The partnership between Qualcomm and the device manufacturers like Samsung, which we wrote about in November, offers benefits but also challenges to all actors on stage.
To the chip maker San Diego it is undoubtedly convenient to expand the core business towards shores other than that of telephony, where it is already a protagonist; to companies like the Korean one, the idea of PCs increasingly similar to smartphones, now that smartphones are increasingly similar to PCs, comes in handy, because it can apply experience and knowledge in a hostile territory but full of opportunities.
On paper, products like the Samsung Galaxy Book Go seem like a not indifferent ace in the hole in an increasingly heated struggle for dominance, but after a few weeks of testing the final result seemed less effective than expected: not a rejection, given some interesting qualities, but a promotion with more than one reserve.
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Samsung Galaxy Book Go, the specifications
The Galaxy Book range offers various models, including Chromebook with Google’s operating system (what are they?) and classic Windows laptops with Intel processors. The peculiarity of the Go model is that it stands as a middle ground: it is a laptop on which Windows runs, but internally it is designed with components that are usually found in smartphones. A gimmick that gives it some advantages that should not be underestimated, but at the same time limits its performance. We have tried the Lte model (from 499 euros), which is equipped with a 2.55 Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 processor, an Adreno integrated graphics card (also from Qualcomm) and 4 Gb of RAM.
In Italy, only the model from 128 Gb of eUfs memory (this standard is also borrowed from smartphones: faster than a normal hard disk, slower than an SSD). Still in terms of availability, for now there is only the version equipped with the Lte module, but in the future the 5G one will also arrive. Among the main benefits of this hybrid between smartphone and laptop is the possibility of insert a Sim and connect anywhere, without the need to resort to wifi.
A perfect solution for anyone who needs work in complete mobility and at any time, with the addition of an extra layer of security, being able to avoid connecting to public lines, more prone to hacker attacks and tampering.
It 14 ”LED screen has a resolution of 1080p, while on the inputs side this computer is equipped with two Type-C ports (one for charging with the charger included, similar in size to a smartphone), a USB 2.0, a 3.5 mm jack input and a MicroSd card reader with which to expand the small built-in memory.
How it is and how it behaves
The silver color, the only one available, gives it a simple but captivating look, to the point of making the plastic with which it is coated look like an elegant metal surface. To betray her is the contact, as well as a quick one look at the part below, much cheaper. The dashboard, although less aesthetically pleasing, contains two very interesting elements: the first is a pair of speakers, which thanks to Dolby Atmos (the technology that dominated 2021 in the audio field), offer a respectable sound sector, more full-bodied and powerful than the average laptop; the second is actually an absence, that of the fans. A bit like smartphones, even devices equipped with processors such as the Snapdragon, and more generally with an internal architecture similar to the same, are fanless: they heat up less and are very quiet, and the same goes for the Samsung Galaxy Book Go, which with smartphones and related accessories, especially those of the Galaxy family itself, works in perfect harmony (but no problem to pair it with headphones via Bluetooth 5.1 and phones of different brands). Another advantage is the reduced energy consumption, which results in a much longer battery life than a normal laptop: between 9 and 13 hours, according to our tests, based on the use made of it.
We also appreciated the large trackpad, nice to see and use, but opening the Samsung Galaxy Book Go (up to 180 °) it is impossible not to notice. the obvious attempt to copy the design of the MacBook, only with an unsightly black plastic frame to spoil the look of the screen. Screen not so performing, between a low brightness (only 150 nits) and in general a dull and dull image, which does not make it the ideal device for enjoying movies and series (despite the excellent audio sector).
The biggest problem, however, concerns performance: the 64-bit Windows operating system is a version created ad hoc for processors based on the Arm architecture, which basically makes incompatible with most software and apps in circulation. With the growing popularity of hybrid devices, more and more developers are working on native versions of their programs, so they run smoothly everywhere, but the vast majority only work via emulation, with hitches and slowdowns.
The operating system runs well: Windows 10 is better, while version 11, supported and available, still has some uncertainty, but since the latest updates we have noticed more stability. The problem is more noticeable in software that is not too secondary, such as Chrome. The Google browser is very slow and heavy, not being available in the native version, and for those who, as in our case, use it as their main work tool, this is an important problem. Much better Edge and Firefox, but cases of this type extend to many other productivity software. Of optimized native apps those of Netflix and Prime Video stand out, as well as Instagram and Twitter, all of which can be used via browser, but also Photoshop, Zoom and Teams. The appeal lacks practically everything else, which limits and not a little the effectiveness of devices equipped with similar architectures.
Some of these limits can be circumvented by using the versioni browser of the same (as in the case of the Xbox Game Pass library, accessible via the cloud also directly from Edge), but the experience is never at the same level as a natively compatible app or software.
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What we liked
IS light (less than 1.5 kg), quiet, does not heat and you can connect anywhere (as long as you take the line), even without the need for a wifi network. Battery life is excellent, up to 10-11 hours on average. We were also surprised by the audio offered by the two integrated speakers, which is really good. Also good trackpad and keyboard, which make the Samsung Galaxy Book Go useful for taking notes, write articles and texts and even make calls improvised work or take courses and lessons remotely (even if the integrated webcam is 720p and not too powerful). Finally, Windows runs on it, which makes it more versatile than a Chromebook.
What we didn’t like
Compatibility problems with numerous software represent the biggest obstacle of the Samsung Galaxy Book Go (but also of all those devices that mount a Snapdragon). The operating system itself works, as well as the applications optimized for it, but the vast majority, which run in emulation, are slow or completely unusable. Furthermore, the screen, despite the 1080p, in addition to not being touch, is definitely not of high quality.
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