Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus review - Engadget

Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus review


When Samsung first released the Series 9 in 2011, it quickly became one of our favorite laptops of the year. Then, once Intel threw its marketing weight behind Ultrabooks, it became our favorite Ultra. But the Series 9 was born in the Windows 7 era, and it became harder and harder to recommend as touchscreens became the standard. Now, though, we have the ATIV Book 9 Plus, the first truly flagship-level Ultrabook Samsung has released since Windows 8 came out.


As you'd expect, it trades in the Series 9's matte, anti-glare display for a touchscreen. What's more, though, Samsung also cranked up the resolution, retiring that old 1,600 x 900 panel in favor of a 3,200 x 1,800 one. And, of course, it steps up to a newer Haswell processor, which promises not just faster performance, but also longer battery life (not that endurance was a problem on the original). So is it still our favorite Ultrabook? Pretty much.



Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus review


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Look and feel


Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus review


We've met Samsung's laptop design team. It's led by some lovely, humble people, but we suspect that deep down, they know the same thing we know: that last year's Series 9 Ultrabook was a near-perfect product. So, content to let perfect dogs lie, the company more or less kept the same blueprint when it sat down to design this year's ATIV Book 9 Plus. This time around, it measures 0.54 inch thick, making it only a hair thicker than last year's model, which measured 0.5 inch (and which didn't have a touchscreen, we might add).


It also has generally the same shape, with a profile that tapers drastically toward the front, but widens near the hinge to make room for the various ports (two USB 3.0, micro-HDMI, mini-VGA, a headphone jack and a hidden SD slot). In the box, you'll find an Ethernet adapter as well. The machine is also comfortable to hold, and we're not even referring to the weight (more on that in a moment). Though the edges here look sharp, they're actually quite blunt, so it won't hurt to press your palms into them when you're carrying this thing with two hands.


The overall build quality is the same too. Like its predecessor, the ATIV Book 9 Plus is made of smooth aluminum, except the color, billed as "Mineral Ash Black," has a slightly bluish tint in some light, whereas last year's was a plain black affair. Between that and the subtle flourishes (a thin metal band around the trackpad, just one button on the keyboard deck), the entire machine has an understated, but still expensive feel to it. The only problem is -- and we complained about this last year -- is that despite having a matte finish, the aluminum picks up fingerprints quickly. Make sure to have a cloth in your desk drawer so that you can give the machine a rubdown every once in a while.


Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus review


All told, almost everything that feels different about the ATIV Book 9 Plus has to do with the addition of that touchscreen. There's the glossy screen, of course, which used to have a matte, anti-glare finish. And of course, there's the weight. Without a touchscreen, the old Series 9 weighed 2.55 pounds -- an astonishing spec, even for an Ultrabook. Thanks largely to the touchscreen, though, this new model comes in at 3.06 pounds. Now, before we get carried away, even that's pretty respectable for a touchscreen, 13-inch Ultrabook. But it does feel a lot heavier than we remember the Series 9 feeling. And besides, there are plenty of touchscreen ultraportables that manage to be even lighter than this.


There's one other change, and this one we can't blame on the touchscreen. In addition to adding its new SideSync software to Windows 8, Samsung slapped some conspicuous "SideSync" and "HomeSync Lite" branding on the device itself, over on the right side of the palm rest. What's annoying is that it's painted onto the aluminum, so it's there, staring back at you whether you like it or not. We would have much preferred a sticker we could peel off.


Keyboard and trackpad


Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus review


Just like the rest of the design, the keyboard is basically the same as on the last-gen Series 9. Once again, the buttons are well-spaced, with a pretty aquamarine backlight glowing from underneath. Be warned, though: they're also flat and shallow, with minimal travel. Don't get us wrong; they're still reasonably easy to type on, but we did suffer more dropped letters than on some other Ultrabooks we've tested recently. Type too quickly and you might have to go bak back and re-type a letter that didn't register the first time around.


One of the first things we noticed when we initially unboxed the ATIV Book 9 Plus is that the trackpad is much more reliable than the one we tested on the Series 9. The cursor actually went where it was supposed to, and multi-touch gestures like two-finger scrolls and pinch-to-zoom were also easy to pull off. After a little more time with the machine, we did notice that the pad has a bit more friction than we'd like. To the machine's credit, the cursor never went rogue and ended up on some random, unintended part of the page; we did suffer a bit of drag, though. There were also a few times when the trackpad mistook two-finger scrolls for a swipe in from the left, which caused us to inadvertently switch from one app to another. That was definitely more annoying than the slightly stubborn cursor.


Display and sound


Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus review



Even if you decided to downgrade the resolution to 1080p, you'd be left with a fantastic screen.



Adding a touchscreen to the Series 9 was clearly something of a compromise for Samsung: not only did it add noticeably to the weight, but it also meant Sammy had to move from a matte, anti-glare screen to a glossy one. Still, if you're under the impression Samsung swapped in a pedestrian display, we'll correct you now. With this generation, the company made 3,200 x 1,800 resolution standard -- a dramatic improvement over last year's model, which topped out at 1,600 x 900. We won't waste your time describing how it's noticeably sharper than the original, but we will add that it looks even sharper than a typical 1080p screen; yes, your eyes can probably tell the difference.


That increased acuity works great for certain desktop apps, like Word, and it also brings out the best in the colorful Windows Start Screen. That said, we'll make the same caveat we make any other time we review a laptop with a super-high-res screen: not all content has been optimized to look good on displays this sharp. With YouTube, for instance, videos look strange at full-screen, with the scrubber and buttons at the bottom all scaled way down. The effect is so terrible, it's funny.


Even if you decided to downgrade to 1080p, though, you'd be left with a fantastic screen. Though it's naturally more reflective than the matte panel that shipped on last year's model, there really are very few light artifacts here. At half-brightness, I could barely see my reflection in the screen while I typed; at full brightness, I couldn't see it at all. Speaking of the sort, the 350-nit brightness rating helps contribute to some great viewing angles from the side -- with the brightness turned all the way up, you should have no problem crowding around the laptop and watching a movie from slightly off to the side. What's nice is that the vertical viewing angles are great even at lower brightness settings. So, even if you're working on an airplane and want to conserve battery life by dimming the backlight, you'll still enjoy good contrast with the lid dipped forward.


Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus review


We honestly weren't expecting much in terms of sound: most Ultrabooks deliver tolerable quality at best and besides, Samsung hasn't exactly been making a big deal of the ATIV Book 9 Plus' audio chops. That may have been a mistake, though: the sound here is not just surprisingly loud, but surprisingly rich too. Most of the time, we had the volume set well below the median mark -- maybe at level 30 or 40 out of 100. What's more, the volume stays loud even when you place the laptop on a soft surface like a couch or a bed; the speakers' placement on the bottom side doesn't muffle sound as we feared it would. Really, the only reason we avoided the top setting is that it makes for an uncomfortably loud system when it's just you chilling by yourself in the home office. If you do crank the volume all the way up, though, you'll only have to suffer a minimal amount of distortion.


At lower volumes, it's even better -- dare I say, the best sound I've heard yet on an Ultrabook. Over an afternoon of listening to Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Simon and Garfunkel, Dusty Springfield, The Temptations and others, I often felt as if I were rediscovering my favorite songs; piano notes and drum beats pushed through the dual two-watt speakers more forcefully than I'm used to on other machines. In fact -- and no, I'm not trying to troll here -- I didn't want to go back to my MacBook Air for music-listening after trying out the speakers here.


Performance and battery life

























































PCMark73DMark063DMark11ATTO (top disk speeds)
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus (1.6GHz Core i5-4200U, Intel HD 4400)4,9735,611

E1,675 / P867 / X277


547 MB/s (reads); 508 MB/s (writes)
Acer Aspire S7-392 (1.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U, Intel HD 4400)5,1085,158

E1,724 / P952 / X298


975 MB/s (reads); 1.1GB/s (writes)
Sony VAIO Pro 13 (1.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U, Intel HD 4400)4,5024,413

E1,177 / P636 / X203


1.04 GB/s (reads); 479 MB/s (writes)
Sony VAIO Duo 13 (1.6GHz Core i5-4200U, Intel HD 4400)4,4406,047

E1,853 / P975 / X297


546 MB/s (reads); 139 MB/s (writes)
Sony VAIO Pro 11 (1.8GHz Core i7-4500U, Intel HD 4400)4,634N/A

E1,067 / P600 / X183


558 MB/s (reads); 255 MB/s (writes)
Dell XPS 12 (1.7GHz Core i5-3317U, Intel HD 4000)4,6734,520N/A516 MB/s (reads); 263 MB/s (writes)


The ATIV Book 9 Plus is available in just one configuration, and it rocks generally the same components as other Ultrabooks we've tested recently: a dual-core, Haswell-series Intel Core i5-4200U processor clocked at 1.6GHz, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. Accordingly, then, its benchmark scores land in the same ballpark as other machines with the same processor, including the Sony VAIO Pro 13, and the new Acer Aspire S7-392.


