Ahead of CES 2020 next week, Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy Book Flex α (Alpha), a new 2-in-1 device that is essentially a laptop that can fold back on itself to form a tablet. It’s designed to be a more entry-level version of the existing Galaxy Book Flex, stripping out a few of the higher-end features in exchange for a lower price.
The Galaxy Book Flex α has a 13.3-in QLED display with 1080p resolution, and is powered by a 10th-generation Intel Core processor and Intel UHD Graphics. It has RAM options of either 8 or 12 GB, and storage of 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB.
Samsung says the Galaxy Book Flex α’s battery lasts 17.5 hours, and can be fast charged when needed. On the sides are a USB-C and two USB 3 ports, as well as HDMI, MicroSD and a 3.5-mm headphone jack.
At a glance, the new model looks pretty similar to the previously-announced Galaxy Book Flex, but there are a few differences. The α is very slightly bigger and heavier, it has a smaller battery, no Thunderbolt 3 ports, less RAM, and doesn’t come with its own stylus for the touchscreen. That said, it is compatible with Samsung’s Active Pen stylus, but you’ll need to buy that separately. The α also doesn’t have the ability to wirelessly charge other devices like the Galaxy Book Flex can.
The idea is that by stripping out these features that not everyone will want, Samsung can sell the Galaxy Book Flex α at a lower price. The problem is that the company still hasn’t actually announced how much the previously-announced Galaxy Book Flex will cost, so we don’t know how much of a saving this will be.
Either way, the Galaxy Book Flex α starts at US$829.99, which is a decent enough price for what it can do. Samsung says the device will launch in the first half of 2020 – but maybe it’s worth waiting until we know how much the Galaxy Book Flex costs. With its launch window of “early 2020,” that reveal shouldn’t be too far away.
Source: Samsung
