The Samsung Notebook 7 Spin is the latest effort in the company’s laptop adventure. A 15-inch two-in-one is weird under any circumstances, but what is amusing is that the Spin actually offers decent value. It gives you an Intel Core i7-6500 dual-core processor and 16 GB memory, which is a great deal of computing power.
It also has a 15.6-inch 1080p display, backed by an Nvidia Geforce 940MX graphics card. For storage, we have two drives: a 128GB solid state drive, and a one terabyte mechanical drive. The metal case barely flexes, and the entire design prioritises usability. That is not an easy accomplishment for a 15-inch laptop that’s only eight inches thick while closed.
Samsung has taken advantage of the space on the sides of this laptop, offering four different USB ports. There is one USB Type-C, which can charge other devices even when the laptop is asleep, and which is also capable of outputting to 4K displays with an optional adapter.
There is a single USB 3.0 port, which you’ll want to use for your external drives. And there’s two USB 2.0 ports, which you can use for your external input devices, and other things that do not require a lot of speed. There’s also an SD card reader.
However, with a three-cell lithium ion battery offering 45 watt hours, Samsung estimates up to nine hours of battery life which is practically less to only three hours full function.
The good
• Solid design with 2-in-1 hinge
• Great processor performance
• Discrete graphics makes basic gaming possible
• Offers a second hard drive.
The bad
• Heavy for a 2-in-1
• Disappointing display quality
• Poor battery life