The one area where the ATIV Book 9 Plus falls short is in I/O speeds. All told, the Toshiba-made SSD (you read that right) notched average reads of 547 MB/s, with writes hovering around 508 MB/s. To be clear, we're not saying those speeds are slow. It's just that we've recently tested a string of machines that managed to hit or exceed speeds of 1GB per second, even on the write test, which is always harder. (Note: the Acer Aspire S7 has a RAID 0 setup, which has tradeoffs of its own, so we'll concede that's not a totally fair comparison.) At any rate, as we said, these speeds would have once been very impressive, but we can no longer say the Series 9 is a leader in this area. Which is surprising, since Samsung makes some of the fastest SSDs on the market. Maybe the company should have stuck to its own components here?


We will say this: the machine feels plenty fast in real-world use. Not only did I write my review on this laptop, but I wasted plenty of time on it too, keeping open tabs for Gmail, YouTube, Pandora and lots and lots of web searches. Switching from one app to another was easy, as was toggling between all those open tabs in Internet Explorer. At first, we thought the machine was in danger of overheating, as the bottom side and upper keyboard area got warm just six minutes into a YouTube video. The good news is that though it gets warm quickly, it doesn't get any hotter after that. Even after hours of use, complete with non-stop media streaming, the bottom stayed fairly lukewarm -- definitely cool enough to comfortably rest on my lap.


It's a similar story with fan noise. The ATIV Book 9 Plus pipes up quickly -- heck, it sometimes makes noise when it's sitting idle. But that noise never rises above a quiet sigh. In fact, we didn't even notice it until we paused Pandora and started to work without any background noise.












































































































Battery life


Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus 8:44
MacBook Air (13-inch, 2013)12:51
Sony VAIO Duo 139:40
Sony VAIO Pro 138:24
Acer Aspire S7-3927:33
Acer Iconia W7007:13
Sony VAIO Pro 116:41
Dell XPS 146:18
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 135:32
Dell XPS 12 (2012)5:30
ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31A Touch5:15
Toshiba Kirabook5:12
Toshiba Satellite U925t5:10
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix5:07 (tablet only) / 7:24 (with dock)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon5:07
Samsung ATIV Book 75:02
ASUS Transformer Book5:01 (tablet only)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch5:00
MSI Slidebook S204:34
Acer Aspire P34:33
Acer Aspire S7-3914:18
ASUS TAICHI 213:54
Microsoft Surface Pro3:46


Normally, when a company rates a laptop for a certain amount of battery life, we just assume we'll get a bit less runtime, especially since our tests involve taxing conditions (WiFi on, brightness at 65 percent, video looping off the local disk). In this case, though, Samsung seems to have given a conservative estimate: though it promises up to 7.5 hours of use, we actually managed eight hours and 44 minutes in our video rundown. As you'll see in the table above, that's a respectable showing for a Haswell machine. In fact, the Sony VAIO Pro 13 was only 20 minutes off in the same test.


Software and warranty


For all the apps it loads onto its new Galaxy phones, Samsung actually went easy with the bloatware on the ATIV Book 9 Plus. Here, we've got Bitcasa cloud storage, iHeartRadio, Netflix, a trial of Norton Internet Security and Adobe Photoshop Elements 11. As for Samsung apps, it's just S Player+, SPhotoStudio and Music Hub, all of which are basically exactly what they sound like.


HomeSync Lite lets you download and upload content between your PC and mobile devices. In total, you can add up to five user accounts, with six devices per user. The catch, though, is that you'll need the Samsung Link app installed on your phone and, uh, it's only available on Samsung handsets. So if you're using a Moto X, you can keep on trucking to the next section. Also -- and maybe this goes without saying -- you need to refrain from deleting HomeSync from your computer, even if it looks like bloatware; without the app installed on your PC, you can't use the service on your mobile devices either. SideSync, meanwhile, is for transferring files between your PC and Samsung phone, which you can do using either a cable or over a wireless connection.


The ATIV Book 9 Plus comes with a one-year warranty.


Configuration options and the competition


To reiterate: the ATIV Book 9 Plus is sold in just one configuration: a $1,400 model with a 1.6GHz Core i5-4200U processor, 4GB of RAM, integrated Intel HD 4400 graphics, a 3,200 x 1,800 screen and a 128GB SSD. So it's not configurable, but even worse, it's also not widely available: as of this writing, you can't buy it outside the US.


As you've probably gathered by now, we're rather fond of the ATIV Book 9 Plus, and would highly recommend it to anyone shopping around for a premium Ultrabook. That said, it's not the only excellent option out there. Below, you'll find a rundown of the competition. There's a lot to cover, so to keep things simple, we'll go in alphabetical order:



  • We've already mentioned the Acer Aspire S7 several times in this review. As the successor to the original S7, which came out last year, this new model steps up to Haswell processors and a larger battery capacity, leading to a serious improvement in runtime. Even then, it doesn't last quite as long as the ATIV Book 9 Plus in our tests, but its endurance (7.5 hours) is still more than acceptable. At 2.87 pounds, it's one of the lightest touchscreen, 13-inch Ultrabooks we know of, and it rivals the ATIV Book 9 Plus in thinness too. Its screen is lower-res, at 1080p, but in terms of overall quality (viewing angles, colors, et cetera) it's one of the best we've seen.

  • Longtime Windows users won't give Apple's MacBook Air a second look, but it's worth calling out for folks who are OS-agnostic. With this year's refresh, Apple mainly just swapped in Haswell processors and PCIe SSDs, with no changes to the exterior. That's not a bad thing, per se -- we still dig the unibody aluminum chassis and comfortable keyboard -- but the resolution is still stuck at 1,440 x 900 on the 13-inch version. The only thing excusing the mediocre screen is the battery life, which topped out at nearly 13 hours in our video rundown, with the next-best performer trailing hours behind.

  • It's not out yet, but ASUS' Zenbook UX301 is worth adding to your shortlist. With a 2,560 x 1,440 screen, it's one of a few Ultrabooks to push the envelope beyond 1080p -- and that list gets even shorter if you include only machines that are based on Haswell. In addition to the stunning IPS screen, the UX301 has a durable (and also beautiful) Gorilla Glass 3 lid. Thanks in part to that glass armor, the machine will weigh almost as much as the ATIV Book 9 Plus (3.04 pounds, to be exact). In exchange for the "heft," though, you at least get some promising performance: a Core i7 CPU, paired with optional discrete NVIDIA graphics.

  • We already liked the Dell XPS 12 for its sturdy build quality, attractive design and comfortable keyboard, and now it's even better: Dell recently refreshed it with Haswell CPUs, a bigger battery and an NFC sensor. The screen resolution is still the same, at 1,920 x 1,080, but then again, so is the price: at $1,200 with a 128GB SSD, it's a tad cheaper than other systems carrying similar specs.

  • Here's another one you might want to wait on. The Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro is the successor to the original Yoga 13, and in addition to being both thinner and lighter, it brings a much-sharper 3,200 x 1,800, 350-nit screen -- yep, just like on the ATIV Book 9 Plus. And at 3.06 pounds, it weighs the same as Samsung's offering too. And, as with the ASUS UX301, though, it's likely to be more configurable. Most importantly, however, the starting price is $1,100, which is considerably less expensive than what the Samsungs and Acers of the marketplace are selling.

  • Though we only did a full review of the 11-inch Sony VAIO Pro 11, we did spend some time benchmarking the 13-inch version, the Sony VAIO Pro 13 (see its results in the benchmark table in the performance section further up the page). With Haswell processors and PCIe SSDs, it manages to offer long battery life and transfer speeds in excess of 1GB per second. And, in the grand tradition of Sony's earlier Z-series laptops, it has a carbon fiber build that allows it to be remarkably lightweight -- just 2.34 pounds in this case. That's easily the lightest 13-inch touchscreen laptop on the market (maybe even the lightest 13-inch Ultrabook, period).

