Samsung announced its new Notebook 9 and Notebook 9 Pen laptops, both of which are equipped with the latest Coffee Lake Intel CPUs. The regular Notebook 9 comes in 13 and 15” versions, the latter of which can be equipped with discrete graphics, whereas the Pen version is a 2-in-1 with a 13” screen and an embedded pen.
Notebook 9
The conventional Notebook 9 is available in 13 and 15” versions that weigh 2.2 and 2.9lbs, respectively. The 13” model is the lower spec one with an unspecified 8th-gen i5 or i7 CPU, 8GB of memory, and a 256GB SSD. The 15” model, on the other hand, comes with an also-unspecified i7 CPU, 8GB or 16GB of memory, a 256GB SSD, and can be optionally equipped with a Nvidia MX150 discrete GPU.
As for ports, the 13” Notebook 9 has two USB 3.0 type A ports, a USB-C port, a full-size HDMI port, combo audio jack, and a microSD card slot. The 15” version gains a USB 2.0 port and adds Thunderbolt 3 capability to its USB-C port.
Pricing for the Samsung Notebook 9 starts at $1,200 for the 13” model and $1,300 for the 15" model. They will be available on Samsung’s website starting February 18.
Notebook 9 Pen
The Notebook 9 Pen isn’t quite your typical stylus-enabled 2-in-1. Instead of the more common Wacom AES or N-trig-based active pens that most come with, the Notebook 9 Pen’s stylus comes from Samsung's mobile division. Functionally, it works like the one on the Galaxy Note 8, meaning that it’s stored in the body of the notebook. The pen integrates with some Samsung-specific software to bring a radial menu of memo and highlight-related shortcuts. Obviously you can write with the pen, too, but it’s clearly not being marketed as an artist’s tool. Samsung didn’t say whether the pen can detect tilt or its pressure levels.
Like many 13” notebooks, mobility seems to be a big focus of the Notebook 9 Pen. Its magnesium alloy body weighs only 2.2lbs, and it’s moderately thin at 0.65”. On its 39Wh battery, the notebook is rated for nine hours of run time. That figure can be extended with your battery pack of choice because, surprisingly, the Notebook 9 seems to have both a dedicated power port as well as USB-C charging.
Specs-wise, the Notebook 9 Pen has a 1080p screen, a 1.8GHz 8th-gen quad-core Intel CPU (likely an i7-8550U), 8GB of memory, and a 256GB PCI-e SSD. For connectivity, there’s the aforementioned USB-C port, a single USB 3.0 type A port, a microSD card slot, a full-size HDMI port, and a combo audio jack.
The Samsung Notebook 9 Pen will be available at Samsung’s website starting February 18 for $1,400.
| Product | Notebook 9 Pen | Notebook 9 (13") | Notebook 9 (15") |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 13" 1920x1080 | 13" 1920x1080 | 15" 1920x1080 IPS |
| CPU | Intel 8th-gen Core i7 (model unknown) | Intel 8th-gen Core i5 or i7 (model unknown) | Intel 8th-gen Core i7 (model unknown) |
| Graphics | Intel integrated | Intel integrated | Intel integrated or Nvidia MX150 |
| Memory | 8GB | 8GB | 8GB |
| SSD | 256GB | 256GB | 256GB |
| HDD | N/A | N/A | n/a |
| Optical | N/A | N/A | n/a |
| Networking | 802.11ac WLAN | 802.11ac WLAN | 802.11ac WLAN |
| Video Ports | 1 x HDMI | 1 x HDMI | 1 x HDMI |
| USB Ports | 1 x USB-C1 x USB 3.0 | 1 x USB-C2 x USB 3.0 | 1 x USB-C (Thunderbolt 3)2 x USB 3.01 x USB 2.0 |
| Audio | 1 x Combo audio jack | 1 x Combo audio jack | 1 x Combo audio jack |
| Battery | 39Wh | 75Wh | 75Wh |
| Operating System | Windows 10 | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 12.22 x 8.13 x 0.65” | 12.18 x 8.19 x 0.57” | 13.7 x 9.03 x .060” |
| Weight | 2.2lbs | 2.2lbs | 2.76lbs |
| Other | Embedded S-Pen | N/A | N/A |
| Price | $1,400 | $1,200 | $1,300 / $1,500 (with Nvidia MX150) |
