Samsung Launches Series 9 Premium Ultrabook

By Kevin Parrish
published

Here's another Windows 8 Ultrabook without touchscreen support.

On Thursday Samsung launched its Series 9 Premium Ultrabook, a $1,399.99 machine sporting an Intel Core i7 processor, a 13.3-inch Full HD SuperBright display, and a weight of only 2.56 pounds. It also packs Windows 8, but don't let that scare you off – the desktop you know and love still exists underneath Microsoft's new tablet-oriented overlay.

"The Series 9 features a Samsung SuperBright display (300 nit), making it up to twice as bright as standard notebook screens," the company said. "The Series 9 reproduces up to 16 million colors, making it ideal for viewing photos and videos. The wide viewing angle and matte display allow users to appreciate the rich picture quality in all lighting conditions, both inside and out."

According to the list of specs, Samsung's new Ultrabook packs an Intel Core i7-3537U processor clocked at 2.0 GHz, 4 GB of memory, and an Intel HD Graphics 4000 GPU. Also thrown into the mix is a 128 GB SSD, a 1.3MP HD webcam, two 1.5W speakers, and wireless N connectivity. The Ultrabook also takes advantage of Samsung's Fast Solutions technology which allows the device to boot in less than 10 seconds and resume from sleep "nearly instantly".

"For maximum on-the-go connectivity, the Series 9 offers up to 5.8 hours (Mobile Mark 2012) of battery life, so users can stay powered all day without needing to seek out a power source," the company said. "The combination of Samsung’s PowerPlus charging technology and an advanced Lithium-Polymer battery gives the Series 9 battery a lifespan that is up to three times longer than a conventional battery."

The Ultrabook's actual dimensions are 12.35 x 8.60 x 0.51-inches, making it extremely thin and lightweight. Samsung claims the build is "nearly seamless", using an aluminum single shell body and featuring "the well-known Series 9 hallmark polished edge". The chassis has also been sand-blasted for fingerprint resistance, keeping it "pristine" at all times.

The Series 9 Premium Ultrabook with Full HD resolution is available now for $1399.99 through a variety of retail channels.

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Kevin Parrish
12 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Tran Khanh Vinh An
    No touchscreen support! Take that M$!
    Reply
  • crabdog
    Since when does 5.8 hours mean "all day"? And when are we going to start seeing 8GB of RAM as standard on these "premium" models?
    Reply
  • Rafterman414
    Maybe I just have sensitive eyes but the SuperBright thing seems like it will burn my retinas out. As it is I already have to turn down the brightness on every display I use since they all seem way too bright by default.
    Reply
  • sundragon
    Unfortunately for MS and the consumers, statements like this: "It also packs Windows 8, but don't let that scare you off – the desktop you know and love still exists underneath Microsoft's new tablet-oriented overlay." mean the death knell for Windows 8 - it is becoming the new Vista.

    From my experience, Windows 8's UI is a hinderance without a touch screen - it was designed to bridge current to next with the intent that most devices would have a touch screen in the future.
    Reply
  • jasonhappel
    They can talk this up all they want... $1400 for those specs is ludicrous
    Reply
  • Rafterman414
    10652732 said:
    They can talk this up all they want... $1400 for those specs is ludicrous

    Yeah I agree, I don't see how this is worth anywhere close to $1400. And it's a i7-3537U, which I just looked up and is a dual core i7 with HT. I thought all mobile i7s were quad core and the mobile i5's were the dual core ones.
    Reply
  • anonymous_user
    For the price they're asking, I would hope for a 256GB SSD and 8GB of RAM. I guess I'll stick with Dell's XPS 13 instead.
    Reply
  • halcyon
    4GB of RAM hasn't been "Premium" in my book for several years. I'm sure I'm not unique there.
    Reply
  • WyomingKnott
    I think that what makes it premium is that, at a peanut over 2.5 pounds, it's a very thin-and-light, if not quite an ultrabook. For those who value having little weight to carry, it's a good achievement in specs. The XPS 13 weighs 0.4 pounds more. While that is nothing, it is 16 percent (did I get that right) of the weight of the lighter machine.
    Reply
  • cloakster
    10652930 said:
    10652732 said:
    They can talk this up all they want... $1400 for those specs is ludicrous

    Yeah I agree, I don't see how this is worth anywhere close to $1400. And it's a i7-3537U, which I just looked up and is a dual core i7 with HT. I thought all mobile i7s were quad core and the mobile i5's were the dual core ones.

    Agreed, should be $1100 for i5, 4gb, 128gb and then $1400 for i7, 8gb, 256gb. A 1080p PLS display is not enough to push people to Samsung's ultrabook instead of the Macbook Air.
    Reply