  • We're mainly including the Toshiba Kirabook on this list so that you know to stay away. With a 2,560 x 1,440 screen, the Kirabook was one of the first Ultrabooks to ship with something better than a 1080p screen. Still, Toshiba made the mistake of releasing it before Haswell came out, and to this day, it's stuck with last-gen Ivy Bridge processors. That's a real shame, given the lofty $1,600 starting price, and you're going to miss out on battery life because of it too. Oh, and adding insult to injury, that starting price doesn't even include a touchscreen. As if!


Wrap-up


Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus review


Samsung already had the best Ultrabook on the market, and it's managed to stay on top in 2013, even as its competitors have improved battery life and performance on their own models. Like its predecessor, the ATIV Book 9 Plus is impressively thin, with an understated design and sturdy build quality. And thanks to a sharp 3,200 x 1,800, low-glare screen and a current Haswell processor, it rises to the top in terms of both display quality and performance. Even the battery life, which isn't technically best in class, is still very good. It's a solid enough package that we can forgive its few flaws (the painted-on branding and the comparatively slow disk speeds). So, while there are some other excellent, similarly priced options out there, the ATIV Book 9 Plus is a fantastic option in its own right.


Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus review - Engadget

Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus review


When Samsung first released the Series 9 in 2011, it quickly became one of our favorite laptops of the year. Then, once Intel threw its marketing weight behind Ultrabooks, it became our favorite Ultra. But the Series 9 was born in the Windows 7 era, and it became harder and harder to recommend as touchscreens became the standard. Now, though, we have the ATIV Book 9 Plus, the first truly flagship-level Ultrabook Samsung has released since Windows 8 came out.


As you'd expect, it trades in the Series 9's matte, anti-glare display for a touchscreen. What's more, though, Samsung also cranked up the resolution, retiring that old 1,600 x 900 panel in favor of a 3,200 x 1,800 one. And, of course, it steps up to a newer Haswell processor, which promises not just faster performance, but also longer battery life (not that endurance was a problem on the original). So is it still our favorite Ultrabook? Pretty much.



Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus review


See all photos

19 Photos



Look and feel


Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus review


We've met Samsung's laptop design team. It's led by some lovely, humble people, but we suspect that deep down, they know the same thing we know: that last year's Series 9 Ultrabook was a near-perfect product. So, content to let perfect dogs lie, the company more or less kept the same blueprint when it sat down to design this year's ATIV Book 9 Plus. Similar to last year's model, this new specimen measures 0.54 inch thick, making it only a hair thicker than last year's model, which measured 0.5 inch (and which didn't have a touchscreen, we might add).


It also has generally the same shape, with a profile that tapers drastically toward the front, but widens near the hinge to make room for the various ports (two USB 3.0, micro-HDMI, mini-VGA, a headphone jack and a hidden SD slot). In the box, you'll find an Ethernet adapter as well. The machine is also comfortable to hold, and we're not even referring to the weight (more on that in a moment). Though the edges here look sharp, they're actually quite blunt, so it won't hurt to press your palms into them when you're carrying this thing with two hands.


The overall build quality is the same too. Like its predecessor, the ATIV Book 9 Plus is made of smooth aluminum, except the color, billed as "Mineral Ash Black," has a slightly bluish tint in some light, whereas last year's was a plain black affair. Between that and the subtle flourishes (a thin metal band around the trackpad, just one button on the keyboard deck), the entire machine has an understated, but still expensive feel to it. The only problem is -- and we complained about this last year -- is that despite having a matte finish, the aluminum picks up fingerprints quickly. Make sure to have a cloth in your desk drawer so that you can give the machine a rubdown every once in a while.


Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus review


All told, almost everything that feels different about the ATIV Book 9 Plus has to do with the addition of that touchscreen. There's the glossy screen, of course, which used to have a matte, anti-glare finish. And of course, there's the weight. Without a touchscreen, the old Series 9 weighed 2.55 pounds -- an astonishing spec, even for an Ultrabook. Thanks largely to the touchscreen, though, this new model comes in at 3.06 pounds. Now, before we get carried away, even that's pretty respectable for a touchscreen, 13-inch Ultrabook. But it does feel a lot heavier than we remember the Series 9 feeling. And besides, there are plenty of touchscreen ultraportables that manage to be even lighter than this.


There's one other change, and this one we can't blame on the touchscreen. In addition to adding its new SideSync software to Windows 8, Samsung slapped some conspicuous "SideSync" and "HomeSync Lite" branding on the device itself, over on the right side of the palm rest. What's annoying is that it's painted onto the aluminum, so it's there, staring back at you whether you like it or not. We would have much preferred a sticker we could peel off.


Keyboard and trackpad


Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus review


Just like the rest of the design, the keyboard is basically the same as on the last-gen Series 9. Once again, the buttons are well-spaced, with a pretty aquamarine backlight glowing from underneath. Be warned, though: they're also flat and shallow, with minimal travel. Don't get us wrong; they're still reasonably easy to type on, but we did suffer more dropped letters than on some other Ultrabooks we've tested recently. Type too quickly and you might have to go bak back and re-type a letter that didn't register the first time around.


One of the first things we noticed when we initially unboxed the ATIV Book 9 Plus is that the trackpad is much more reliable than the one we tested on the Series 9. The cursor actually went where it was supposed to, and multi-touch gestures like two-finger scrolls and pinch-to-zoom were also easy to pull off. After a little more time with the machine, we did notice that the pad has a bit more friction than we'd like. To the machine's credit, the cursor never went rogue and ended up on some random, unintended part of the page; we did suffer a bit of drag, though. There were also a few times when the trackpad mistook two-finger scrolls for a swipe in from the left, which caused us to inadvertently switch from one app to another. That was definitely more annoying than the slightly stubborn cursor.


Display and sound


Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus review



Even if you decided to downgrade the resolution to 1080p, you'd be left with a fantastic screen.



Adding a touchscreen to the Series 9 was clearly something of a compromise for Samsung: not only did it add noticeably to the weight, but it also meant Sammy had to move from a matte, anti-glare screen to a glossy one. Still, if you're under the impression Samsung swapped in a pedestrian display, we'll correct you now. With this generation, the company made 3,200 x 1,800 resolution standard -- a dramatic improvement over last year's model, which topped out at 1,600 x 900. We won't waste your time describing how it's noticeably sharper than the original, but we will add that it looks even sharper than a typical 1080p screen; yes, your eyes can probably tell the difference.


That increased acuity works great for certain desktop apps, like Word, and it also brings out the best in the colorful Windows Start Screen. That said, we'll make the same caveat we make any other time we review a laptop with a super-high-res screen: not all content has been optimized to look good on displays this sharp. With YouTube, for instance, videos look strange at full-screen, with the scrubber and buttons at the bottom all scaled way down. The effect is so terrible, it's funny.


Even if you decided to downgrade to 1080p, though, you'd be left with a fantastic screen. Though it's naturally more reflective than the matte panel that shipped on last year's model, there really are very few light artifacts here. At half-brightness, I could barely see my reflection in the screen while I typed; at full brightness, I couldn't see it at all. Speaking of the sort, the 350-nit brightness rating helps contribute to some great viewing angles from the side -- with the brightness turned all the way up, you should have no problem crowding around the laptop and watching a movie from slightly off to the side. What's nice is that the vertical viewing angles are great even at lower brightness settings. So, even if you're working on an airplane and want to conserve battery life by dimming the backlight, you'll still enjoy good contrast with the lid dipped forward.


Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus review


We honestly weren't expecting much in terms of sound: most Ultrabooks deliver tolerable quality at best and besides, Samsung hasn't exactly been making a big deal of the ATIV Book 9 Plus' audio chops. That may have been a mistake, though: the sound here is not just surprisingly loud, but surprisingly rich too. Most of the time, we had the volume set well below the median mark -- maybe at level 30 or 40 out of 100. What's more, the volume stays loud even when you place the laptop on a soft surface like a couch or a bed; the speakers' placement on the bottom side doesn't muffle sound as we feared it would. Really, the only reason we avoided the top setting is that it makes for an uncomfortably loud system when it's just you chilling by yourself in the home office. If you do crank the volume all the way up, though, you'll only have to suffer a minimal amount of distortion.


At lower volumes, it's even better -- dare I say, the best sound I've heard yet on an Ultrabook. Over an afternoon of listening to Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Simon and Garfunkel, Dusty Springfield, The Temptations and others, I often felt as if I were rediscovering my favorite songs; piano notes and drum beats pushed through the dual two-watt speakers more forcefully than I'm used to on other machines. In fact -- and no, I'm not trying to troll here -- I didn't want to go back to my MacBook Air for music-listening after trying out the speakers here.


