Samsung Galaxy Book 5 Pro review: Style and substance crammed into one premium laptop

Not just premium phones and tablets, Samsung also makes great premium laptops. These laptops have design and hardware at par with top-of-the-line MacBook models from Apple. The difference obviously is that these laptops run Windows software, not macOS. Its latest, Galaxy Book 5 Pro, is no different. Like its predecessors, Samsung has once again fashioned a high-end Windows laptop with all the bells and whistles you'd normally associate with a product of its class and stature. The price, too, shows its top-notch credentials.advertisementStarting at an eye-watering Rs 1,31,990, the Galaxy Book 5 Pro is not just about the good looks, but it also excels in other areas. It has a gorgeous AMOLED display and fast performance (for an ultraportable device) with outstanding battery life, all packed inside a sleek aluminium chassis that seems designed from the ground up to turn heads and start conversations. But despite its many strong points, there are a few things you should know before you decide to put your money on it. That's precisely what this India Today Tech review will try to answer.Design and build: Slim, solid and stylishThe Galaxy Book 5 Pro feels premium from the moment you hold it. With its sleek, full-aluminium body, the laptop feels strong yet surprisingly light. In fact, it is one of the slimmest 14-inch laptops in the market at the time of writing. Even with its thin profile, it never feels flimsy. The lid is slim but solid, and there's no wobble when you adjust the screen. The attention to detail is immaculate.advertisement
The laptop is available in two colours: Silver and Grey. The Grey variant we have for review looks smart and sophisticated, the sort of gadget that can blend easily inside both a classroom and a boardroom. The matte texture helps keep fingerprints and smudges at bay, so you won't have to wipe it down all the time just to keep it looking clean.
Now, just because it's slim doesn't mean it's super compact. The 14-inch screen is a good size for getting work done, but you'll still need a decent-sized backpack to carry it. That said, considering how much screen you're getting in such a slim frame, most people won't mind the extra space it takes up. The only caveat is that the hinge doesn't give a lot of flexibility as it is capped at 135-degrees. On that note, if flexibility is important to you, the pricier Galaxy Book 5 Pro 360 is a better pick.The port selection is decent. You get two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports for charging. There is also an HDMI 2.1 port, a USB-A port, a headphone/mic combo jack, and a microSD card slot. For everyday use, this setup should be more than enough. However, those working with cameras or large media files might miss a full-sized SD card slot. And while it's nice to have a USB-A port, creative users might still need a hub or dongle for a full setup.Keyboard and touchpad: Comfortable to use dailyadvertisementTyping on the Galaxy Book 5 Pro feels good for the most part. Yes, the keys are a bit shallow at first, but I got used to them in no time. The keys are well spaced out, and the large palm rest helps avoid wrist strain during long typing sessions. There's no number pad here, which actually works well because it gives space for a bigger, more centrally aligned touchpad.The keyboard has three brightness levels, which helps when you're working in dim lighting. However, there's no automatic brightness adjustment, which feels like a missed opportunity. At this price, a sensor to auto-adjust backlighting in dark surroundings would've made the experience feel even more seamless.
advertisementStill, Samsung has added a fingerprint sensor inside the power button, and it works just the way it should — quick, accurate, and not overly sensitive. It's one of those features you don't think about much, but it adds both security and convenience.The touchpad is large and handles gestures well. It is smooth and responsive, and while the feedback could have been a bit more clicky or satisfying, it gets the job done for everyday tasks.Display: Stunning AMOLED with smart anti-glare coatingSamsung is known for its displays and the Galaxy Book 5 Pro doesn't disappoint. The 14-inch 3K AMOLED display looks stunning. Colours pop, blacks are deep, and everything from videos to spreadsheets looks crisp. Whether you are editing photos, watching shows, or just casually browsing, the screen feels like a treat. Additionally, the display refreshes at 120Hz by default, which makes everything feel smooth, though you can switch to 60Hz to save about two to three hours of battery life. But you shouldn't worry about battery life with this laptop because it is pretty solid. We will talk about this in a bit.
