Fancy the Samsung Galaxy Book S as your next laptop, but concerned whether it has a touchscreen? No need to fret, as we’ve tested the ultrabook and can help answer your question:
Is the Galaxy Book S touchscreen?
The Samsung Galaxy Book S does have a touchscreen and it’s a pretty good one at that, with a nippy response allowing you to easily zoom in with a pinch or scroll down with a flick.
That said, the Galaxy Book S is not a 2-in-1 laptop convertible, meaning it can’t fold back into a tablet or remove the keyboard. The hinge doesn’t let the laptop lay completely flat either, so you’re restricted to the clamshell form factor.
Related: Samsung Galaxy Book S review
And since it uses the standard Windows 10 operating system, it isn’t optimised for touch inputs. You can still happily open up applications on the desktop and scroll through the settings by touching the screen, but you’ll need the keyboard for typing into search bars and enter information.
I didn’t personally find any of this to be an issue, and if you just want a laptop with the bonus feature of a touchscreen, then the Galaxy Book S will still fit the bill nicely.
Related: Best Student Laptops
However, if you want a laptop that can double up as a tablet, then we’d recommend looking elsewhere. Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Book Flex is purpose-built for such a function, as are the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 and HP Spectre x360. Microsoft’s Surface Book 3, meanwhile, allows you to detach the screen from the keyboard entirely for a proper tablet experience.
If you’re more interested in the tablet function, and plan on only using the keyboard sporadically, then the Surface Go 2 and iPad Air 2019 are far cheaper alternatives – you’ll need to buy the keyboard accessory separately though.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