Performance and battery life

























































PCMark73DMark063DMark11ATTO (top disk speeds)
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus (1.6GHz Core i5-4200U, Intel HD 4400)4,9735,611

E1,675 / P867 / X277


547 MB/s (reads); 508 MB/s (writes)
Acer Aspire S7-392 (1.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U, Intel HD 4400)5,1085,158

E1,724 / P952 / X298


975 MB/s (reads); 1.1GB/s (writes)
Sony VAIO Pro 13 (1.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U, Intel HD 4400)4,5024,413

E1,177 / P636 / X203


1.04 GB/s (reads); 479 MB/s (writes)
Sony VAIO Duo 13 (1.6GHz Core i5-4200U, Intel HD 4400)4,4406,047

E1,853 / P975 / X297


546 MB/s (reads); 139 MB/s (writes)
Sony VAIO Pro 11 (1.8GHz Core i7-4500U, Intel HD 4400)4,634N/A

E1,067 / P600 / X183


558 MB/s (reads); 255 MB/s (writes)
Dell XPS 12 (1.7GHz Core i5-3317U, Intel HD 4000)4,6734,520N/A516 MB/s (reads); 263 MB/s (writes)


The ATIV Book 9 Plus is available in just one configuration, and it rocks generally the same components as other Ultrabooks we've tested recently: a dual-core, Haswell-series Intel Core i5-4200U processor clocked at 1.6GHz, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. Accordingly, then, its benchmark scores land in the same ballpark as other machines with the same processor, including the Sony VAIO Pro 13, and the new Acer Aspire S7-392.


The one area where the ATIV Book 9 Plus falls short is in I/O speeds. All told, the Toshiba-made SSD (you read that right) notched average reads of 547 MB/s, with writes hovering around 508 MB/s. To be clear, we're not saying those speeds are slow. It's just that we've recently tested a string of machines that managed to hit or exceed speeds of 1GB per second, even on the write test, which is always harder. (Note: the Acer Aspire S7 has a RAID 0 setup, which has tradeoffs of its own, so we'll concede that's not a totally fair comparison.) At any rate, as we said, these speeds would have once been very impressive, but we can no longer say the Series 9 is a leader in this area. Which is surprising, since Samsung makes some of the fastest SSDs on the market. Maybe the company should have stuck to its own components here?


We will say this: the machine feels plenty fast in real-world use. Not only did I write my review on this laptop, but I wasted plenty of time on it too, keeping open tabs for Gmail, YouTube, Pandora and lots and lots of web searches. Switching from one app to another was easy, as was toggling between all those open tabs in Internet Explorer. At first, we thought the machine was in danger of overheating, as the bottom side and upper keyboard area got warm just six minutes into a YouTube video. The good news is that though it gets warm quickly, it doesn't get any hotter after that. Even after hours of use, complete with non-stop media streaming, the bottom stayed fairly lukewarm -- definitely cool enough to comfortably rest on my lap.


It's a similar story with fan noise. The ATIV Book 9 Plus pipes up quickly -- heck, it sometimes makes noise when it's sitting idle. But that noise never rises above a quiet sigh. In fact, we didn't even notice it until we paused Pandora and started to work without any background noise.












































































































Battery life


Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus 8:44
MacBook Air (13-inch, 2013)12:51
Sony VAIO Duo 139:40
Sony VAIO Pro 138:24
Acer Aspire S7-3927:33
Acer Iconia W7007:13
Sony VAIO Pro 116:41
Dell XPS 146:18
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 135:32
Dell XPS 12 (2012)5:30
ASUS Zenbook Prime UX31A Touch5:15
Toshiba Kirabook5:12
Toshiba Satellite U925t5:10
Lenovo ThinkPad Helix5:07 (tablet only) / 7:24 (with dock)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon5:07
Samsung ATIV Book 75:02
ASUS Transformer Book5:01 (tablet only)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch5:00
MSI Slidebook S204:34
Acer Aspire P34:33
Acer Aspire S7-3914:18
ASUS TAICHI 213:54
Microsoft Surface Pro3:46


Normally, when a company rates a laptop for a certain amount of battery life, we just assume we'll get a bit less runtime, especially since our tests involve taxing conditions (WiFi on, brightness at 65 percent, video looping off the local disk). In this case, though, Samsung seems to have given a conservative estimate: though it promises up to 7.5 hours of use, we actually managed eight hours and 44 minutes in our video rundown. As you'll see in the table above, that's a respectable showing for a Haswell machine. In fact, the Sony VAIO Pro 13 was only 20 minutes off in the same test.


Software and warranty


For all the apps it loads onto its new Galaxy phones, Samsung actually went easy with the bloatware on the ATIV Book 9 Plus. Here, we've got Bitcasa cloud storage, iHeartRadio, Netflix, a trial of Norton Internet Security and Adobe Photoshop Elements 11. As for Samsung apps, it's just S Player+, SPhotoStudio and Music Hub, all of which are basically exactly what they sound like.


HomeSync Lite lets you download and upload content between your PC and mobile devices. In total, you can add up to five user accounts, with six devices per user. The catch, though, is that you'll need the Samsung Link app installed on your phone and, uh, it's only available on Samsung handsets. So if you're using a Moto X, you can keep on trucking to the next section. Also -- and maybe this goes without saying -- you need to refrain from deleting HomeSync from your computer, even if it looks like bloatware; without the app installed on your PC, you can't use the service on your mobile devices either. SideSync, meanwhile, is for transferring files between your PC and Samsung phone, which you can do using either a cable or over a wireless connection.


The ATIV Book 9 Plus comes with a one-year warranty.


Configuration options and the competition


To reiterate: the ATIV Book 9 Plus is sold in just one configuration: a $1,400 model with a 1.6GHz Core i5-4200U processor, 4GB of RAM, integrated Intel HD 4400 graphics, a 3,200 x 1,800 screen and a 128GB SSD. So it's not configurable, but even worse, it's also not widely available: as of this writing, you can't buy it outside the US.


As you've probably gathered by now, we're rather fond of the ATIV Book 9 Plus, and would highly recommend it to anyone shopping around for a premium Ultrabook. That said, it's not the only excellent option out there. Below, you'll find a rundown of the competition. There's a lot to cover, so to keep things simple, we'll go in alphabetical order:



  • We've already mentioned the Acer Aspire S7 several times in this review. As the successor to the original S7, which came out last year, this new model steps up to Haswell processors and a larger battery capacity, leading to a serious improvement in runtime. Even then, it doesn't last quite as long as the ATIV Book 9 Plus in our tests, but its endurance (7.5 hours) is still more than acceptable. At 2.87 pounds, it's one of the lightest touchscreen, 13-inch Ultrabooks we know of, and it rivals the ATIV Book 9 Plus in thinness too. Its screen is lower-res, at 1080p, but in terms of overall quality (viewing angles, colors, et cetera) it's one of the best we've seen.

  • Longtime Windows users won't give Apple's MacBook Air a second look, but it's worth calling out for folks who are OS-agnostic. With this year's refresh, Apple mainly just swapped in Haswell processors and PCIe SSDs, with no changes to the exterior. That's not a bad thing, per se -- we still dig the unibody aluminum chassis and comfortable keyboard -- but the resolution is still stuck at 1,440 x 900 on the 13-inch version. The only thing excusing the mediocre screen is the battery life, which topped out at nearly 13 hours in our video rundown, with the next-best performer trailing hours behind.

  • It's not out yet, but ASUS' Zenbook UX301 is worth adding to your shortlist. With a 2,560 x 1,440 screen, it's one of a few Ultrabooks to push the envelope beyond 1080p -- and that list gets even shorter if you include only machines that are based on Haswell. In addition to the stunning IPS screen, the UX301 has a durable (and also beautiful) Gorilla Glass 3 lid. Thanks in part to that glass armor, the machine will weigh almost as much as the ATIV Book 9 Plus (3.04 pounds, to be exact). In exchange for the "heft," though, you at least get some promising performance: a Core i7 CPU, paired with optional discrete NVIDIA graphics.

  • We already liked the Dell XPS 12 for its sturdy build quality, attractive design and comfortable keyboard, and now it's even better: Dell recently refreshed it with Haswell CPUs, a bigger battery and an NFC sensor. The screen resolution is still the same, at 1,920 x 1,080, but then again, so is the price: at $1,200 with a 128GB SSD, it's a tad cheaper than other systems carrying similar specs.

