Samsung’s Galaxy Book Ion is an affordable laptop with an awesome display
A shared heritage
When I first walked up to try out the new Galaxy Book Ion, I right away noticed it’s stunning near edge-to-edge QLED display. Just like the Galaxy Book Flex, the colors of the default wallpaper on the laptop were brighter and more vibrant compared to the LED display on the older Notebook 9 sitting right next to it. The Ion even has the same “Outdoor mode” as the Flex, brightening its display up to 600 nits.
Both the 13-inch and 15-inch models come with this new screen, and the colors look just as brilliant on the Ion as it does on the Flex.
To my surprise, Samsung claims the same 20 hours of battery life and “Power Share” feature from the Flex was also here, and I happily tossed my phone on the large touchpad to have it wirelessly charge. With Samsung mentioning that this is a laptop that won’t break the bank, I was quite glad to see two of the flagship features on the cheaper alternative.
Unfortunately, what the Galaxy Book Ion lacks is a touch screen. That also means it isn’t compatible with the S Pen like the Flex. Considering that 13-inch laptops like the Surface Laptop 3 or Pixelbook Go all feature touch screens, that is a bit of a letdown. But, since this is the more affordable option, it is a sacrifice worth it for most.
