Video: Samsung 9 Series Hands-on: An Ultraportable We Want (Badly)

If you’re thinking about ditching Windows to get a MacBook Air, you might want to think twice. The Samsung 9 Series, which goes on sale next month, is sexy, slim, and oh so fast. Weighing in a 2.89 pounds and measuring just .64 inches thick (versus 2.9 pounds and .68 for Apple’s 13-incher), the 9 Series is just as portable. But there’s a lot more to this notebook.

When we picked up the 9 Series we were floored with the solid feel. You can thank Duralumin for that, a material used in building aircrafts that’s twice as durable as almuinum. Then we got distracted by the brilliant display, which Samsung calls SuperBright Plus. It deserves that name because the LCD pumps out 400 nits of brightness while providing 160-degree viewing angles.

The chiclet-style backlit keyboard felt responsive, but we like the large touchpad even more. It’s one of the few we’ve used with integrated buttons that just feels natural.

The 9 Series flies through everyday computing tasks, thanks to a second-generation, low-voltage Core i5 processor, which has improved Intel HD grpahics. A 128GB SSD booted Windows for us in about 20 seconds, which is about a third of the time of the typical Windows Machine. You also get USB 3.0 connectivity and integrated WiMAX.

Although the battery is sealed in the design, Samsung promises up to 6.5 hours of endurance, which should provide plenty of runtime for a cross-country flight. The Lithium Polymer battery should last you a good three years or 1,000 cycles.

Yes, $1,599 is pricey compared to the starting price of the 13-inch MacBook Air, but the 9 Series’ head-turning design, best-in-class display, and serious power should make it worth the splurge. This ultraportable looks so good that it should also give the VAIO Z a run for its money, so long as you’re willing to live without an optical drive.

Stay tuned for a full review of the Samsung 9 Series. In the meantime, check out the video and gallery below.