Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra Laptop Specifications
A high-end laptop with a lot of skills and an amazing display, the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra could be the best ever in the brand.
Key features
3K Dynamic AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate
Size 16.6mm, 1.79kg
PerformanceNvidia RTX 4070/4050 GPU, Intel 13th Gen CPU
Introduction
Samsung's first Unpacked event of the year not only hosted the anticipated Galaxy S23 series unveiling for Android phones, but also hosted three new laptops – including the highly tempting Galaxy Book 3 Ultra.
The Galaxy Book 3 Ultra sits aside on the Galaxy Book 3 Pro and Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 and serves as the leader in the range. It works tremendously in terms of performance, with Nvidia graphics and high-end Intel chips paired with a gorgeous 2X AMOLED display.
I spent about an hour with the three Galaxy Book 3 models unveiled in Unpacked before launch at an event organized by Samsung, and here are my initial thoughts.
Screen & Design
Excellent high-resolution AMOLED display
Screen Size 16 inch
Sleek and lightweight design
A gorgeous 16-inch display dominates the front of the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra. While the affordable Galaxy Book 3 Pro comes in either 14 or 16-inch sizes, and the 360 model offers a rotating screen, the Ultra offers one solid size.
It also lacks a touch screen – again, you'll want to use the Galaxy Book 3 Pro if that's what you're looking for.
However, the screen chosen by Samsung, from early on with the device, is great. The 16:10 aspect ratio is a smart choice, giving you more portrait than you might expect. It's also an OLED display — or Dynamic AMOLED 2X, as Samsung put it — so the black is deep, the colors pop up, and there's excellent HDR performance.
The other boxes are also ticked: there is support for a high refresh rate of 120Hz and a sharp resolution at 2880 × 1800 (Samsung calls this 3K). This may be as high as some 4K laptops, but personally, 4K always seems like an exaggeration of a laptop, and it is hoped that the reduction here will improve battery life. Samsung also claims a brightness of 500 nits, although we will need to test this correctly with a colorimeter to know for sure.
In terms of design, I would say that the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra looks stylish without being too fun. The brand is kept to a minimum, which is welcome, with only a small Samsung logo on the cover but the overall look is very similar to what Samsung produced before.
It's a relatively slim and light laptop, especially when you think of the 16-inch screen. It will tip the scale at 1.79 kg, making it slightly lighter than the Dell XPS 15 at 1.94 kg and noticeably more than the 2.2 kg MacBook Pro 16.
The keyboard has a great deal of travel and the trackpad is great, although I will need more time with my laptop to judge these aspects correctly.
Specifications & Performance
Nvidia RTX 4070 or 4050
Up to 32GB of memory
13th generation Intel i7 or i9 processors
Judging laptops in such a short time is practically impossible and I will need to get all three models into our labs for proper testing to see how they compare to the best laptops out there, including the MacBook Pro and Dell XPS family.
So, while you should wait for the appropriate standards and performance tests, for now, I can delve a little into the specs offered with the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra.
This is a high-end device, aimed at an audience similar to the 16-inch MacBook Pro and the interiors match those ambitions. There is a choice between Nvidia RTX 4070 or 4050 for graphics, and a 13th generation Intel processor with a power of 45 watts - either i7 or i9.
You can configure the Book 3 Ultra with up to 32GB of RAM (away from Apple's 96GB memory limit) and there is also a convenient choice of ports, with both USB-A and HDMI joining the now popular USB-C. There's even a Micro SD slot, which may be better than nothing but isn't as useful as a full-size SD card slot. There's also a 1080p webcam on the front for Zoom meetings and the like.
As Windows laptops become more common in trying to differentiate their software from each other, Samsung is already pushing how well the Book3 Ultra is integrated with Galaxy phones, including the Galaxy S23 Ultra. You can copy and paste between phone and laptop, use the tablet as a second screen and create an instant hotspot to connect your laptop to the internet easily.
A stylish demo showcased by Samsung during the event was transferring an image taken from the Galaxy S23's Expert RAW app directly to Lightroom on the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra ready for editing.
Early judgment
Samsung takes laptops seriously again and it's great to see them. The Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is a stale device designed to handle the MacBook Pro 14 and 16, offering powerful Intel CPU and Nvidia GPU options that should entice creators and professionals.
It's not the most creative when it comes to design and generally feels like other Samsung laptops, yet there's no doubt that the AMOLED display is great.
Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra Specifications