Samsung upgrades the Notebook 9 for 2018, introduces a Pen model

Less than a month before CES 2018, Samsung is announcing products that’ll be showcased at the Las Vegas-based trade show. The Notebook 9 (2018) and Notebook 9 Pen are official. While the Notebook 9 (2018) resembles the current models with internal-focused upgrades, it’s the Notebook 9 Pen showing off newness in different areas. Both are being positioned as on-the-go productivity machines with Intel’s 8th generation Core i7 processor.

Select markets will get these laptops before the year is over, but most are going to be able to purchase them in the first quarter of 2018. Specific pricing and availability is likely to come at CES in a few weeks.

Samsung Notebook 9 (2018)

The Notebook 9 (2018) looks the same as its predecessor, but the plastic material is being swapped out for a “Metal12” body. Samsung says its new material is more durable but also very light. Once again, the Notebook 9 is being offered in two sizes. The 13.3-inch variant is definitely an ultrabook; however, the 15-inch variant is a little more powerful as it has NVIDIA’s GeForce MX150 as an option for the graphics. Regardless of the size you choose, you’re getting a Full HD (1920×1080) display with Samsung’s industry-leading technology.

Other specifications for this laptop include up to 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB of internal storage, one USB-C port, two USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port, an SD card slot, a 720p front-facing camera, a backlit keyboard, and a Windows Hello-based fingerprint scanner.

Despite being powerful, the Notebook 9 (2018) remains portable. The laptop weighs up to 2.84 pounds and measures 15.4mm. Samsung also slimmed down the bezel surrounding the display to 6.2mm. And there’s big battery inside, which the company says is a 75Wh Hexacell unit.

Samsung Notebook 9 Pen

Samsung’s latest hybrid is the Notebook 9 Pen, which basically takes everything from its sibling and makes those qualities versatile. The two-in-one lets you flip the screen back for a tablet mode when laptop mode isn’t needed or ideal. It’s made from the same alloy as the Notebook 9 (2018), but the bezel around the display is black rather than silver. And, of course, it ships with Samsung’s S Pen.

The S Pen enables the ability to write, sketch, paint, and more without needing to ever recharge. Samsung doesn’t put a battery in its pen, and that means you can doodle endlessly. But it’s no slouch of a pen-tipped stylus. Samsung’s S Pen can recognize over 4,000 levels of pressure with its 0.7mm tip. There’s also a dedicated button to launch Air Command, a hub of shortcuts to Samsung Notes and Autodesk Sketchbook.

Internal specifications are about the same as its new sibling, but the Notebook 9 Pen limits your graphics to Intel’s HD Graphics. There’s also a smaller amount of ports. Samsung did include an IR camera, though, in addition to the fingerprint scanner for Windows Hello.

Unlike the Notebook 9 (2018), which will come in Titan Silver and Crush White, the Notebook 9 Pen will only be sold in Light Titan.