Samsung Notebook 9 Pen for 2019: Made to please creative pros – CNET

The Notebook 9 Pen gets a complete redesign for 2019. 

Samsung

With its updated Notebook 9 Pen two-in-one laptop, Samsung is targeting creative professionals who want the flexibility of both a laptop and a pen-enabled tablet without needing separate devices or paying extra for a pen. 

Like with the 2018 model, Samsung will include one of its S Pens, an active pen that can be used to write and draw on the convertible’s full-HD display. It’s a new pen, too, designed to work the instant the tip meets the screen with reduced latency, Samsung said in its announcement. 

The pen will also come with three different tips to adjust the feel of the pen on the display. And like past S Pens, it gets stored in the body of the laptop and doesn’t need to be charged. Samsung will also include a three-month subscription to the MyScript Nebo app, which can convert written notes to digital text as well as clean up hand drawn charts and diagrams. 

Specifications

Samsung Notebook 9 Pen 13 Samsung Notebook 9 Pen 15
Weight 2.47 pounds (1.12 kg) 3.44 pounds (1.56 kg)
LCD 13.3-inch Full HD 15-inch Full HD
CPU Intel 8th-gen Core i7 Intel 8th-gen Core i7
Graphics Integrated Nvidia GeForce MX150 (2GB)
Storage PCIe NVMe SSD PCIe NVMe SSD
Wireless 802.11ac 2×2 (Giga Wi-Fi) 802.11ac 2×2 (Giga Wi-Fi)
Camera HD IR Camera HD IR Camera
Security Facial and fingerprint recognition Facial and fingerprint recognition
Ports Thunderbolt 3 (2), USB-C, UFS and microSD combo Thunderbolt 3 (2), USB-C, UFS and microSD combo

Exact pricing isn’t available yet, but it will come in 13.3- and 15-inch versions when it arrives next year. Other than screen size, the biggest difference between the two models will be the availability of entry-level discrete graphics on the 15-inch version. Samsung is promising up to 15 hours of battery life and fast-charging capabilities for each. 

When we reviewed the 2018 Samsung Notebook 9 early this year, one of its main shortcomings was its design, which was particularly bland for a premium-priced two-in-one. With the 2019 version Samsung stepped up its game, giving it an all-metal chassis with a blue diamond-cut finish. 

Now playing: Watch this: Samsung hides an S Pen inside the new Notebook 9 Pen

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Samsung also used narrower bezels around the display, which has become the hallmark of a premium laptop. Though the company said the screen’s maximum brightness will be 500 nits, it didn’tspecify color gamut coverage. Competing systems, such as Dell’s XPS 15 2-in-1, generally deliver 100 percent sRGB color gamut. 

Other features will include instant Windows Hello sign-ins with a built-in fingerprint reader or facial recognition with its IR camera, and improved audio with speakers tuned by Samsung subsidiary AKG and new ThunderAmp smart amplifier technology. 

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Samsung Notebook 9 Pen