Samsung unveils cheaper, longer-lasting, Galaxy Book Flex α laptop ahead of CES 2020

(Image credit: Samsung)

Ahead of CES 2020, Samsung has announced the Galaxy Book Flex α (the ‘α’ stands for ‘alpha’, apparently), a stylishly-designed laptop that should offer a long-lasting battery and QLED display at a competitive price of $829.99 (around £630, AU$1,200).

Alanna Cotton, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Samsung Electronics America, claims that the “Galaxy Book Flex α is a stellar new variant of the Galaxy Computing line, offering many of the best design, hardware, and display features at an accessible price-point,” and is a laptop that offers the best of Samsung technology.

This includes a 13.3-inch QLED display and ultra-thin bezel that uses some of the tech Samsung uses in its acclaimed TV sets, and could offer impressively bright and vibrant image quality. 

The Galaxy Book Flex α also supports Active Pen styluses, and the screen can be folded back to turn the laptop into a tablet-like device. 

Battle of the battery life

Battery life is one of the most important considerations for people buying a new laptop in 2020, and Samsung is planning on making the Galaxy Book Flex α stand out from the crowd with a promised 17.5-hour battery.

For a Windows 10 laptop, that’s very impressive, and Samsung claims this means you “don’t have to build your daily schedule around outlet availability,” so hopefully no more searching for a power supply halfway through the day.

Of course, we’ll be putting those battery life claims to the test when we get in a Samsung Galaxy Book Flex α in for a full review.

The Galaxy Book Flex α will also support Fast Charge, so when the battery level does get low, it shouldn’t take long to top it up.

If the Galaxy Book Flex α does achieve the battery life Samsung promises, it could give the laptop a real edge over its competitors – especially at this price.

Other specs

It seems like Samsung is keen to make an affordable laptop that still looks and feels premium, and it weighs just 1.19kg and is just 13.9mm thick with an diamond-cut aluminum frame.

Specs-wise, it’s pretty well kitted out for the price, with a 10th generation Intel Core processor, a choice of either 8GB or 12GB RAM, 256GB/512GB/1TB SSD. Wi-Fi 6 connectivity and a 720p webcam.

We’re certainly looking forward to getting some time with the Galaxy Book Flex α to see if Samsung has managed to deliver on its promises for a slim and stylish 2-in-1 laptop that’s competitively priced.

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Matt Hanson
Managing Editor, Core Tech

Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there's no aspect of technology that Matt isn't passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. Ever since he got an Amiga A500+ for Christmas in 1991, he's loved using (and playing on) computers, and will talk endlessly about how The Secret of Monkey Island is the best game ever made.