Samsung Galaxy Book 5 360 Review – A Powerful, Convertible 16″ Laptop with AMOLED Display & S Pen

Samsung Galaxy Book 5 360 Review: A Versatile Workhorse with Flair

When it comes to combining performance, portability, and a splash of Samsung polish, the Galaxy Book 5 360 is a strong contender in the crowded 2-in-1 laptop space. Priced from £849, this near-16-inch convertible doesn’t just aim to impress—it aims to become your everyday companion, whether you’re tackling work tasks, binging Netflix, or sketching out your next masterpiece. Here’s a deep dive into what makes the Galaxy Book 5 360 tick—and why it might just be your next laptop.

Design & Build: Sleek, Sturdy, and Familiar

Samsung hasn’t thrown out the design rulebook for this one—and that’s not a bad thing. The Galaxy Book 5 360 keeps things elegant and understated, much like its Pro sibling. It’s beautifully slim, encased in a solid slab of aluminum that feels premium without being flashy.

Despite the generous 16-inch display, the device isn’t overly heavy and is surprisingly portable for its size. There’s minimal flex even under pressure, which speaks volumes about its build quality. While the grey finish looks sharp, it does pick up fingerprints—especially if you’re a bit of a snack fiend during work. Thankfully, a quick wipe restores its clean aesthetic.

One drawback: you only get one color option. So, if you were hoping to jazz it up with a different shade, tough luck—it’s grey or nothing.

Laptop or Tablet? Why Not Both

One of the Galaxy Book 5 360’s most impressive features is right there in the name—its 360-degree hinge. This lets you flip the screen all the way around, turning your laptop into a massive tablet in seconds. It’s perfect for tent mode movie marathons or diving into tablet-friendly drawing apps with the S Pen.

The touchscreen itself is impressively responsive, making tent or tablet mode genuinely practical, not just a gimmick. Whether you’re tapping through a film or scrolling through documents, it feels intuitive and natural.

Ports & Connectivity: Everything You Need, Mostly

In terms of ports, Samsung hasn’t made too many changes from the Pro model. On the left, you’ll find two Thunderbolt 4 ports (one of which is used for charging), and HDMI 2.1 for hooking up to an external display. Over on the right, there’s a full-sized USB-A 3.2 port, a microSD card slot, and even a trusty 3.5mm headphone jack.

For wireless connectivity, you’re getting full Wi-Fi 7 support. Streaming, video calling, and even gaming over wireless connections are smooth and lag-free. However, there’s no SIM or eSIM support, so you’ll have to rely on mobile hotspotting if you want connectivity on the move—which it handles just fine.

Fingerprint Security & Software: Smooth, Mostly

Booting up the Galaxy Book 5 360 is fast, typically taking just a couple of seconds. The fingerprint sensor built into the power button is a handy touch, letting you skip the password fuss. It occasionally hesitates, especially if your fingers are a bit messy, and there’s no facial recognition as a fallback.

Samsung’s software approach is thankfully restrained. Apart from the usual Microsoft bloatware, you get a few Samsung extras like the Galaxy Book Experience and Samsung Studio. The latter is quite useful if you want to dabble in video editing, offering intuitive tools to make your home videos feel more cinematic.

And yes, Samsung has included a touch of AI—but nothing too overbearing. The “AI Select” tool lets you circle anything on-screen to get more information, which works well for products but can be hit or miss with people or obscure topics.

S Pen Stylus: A Creative Companion (with a Flaw)

The Galaxy Book 5 360 comes bundled with Samsung’s S Pen stylus, and it works exactly as you’d expect. Tap the side button to pull up a menu of drawing and note-taking apps, or just start sketching right away. It’s excellent for digital artists, students, and even casual users who just want to doodle or annotate PDFs.

However, one persistent annoyance remains—there’s nowhere to securely store the stylus when you’re not using it. There’s a small magnetic spot near the top edge of the lid where it will cling on, but it’s far from secure. The moment you put the laptop in a bag, it’s likely to fall off.

Performance & Storage: Capable Entry-Level Setup

The model we tested came with 256GB of SSD storage, which is fine for most users but can be expanded up to 1TB if you need more. You can also pop in a microSD card for quick file transfers—handy if you’re a photographer or content creator.

