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Samsung has always had an impressive fleet of notebooks. It cracked the formula for ultrathin laptops well before the MacBook reinvented mobile computing. However, this brilliance often came with a price reaching upwards of $2,000. Now, the Notebook 9 offers a higher level of performance in the same slender form-factor at a fraction of the price.
We liked
With almost all Ultrabooks offering the same level of performance, one of the biggest differentiators is design - and the Notebook 9 is styling. While other laptops have gone for edgier looks, Samsung's 13-inch offering packs an impressive helping of curves.
Top that off with a gorgeous screen, speedy SSD,surprisingly loud speakers, a mighty competitive price, and the Notebook 9 puts forth a package that's tough to beat.
We disliked
I'm all for thinner machines, but not at the expense of battery life. The handful of micro-sized video ports are a minor annoyance, but there's no real fix for limited run times. If you're looking for something longer-lasting, you would be better served by the Asus ZenBook UX305.
Final verdict
At the end of the day, the Samsung Notebook 9 is a solid machine and is slightly more affordable than most Ultrabooks. Beyond that, it's a stand out rig that's lighter and thinner than most, while offering a gorgeous screen that can't be ignored. The Notebook 9's lower price also makes it more approachable than premium machines like the Dell XPS 13 or HP Spectre 13.
