Samsung has made several announcements during Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, including a smart mirror, and it probably won’t surprise you to hear that many of them involve AI. It wasn’t just the buzzword of 2024, it’s going to be the buzzword of 2025 too.
The company has not only announced what it is calling Vision AI for its 2025 line up of TVs, but it also introduced a couple of new Windows AI PCs in the Galaxy Book5 Pro and the Galaxy Book5 360. We’ve heard plenty about AI PCs over the last couple of years, mainly thanks to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X processors that have spurred some major improvements in Windows laptops and their capabilities, both on the battery life and AI fronts.
But, the new Samsung Galaxy Books are powered by the Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) processors rather than the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite that we saw in the Galaxy Book4 Edge. They both come with Galaxy AI capabilities built in, and while there are plenty of other impressive specifications, it’s the AI capabilities that are the focus.
Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro design and display
Talking of the other specs briefly before I get to those AI bits though, the Galaxy Book5 Pro comes in 16-inch and 14-inch screen sizes, offering a premium finish and a premium price. It’s the device from Samsung that goes up against Apple’s MacBook Pro (M4) series, with Samsung’s 16-inch model weighing 1.56kg and measuring 12.5mm thick. The 14-inch is 11.6mm thick and weighs just 1.23kg.
IMAGE CREDIT: THE DISCONNEKT
To put that into context, the MacBook Pro (M4) 16-inch weighs around 2.14kg and measures 16.8mm, while the 14-inch model weighs from 1.5kg and measures 15.5mm thick, so Apple’s alternatives are quite a bit heavier and thicker than Samsung’s new Galaxy Book5 Pro models.
Samsung has another advantage too in that both Galaxy Book5 Pro models have Touch AMOLED displays – no MacBook currently has a touchscreen so if that’s something you want, Samsung’s new Galaxy Book5 Pros could be the models to consider.
They both have 500 nit peak brightness displays, and they both feature a 120Hz refresh rate. There is no matte display option, and that’s something I really love on the MacBook Pro (M4), but there is something called Vision Booster, which Samsung says uses tone mapping to adjust the contrast and colours depending on light conditions.
Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro AI capabilities
I mentioned the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pros run on the Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors and I mentioned both screen size options have AI capabilities. What are they though and what do they actually mean?
IMAGE CREDIT: THE DISCONNEKT
A feature called AI Select allows you to find information while you’re browsing the web, shopping or viewing content. Similar to Circle to Search on Galaxy smartphones and tablets, such as the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy S24+, AI Select allows you to click on the icon and select the desired search area to then retrieve relevant search results in a side bar.
Photo Remaster meanwhile, retouches images and cleans up blurry photos. If you have a Galaxy smartphone, Microsoft Phone Link expands the Galaxy AI features you get on your phone or tablet onto the larger screen. Live Translate is available, and Transcript Assist, but there’s likely to be more to this story once the Galaxy S25 devices launch, expected to be before the end of January.
Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro specs
Apart from the Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors under the hood, the Galaxy Book5 Pro models have the Intel AI Boost NPU, Intel Arc Graphics, Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 7 capabilities.
They run on the Windows 11 Home operating system, and they both come with 16GB of memory and either 512GB or 1TB of storage. They also both have quad speakers with Dolby Atmos support and studio quality microphones. You’ll also find a Pro Keyboard on both.
When it comes to battery, the Galaxy Book5 Pro models have fast charging on board. The 16-inch model is said to offer 25-hour video playback, which if true in real world life, would exceed the MacBook Pro (M4) 16-inch by an hour. Samsung says the 16-inch model will charge up to 35 per cent in just 30 minutes, and the 14-inch model will charge up to 41 per cent, with both supporting 65W charging.
What about the Samsung Galaxy Book5 360?
Briefly switching to the Galaxy Book5 360, and you’ll find a similar premium design to the Galaxy Book5 Pro models. There’s a 15.6-inch display – sitting in between the two Galaxy Book5 Pro models in terms of size, and there’s a touchscreen here too, though as the name suggests, the screen on this model also rotates.
It’s only a 60Hz refresh rate, but you’ll find the same 500 nits peak brightness as the Pro models. In terms of size and weight, the Galaxy Book5 360 measures 13.7mm slim and weighs 1.46kg. It has the Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, or Intel Core Ultra 5 processor under the hood, supported by the Intel AI Boost NPU and Intel Arc Graphics. Like the Pro models, the Book5 360 supports Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 7.
Storage options sit at 256GB, 512GB or 1TB, while memory sits at 16GB. The Galaxy Book5 360 also supports fast charging, with Samsung claiming you will get 39 per cent in 30 minutes when using a 65W adapter and a fast charging cable.
Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro and Galaxy Book5 360 price and availability
The Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro starts at £1,499 and the Samsung Galaxy Book5 360 starts at £1,249. Both will be available to pre-order from 22 January, before they go on sale on 7 February.
