Galaxy book 4 edge review

[johnz237]

This is my Review on the galaxy book4 edge. 

 In this I'm mainly going to focus on my personal opinions, and the overall performance as a software engineering student. 

The Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge 14" is a lightweight, powerhouse that surprised me with its blend of performance and portability. As a software engineering student, I need a laptop that can handle demanding tasks, last through long days of classes and studying, and be easy to carry around campus. The Galaxy Book 4 Edge, with its Snapdragon X Elite chip, Qualcomm Adreno GPU, Qualcomm Hexagon NPU, and 16GB LPDDR Memory, has exceeded my expectations in all these areas. 

 Design and Build Quality:

 The Galaxy Book 4 Edge has a very simplistic design, with a thin and professional build. The laptop itself is a nice bluish-silver, with a very nice semi-mirror matte finish. It feels smooth to the touch. To my surprise, the device is very sturdy and well-built, especially considering how thin it is. Normally, lighter/thinner devices tend to squeak and bend, but the Galaxy Book 4 Edge feels solid and robust. The screen has slightly thicker bezels than some of the latest ultrabooks, but it's by no means a distraction.

 The keyboard is a joy to type on, with smooth keys that have a slight glow for typing in low-light conditions. The keys feel responsive and solid, with no awkward squishes, accidental clicks, or misclicks as of now. When I've let people use my device, they've often commented on the comfortable typing experience.

 The trackpad is a smooth mechanical touchpad, not haptic, meaning it's easier to click at the bottom and slowly gets harder. For such an expensive device, I would have preferred a haptic trackpad, but it's responsive and works as intended, with a nice smooth design and finish.

 On the 14" model, there isn't a huge array of ports: 2 USBCs, a headphone jack, and an HDMI 2.1, which supports up to 4k@60hz. So if you're planning on plugging many devices in, I would recommend getting an adapter, especially since one of the slots gets used up when charging. Overall, though, the ports feel solid and well-made.

 
• Speakers: The quad speakers with Dolby Atmos and a dual array deliver nice sound quality, but they're not particularly loud. They're good for watching videos, but I wouldn't recommend listening to music directly through them.
 
• Camera: The camera is nothing special, just an average-looking laptop camera. For meetings, calls, and communication, it's completely good enough. However, I wouldn't recommend it for media/videos and would suggest an additional webcam for that purpose.
 
• Touchscreen: The touchscreen is a nice addition, providing a responsive and smooth experience. It feels like all Samsung touchscreens feel, and I have absolutely zero issues with it.

 Security:

 
• The built-in fingerprint sensor works flawlessly for quick and secure logins.
 
• Knox security features are integrated into the BIOS and system level, providing comprehensive protection against attacks and ensuring peace of mind.

 Display:

 The 14" WQXGA+ AMOLED 2880 x 1800 display is a real highlight of this laptop. The colours are vibrant and accurate, it's easy to use outdoors thanks to the anti-reflective coating, and the overall screen clarity is spectacular.

 The screen has 500 nits of brightness, which is decent for indoor use. I've also managed to use it outdoors with minimal visibility issues.

 
• Viewing Angles: The AMOLED screen provides excellent viewing angles, so you can see the screen clearly regardless of your position. This is great for sharing projects with a group of people without visibility issues.

 Feedback (Regarding the hairline crack):

 Less than a week of owning my laptop, I noticed a hairline crack on the screen, which, the device was sat on a desk not really being used as I was waiting for the university year to begin. It's not visible when the screen is turned on, and the colours remain unaffected. I'm unsure if the device arrived with this or not. I did some research and discovered this is a common issue, possibly due to the screen being fitted too tightly. Samsung were happy to repair the screen at a cost, but I decided it wasn't worth the hassle for such a minor issue.

 Performance:

 The Snapdragon X Elite is an impressive CPU. It's one of the fastest and most efficient CPUs in the world, especially for Windows laptops.

