Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra review

In order to compete with the most recent MacBook Pro 16-inch, Samsung has introduced Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra, which is the company’s biggest laptop and can be purchased for a starting price of $2,399. Given that Samsung’s laptop has a 16-inch OLED display, an Intel Core Ultra processor, and an Nvidia RTX 40-series graphics processing unit, the competition is seen as fair. This is not a joke when it comes to the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra.

For those who are following track, this is an updated version of the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra, which was released the previous year and was the first Samsung laptop to bear the “Ultra” logo of the company. This is a system that is geared specifically for power users, such as video editors or gamers who are dedicated to their craft, or both, given its specifications and its exorbitant pricing. The Galaxy Book 4 Ultra not only packs a significant amount of power, but its brilliant 16-inch 3K OLED display is also particularly well-suited for the aforementioned activities.

Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra review

When you consider all that this laptop has to offer, there is very little to complain about. One of the few significant drawbacks of this product is that it comes pre-installed with a large amount of Samsung software, which may also be considered a bonus for certain individuals. If you are already involved in the Samsung ecosystem, then you may find the compatibility of this laptop with other products manufactured by the firm, like the Samsung Galaxy S24 phone series, to be of great value. There is a possibility that you will consider all of the Samsung-specific applications to be bloatware if you are like me and do not possess many or any Samsung items.

Due to the features that it provides, the Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra is not only one of the finest laptops for Windows, but it is also one of the greatest laptops overall. There is no denying that it is rather expensive, but if you are looking for a powerful Windows laptop that has a display that is just stunning, this is a device that you should take into consideration. You may find out why by reading my whole review.

SAMSUNG GALAXY BOOK 4 ULTRA REVIEW: SPECS

The Galaxy Book 4 Ultra is a product that has a lot of positive qualities. Travel is made easier by the fact that it is both lightweight and thin. If you combine it with outstanding performance, a stunning OLED display, and an extraordinary battery life, you will have assembled one of the most impressive laptops that I have evaluated this year. This notebook from Samsung exemplifies all that is wonderful about Windows PCs.

Design that is lightweight

But despite its size, the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra is not a cumbersome device. In terms of dimensions, it measures 13.9 inches by 9.8 inches by 0.6 inches and weighs 4.1 pounds. As a result, it is an excellent travel companion since it will not take up a significant amount of room in your bag. As a result of its excellent weight distribution, transporting it about your house or workplace is not a burdensome task; nonetheless, I would suggest doing it with both hands.

Compared to the previous edition, Samsung did not make any changes to the design of the laptop. The Galaxy Book 4 Ultra has an aura of sophistication thanks to its machine-made aluminum frame, graphite finish, and otherwise slim design. Not only does its chassis have a pleasant feel to the touch, but it is also incredibly durable. When you open the laptop, the hinge moves smoothly, and it is simple to lift the lid with only one hand.

One pair of Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports, one USB-A port, an SD card slot, an HDMI port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack are among the many ports that are included in this device’s extensive port selection. While I always enjoy it when laptops come equipped with an HDMI connector, I also like it when there is at least one USB-A port available for use with older electronic devices.

Display with a striking OLED

The OLED display on the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra, which measures 16 inches and has a resolution of 2,880 by 1,800 pixels, is a sight to see. The pictures have a crisp, vivid, and colorful appearance, yet they are not oversaturated. It is possible to see the details with a high degree of clarity, and the refresh rate of 120Hz guarantees that everything will move smoothly.

Particularly when I am viewing high-dynamic-range (HDR) video, such as the most recent teaser for Godzilla vs. Kong: The New Empire, I take pleasure in the way colors leap off the screen. The display’s ability to reproduce colors and the dramatic contrast between dark and bright parts all contribute to the fantastic appearance of vibrant games such as Doom Eternal and Cyberpunk 2077.

Display benchmarks

My personal experience in the lab is supported by our findings. There is a noticeable increase in brightness on the display of the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra while both SDR and HDR video are being viewed. In addition, the reproduction of colors and precision are also excellent. In spite of the fact that competing laptops have displays that are brighter and more vivid, the OLED technology makes everything appear absolutely amazing. I really doubt that the majority of people will find the display quality of the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra to be lacking.

Strong RTX performance

Our evaluation model for the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra comes equipped with 32GB of RAM, a 1TB solid-state drive, an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 processor. This laptop is capable of handling practically any difficult work, including (but not limited to) video editing and gaming, thanks to the strong components that it has. Without a doubt, it is able to do routine tasks without any problems.

One of the most significant competitors to the Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra is the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch series. In terms of size, both of these machines are luxury laptops that are designed for gamers and video programmers. The initial configurations of both devices are also within the same price range, with the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra costing $2,399, which is $100 cheaper than the computer that Apple is selling.

As of yet, we have not yet conducted an evaluation of the entry-level MacBook Pro 16-inch. As a result, we are contrasting the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra with the MacBook Pro M3 Pro, which is a 14-inch model that we just recently evaluated. When compared to the processor found in the 16-inch Pro model, the M3 Pro chip included in this laptop has a reduced total number of CPU and GPU cores. On the other hand, even this 14-inch device outperformed the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra in every single CPU test that we carried out. This should give you a sense of how Samsung’s laptop will perform in comparison to its direct competitor.

