Samsung Introduces Notebook 9 Models With Kaby Lake Processor, More Curved Chassis Ahead Of CES 2017

Samsung is thinking way ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show next year. The South Korea tech giant just announced its new Notebook 9 laptops that are mostly similar with the previous models save for the inclusion of a new processor and minor design tweaks.

On Monday, The Verge found out that Samsung refreshed its 13-inch and 15-inch Notebook 9 devices and added Kaby Lake processors on them. The inclusion of Intel’s 7th generation processors is expected to boost the performance of Samsung’s thin laptops. This is regarded as a minor but a remarkable upgrade to the devices that debuted with Skylake processors.

In addition to the new processor, Samsung’s Notebook 9 portable computers have also seen a few design changes. The chassis is now more curved than the usual and the bezels have become slimmer, but not quite unnoticeable for the laptop to feature edge-to-edge display technology. The minor alterations have contributed to the lighter weight of the two models. The 15-inch model now weighs 2.17 pounds, while the 13-inch model weighs 1.8 pounds. Finally, the backlit keyboard is a welcome addition to the laptops.

Although there are undeniably positive changes that Samsung has done to the Notebook 9 laptops, there is also a downside to the upgrade. Samsung says the new models can last up to 7 hours. It can be noted that for the previous models, Samsung claimed that they were good to run for around 12 hours. The Verge maintained that this is not a bad thing, however, for the predecessors also lasted for around 7 hours per its own testing and Samsung may have just overestimated the battery life of the laptops with Skylake processor.

For those who are not familiar with Samsung’s Notebook 9 line of devices, TrustedReviews revealed that the 15-inch model sports 8GB of DDR4 dual-channel memory and up to 256GB of storage. Meanwhile, the 13-inch model comes with up to 16GB of DDR4 dual channel RAM and up to 256GB of SSD. Both models pack in Full HD displays with 1920 x 1080p screen resolution.

Samsung has yet to provide the pricing details for the refreshed laptops and the dates when they’ll be available for purchase. However, it’s clear that Apple’s biggest rival has timed the announcement of these upgraded models with CES 2017 already slated to happen this January. It won’t be surprising if the tech giant would showcase the laptops at the annual Las Vegas technology trade show.