The Samsung Series 9 update was announced Monday and we got a peek at Samsung's thinnest notebook ever while at PepCom's Digital Experience, just ahead of CES. The latest refresh brings these non-Ultrabooks to just half an inch at their thickest point, in both 13.3" and 15" display configurations. The 15" model we handled weighs in at 3.5 lbs, while the 13.3" model shaves a pound off the weight. The components mimic the earlier Series 9 laptops, while battery life is quoted as 10 hours for the larger device and 7 hours for the smaller. The only configuration on offer for each size includes a 128 GB, an Intel Core i5-2467M processor and 4GB of soldered on RAM. Both will be available at the end of February for $1399.99 for the 13.3" model and $1499.99 for the 15" model.
Structural rigidity across the body was good with no flex after applying a hefty amount of torsion, and no flex noted in the keyboard. The display was typical laptop fare, with limited viewing angles, but is quoted at 400 nits of brightness. In practice, it looked good, but won't wow you on a long flight while watching a movie. Speaking of movies, no optical drive is available, though Samsung has applied some of their thin knowhow to make room in their actual Ultrabook line, the Series 5 Ultras, for an optical drive and a hybrid NAND/HDD storage solution. We'll grab some hands-on time with the Series 5 Ultras and report in once we hit the show floor.
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