  • Here's another one you might want to wait on. The Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro is the successor to the original Yoga 13, and in addition to being both thinner and lighter, it brings a much-sharper 3,200 x 1,800, 350-nit screen -- yep, just like on the ATIV Book 9 Plus. And at 3.06 pounds, it weighs the same as Samsung's offering too. And, as with the ASUS UX301, though, it's likely to be more configurable. Most importantly, however, the starting price is $1,100, which is considerably less expensive than what the Samsungs and Acers of the marketplace are selling.

  • Though we only did a full review of the 11-inch Sony VAIO Pro 11, we did spend some time benchmarking the 13-inch version, the Sony VAIO Pro 13 (see its results in the benchmark table in the performance section further up the page). With Haswell processors and PCIe SSDs, it manages to offer long battery life and transfer speeds in excess of 1GB per second. And, in the grand tradition of Sony's earlier Z-series laptops, it has a carbon fiber build that allows it to be remarkably lightweight -- just 2.34 pounds in this case. That's easily the lightest 13-inch touchscreen laptop on the market (maybe even the lightest 13-inch Ultrabook, period).

  • We're mainly including the Toshiba Kirabook on this list so that you know to stay away. With a 2,560 x 1,440 screen, the Kirabook was one of the first Ultrabooks to ship with something better than a 1080p screen. Still, Toshiba made the mistake of releasing it before Haswell came out, and to this day, it's stuck with last-gen Ivy Bridge processors. That's a real shame, given the lofty $1,600 starting price, and you're going to miss out on battery life because of it too. Oh, and adding insult to injury, that starting price doesn't even include a touchscreen. As if!


Wrap-up


Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus review


Samsung already had the best Ultrabook on the market, and it's managed to stay on top in 2013, even as its competitors have improved battery life and performance on their own models. Like its predecessor, the ATIV Book 9 Plus is impressively thin, with an understated design and sturdy build quality. And thanks to a sharp 3,200 x 1,800, low-glare screen and a current Haswell processor, it rises to the top in terms of both display quality and performance. Even the battery life, which isn't technically best in class, is still very good. It's a solid enough package that we can forgive its few flaws (the painted-on branding and the comparatively slow disk speeds). So, while there are some other excellent, similarly priced options out there, the ATIV Book 9 Plus is a fantastic option in its own right.


Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite Video Review - MobileTechReview.com







The Samsung Series 9, now rechristened as the ATIV Book 9, is Samsung's top of the line series of Ultrabooks. These machines are incredibly light and thin, with finely honed aluminum casings and great attention to detail. The higher end models have full HD to an even higher 3200 x 1800 resolution displays and backlit keyboards. So Samsung changed things up with the ATIV Book 9 Lite, an affordable (relative to Samsung ATIV and Series 9 prices) Ultrabook.

Since the company has lower end models like the (formerly "Series") ATIV Book 3, ATIV Book 5 and ATIV Book 7, we were surprised. But Samsung told us that they believe some frugal buyers want the ATIV Book 9 experience, particularly the good looks and light design, and so the ATIV Book 9 Lite was born. From a branding and marketing perspective, I suspect that Samsung has muddied the ATIV Book 9 line. From a consumer perspective, for $799 you get a very attractive, slim Ultrabook with an SSD drive and stylish lines. But is that enough to make it an ATIV Book 9?



The 9 Lite makes some concessions to drop the price tag relative to the $1,399 ATIV Book 9 Plus. In fact, unlike the ATIV Book 7 and ATIV Book 5, it has a gloss plastic lid rather than metal, and the bottom cover is also plastic. The Intel Core CPUs have been replaced by a 1GHz quad core AMD A6 APU (AMD's name for their CPU + integrated GPU) and the display resolution is lower at 1366 x 768. The laptop has 4 gigs of RAM (not upgradable), a Samsung SSD, single rather than dual band WiFi 802.11n and Bluetooth 4.0.



Is the Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite packed with enough style to tempt you to spend $800? Watch our video review to find out.



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Lisa Gade

Editor in Chief, MobileTechReview



Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus im Test: Mehr als nur Retina - Futurezone

The PenTile RG-BW LCD display on the new Note - Android Authority

By using clear subpixels, Samsung managed to make the display of the new Note 10.1 more power efficient without sacrificing brightness.



Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition)


The new Note 10.1 2014 Edition is a sleek piece of gear. We saw it at IFA last week and we loved its super crisp display and thin profile, and then there’s the S Pen and all the creative things that you can do with it.


With its faux leather finish, the new Note 10.1 looks pretty smart on the outside, but its innards are just as intelligent. Among them is the 10.1-inch LCD display, which according to industry sources cited by the Korean news portal DDaily, uses 30 percent less power than regular LCD screens of the same size, thanks to its RG-BW subpixel arrangement.


Quick explanation: unlike AMOLED screens, which are self-illuminating, LCD displays have a backlight, which is a usually a white LED. To show all the pretty colors our eyes can discern, the light goes through an array of pixels, each of them made up of several subpixels. Generally, LCD panels have three kinds of subpixels for the three basic colors – red, green, and blue. Simply put, each kind of subpixel absorbs two of the colors (actually light of different wavelengths) and lets the third one go through. This is how colors are formed.


The problem is a lot of the backlight is absorbed and turned to heat, and thus wasted.


To allow more light through, Samsung added a “white” subpixel to the arrangement, though a better term would be “clear”. This subpixel doesn’t absorb light like the other three types and serves to increase brightness, especially when it comes to displaying the white backgrounds that are prevalent on the Web.


RG-bw lcd pentile


Typically, each pixel on an RGB LCD display is made of three stripes of equal size of the three colored subpixels. In the Note 10.1 2014, the setup is a little different: each pixel is made of just two subpixels: either a red and a green one, or a blue and a white one. This accommodates the fourth clear subpixel, but it also increases the size of the subpixels allowing more light through. This is a subpixel arrangement called PenTile, and is typically used by Samsung on AMOLED panels. An earlier device that came with a PenTile RG-BW LCD display was the 2011 Motorola Atrix.



30% less power, 1.5X brightness



Thanks to the white subpixel and the PenTile arrangement, the Note 10.1 2014 Edition’s display can output 1.5 times more brightness than a typical RGB display. In fact, according to DDaily’s report, the technology allows for a 30 percent decrease in power consumption, which is very substantial, especially for a 10-inch device. That gives us hope for some extra long battery life in the new Note 10.1, which we’ll definitely test when we get for review.


Another interesting tidbit that we’ve learned from the report is that Samsung will use the same PenTile RG-BW LCD technology in a 13.3-inch device coming sometime next year. The Ativ Q matches the description, though gossip has it that Samsung delayed or cancelled the project due to patent issues.






ATIV S Neo Written Review - PhoneDog



There aren't a lot of Windows Phone-based devices available for purchase these days. Whatever the reason, the selection of devices has dropped quite a bit over the last year or so. Not that there were ever very many to choose from, it's certainly noticeable that your options have been severely limited. Of course, that may not be a bad thing.


With fewer choices, there's a chance that it could mean the selection that is available is just a bit more high-end, just a bit more "premium." After all, if there are only a small amount on the market, they would probably all be clamoring for the top of the ladder, right? To be "the best of the best" when it comes to Windows Phone.


Samsung's got the Android market covered. They have some of the most popular devices available for Google's mobile OS, and so it's no surprise that they'd venture out to carry Microsoft's platform as well. Samsung's no stranger to Windows Phone, so the question of whether or not the company can continue their powerful dominance on another platform is only logical.


Can they do it with the ATIV S Neo? Let's find out.


Design and Features



For bette or worse, there is absolutely no denying that the ATIV S Neo is a Samsung device. It's plastic, almost slippery, and still manages to feel great in the hand. As usual, the button placement on the side of the device fits well, whether you're a left- or right-handed individual. Admittedly, while it feels sturdy enough in-hand, there was some moderate creaking of the plastic shell from time to time, which can't be counted against it too badly, considering Sprint isn't selling this at a high-end price point.


Not that the ATIV S Neo is a slacker in the specifications department, but we'll get to that.


The design here is familiar, but that isn't a bad thing. The ATIV S Neo is dominated by a 4.77-inch (4.8) 720p HD display, with a pixel per inch count around 308. Right above the display you'll get your first look at a Samsung logo, with the speaker grille placed just above that. Off near the top-right corner is the 1.2MP front-facing camera. Below the touchscreen panel, there's the Windows Phone standard Back and Search buttons, which --as usual-- are of the capacitive kind. Between those, Samsung slightly tweaked the physical Home button they've made so famous on their Android-based devices, and placed the Windows logo on a button that's slightly raised from the face of the device. It's easily found with just a quick slide of your finger, and it offers plenty of travel and feedback.


