Ahead of the upcoming CES 2015, Samsung has unveiled a fanless and ultra-thin version of the Ativ Book 9.
Ultrabooks are seen as the elite products in the laptop industry, as the devices are known to offer a perfect blend of productivity, portability and versatility within their frames. However, until the previous year, ultrabooks that combine these characteristics have always come at steep costs for consumers.
Samsung looks to break the mold of ultrabooks with the release of a new Ativ Book 9, a Windows-based ultrabook that can compete with the industry-leading MacBook Air of Apple.
The Book Blade 9, as the new Ativ Book 9 is called, is the latest in the company's Series 9 laptops and is the very first to be powered by an Intel Core M processor, which allows devices to go fanless while maintaining battery life and performance. Without the need for a fan, devices such as laptops can feature smaller, thinner and sleeker designs.
The ultrabook features the new Intel Core M-5Y10C, a mobile-desktop hybrid chip which allows the ultrabook to keep operating at top speeds without sacrificing efficiency. The chip allows the laptop to slim down to only .46 inches thick and 2.09 pounds, but at the expense of a bit of processing power.
The ultrabook offers options of either a 128GB SSD or a 256GB SSD, which also comes with a subscription to the cloud service of Samsung for even more storage space. Both versions feature a 12.2-inch WQXGA LED display with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels, all powered by an Intel HD Graphics 5300 internal chip.
The new Ativ Book 9 has a rated battery life of 10.5 hours, with connectivity options including a pair of USB 3.0 ports, an SD expansion slot, and a micro-HDMI video output.
The price of the Book Blade 9 begins at $1,199.99 for the base model, which has 4GB of RAM and 128GB SSD. The next option, which features double the RAM and storage, is priced at $1,399.99.
All versions of the new Ativ Book 9 are compatible with the SideSync utility of Samsung, which allows users to connect their ultrabooks to their Samsung Galaxy smartphones. Users with compatible smartphones can use the utility to send messages, transfer files and initiate phone calls using the ultrabook.
Samsung will be featuring the new Ativ Book 9 at CES 2015, which will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada on Jan. 2 to Jan. 5 next year, after which the device will be released to the market within the first quarter of 2015.
