Samsung Galaxy Chromebook

Samsung showed the Galaxy Chromebook at CES 2020 with the first 4K AMOLED display fitted to a Chromebook. The 13.3-inch 2-in-1 convertible measures 0.39 inches thick (9.9mm) and weighs 2.29 pounds. Inside sat a 10th-gen Intel Core i5-10210U with 8GB of RAM, enough for the Chrome OS workloads of that year. The screen and the thin chassis cost it battery life.

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Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Comparison Chart

	Samsung Galaxy Chromebook	Samsung Galaxy Chromebook	Samsung Galaxy Chromebook
Price	List Price: $1299.99 Amazon Prices: Check Price on Amazon	List Price: $999.00 Amazon Prices: Check Price on Amazon	List Price: $999.00 Amazon Prices: Check Price on Amazon
Model number	XE931QCA-K01US	XE930QCA-K01US	XE930QCA-K02US
Performance Rating	4.9	4.9	4.9
Chromebook Plus	No	No	No
Processor	Quad-core 1.60 Ghz (max 4.20 Ghz) Intel Core i5-10210U Processor	Quad-core 1.60 Ghz (max 4.20 Ghz) Intel Core i5-10210U Processor	Quad-core 1.60 Ghz (max 4.20 Ghz) Intel Core i5-10210U Processor
RAM	8 GB	8 GB	8 GB
Internal Storage	256 GB SSD	256 GB SSD	256 GB SSD
Screen Size	13.3"	13.3"	13.3"
Screen Resolution	3840x2160	3840x2160	3840x2160
Screen Type	UHD AMOLED	UHD AMOLED	UHD AMOLED
Touch Screen	Yes	Yes	Yes
Stylus / Pen	Supported	Supported	Supported
Dimensions width x length x thickness	11.92 x 8 x 0.39 inches (302.77 x 203.2 x 9.91 mm)	11.92 x 8 x 0.39 inches (302.77 x 203.2 x 9.91 mm)	11.92 x 8 x 0.39 inches (302.77 x 203.2 x 9.91 mm)
Weight	2.29 lbs (1.04 kg)	2.29 lbs (1.04 kg)	2.29 lbs (1.04 kg)
Backlit Keyboard	Yes	Yes	Yes
Webcam	front 1M, keyboard deck 8M	front 1M, keyboard deck 8M	front 1M, keyboard deck 8M
WiFi	Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), 802.11 ax	Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), 802.11 ax	Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), 802.11 ax
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 5.0
Ethernet	No	No	No
Cellular Modem	No	No	No
HDMI	No HDMI	No HDMI	No HDMI
USB Ports	2 USB-C (4K display out with optional adapter, charging)	2 USB-C (4K display out with optional adapter, charging)	2 USB-C (4K display out with optional adapter, charging)
Thunderbolt Ports	No	No	No
Card Reader	UFS & microSD	UFS & microSD	UFS & microSD
Battery	4 cell, 6390mAh, Lithium-ion	4 cell, 6390mAh, Lithium-ion	4 cell, 6390mAh, Lithium-ion
Battery Life	8.0 hours	8.0 hours	8.0 hours
Fanless	Yes	Yes	Yes
Auto Update Expiration Date	June, 2030	June, 2030	June, 2030

A 4K AMOLED Panel in a 0.39-Inch Aluminum Convertible

Fiesta Red read slightly orange in bright light, a color that set it apart from typical gray and silver laptops. The chassis is all aluminum with precise fit and finish. A 360-degree hinge folds the screen back into tent and tablet modes.

The 4K AMOLED panel runs about 500 nits, covers 100% of both Adobe RGB and DCI-P3, and renders true blacks. Photo, video, and design work on Chrome OS gains directly from that color coverage. The Core i5 also opened up music production through web-based DAWs. The bundled S-Pen reads 4096 pressure levels and stows in the body, so it is always at hand.

The Core i5-10210U and 8GB of RAM stayed responsive across 20 or more Chrome tabs alongside several Android apps. A 256GB NVMe SSD handles local storage, and the UFS and microSD reader adds more. Wi-Fi 6 covers wireless, and the two USB-C ports carry charging, display output, and data. The fanless design has no active cooling, so sustained work warms the chassis.

Reviewers Praised the Screen and Faulted the Battery

Chrome Unboxed Traced the Short Runtime to a Deliberate Tradeoff

Chrome Unboxed described the Galaxy Chromebook as “one of the most attractive laptops I’ve ever seen or used.” They praised the premium build quality as comparable to a MacBook or Surface Laptop and highlighted the stylus as offering “the most fluid and lag-free inking experience on a Chromebook to date.” They were unequivocal about the battery: “At the end of the day, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook has poor battery life. Period.” They explained this is a deliberate design choice, noting “you can’t have ultra sleek, ultra powerful, and long-lasting all in the same package.”

A 3.5 Out of 5 From Tom’s Guide, With the Hinge and Webcam Flagged

Tom’s Guide awarded the device 3.5 out of 5 stars, calling it “a gorgeous 2-in-1 laptop that needs longer battery life.” Their review praised the striking red design, thin and light chassis, and speedy performance. They noted concerns beyond battery life, including a hinge that “should be stronger” and a disappointingly low-resolution webcam for a device at this price point. They also flagged the warm operating temperatures during use.

Four Hours and 20 Minutes on The Verge’s Battery Test

Monica Chin wrote in her review for The Verge that “Samsung has taken a wrecking ball to what have traditionally been the two strongest arguments for buying a Chromebook”: affordability and long battery life. She got just four hours and 20 minutes of battery life in her testing, far short of Samsung’s 8-hour claim. She still credited Samsung for pushing boundaries: “I credit Samsung for making this beautiful and bold bet, but it’s a bold bet that’s not ready for its $999 price tag.”

A QLED Successor in 2021 and Updates Through June 2030

Samsung followed this machine with the Galaxy Chromebook 2 in 2021, swapping the AMOLED panel for QLED. Battery life improved and the price came down, which answered the two complaints reviewers raised here.

Chrome OS updates run through June 2030 on this model, so owners still have security patches and new features coming. If you are exploring current options, our Chromebook Comparison Chart lets you sort and filter today’s lineup side by side.

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