It doesn't light up, though, like the other two buttons, which is just strange, and makes no sense. Why you wouldn't want to find the Windows key in the dark is beyond me, but that's what Samsung wanted to go with, apparently.


On the bottom edge you'll find the single microUSB port. Moving along the right side, you've got the physical camera button, as well as the Power button closer to the middle than the top corner. Both buttons offer plenty of travel and feedback, and are easy to find with just a wandering finger. Along the top, only the 3.5mm audio jack makes an appearance. And finally, along the left, you've got the single plastic key that functions as the volume rocker. Unsurprisingly, it, too, is easy to find with it being just raised slightly from the edge of the device.


On the back you've got the single LED flash resting next to the 8-megapixel camera at the center-top. Just to the right of that you'll find the speaker. Below the camera is another Samsung logo, obviously just for good measure, and then near the bottom you'll find the standard Windows Phone logo.


The ATIV S Neo is comfortable in the hand, more so when you get over the feeling that it might slip out of your grasp if you aren't careful. The 4.8-inch display size is almost perfect in this reviewer's eyes, and the overall weight of the phone isn't too heavy, but it's not too light, either. It's not the thinnest phone on the market, either, but that just adds to the sturdy feel of the device while in the hand.


It's not the most pronounced design, especially in the Windows Phone market, but Samsung's design aesthetic doesn't do it any injustices, either. It's a plastic phone that feels great in the hand, and doesn't feel like it will break at any moment. Plus, the display is gorgeous, especially with Windows Phone's colored Live Tiles.


Usability and Performance



The ATIV S Neo is running the newest version of Windows Phone 8 that's available for public consumption. It's quick, stable, and responsive. The argument for whether or not Windows Phone needs to have the latest and greatest in the specifications department, primarily focused on new-fangled quad-core processors, is still up in the air for general discussion, but considering we see so many "high-end" Windows Phone devices run so well on dual-core processors clocked moderately high should paint a pretty clear picture.


Not that anyone is not anticipating the GDR3 software upgrade, which will allow support for 1080p HD displays and quad-core processors, mind you.


Overall performance with the ATIV S Neo is as good as it gets, but in all of the latest generation Windows Phone devices, the stability and performance has been fantastic. In all honesty, the only way the ATIV S Neo was going to stand out in this department is if it didn't perform well. That's not the case, though. Switching between applications is smooth as you'd want it to be, and playing games like Jetpack Joyride was calm and without lag or hiccups.


As far as under-the-hood specs are concerned, we're looking at a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, with 1GB of RAM. You've got 16GB of built-in storage out of the gate, but you can throw in a microSD card if you find yourself running out of space (up to a 64GB card). The battery is measured up to 2,000mAh. None of the specs will blow you out of the water, even compared to other Windows Phone-based devices on the market, but it's also more than good enough.


Samsung has done what other companies, like HTC and Nokia, have done in their efforts to customize Windows Phone and just added certain applications to make the device stand out against the competition. Thanks to Microsoft's ground rules for the platform, companies can't change all that much, so these apps are really the only shot they have.


In the case of Samsung, and what's present on the ATIV S Neo, you'll find things like Samsung Link, which lets you share and play content across smart devices. They've also got Now and MangaCamera. They've got their version of S Note (which you can find on their Android devices, like the Galaxy Note 3), which is called MiniDiary.


And then I found 'Live Wallpaper,' and I couldn't help but give that a try. We've grown accustomed to live wallpapers over the years, thanks to Android (and now that iOS has jumped on board, too), so I couldn't help but want to find out what it could possibly mean on a Windows Phone device. Sadly, it doesn't really mean anything. It just changes your lockscreen wallpaper. The only real difference is that you can select up to 100 images at a time, and the "feature" will change those images randomly every time you activate the lock screen. Not really a live wallpaper, but I imagine that's probably as close as you can get on a Windows Phone.


The 2,000mAh battery may not sound all that big, but I didn't have any trouble getting through a whole day of usage with the ATIV S Neo. That includes listening to music throughout the majority of the day, with plenty of emails, text messages, and even a few calls. Speaking of which, the ATIV S Neo got moderately good service everywhere I went in and around Phoenix. The calls I made and received were clear enough, and no one said I sounded like a robot, which is a good thing.


This brings up another Samsung-based software extra, which you can find in the "extra settings" menu option. Once there, you can find the "Echo cancellation" slider. If you turn it on, Samsung says it will improve the voice quality on a phone call. I turned this on and off more times than I can count, and while it may just be me, I never saw a difference in call quality. And neither did the folks I tested it with. That could just be speaking volumes about the overall quality of the hardware itself.


The stock keyboard on the ATIV S Neo, just like any other Windows Phone device, is amazing, responsive and accurate.



Finally, the ATIV S Neo's 8MP camera. To put it lightly, the camera is definitely not the best one available on the market, nor is it even close. While in good lighting, without much glare or interference at all, it takes marginally decent photos. In low-light situations, the results aren't spectacular in the slightest. The single LED flash just washes out some images.


Conclusion



The ATIV S Neo has been available for a little while now, but frankly it's still one of the only options for Sprint subscribers to pick up a Windows Phone option, so it's good to see that both Samsung and Sprint can price it accordingly. The ATIV S Neo isn't a high-end device, and it's not meant to be considered one, either. It feels good in the hand, takes only decent photos, but gets plenty of battery throughout the day, so I can safely say it's a great mid-range device for anyone looking to spend only around $50 for their new phone.


If one thing is clear to me with the ATIV S Neo, it's that Samsung is simply running the bases here with their Windows Phone-based offerings. They aren't trying to sweep up the market, and take on the obvious reigning champ in the space, Nokia. Why? Who knows. But the ATIV S Neo is obviously not the Galaxy S 4 of the Windows Phone mobile ecosystem. Not by a long shot.


The Verdict


The Good: Sharp and crisp display; long battery life; perfect display size; Samsung-only apps, like MiniDiary;


The Bad: Plastic, slippery physical design; Mediocre cameras.


The Verdict: If you're on Sprint and you want to give Windows Phone a shot, then there is no doubt in my mind that the ATIV S Neo is the way to go. It's display is sharp and nice to look at, while also benefiting from being almost the perfect size. It's sturdy, even if it is plastic. And, for only $50, it fits the bill perfectly. It may not be the highest of high-end devices for Windows Phone, but it was never meant to be. If you're looking to get your hands on Windows Phone and not looking to jump carriers, you can't get much better than the ATIV S Neo.




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Samsung ATIV S Neo Written... - Image Gallery


Mit dem Ativ Q wollte Samsung neue Maßstäbe setzen: Mit ... - Ad-Hoc-News (Pressemitteilung)

Mit dem Ativ Q wollte Samsung neue Maßstäbe setzen: ...


Samsung Ativ Q: Ultrabook mit XXL-Auflösung kommt nicht Mit dem Ativ Q wollte Samsung neue Maßstäbe setzen: Mit einer Display-Auflösung von 3.200 x 1.800 Pixel bei 13,3-Zoll-Diagonale hängt das ATIV Q selbst das MacBook Pro Retina von Apple ab.


Samsung ATIV Q release possibility, but not this year - Phones Review

Samsung ATIV Q release a possibility, but not in 2013


We have been seeing various manufactures trying to come up with mobile devices that offer something a little different from the competition. The Samsung ATIV Q is one such device although it seems to be having some issues while a release is still a possibility but not this year according to reports.


Samsung proudly unveiled the hybrid tablet PC the ATIV Q back in June which will run both the Windows and Android operating systems at the same time, but it seems according to reports that the company may have run into some patent issues that even led to talk of the device being scrapped.


Now a new report is stating that Samsung has not cancelled the device altogether but the ATIV Q won’t be released until sometime next year. It is not known if the Samsung ATIV Q will have been taken back to the drawing board to overcome any patent infringements.


This news if accurate could mean that the device will see a complete redesign before being released next year, or Samsung may be trying to come to sort of financial agreement with any companies that may be involved in a patent dispute before launching the product.


Either way it will lead to some disappointment among the many that liked the look of the device when it was launched running Windows 8 and Android 4.2.2 side by side.


Were you planning on getting the Samsung ATIV Q?


Source: AllAboutSamsung via Google Translate.