In spite of the fact that it is not promoted as a gaming laptop, the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra is capable of playing the finest PC games with great success when set to medium settings and 1080p resolution. The frame rate of Doom Eternal ranged from 35 to 44 frames per second when it was set to those settings. The frame rate of the game ranged from 45 to 66 frames per second when Nvidia DLSS was used to increase it. When the frame-boosting Intel XeSS option was activated, Cyberpunk 2077 maintained a frame rate that was in the low 30 frames per second range, but it lingered in the mid-50s.

As you can see in the image above, we discovered that the in-game benchmarks that we conducted on a few different games had quite positive results. As a matter of fact, it is sufficient to state that the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra offers outstanding performance.

Roomy keyboard

It should come as no surprise that I am similarly thrilled with the keyboard on the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra for the same reason that I was a huge admirer of the keyboard on the prior iteration. Considering that I generally prefer to use the finest mechanical keyboards rather than the membrane keyboard that is often seen on laptops, this is a really significant statement. Even from the perspective of a keyboard snob like me, the sensation of typing on Samsung’s laptop is pure delight.

The keys have a travel distance that is satisfactory and have a fair thickness. In addition, when they are squeezed, they provide a pleasing click. The vast size of the keyboard deck ensured that my hands never experienced any discomfort, even while I was writing for extended periods of time.

A touchpad that is among the largest I’ve ever seen is included in the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra, just as it was in its predecessor. The touchpad was so smooth and accurate that it never failed to detect my motions, and despite its size, I never accidentally touched it while I was typing. Although I would still want to use a touchpad, I would still prefer to use one of the finest wireless mouse. However, this one is fairly fantastic.

Battery life is exceptional

When it comes to a Windows laptop, we at Tom’s Guide consider a battery life of ten hours to be satisfactory, with twelve hours being considered to be quite impressive. Over the years, I have seen the battery life of new Windows laptop models deteriorate, and as a result, I was concerned that the same circumstance would occur with the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra, whose predecessor had a battery life of ten hours.

To our great relief, not only did Samsung’s laptop outperform the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra, but it also outperformed a number of contemporary personal computers running Windows.

Test results for the battery

The Galaxy Book 4 Ultra demonstrated an impressively long battery life of thirteen hours and nineteen minutes during Tom’s Guide’s battery test, which involved continuous web browsing at a brightness of 150 nits. Despite the fact that this is four hours less than the MacBook Pro M3 Pro that we tested, the fact that it can last for over thirteen and a half hours is rather impressive for a Windows laptop.

If you want to play games on the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra, you should be aware that the battery life will drastically decrease, falling to 2 hours and 27 minutes on the PCMark 10 gaming battery test. This is something that you should be aware of. In spite of this, the battery life of the best gaming laptops is around one hour longer than what we normally observe.

SAMSUNG GALAXY BOOK 4 ULTRA REVIEW: THE DOWNS

Despite my best efforts, I was unable to identify any issues with the Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra. It is almost ideal in every manner that matters when it comes to a Windows laptop laptop. Although there is a possible drawback, the fault in question could potentially be advantageous for those who are fans of Samsung.

The bloatware of Samsung

There are a variety of Samsung applications and functions that are already loaded on the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra. Included in this category are connection applications such as Samsung Multi operate, which enables you to operate your Galaxy smartphone using the keyboard and touchpad integrated into your laptop.

It is possible that these applications and features may be valuable to you if you have Samsung devices and are personally involved in the Samsung ecosystem. However, for the vast majority of users, including myself, these applications are essentially considered to be bloatware. Thankfully, you are able to disregard most of these applications; nevertheless, you will be urged to update them on a regular basis.

Due to the fact that you can still use the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra as a regular Windows laptop and disregard all of the Samsung applications, the inclusion of these applications is not a deal-breaker. On the other hand, having a large number of applications that I will never use seems like a waste of space and a pain to remove.

SAMSUNG GALAXY BOOK 4 ULTRA REVIEW: VERDICT

In the same vein as its predecessor, the new Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra is a powerful enough device to handle practically everything you can throw at it, including high-end gaming, video editing, and daily work. In addition to that, it is lightweight and thin enough to be carried about with you wherever you go, and it features a display that is a vibrant OLED. Additionally, let us not overlook the remarkable battery life that it has for a Windows 11 laptop.

Does the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra, which is equipped with an M3 Pro processor, pose a threat to the MacBook Pro 16-inch? It is the Apple laptop that comes out on top when it comes to overall performance and battery life. On the other hand, the Galaxy Book 4 Ultra is the superior option to go with if you are a gamer and want access to all of the games that are available for Windows machines. In contrast to the MacBook Pro, the Samsung laptop is equipped with a USB-A connector, which allows it to connect to older electronic equipment.

If you are searching for a Windows 11 laptop that exceeds all expectations in every way, the Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Ultra is an excellent option to consider, even if you do not have a preference for Samsung’s applications and capabilities. The “Ultra” label is well-deserved for this laptop, just as it was for the previous edition.

Pros

• Lightweight design
• Gorgeous 16-inch OLED display
• Powerful RTX performance
• Roomy keyboard
• Excellent battery life

Cons

• Samsung’s features might be superfluous to some users.