Samsung Galaxy Book Ion vs Flex – do they have S pen?

Combine your laptop with your smartphone for the ultimate in connected efficiency. Connect via a USB cable to directly access the email, pictures and files on your phone using pre-installed Samsung DeX. Both Samsung Galaxy Book Ion and Book Flex come with QLED display, 10th generation Intel® Core™ i7, Multi-workday battery, Wireless PowerShare, Sleek design, and elevated keyboard. Samsung Book Flex is Convertible 2-in-1 design. Samsung Galaxy Book Ion vs Flex – do they have S pen?

What are the differences – Samsung Galaxy Book Ion vs Flex

• Price : Samsung had previously revealed the Galaxy Book Flex alpha’s expected price of $829.99, and it’s safe to assume that the Book Flex and Ion have a higher entry price, since the Flex alpha was designed as a more budget alternative from the very beginning. All three notebooks are available today at Samsung’s website and other retailers across the US. The standard Flex starts at $1,349.99 for the 13-inch model, while the Flex Alpha comes in at $849.99 and the 13-inch Ion runs $1,199.99. At the moment, it seems that Samsung is running a promo on some models that discounts their price by $450, so if you’ve had your eye on one of these notebooks, it looks like now is the time to buy.

• QLED screen: There are various other differences between these models. For example, only the Flex and Flex alpha have a convertible 2-in-1 design (hence the moniker) and a QLED touchscreen. On the other hand, the Galaxy Book Ion follows a more conventional notebook design lacking a 2-in-1 hinge and touchscreen capabilities. For a closer look at their specifications and how these notebooks differ from one another, check out Samsung’s Compare page by hitting the link.

• Processor: Specifically, the Galaxy Book Ion comes with an Intel Core i7-10510U, the Book Flex sports an i7-1065G7 CPU, while the Galaxy Book Flex alpha can be equipped with an i5-10210U or i7-10510U CPU.

• 2-in-1 Display: The Galaxy Book Flex, Book Flex alpha, and Book Ion come in two different flavors, each. The Book Flex and Ion can be acquired with 13.3 or 15.6-inch displays, whereas the Book Flex alpha is available only with a 13.3-inch display which can be driven by either an Intel Core i5 or i7 10th Gen CPU.

Design & Display comparison – Samsung Galaxy Book Ion vs Flex

Samsung Galaxy Book Ion vs Flex – Hardware comparison

The standard Galaxy Book Flex comes in 13.3-inch or 15.6-inch models, sporting a touchscreen display with S-Pen support (which is actually included in the box). The 13.3-inch model ships with 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, while the 15.6-inch model keeps the storage size the same but bumps memory up to 12GB. Regardless of screen size, you’ll find a Core i7-1065G7 running the show with Intel Iris Plus Graphics.

The Galaxy Book Flex Alpha, on the other hand, is only available with a 13.3-inch display, and though that’s a touchscreen, there’s no S-Pen support. Here you’ll have the choice of a Core i5-10210U or Core i7-10510U, with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD in the Core-i5 model and 12GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD in the Core-i7 one. Both the Flex and the Flex Alpha are 2-in-1 convertibles, though it’s also worth noting that the standard Flex comes with Wireless PowerShare, allowing you to charge other devices by placing them on the trackpad.

Then we’ve got the Galaxy Book Ion, which ships with a Core i7-10510U, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and is available in 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch configurations. Like the standard Flex, the Ion supports Wireless PowerShare, and it’s the only notebook of the bunch that sports an HDMI port.

Regardless of the notebook you opt for out of this trio, Samsung promises some significant battery life. In that regard, the Flex Alpha brings up the rear, with a quoted 18.5 hours of battery life. The 13-inch standard Flex can supposedly run for 20 hours, while the 15-inch model drops down to 19 hours. The Ion is where we can expect the most battery life, with a Samsung-quoted 22 hours for the 13-inch model and 21 hours for the 15-inch model.

What are the similarities – Samsung Galaxy Book Ion vs Flex?

Available color

Both devices are available in 13- and 15-inch models, and all four new variants are impressively sleek and pretty. The 13-inch models of both laptops have a sharp 12.9mm profile, while the 15-inch variants come in at 14.9mm. I particularly loved the gorgeous blue hue they’re available in, and there’s also a silver color option that’s not as eye-catching but is still nice. The new Galaxy Books join 15 other laptops like the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 and Lenovo’s S940 as part of Intel’s Project Athena classification for powerful, long-lasting thin-and-light PCs.

Ports

Despite being so thin, both Galaxy Books offer a generous array of ports. The Flex packs two Thunderbolt 3 ports, one USB-C socket, a microSD/UFS card reader and a headphone jack, while the Ion offers a single Thunderbolt 3 slot, two USB 3.0 ports, a microSD/UFS card reader, a headphone jack and an HDMI outlet. The ports selections are the same across the 13- and 15-inch models, which is a nice touch.

Wireless power share

Wireless Powershare. This lets you charge compatible phones and accessories by placing them on the laptop’s trackpad. They have to support the Qi wireless charging standard, so that includes the Galaxy Note 10, S10, Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Watch Active and Watch Active 2. According to Samsung, Wireless Powershare provides 7.4 volts when charging a phone and 5 volts when charging a smartwatch. This means it’ll take four hours to fully charge the Galaxy S10, the company explained. That’s a lot of time to be left without your trackpad, so this might only be a useful feature when you’re not actively working on something.

QLED

they’re the first notebooks with QLED panels, which promise more colors, deeper blacks and greater brightness than OLEDs. Both the Flex and Ion run at Full HD, regardless of their size. The Engadget review videos I pulled up on demo units looked as sumptuous as I’ve seen on OLED screens.

Samsung Galaxy Book Ion vs Flex customer review

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