Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Samsung’s booth is what they weren’t showing: laptops. They had exactly one laptop on display, the new ATIV Book 9 with Core M-5Y10c – that’s the configurable TDP “c” variant of Core M, which allows the manufacturer to target different power levels. In the case of the 5Y10c, it can target 3.5W and 6W as well as the default 4.5W, allowing for lower performance but potentially increased battery life (or at least less heat) on the one hand, and higher performance but more heat (and potentially less battery life) on the other. On paper, the configurable TDP mostly affects the base frequency, with the default being 800MHz and TDP down dropping that to 600MHz while TDP up bumps it to 1GHz – the maximum Turbo Boost remains 2GHz in all modes, as far as I’m aware – but for sustained workloads the TDP should also affect what Turbo clock the CPU is able to maintain.

The laptop itself is quite sleek, with hints of the MacBook Air school of design, and Samsung is boasting of battery life of up to 12.5 hours. Connectivity consists of two USB 3.0 ports (one with sleep charging), a headset jack, a micro-SD slot, and one micro-HDMI port. The display is also a nice looking 2560x1600 panel – yes, that’s a 16:10 resolution for a change – which is the same display used in the Samsung Galaxy Tab/Note Pro 12.2. I have to admit that it’s still rather frustrating that other than Apple, all laptops are generally now on 16:9 aspect ratio displays while most tablets remain at 16:10, but I digress. The latest ATIV Book 9 should be shipping soon (it’s listed as preorder/out of stock on at least a few sites), with pricing of $1399 for 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD.

The remainder of the Samsung booth was mostly products that have already launched, with a lot of tablets and phones on display. There were a few non-US phones (the A5 and A3), and the Galaxy Note Edge that has an OLED with the curved right side ostensibly used for notifications and other items that looks interesting but may not be particularly practical. The Galaxy Tab S tablets were also present, along with the ruggedized and waterproof Galaxy Tab Active. Of course it was fun to ask the booth attendants about the hardware only to be told “we’re not making that information public yet” – particularly unhelpful since the products are already on store shelves. The Tab Active is equipped with a Snapdragon 400 if you’re wondering, so it’s more about being rugged than performance, and the price as usual for ruggedized products is quite high.

Of course Samsung had a ton of other products on display, including displays, HDTVs, All-in-One PCs, and more, but our primary focus was on the above categories for this CES.

Source: Samsung

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  • ingwe - Monday, January 19, 2015 - link

    The ATIV Book 9 looks really exciting. I think this may be my next laptop. I want to see some performance numbers first (although I have some good guesses). 16:10 is also a lot better for myself and my use case.

    Also I suspect people will get angry with the mention of Apple in there. I couldn't care less but just a heads up.
  • VengenceIsMine - Monday, January 19, 2015 - link

    It is kind of pathetic in terms of lack of respect for Samsung, that laptop is a 4th generation refinement of Samsung's ultralight notebook design going back to the original Series 9, calling it a MacBook Air clone is pretty stupid and a reflection of how much of a Apple's viewpoint has taken over Anandtech.
  • mkozakewich - Monday, January 19, 2015 - link

    He says it's frustrating that there aren't more companies building in 16:10, and you think he was calling it a MacBook Air clone?
  • SleepyFE - Monday, January 19, 2015 - link

    "...quite sleek, with hints of the MacBook Air school of design, andquite sleek, with hints of the MacBook Air school of design, and..."

    That's what he was referring to.
  • JarredWalton - Monday, January 19, 2015 - link

    Give me a break -- all I'm doing is giving a reference point to a well known laptop. It's not a clone, but "hints of the MacBook Air school of design". As in, limited ports, expansion options, etc. but very thin. The whole Ultrabook market is fundamentally built from the MacBook Air school of design. What's petty is people freaking out about any reference to Apple in any article. For reference, I don't own a single Apple product other than a four gen iPod Touch that Anand sent me at one point several years back.
  • Solandri - Monday, January 19, 2015 - link

    Calling it the Macbook Air "school of design" implies the MBA is the originator of the design. I had a Toshiba Portege 3110ct back in 2000.
    http://www.lenzg.net/portege3440CT/

    As unintentional as your slight may have been, it's one of the things that grates on the nerves of People Who Know. Apple is great at getting people (and the USPTO) to think that they invented stuff that they didn't Touchscreens, pinch to zoom, touch-only interface smartphone (LG Prada was first), iPhone's metal band around the edge (Sony used a plastic silver band around the edge of their Clies), tablets, ultra-slim laptops, magnetic power cords, etc. all appeared first elsewhere. (Which is not to say Apple hasn't invented or been the first to introduce great stuff. Postscript, the mouse, plug and play, the 3.5" floppy, online virtual media purchases and management, etc. Just don't give them more credit than they deserve.)
  • ingwe - Monday, January 19, 2015 - link

    I get what you are saying. When it feels like Apple is getting all the credit for doing everything that is good in the world, it is frustrating. I think the thing to keep in mind here is that because of Apple's marketing pull, they make great references points (which is exactly what Apple wants to be). And that just makes it easier to communicate. I think at Anandtech it is clear that is case most of the time, though you and others may feel differently.

    That said, comparing a 2008 design to a 2000 design just isn't quite fair. To me they are so different--especially given the rate of change of tech between those two points.
  • retrospooty - Monday, January 19, 2015 - link

    Baby, if falsely acting like everyone and everything in the entire tech industry is wrong, I don't wanna be right :P
  • retrospooty - Monday, January 19, 2015 - link

    Ack... Too many beers in.

    "Baby, if falsely acting like everyone and everything in the entire tech industry is copied from Apple is wrong, I don't wanna be right"
  • miles_russell - Thursday, February 12, 2015 - link

    It's too early to say that ATIV Book 9 is the best laptop until all manufacturer have laid their aces. /miles_russell from http://www.7laptoptop.tk/

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