Samsung unveils MacBook Pro rival — the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra

Samsung launched its latest line-up of Galaxy Book laptops at the Galaxy Unpacked event on Wendesday, 1 February 2023.

The range consists of the premium Galaxy Book 3 Pro, convertible Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360, and top-of-the-line Galaxy Book 3 Ultra.

The South Korean tech giant said the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is its fastest laptop to date.

The machine is powered by either a 13th-gen Intel Core-i7 or Core-i9 processor, that can be paired with 16GB or 32GB LPDDR5 RAM.

An Nvidia RTX GeForce 4070 or RTX 4050 graphics card provides the laptop with “studio-grade” graphics to enhance both creative projects and the gaming experience.

The Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is also one of the first laptops to feature Samsung’s Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, which was previously reserved for its smartphone line-up.

It boasts a 16-inch 3K (2,880×1,800) resolution, adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, and 16:10 aspect ratio.

“All these improvements empower users to perform multiple demanding tasks, watch rich and detailed content without loss of fidelity and play high-spec games smoothly,” Samsung said.

For “refined” audio, the Galaxy Book 3 Pro and Ultra pack quad-speaker systems that deliver “clear, high notes and a rich bass sound”.

“Studio quality dual microphones, along with AI Noise Canceling, clearly capture your voice and reduce background noise,” Samsung said.

“And as video calls are now a part of everyday life, you can confidently join anytime and still look your best with Studio Mode, which offers improved visuals with lighting correction, auto framing, eye contact correction and smooth backgrounds.”

The Ultra model’s Graphite colour chassis has a full aluminium frame that provides a “light, sleek and flat” design.

Pricing and availability

The Galaxy Book 3 Ultra will launch in select markets on 22 February 2022 and retail at a starting price of $2,199 (R37,837, excl. sales tax) in the US.

South African availability and pricing remain to be confirmed, but it should be noted that Samsung has not officially sold its laptops in South Africa for several years.

The table and image below show the specifications and details of the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra.

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