Samsung Galaxy S4 Spotted Running on Tizen 3.0 OS, Images Leaked Online - International Business Times AU


Samsung may still have plans of pushing through and further developing the Tizen software. Recently leaked images show the Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone running on the Tizen 3.0 mobile operating system.






Photo Credit: crave.cnet.co.uk


The leaked images show the handset's UI look comparable to that of Nokia's Windows Phone live tiles layout. Additionally, the general look with its colour variations and notifications offer a hint of the Android OS crossed with Apple's iOS 7 found on its iPhones and iPads.


The AndroidBeat report gave a brief description on how the Tizen software was developed. The report reads: "Nokia and Intel were both working on their own respective Linux based mobile operating systems. Nokia had Maemo, Intel had Moblin. The two decided to merge their efforts and give birth to a new OS called MeeGo. Nokia then got a new CEO, who pulled the plug on MeeGo, so Samsung took Nokia's place and decided to rename the OS Tizen."




According to the UnwiredView report, the plan is to run the Tizen software on all of the Samsung devices in the near future. It includes televisions and other devices like mobile phones and laptops so that they will have a seamless crossover now that the South Korean technology giant tries to work towards the dual-OS devices such as the ATIV Q.


For the time being, this appears to be a trial platform for the Samsung software engineers. Tizen 2.0 is currently the Samsung OS version and the Tizen 3.0 is reportedly due for launch in early 2014.


However, Samsung's first Tizen smartphone is not expected to be unveiled until 2014. Previous reports claimed that the Tizen phone to be unveiled will sport a 720p screen display and a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.


Other reports suggest that the Tizen phone may not be given a big shove to be released soon since Samsung's Android devices are already doing well plus the new Galaxy Gear launches with the Android compatibility. Android has been helpful in making Samsung one of the biggest smartphone manufacturers with its wide range of Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets.


More Tech Articles to Read:


Samsung Galaxy S4: Mophie Juice Pack Battery Case Offers Additional Power and Protection - [READ]


HTC One Mini Heads to Australia with Release Date at Telstra on September 17 and Vodafone in Early October - [READ]


Nokia Lumia 1520: Upcoming Nokia Phablet 'Bandit' Image Leaked Online - [READ]


To contact the editor, e-mail:






Microsoft's Surface Problem Has Nothing to Do With Hardware - DailyFinance

Microsoft is planning to showcase its second-generation Surface tablets on September 23. Early reports indicate that the Windows-maker has not significantly altered the Surface, instead planning a modest improvement of the device's internals.


This might seem surprising -- the original Surface was a failure; in fact, Microsoft took a $900 million writedown on the tablet, as it had not sold as well as the company had expected.


Yet, the Surface's problems do not stem from its hardware -- rather, Windows continued lack of mobile apps puts it at a disadvantage to its tablet rivals.


The Surface's failure

To date, the Surface has unquestionably been a failure. From its launch last October through the end of June, Microsoft sold an estimated 1.7 million Surface tablets. Over that same period, Apple sold 57 million iPads.


Why such a discrepancy? Admittedly, that figure includes the iPad Mini, of which Microsoft has no direct competitor, but the full-size iPad is still many times more popular than the Surface, even though they were (until recently) priced roughly the same.


The Surface even includes features the iPad lacks, like a USB port, built-in kickstand, and specially designed keyboard cover. And don't forget Office, Microsoft's ubiquitous productivity software suite.


Windows 8 lacks mobile apps

Nevertheless, these features pale in comparison to the iPad's big advantage -- its app ecosystem. iOS remains the premiere mobile operating system among developers, and the iPad in particular has a bevy of apps made for it specifically.


Windows 8, on the other hand, continues to lack many major mobile apps, including Instagram, Pinterest, and HBO Go. Not to mention hit games like Candy Crush and Plants vs. Zombies -- an important category, given how much time tablet owners spend playing games.


As long as Windows lags in apps, hardware simply doesn't matter. Microsoft's recent decision to slash the Surface's price by $150 gives it an advantage over the iPad in terms of price, but the iPad still represents better value to most consumers.


Android tablets are starting to gain steam
But comparing the Surface to the iPad, as Microsoft has been eager to do, might be the wrong idea. Although Apple remains the single most dominant individual tablet maker, tablets powered by Google's Android are just starting to hit their stride.


Android-powered smartphones surpassed the iPhone in terms of marketshare back in 2011, but it wasn't until this year that Android-powered tablets began to overwhelm the iPad. There are now numerous capable Android tablets on the market, like Google's own Nexus 7, and Sony's waterproof Xperia Z, in addition to Amazon's bargain-priced Kindle Fires.


Samsung, long the premier Android handset maker, has begun to expand its dominance into the tablet market. In the first quarter, Samsung's share of the tablet market surged, jumping 282% on a year-over-year basis. Samsung makes a number of Galaxy tablets, with its Note 8.0 and 10.1 priced competitively with Apple's competing devices.


But Samsung's most interesting tablet is its ATIV Q. The device, which Samsung showed off in June, hasn't been released yet, but when it does go on sale, it will be interesting to see how the device sells -- and not just for Samsung's earnings.


The ATIV Q is unique in that it runs both Android and Windows 8 side-by-side. While it has the full functionality of Windows, it offers Android apps for those times when mobility is preferred.


In a way, the ATIV Q is emblematic of the Surface's larger problem: If Windows 8 had a robust mobile app ecosystem, Samsung would've never needed to create such a device.


What to watch for September 23
New hardware won't save the Surface. A faster processor and better battery might sound nice, but if Microsoft wants the Surface to sell, it needs to solve the app problem.


As long as Windows continues to lag iOS in apps, the Surface is going to continue to lag the iPad in sales. Moreover, the iPad might be the least of the Surface's problems -- rising competition from Android tablets, including Android/Windows hybrid tablets, could ultimately be much more consequential.


Come September 23, Microsoft announcing a program to accelerate mobile app development would be far more important than any adjustments to the Surface itself.



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The article Microsoft's Surface Problem Has Nothing to Do With Hardware originally appeared on Fool.com.


Sam Mattera has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Amazon.com, Apple, and Google. The Motley Fool owns shares of Amazon.com, Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Samsung Ativ Q cancelled because of patent rights? - DecryptedTech








ativq

Samsung announced in June this year that they are working on a device that has the features of a laptop and tablet in a single device. It is the Ativ Q device, which was supposed to bring an unprecedented resolution when it comes to tablets, 3200x1800 pixels on a 13.3-inch screen.




The Ativ Q has a slide mechanism which allows him to easily convert from tablet to laptop and vice versa. Operating systems available for the device will be Windows 8 and Android 4.2.2.


However, sources familiar with the development of the device, would suggest that the device could be canceled, because the Samsung ran into paroblems around patents to run two operating systems simultaneously. For now, Samsung has not yet publicly announced the abandonment of the production unit, but according to the same sources, they canceled all preorders. Whether permanently or just temporarily we will see in the coming days.


Discuss...






Pc convertibile Android e Windows 8: Samsung ATIV Q - PMI.it


Samsung ATIV QIl computer convertibile Samsung Ativ Q è un prodotto innovativo che sorprende per contenuti tecnici: è il primo tablet convertibile Dual OS in grado di offrire diverse modalità d’uso e livelli di potenza, consentendo agli utenti di usare il sistema operativo Android Jelly Bean o Windows 8 a seconda delle proprie esigenze. Ativ Q unisce dunque in un unico prodotto le esigenze degli utenti Windows e di quelli Android, il tutto mixato in un hardware davvero stupefacente. Il fiore all’occhiello di questo tablet pc è lo schermo touch da 13.3 pollici con risoluzione 3200×1800 pixel con supporto al digitizer per interagire con uno speciale pennino offerto nella dotazione di serie. => Scopri tutte le novità da Samsung


Una risoluzione così elevata rende lo schermo brillante e definito. L’interfaccia Modern UI giova di quest’elevata risoluzione, anche se nella modalità Desktop icone e finestre risultano forse un po’ troppo piccole. Il Samsung Ativ Q offre un design accattivante con peso e dimensioni contenuti (un centimetro per 1,3 KG) nonostante sotto lo schermo si nasconda una tastiera hardware estraibile che permette di utilizzare il tablet pc come un vero notebook. Le specifiche tecniche: processore Intel Haswell Core i5 con 4 GB di RAM in grado di offrire potenza e consumi energetici ridotti. La batteria da 47Wh promette autonomia di ben 9 ore. Dal punto di vista software, la grande innovazione di questo prodotto è il Dual OS, cioè la possibilità di utilizzare sia Windows 8 che Android Jelly Bean. In realtà Android è emulato, ma questo permette di passare istantaneamente da Windows ad Android con un semplice click. Una soluzione davvero interessante e funzionale. Non ci sono ancora i dettagli sulla distribuzione del Samsung Ativ Q ma il prezzo dovrebbe attestarsi attorno ai 1600 euro. => Confronta con gli altri notebook per il business




Tags: android Samsung ATIV Q windows 8



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Samsung Ativ Q tidak akan meluncur tahun ini - merdeka.com

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Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite - PCWorld.co.nz


This ultraportable – which could be classed an Ultrabook if not for its AMD processor – sits at the entry level of Samsung’s ATIV Book range of Windows 8 laptops.









