[Review] Samsung Galaxy Book Flex2 Alpha: (almost) Perfect!

Are you looking for a cost-effective convertible laptop, and you don't know which model to choose? Then you might consider Samsung's lineup of convertibles, as they are packed with high-speed processors, vibrant displays, and a portable design you can carry along wherever you go.

Having said that, it's time to tackle one of the best-rated models within this lineup as we dive deep into the review of the Samsung Galaxy Book Flex2 Alpha, which offers an outstanding balance between specs and price that you won't want to miss.

In a nutshell, this stylish convertible is equipped with a powerful 11th-Gen Intel Core i7 processor, stunning QLED Full HD touch screen, ultrafast and ample SSD storage, built-in fingerprint reader, and plenty of connectivity options to suit your needs. But is it perfect? No, and today we'll find out exactly why. 

The Samsung Galaxy Book Flex 2 Alpha rocks an eye-catching and compact aluminum Mystic Black body with a slim profile of just 0.55 inches while weighing a measly 2.16 pounds. That makes it one of the lightest and thinnest convertibles we're reviewed here at 9to5gadgets. 

Like many other convertibles, you'll be able to use it in four different modes - laptop, tablet, tent, and stand mode, as you can fold the screen up to 360 degrees. Noting new under the sun here. 

Regarding the screen, we've got an edge-to-edge 13.3-inch display whose QLED technology and Full HD resolution allow you to watch your favorite movies and series and do creative work with higher color accuracy as it can show up to 100% of the DCI-P2 color gamut. 

Aside from the crisp and vivid picture quality that Samsung has accustomed us to, this screen can reach a maximum of up to 600 nits of brightness outdoors. This is a major differentiator. Not only when it comes to other convertibles but also to other laptops. It's pretty rare to see a laptop go beyond the 300-400 nit brightness, much less one that can reach up to 600 nits under direct sunlight. 

However, if you're looking for a convertible with a better screen resolution (one that goes beyond the Full HD standard), then you might consider the ASUS ZenBook Flip S13 UX371EA-XB76T packed with a vibrant OLED 4K screen with IPS technology. 

As for the keyboard, the Flex2 Alpha delivers a backlit full-sized keyboard that ensures a comfortable typing experience even in dim environments. The keyboard in itself offers a solid key travel which is reminiscent of the latest MacBook keyboards. In that regard, it's not as shallow as the butterfly keyboard launched almost a decade ago nor as deep as the keyboards you'll no doubt see in more affordable notebooks. 

Like the recently reviewed Dell Inspiron 14 ‎i5406-7207GRY-PUS, this convertible boasts an 11th-Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor powered by four cores, eight threads, and 12 MB of SmartCache memory with a base frequency of 2.80 GHz and a boost clock speed of up to 4.70 GHz.

Moreover, it packs 16 GB LPDDR4x of RAM you won't be able to upgrade. However, it performs smoothly enough to run heavy multitasking seamlessly (web browsing, video/photo editing, virtualization, spreadsheet editing, etc.), so you can get things done in a flash.

Furthermore, the Intel Iris Xe Graphics isn't powerful enough to play demanding games nor handle heavy-resourced tasks, but it is sufficient to run some light games as well as stream 4K content through an external monitor.

Finally, we appreciate the fact that it comes with 512 GB of SSD storage. The fact that it features SSD storage is no surprise in this day and age, but the fact that it comes with 512 GB is relatively novel for a convertible within its price range. We're far more accustomed to seeing 256 GB.

Regarding connectivity ports, we've got a single high-speed USB-C 3.0 port and two USB-A 3.2 ports, an HDMI output, an audio combo jack, a micro SD card reader, the aforementioned fingerprint reader, and an HD webcam on the display's top bezel.

Wirelessly, this Samsung convertible comes with Bluetooth 5.1 to pair with other Bluetooth-enabled peripherals and Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), three times faster when browsing the web and streaming than the previous standard Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac).

This is quite a generous connectivity suite. We especially appreciate the inclusion of a microSD card reader, which is relatively rare nowadays as we transition to having everything on the cloud. 

Moving onto the battery life of the Samsung Galaxy Book Flex2 Alpha. This is an area where we expected more from Samsung. Specifically, the Flex2 Alpha delivers roughly 4-hours of moderate mixed usage and about 8 hours of streaming video.

The answer depends. We like this convertible a lot. It packs great specs and offers solid performance on everyday tasks. It can handle itself well on demanding scenarios and breathes new life into videos and pictures thanks to its QLED Full HD display. 

Storage capacity is almost unheard of for a mid-range convertible, and it has a generous connectivity suite that even includes a microSD card reader. Finally, the lightweight design means you can carry it everywhere without breaking a sweat.

It's the perfect convertible for just about every user out there. However, it does have a battery life that leaves room for improvement. 4-hours of battery life when working on moderate activities is on the low side, more so for a convertible. 

Nevertheless, considering its competitive price, it's something we're willing to look over. If you're looking to get a balanced convertible that's more than just a paperweight at a great price, we would advise you to do the same. It's a great convertible that won't let you down.

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