Performance-wise, the entry-level model handles everyday tasks like browsing, word processing, and media consumption without breaking a sweat. It’s not a hardcore gaming machine or a 4K video editing beast, but for students, professionals, and casual users, it’s more than enough.

Display & Audio: Made for Entertainment

Samsung’s 15.6-inch Super AMOLED display is, as expected, a stunner. With a Full HD resolution (1920×1080), it’s crisp and vibrant, making movies and shows look fantastic. The wide aspect ratio is ideal for multitasking—you can have a video call open on one side and your browser or documents on the other without feeling cramped.

Whether you’re watching a dumb action flick or jumping on a Zoom call, the display holds up well in terms of brightness, color accuracy, and viewing angles.

As for audio, the speakers are decent enough for casual use. They’re clear and get reasonably loud, though they won’t blow you away with bass or depth. For a better audio experience, you’d want to use headphones or external speakers.

Performance & Gaming

The Galaxy Book 5 360 offers multiple configuration options depending on your budget. The unit we reviewed features the entry-level Intel Core Ultra 5 226V processor, but Samsung also provides higher-tier options like the 228V and even the top-end Ultra 7 256V. Once you reach the Ultra 7 model, you’re nearly in Galaxy Book 5 Pro 360 territory in terms of price.

Despite being the base model, everyday performance is surprisingly solid. It’s not the fastest machine out there—there are occasional delays when waking the system or launching apps—but it handles multitasking with ease. You can run several apps side by side, edit photos, and even perform some light video editing.

Gaming is also possible thanks to the integrated Intel Arc 1300V graphics. Titles like Spider-Man run decently on medium settings, hovering around 30 to 40 fps. While you may encounter occasional frame dips, there’s no screen tearing, and older or less demanding games like Pillars of Eternity and Oddworld: Soulstorm run smoothly and look fantastic on the vibrant AMOLED display.

Keyboard & Touchpad

Samsung’s keyboard performs well overall. It offers a reasonably comfortable typing experience with a firm, backlit layout. The main section and number pad aren’t separated, which may cause occasional mis-taps for those who touch type, but the keys are responsive and quiet.

You can adjust the keyboard backlight across three levels using the function key, a handy feature for working late into the night. The touchpad is another highlight—responsive and smooth, supporting gestures with ease. Combined with the touchscreen, navigation feels fluid and intuitive whether you’re typing, clicking, or swiping.

Camera

Embedded in the top bezel is a full HD webcam that gets the job done for video calls. It supports Windows Studio effects, allowing for background blur and other enhancements. While it won’t blow you away with image quality, it handles contrast well and is perfectly acceptable for Zoom meetings or Teams calls.

Dual microphones are built in, and they pick up voice clearly—even if you’re not sitting directly in front of the device. That means you don’t have to rely on an external headset just to be heard during meetings or online classes.

Battery Life

Battery performance on the Galaxy Book 5 360 is impressive. The 68Wh battery consistently delivers between 11 to 12 hours of mixed use, making it reliable for all-day productivity. Of course, heavy tasks like downloading massive files, gaming, or video editing will reduce that number to about 4 to 5 hours.

Streaming video, however, is where this laptop shines—up to 13 to 14 hours of playback even with brightness maxed out. While it doesn’t quite match the Pro version, the battery life is excellent and should meet the needs of most people on the go.

Final Thoughts: Is the Galaxy Book 5 360 Worth It?

If you’re after a stylish, sturdy, and versatile laptop that can switch into tablet mode at a moment’s notice, the Galaxy Book 5 360 is a fantastic option—especially at the starting price of £849. It’s not quite as premium as the Pro model, but unless you’re after maxed-out specs, the differences are fairly minor.

Sure, it has its quirks—the lack of a stylus dock is frustrating, and color options are limited—but overall, Samsung has delivered a well-balanced machine that handles work, play, and creativity with ease.

Pros:

• Sleek aluminum build

• Responsive touchscreen and full 360° hinge

• S Pen included

• Great AMOLED display

• Solid port selection and Wi-Fi 7 support

Cons:

• No stylus storage

• Limited color options

• No facial recognition

Whether you’re a student, a creative, or a Netflix enthusiast, the Galaxy Book 5 360 offers a compelling mix of performance and flexibility without breaking the bank.