advertisementWhat really stands out is the anti-reflective coating. It makes a big difference when you are using the laptop near windows or under bright office lights. Glossy displays usually become hard to see in such conditions, but this one keeps reflections in check without dulling the colours. With 400nits of regular brightness and up to 500nits for HDR, the screen works well both indoors and even outdoors if it's not too sunny.Touch input is also supported, adding another way to interact with the laptop. It worked smoothly during my time with it. Also, I didn't notice any screen burn-in, which can be a problem with AMOLED screens over time. Overall, you are getting a great display in its price range.Performance: Smooth where it mattersInside, the Galaxy Book 5 Pro runs on Intel's Core Ultra 5 226V chip, paired with 16GB LPDDR5X RAM. The built-in Intel Arc graphics aren't made for heavy gaming or professional editing, but for day-to-day tasks, they're more than capable.advertisementHowever, I did try some 4K video editing in DaVinci Resolve. It did take time to render, but the editing process itself was fairly smooth, which is great for occasional creative work. Where this laptop really shines is multitasking — handling 30-40 Chrome tabs, switching between documents, calls, and music — everything stayed responsive.
For those who care about benchmarks, the laptop received a score of 484 on Cinebench and 9775 multi-core score on Geekbench. These scores are respectable for the chipset that the Samsung Galaxy Book 5 Pro is using but are lower than what its rivals are able to offer because they come with an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor in the similar price range. For this variant, Samsung lovers will have to spend Rs 8,000 more, which I feel is worth it because if you are spending more than 1.30 lakh on a laptop, why not get the top-end model for better performance? Having said that, if you need a (slim and lightweight) productivity laptop that also performs well in terms of light editing or casual gaming, you can consider the Intel Core Ultra 5 model.Thermals are well managed too. The laptop stays cool during normal use, and the fans only spin hard when you are doing something heavy like exporting a video or running benchmarks. For general use — browsing, writing, streaming — it stays quiet and cool.Solid battery life for a premium laptopBattery life is one of the Galaxy Book 5 Pro's biggest strengths. In our testing, which included writing, attending a few Zoom calls, streaming content, and lots of multitasking, it lasted around 14 hours on a single charge. That is more than enough to get through a full workday. Also, if we consider the sharp AMOLED screen and capable hardware inside, the battery performance is actually quite impressive. This is one of the few Windows laptops in this segment where battery life doesn't feel like an afterthought. Samsung bundles a 65W fast charger as well with the laptop, which takes about 1 hour and 12 minutes to quickly fill the battery from 2 per cent to 100 per cent.
Speakers and webcam: Good but not the bestThe speakers on the Galaxy Book 5 Pro fire from the bottom, which usually is not ideal, but these do a decent job. Sound is clear and gets reasonably loud, with crisp vocals during calls or video content. For music or movie watching, though, external speakers or headphones will still be better. This is something which is the case with most laptops out there.As for the webcam, it is just fine. The 2-megapixel 1080p sensor delivers decent quality for video calls with soft details, minimal sharpness and vibrant colours. In addition to this, there is a small LED that lights up when the camera is active, which is a nice privacy feature. Though, a physical shutter would have been even better.AI features and ecosystem extrasSamsung is calling this its first AI PC, and for what it's worth, the AI features on the Galaxy Book 5 Pro are genuinely helpful. There's a dedicated Copilot key that takes you straight to Microsoft's AI assistant. Features like Live Captions, Circle to Search, and Studio Effects (like background blur during calls) are useful and well implemented.
Circle to Search is particularly fun — you just draw a circle around anything on the screen and get instant search results. It's a small thing, but it becomes handy the more you use it.If you already own a Samsung phone or tablet, there is more to like. Camera Sharing lets you use your Galaxy phone as a webcam, which is a big win considering who does not want to have a better-quality camera for calls. There is also Second Screen, which turns a Galaxy tablet into an extra display. Both features work well and make the laptop feel smarter and more connected, though they only work within the Samsung ecosystem.Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Book 5 Pro laptop?If you want a laptop that ticks most of the boxes while looking and feeling premium, the Galaxy Book 5 Pro is easy to recommend. It is not aiming to be a gaming rig or a pro editing machine. But what it does, it does really well. The display is brilliant, the battery life lasts all day, and the build is as good as it gets. Add the new AI tools and Samsung's ecosystem extras, and you have got a laptop that feels modern and helpful. The Galaxy Book 5 Pro is not built for demanding creative work but for most professionals, students and general users, this is a solid Windows laptop that looks great, feels great, and works just as well.

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