Samsung Series 9 laptop hits tomorrow for $1,649, 11-inch version coming in April

By Joanna Stern
Sure, we saw some pricing leaks of the super slim Series 9 this morning, but Samsung is finally coming clean now with all the official details. Starting on March 17th (yep, tomorrow!), the 13.3-inch laptop with its Core i5-2537M processor, 128GB SSD, 4GB of RAM, and Windows 7 Home Premium will be available for $1,649. Sure, it's a bit more than we expected, but we guess when you consider its solid state storage and 400nit display it makes a bit more sense. Still, there's a big part of us that wishes there was a more entry-level configuration of the beautiful duralumin machine — in fact the only other configuration will be a $1,699 model with Win 7 Professional. The 13-inch model will be up for grabs at Best Buy, Tiger Direct, