Samsung's Galaxy Book was announced today along with a number of other Galaxy laptops and looks to be the least expensive entry-level model in the lineup

While its siblings, the Galaxy Book Pro and Galaxy Book Pro 360, feature AMOLED screens, the Galaxy Book has a simple TFT LCD display, much like the gaming-focused Galaxy Book Odyssey but it does not feature the Odyssey's new Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU

With no standout screen or cutting-edge GPU, what sets the nondescript Galaxy Book apart is its price Samsung announced today that the Galaxy Book will start at $549, which is several hundred dollars less than any other laptop in the Galaxy Book lineup

Details are still subject to change, but here is what we know so far about the Galaxy Book

According to Samsung's Unpacked event today, the Galaxy Book is expected to retail starting at $549, with LTE-enabled models starting at $649 The laptop will be available on May 14 along with the rest of the Galaxy Book lineup

The Galaxy Book's design appears slimmer and lighter, which is consistent with the design of other Galaxy Book laptops that Samsung unveiled alongside the Galaxy Book at a press event today

The Galaxy Book features the same keyboard as its Galaxy Book siblings (1 mm key travel), 720p webcam, Dolby Atmos speakers, and will ship with a choice of Mystic Silver or Mystic Blue paint

Notably, Samsung claims that the Galaxy Book will feature an expandable SSD option, presumably allowing owners to swap out the SSD as they please This is a welcome option and is also available on the similarly sized Galaxy Book Odyssey

The Galaxy Book appears to be designed to accommodate a wide range of component configurations, so the performance obtained will depend largely on which CPU and GPU are selected

A low-end Galaxy Book with an older Intel i3/Celeron processor and integrated graphics will probably not provide excellent gaming performance It will also likely buckle under heavy-duty tasks However, it will be fine for basic web browsing and school/workplace tasks

However, if you take advantage of the fact that you can configure it with an 11th generation Intel i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a discrete Nvidia GeForce MX450 mobile GPU, you should be able to get great performance from the Galaxy Book

Again, keep in mind that Galaxy Book spec details are subject to change at this time, and not all configuration options may be available in all markets, even when finalized

The Galaxy Book's 156" TFT LCD display is not as exciting as the AMOLED of the Galaxy Book Pro or Pro 360 But it is not inferior The hinge can be tilted back 180 degrees and opened up to lay flat on a table

The screen should be able to display your favorite movies and games at 1080p without a problem, but we won't know how good it is (and how it compares to notebook displays in the same price range) until we try it

Samsung has not yet stated how long it expects the Galaxy Book to last when the battery is fully charged It is safe to say that the actual battery life will vary greatly depending on the laptop's configuration

As for charging, Samsung claims that the Samsung Galaxy Book laptop supports 65W fast charging and can provide 8 hours of video playback on a 30-minute charge

The array of ports on the Galaxy Book should give you enough room to connect the peripherals you need, unless you need USB 4/Thunderbolt 4

The pair of USB-C ports and USB 32 ports give you options for where and what to connect It is also nice to see a microSD card reader on a laptop designed to work on the go An optional nano SIM slot is also expected to be available on some Galaxy books, which should allow users to stay connected on the go (Availability will depend on individual carriers and regions)

There is still much we don't know about the Galaxy Book, but based on the information we have so far, it is clear that this is the entry-level reference point for Samsung to play a larger role in the global laptop market in 2021

The wide range of configuration options expected to be seen when the Galaxy Book debuts later this year makes it a good starting point for those seeking a new Samsung laptop primarily for work or school under $800, good battery life (Samsung claims) and optional 4 G LTE connectivity, you should be able to get a nimble, reliable laptop

Considering the fact that you should be able to upgrade the storage yourself or connect to an external display for presentations or more comfortable computing, the Galaxy Book looks like a fine ultra-portable for working on the go is beginning to look like a fine ultra-portable for working on the go