop has one of the nicest displays I’ve looked at in a while.

Samsung’s device even passes the one-finger test, where you lift the screen up with your index finger, signifying even weight distribution. In short, the laptop won’t wobble around when you work on it.

I’m also a fan of the large trackpad. It’s smooth to the touch, and its large size allows me to move the cursor across the screen without lifting my hand off.

Alternatively, I can use the accompanying Galaxy S Pen. Navigating the internet with the S Pen feels like a dream. Jumping from webpage to webpage is seamless. Not too long ago, I tested the HP Omnibook Ultra Flip, which came with its own stylus. I found the Omnibook’s pen frustrating to use. The responsiveness of Samsung’s S Pen, on the other hand, is like a breath of fresh air.

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As much as I like the design of the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360, it isn’t perfect. I don’t like the keyboard very much. It’s mushy and doesn’t feel good on my hands. I prefer laptop keyboards with long travel distances as they feel more responsive when typing.

I am also not a fan of the placement of the stylus magnet. Thin, 2-in-1 laptops often have strong magnets on the side. The Galaxy Book5 Pro’s magnet feels less powerful and secure. The S Pen even fell off a few times when I took the computer out of my bag.

The Galaxy Book5 Pro is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V processor, an integrated Intel Arc 140V graphics card, and 16GB of RAM. The laptop’s overall performance is solid; I had a blast using it.

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Benchmark tests show that the Galaxy Book5 is fast and can easily handle productivity workloads such as web browsing and video conferencing. I tested 50 tabs open with browser games, videos, and a livestream, all playing simultaneously alongside several open apps. The laptop handled everything well. There wasn’t a single drop in performance, although I did notice the machine became warm to the touch.

The battery life is absurdly good. Samsung’s model ran for about 16 hours before I needed to run for the charger. I began testing first thing in the morning at 8 a.m. and ran nonstop past midnight. I attribute this longevity to the energy-efficient Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 2 chipset.

While my overall experience testing the Galaxy Book5 was pleasant, I did run into a bug. I left the machine in tablet mode for several hours, and it became stuck in that orientation. No amount of opening or closing the laptop fixed the issue until I restarted the machine.

After looking online, it seems I’m the only person to have encountered this bug. It’s possible this isn’t a widespread issue and was exclusive to my review unit. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder if other bugs are lingering in the system.

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To use the Galaxy Book5 Pro to its fullest potential, you will need a Galaxy smartphone. Features like turning your phone into a webcam, Quick Share, and Transcript Assist can only be accessed with a supporting mobile device. According to the product listing’s fine print, you must own at least a model from the Galaxy S22 series running Samsung One UI 6.1.

ZDNET’s buying advice

Samsung’s Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 sells for $1,700 on Samsung’s website. I recommend this laptop to professional users who want a well-performing work laptop and who own a Galaxy smartphone so they can access the model’s full range of features. Of course, non-Galaxy smartphone owners will still get a lot from this machine. The hardware, battery life, and OLED touchscreen are all top-notch.

If you want an alternative, I recommend the Lenovo Yoga 7i Aura Edition. It isn’t as large, but it does offer a similar experience at a cheaper price.