Samsung’s ATIV Book 9 2015 is a portable notebook with a 12.2 inch high-resolution display, an Intel Core M processor, and a svelte design. The laptop measures 0.46 inches thick and weighs 2.09 pounds.

First introduced in December, the new ATIV Book 9 goes on sale in the US on March 1st for $1200 and up.

ativ 9_00

At that price you get a model with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of solid state storage. The suggested retail price for a model with 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage is $1400.

That makes this notebook nearly twice as expensive as the Asus Zenbook UX305, another portable notebook with a Core M processor. But Samsung’s laptop is half a pound lighter and has a 2560 x 1600 pixel display (compared with the 13.3 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixel display for the Asus model).

Samsung says its new laptop is the lightest ATIV Book 9 model to date and it also offers some of the best battery life, with up to 12.5 hours of run time (although it’s best to take manufacturer battery life estimates with a grain of salt).

The notebook has a Core M-5Y31 processor with Intel HD 5300 graphics, stereo 1.5W speakers, a 720p webcam, two USB 3.0 ports, a micro HDMI port, WiFi, Bluetooth, and an Ethernet dongle you can use to connect to wired networks.

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11 replies on “Samsung’s 2.1 pound ATIV Book 9 ultrabook launches for $1200 and up”

  1. The ASUS UX305 looks way better, has more than enough pixels, and has the same storage (256gb SSD) as the $1,400 model.

    1. The Asus also has a larger screen (13 vs 12 inches) so you do get a bit more screen real estate for the extra half pound.

      1. The asus doesn’t even have a backlit keyboard, is 1/2 lb heavier and having a larger screen makes it well larger which some users do not want. 2.1lbs makes it one of the lightest in its class. Though I agree it is still over priced. Build quality is likely to be better with better materials used.

    2. Well, it’s a Samsung Ultrabook… So I’m more surprised that anyone is surprised at the price…

      But it still costs extra to make a Ultrabook lighter and thinner than other models in its class and parts like the 2560×1600 screen are still in the premium range…

      Maybe by the end of the year it would be outrageously over priced but for now it’s just pushing the upper limits of what’s acceptable… Namely, business users who want something thinner and lighter and are willing to pay a premium for the perceived extra quality… business users who travel a lot will especially account for every ounce and volume of equipment they have to carry…

      It’s just the average budget range users will stay far and away from this and there are lots more budget offerings than premium offerings these days to show where most of the market is headed but premium products still have their niche of the market left… especially in other countries where people are more willing to pay extra for their gadgets…

    3. I’m waiting to see if the UX305 is actually going to have 256gb SSD at the $699 base price. Alot of the articles about it are written to suggest $699 will buy you 8gb RAM, and a 256gb SSD. I have a feeling they meant to say “up to” 8gb and 256gb, but we have to wait and see.

        1. Ah, I didn’t realize they were selling it already. That’s probably the best value laptop on the market.

  2. 1200 and up for a Core M setup….they might as well exit the PC biz right about now I reckon.

  3. Isn’t this comically expensive for what you get? At that price, I’m expecting some kind of radical new innovation in battery life. Maybe for the super high-res screen, 12 hours is it?

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