Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge Review: A Stylish Powerhouse, but with Performance Compromises

Samsung’s latest offering in the laptop segment, the Galaxy Book4 Edge, has created quite a buzz, especially as it’s the first Copilot Plus PC. While it excels in aesthetics and portability, its performance leaves something to be desired, especially considering its price tag. Here’s a deep dive into what this laptop offers and where it falls short.

Design and Portability: A Sleek Marvel

The Galaxy Book4 Edge is a testament to Samsung’s commitment to sleek, lightweight designs. Weighing under 1.6 kg and just 0.48 inches thick, this 16-inch laptop is one of the most portable in its category. The metal chassis exudes a premium feel, with a build quality that ensures durability. The lid is firm, and the hinge maintains a solid grip, preventing any wobbling when adjusting the screen.

However, despite Samsung’s claim that the body is sapphire blue, it appears more silver to the naked eye. The understated design, coupled with a quiet keyboard, makes this laptop a great choice for professionals on the go. The keys are responsive but may feel a bit sluggish for those accustomed to more tactile feedback.

Performance: Beauty Over Brawn

At the heart of the Galaxy Book4 Edge is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100 processor. This chip, touted as one of Qualcomm’s fastest, promises up to 20% more speed than its predecessor. Unfortunately, the laptop’s performance doesn’t live up to the hype. During our tests, the processor failed to reach its maximum clock speed of 4.2GHz, and its performance lagged behind other laptops with lower-tier Snapdragon chips, like the Dell XPS 13 and Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x.

This underperformance can be attributed to Samsung’s decision to prioritize the laptop’s thin profile over its processing power. The limited cooling capacity of the slim chassis means the processor can’t be pushed to its full potential without overheating. As a result, the laptop’s performance is about 13% to 16% slower in multicore benchmarks than expected, making it less suitable for power users who require high processing speeds for creative work or gaming.

Battery Life: Long-Lasting Power

One of the Galaxy Book4 Edge’s most impressive features is its battery life. Despite its relatively small 61.8Wh battery, the laptop delivers around 14 hours of use on a single charge. This is thanks to the power efficiency of the Snapdragon processor and the laptop’s 2880 x 1800 (3K) AMOLED display, which strikes a balance between power consumption and visual quality.

For comparison, the Galaxy Book4 Ultra, which features an Intel Core Ultra chip and a larger 76Wh battery, lasts about 20 minutes less than the Edge despite its larger power capacity. This highlights the efficiency of Qualcomm’s chips, which allow the Edge to offer extended use without sacrificing performance.

Pricing and Value: Worth the Investment?

The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge comes with a hefty price tag of approximately ₹1,44,000 ($1,750), which raises the question: Is it worth the investment? For those looking for a stylish, portable laptop with excellent battery life, the answer may be yes. However, if you need a laptop with top-tier performance, especially for demanding tasks like video editing or gaming, the Book4 Edge might not be the best choice.

The base model, priced at around ₹1,20,000 ($1,450), offers better value with 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and the Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100 chip. This configuration provides nearly the same performance as the higher-end model but at a significantly lower cost.

Final Verdict: A Compromise Between Style and Substance

The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge is a beautiful piece of technology that excels in portability and battery life. However, its performance doesn’t fully exploit the capabilities of Qualcomm’s most powerful Snapdragon chip, making it a less attractive option for power users. If style and portability are your top priorities, this laptop will serve you well. But for those who need more from their machine, there are better options available at a similar price point.

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge Specifications (as reviewed):

• Display: 16-inch (2880 x 1800) 120Hz AMOLED touchscreen

• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-84-100

• GPU: Qualcomm Adreno

• RAM: 16GB DDR5

• Storage: 1TB eUFS 4.0 SSD

• Webcam: 1080p FHD

• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3

• Ports: 1x USB-A 3.2, 2x USB 4.0, 1x HDMI 2.1, microSD card reader, headphone/mic combo

• Weight: 1.55 kg (3.42 lbs.)

• Dimensions: 35.5 x 25.04 x 1.22 cm (13.99 x 9.86 x 0.48 inches)

• Battery: 61.8Wh

• Price: ₹1,44,000 ($1,750)

In conclusion, the Galaxy Book4 Edge is a solid choice for those who prioritize aesthetics and portability over raw power. But for those who need a laptop that can handle more intensive tasks, other options may offer better performance at a similar price.