  • Expert Rating




  • User Rating





Pros



  • Thin, lightweight

  • Excellent battery life

  • Attractive design




Cons



  • Disappointing performance

  • Low-quality screen




Bottom Line


Fantastic battery life and a lightweight, ultra-thin design are easy to recommend, but low performance and a low-quality screen make the ATIV Book 9 Lite a niche product for users seeking mobility above all else.




The ATIV Book 9 Lite is, visually at least, gorgeous piece of hardware for NZ$1,199. (NZ$1,399 for the touchscreen version.) Often laptops in the sub-$1,500 price bracket can be a little lacking in the style department, but the Lite takes its design cues from Samsung’s gorgeous top-end Series 9 Ultrabook.


The Lite is cased in plastic instead of metal, but keeps the same sleek lines, gently rounded edges, and airfoil-like profile of the Series 9. There’s a bit of give in the chassis, but not enough to be worrying. The Series 9, in fact, exhibited at least as much flexibility thanks to its ultra-thin alloy body.


The ATIV Book 9 Lite is, visually at least, gorgeous piece of hardware.The ATIV Book 9 Lite is, visually at least, gorgeous piece of hardware.


It’s super-lightweight, at 1.44kg, and slim at 17mm. Samsung say 16.9mm, but I’m not getting into tenths-of-a-millimetre when it comes down to how tightly you close the lid. Either way, it’s as thin as the MacBook Air, and not too much heavier, making the ATIV Book 9 Lite one of the most portable 13-inch laptops we’ve had the pleasure to test.


Samsung claim an 8-second boot time and 2-second wake from sleep, both of which we were able to verify.


The Lite easily manages an 8-hour workday or flight on a single charge.


Battery life in our power-hungry ‘productivity’ test was a very impressive 5hrs 23min. This is the best result of any laptop we’ve tested to date, exceeded only by a few Intel Atom-powered Windows 8 tablets. Under less strenuous use, the Lite easily manages an 8-hour workday or flight on a single charge.

Granting this long battery life is not one of Intel’s latest-generation ‘Haswell’ processors, but an unnamed AMD processor that is referred to in Samsung’s marketing, and within the laptop itself, as “Quad-core processor”.


It’s not widely publicised that this is an AMD chip: where you’d expect an AMD branding sticker (or where ‘Intel Inside’ would appear on an Intel-powered laptop), there’s simply an “x4 Quad-Core” sticker. The only processor spec we could get hold of, besides the quad-core nature of the CPU, was a clock speed of “up to 1.4GHz”. All very mysterious, and not something we’ve ever seen before on a laptop.


Besides the secretive processor, the Lite sports 4GB of relatively slow DDR3L-1066 memory. Graphics are handled by an embedded AMD Radeon HD 8250, and storage is a 128GB SSD.


We ran the ATIV Book 9 Lite through our standard benchmark suite, and found the results exceptionally low in laptop terms. The closest comparison point was Windows 8 tablets based on Intel’s Atom Z2760 dual-core/four-threaded CPU.


The Lite’s quad-core AMD processor delivered between 150%-200% the raw computing performance of the Atom Z2760, whilst still managing 75% of the battery life. In certain tests, it delivered up to 350% the performance. So, quite the step up from a little Atom-based tablet, which you’d expect from a 13-inch laptop. However, the Lite still only came in at about 50% the performance of similarly sized and priced Intel Core-based laptops.


A whole lot of benchmarks aren’t worth anything in isolation: maybe 50% the performance is more than good enough, I thought, in exchange for that great portability and battery life. Yeah, no. Unfortunately, the ATIV Book 9 Lite struggled with everyday tasks such as multi-tabbed web browsing (to be fair, we’re talking 10+ tabs in Mozilla Firefox), working with heavyweight web apps such as Google Docs, or playing back HD video from YouTube.


While simple document-editing in Google Docs worked alright, though we did occasionally experience a bit of lag that wasn’t present on other PCs connected to the same network. Large, complicated spreadsheets proved a real hassle to update, thanks to slow performance on the client-side (again, the same activity on a different PC, over the same internet connection, posed no trouble at all).


Standard-definition and 720p YouTube clips played smoothly, but fullscreen 1080p clips displayed some lag during playback, even when fully buffered (i.e. the internet connection had no impact on playback). Playing two video clips at once resulted in both being unwatchably laggy. Sure, this isn’t something you’d be likely to try on purpose, but you’ll sure notice it when some website is silently auto-playing a promotional video in the background whilst you’re trying to watch YouTube.


Connectivity is, like the Series 9 laptop the Lite is modelled after, limited.Connectivity is, like the Series 9 laptop the Lite is modelled after, limited.


Common applications such as Photoshop Elements were usable, but slower than we’re used to. We had no trouble retouching a single high-res image, but batch processing or just working on several images simultaneously brought things down to a crawl.


With performance like this, the ATIV Book 9 Lite is really only useful for the most basic web browsing and productivity work – typing and throwing emails around, perhaps working on some of those ultrabasic spreadsheets that might as well be a single-column list. Yes, it’s significantly more powerful than the cheap Windows 8 tablets on the market, but it still falls well short of what we’d expect from a laptop.


Also questionable is the Lite’s 13.3-inch screen. The 1366 x 768-pixel display is lower than we like to see, but I’ll let it pass on a 13.3-inch laptop. Though you can see individual pixels if you bend too close over the screen like you’re deliberately trying to do your back in, it’s not as outrageously blocky as that same resolution stretched into a 15-inch laptop. It’s also matte, which should be a huge point in its favour: glossy screens may look better in nice dim conditions, but prove a nightmare under strong lighting or the naked sun.


It’s not all sunshine and pixels, though. Colours look washed out, particularly at lower brightness levels, and the maximum brightness struggles to compete with the sun even given the matte finish. There was clear vertical banding visible, too, which we haven’t seen since the early days of passive-matrix LCD screens. If you love vibrant, Apple-style screens with a glossy finish and photorealistic colours, this is not the laptop for you.


There's no onboard Ethernet, but you do get an adapter in the box.There's no onboard Ethernet, but you do get an adapter in the box.


Connectivity is, like the Series 9 laptop the Lite is modelled after, limited. There’s a single USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0 port, and a headphone socket. An SD card reader is tucked away on the left-hand edge, helpfully protected by a spring-loaded cover. A micro-HDMI port and a proprietary port for the included Ethernet dongle sit on the same side. So, no onboard Ethernet, but you do get an adapter in the box.


You’re not so lucky for video output: there’s no cable included for micro-HDMI to regular-sized, nor does Samsung include the necessary adapter to use the mini VGA port on the right-hand side.


Wirelessly it’s the usual deal: 802.11b/g/n, and Bluetooth 4.0. Given the super-portable angle it would’ve been nice to see 3G/4G mobile internet support, but we’d hardly expect that given the price range and it’s entry-level positioning.


We’d really like to recommend Samsung’s ATIV Book 9 Lite. It does ‘mobility’ well, the battery life is just peachy, and it looks beautiful despite its plastic construction. However, it failed at the most important thing: being a useful computer. When even basic tasks proved frustrating thanks to the limits of its gutless, nameless little ‘quad-core processor’, it left us having to curb our enthusiasm and temper that recommendation.


There’s still a niche for the Lite. If you need an ultra-lightweight, long-running PC with a full-sized keyboard to take notes on during lectures, meetings or interviews, it works well. However, it’s not going to serve as a primary PC for most users: it’s the kind of laptop that you buy, if you can afford to, to use alongside a desktop or gruntier laptop.


The ATIV Book 9 Lite is an accessory for people that need almost tablet-like portability but require the screen size and keyboard of a laptop. It fills that niche reasonably, but don’t buy this one if you’re after something to provide traditional 'laptop' performance.


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