Samsung Galaxy Book S touts 4G, up to 25 hours of battery per charge

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 23 January 2020

Samsung is returning to the Australian laptop market with the Galaxy Book S, the company's first Windows-powered 4G notebook. While Samsung has continued to sell tablets - including Windows 10 two-in-ones - locally, it stopped selling conventional notebooks in Australia several years ago.

At the same time, you could make the argument that Galaxy Book S isn't exactly a conventional notebook. Powered by a Snapdragon 8xc processor, Samsung's new notebook has more in common with a high-end smartphone than a typical Windows laptop, which would normally make use of an Intel processor.

The use of a mobile processor brings a couple of unique benefits. The Galaxy Book S is always connected; pop a mobile broadband SIM in it and it will have a constant 4G connection, much in the same way a phone or tablet does. It can turn on instantly, again, much like a phone. Mobile processors are also highly efficient; Samsung is promising up to 25 hours of video playback per charge. And lastly, it means the Galaxy Book S is incredibly light; the notebook weighs in under 1kg, which is pretty damn impressive considering the 13-inch screen.

There are of course a few trade-offs too. The 8cx is an ARM processor, while most Windows apps are decided for x86 or x64 processor architecture. The Galaxy Book S can emulate x86 apps, but x64 apps flat-out won't. While you should be able to run all of the basics - and developers like Adobe are working to write native versions of software like Photoshop for ARM-based machines - you might run into compatibility issues in the short term. For example, Microsoft flat out says that some games won't on the Surface Book S due to anti-cheat software that currently isn't compatible with ARM-based PCs.

Ultimately, whether the Galaxy Book S is right for you will come down to a question of what you want to use a notebook for.

Key specifications for the Galaxy Book S include a 13.3-inch 1080p display, 256GB of expandable storage, 8GB of RAM, and a fingerprint reader in the power button. There's two USB-C ports (one of which supports fast charging), but you'll need to get a dongle if you want to connect full-size USB devices or HDMI monitors.

The Galaxy Book S will set you back $1,699 outright. You'll find it at JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, and Samsung stores in a choice of gold or grey. While you won't find it any telcos just yet, here's a few mobile broadband plans with at least 25GB per month:

#1	Telstra	Telstra Mobile Broadband 30GB Data $33/mth Min. cost $33	100%	Link not supplied
#2	SpinTel	SpinTel Mobile Broadband Unlimited Data $49.95/mth Min. cost $69.95	80%	Link not supplied
#3	Belong	Belong Mobile Broadband 100GB Data $40/mth Min. cost $40	60%	Link not supplied
#4	Tangerine Telecom	Tangerine Telecom Mobile Broadband 100GB Data $34.90/mth Min. cost $34.90	60%	Link not supplied
#5	Vodafone	Vodafone Mobile Broadband 140GB Data $40/mth Min. cost $40 Deal: Get 140GB of data for 12 months (incl. 70GB bonus data) on the Large Data SIM Only plan. Ends 21.10.26. T&Cs apply.	60%	Link not supplied
#6	Aussie Broadband	Aussie Broadband Mobile Broadband 180GB Data $60/mth Min. cost $60	20%	Link not supplied
#7	More	More Mobile Broadband 100GB Data $40/mth Min. cost $40 Deal: Get $10/mth off mobile broadband plan for 36 mths when you sign up with a CommBank debit or credit card. Ends 31.03.27	3%	Link not supplied
#8	Yomojo	Yomojo Mobile Broadband 50GB Data $54.90/mth Min. cost $54.90	3%	Link not supplied

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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