Galaxy Book Ion: Samsung brings Dell XPS rival to the UK

Samsung has jumped headfirst back into the UK market with the launch of three new laptops – the Galaxy Book Ion, Galaxy Book Flex and Galaxy Book S (Intel).

The Ion leads the range as the conventional Ultrabook. While it can’t be specced out as highly as some competitors – being limited to an Intel Core i5 processor – the gorgeous design and competitive price points make it one to consider.

Related: Best Ultrabook

Samsung Galaxy Book Ion release date – When is it coming out?

The Galaxy Book Ion will be available from early June in the UK.

You will be able to pick up the laptop at retailers like John Lewis, Amazon, Dixons Retail and more.

Samsung Galaxy Book Ion price – How much will it cost?

The Galaxy Book Ion is priced at £1249 for the 13.3-inch model and £1299 for the 15.6-inch version.

There is only one SKU for each size so these are the prices for the whole range – unlike over in the US where models with different specs are available.

Related: Best Laptop 2019

Samsung Galaxy Book Ion specs – How powerful is it?

The Galaxy Book Ion has a 13.3-inch model and a 15.6-inch model which comes with almost identical specs. Let’s take a look:

13.3-inch model	15.6-inch model
Display	QLED Full HD	QLED Full HD
CPU	Intel 10th Gen Core i5 (Comet Lake)	Intel 10th Gen Core i5 (Comet Lake)
RAM	8GB DDR4	8GB DDR4 + 1 Sodimm
Storage	512GB SSD NVMe	512GB SSD NVMe + 1 SSD expandable slot
Dimensions	305.7 x 199.8 x 12.9 mm	356.1 x 228 x 14.9 mm
Weight	971g	1.19kg

Related: MacBook Pro 2020

Samsung Galaxy Book Ion performance

We’ll have to wait until our full review to give our full impressions. It’s a bit disappointing for there to only be one SKU of each size. However, with a 10th Gen i5 processor, 8GB RAM and 512GB storage, Samsung does seem to have nailed the sweet spot for ultrabooks. The inclusion of a Samsung QLED panel also looks like a delightful cherry on top of the cake.

Some might find it curious that Samsung has gone for a Comet Lake processor for this device – with most non-GPU Ultrabooks taking advantage of Intel’s Ice Lake chips, which Samsung itself does with the Galaxy Book Flex. The Comet Lake processor features Intel’s UHD graphics which aren’t as good as the Iris Plus Graphics over on Ice Lake, all but ruling out casual gaming. 

So, if you are looking for a laptop with basic graphics performance, you’ll want to look to the Flex, or outside of Samsung’s laptop line. But if you want a laptop simply for video streaming, social media browsing and typical office work, then the Ion looks more than capable. 

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