 
• Geekbench 6 (single-core) = 2,813
 
• CPU Multi-core = 14,116
 
• GPU Vulcan = 24,122
 
• GPU OpenCL = 20,820
 
• 3D Mark GPU Benchmark = 39fps
 
• Procyon – AI Inference Benchmark = 1716

 This impressive CPU, combined with the all-day battery life, makes for a winning combination. I find that I only have to charge my device after 2 full days of university use, and it charges in a couple of hours at most. There are 3 different performance modes: quiet, optimized, and high performance. Quiet mode, as the name suggests, is silent—it's not as snappy, but it's very much usable. High performance mode can make the fans audible, but it's not excessive. This is where the device is at its best! Optimized mode intelligently switches between full power and quiet mode depending on the task. I normally set my laptop to this mode, as it seems to give the best of both worlds.

 With its 16gb of 8448 MT/s RAM, memory is never an issue for me. I often have a million tasks open at once for research and projects, but I've yet to experience any lag due to RAM limitations.

 
• General Performance: For my typical usage, which includes web browsing, coding, and running productivity apps, the Galaxy Book 4 Edge has been incredibly snappy and responsive. I haven't experienced any lag or slowdowns. The Wi-Fi 7 provides excellent internet speeds, and the Bluetooth v5.3 seamlessly connects to my headphones.
 
• Demanding Applications: I've tested the laptop with demanding applications like DataGrip, where I load entire databases for my projects. While it can sometimes take some time to load, I've yet to experience a crash, which is a common issue for some of my classmates with other laptops.
 
• App Compatibility: As this laptop runs on ARM-based Windows, app compatibility was initially a concern. However, I've been pleasantly surprised. Most of the apps I use regularly, including Microsoft Office, teams, and VS Code, work flawlessly. Some apps, like Adobe Photoshop, require emulation, but they still perform well enough for my needs. I did encounter some minor compatibility issues with a few niche applications, but overall, my experience with app compatibility has been positive.
 
• Gaming: This device is not designed for gaming, and I wouldn't recommend it for that purpose. It can handle very light games, but anything more demanding will likely struggle.

 Software and Features:

 The Galaxy Book 4 Edge comes with a suite of pre-installed software from Samsung, including:

 
• Samsung Multi Control
 
• Live Wallpaper
 
• Screen Recorder
 
• Samsung Gallery
 
• Quick Search
 
• Samsung Flow
 
• Samsung Notes
 
• Samsung Settings
 
• Samsung Pass
 
• Second Screen
 
• Quick Share
 
• Galaxy Book Experience
 
• Galaxy Book Smart Switch
 
• SmartThings
 
• Bixby
 
• Samsung Studio

 While there are quite a lot of preinstalled applications, they don't appear to use much storage space. Each feature has its own uses, and they can be particularly useful if you're already within the Samsung ecosystem. For example, Samsung Flow allows me to seamlessly transfer files between my phone and laptop, and Second Screen lets me use my tablet as a second display for enhanced multitasking. Some have reported the disliking of such software, but to me its what makes having a Galaxy device different than a regular Windows laptop. 

 Value and Conclusion:

 The Galaxy Book 4 Edge is priced well, especially considering its impressive performance and features. It's cheaper than the pro models, which, based on benchmarks, have less powerful CPUs. This device is definitely geared towards productivity on the move. It's incredibly fast, lightweight (weighing in at an impressive 1.16kg), and has exceptional battery life. It would take a lot to truly push this device to its full potential.

 Overall, the Galaxy Book 4 Edge 14" is an excellent choice for students and professionals who value portability, long battery life, and a stylish design. While app compatibility on ARM-based Windows is still evolving, I found it more than capable for my needs as a software engineering student. If you're looking for a lightweight and powerful laptop that can keep up with your busy lifestyle, the Galaxy Book 4 Edge is definitely worth considering. 

My next laptop review will be when I manage to upgrade to the Galaxy Book 5th or 6th generation, depending on my availability.

What experiences have you had with Samsung Galaxy Books?

[Obsydian]

Nice comprehensive review, I'm still happy with my Book2 Pro, impossibly thin, too thin, notice you mentioned an issue with your screen.

The Edge interested me with the chipset so great to have a hands one review.

[JAMES4578]

@johnz237 certainly a detailed account,seems to be some impressive specs considering the price range. Glad it suits your need,pity about the hair crack even if not prominent.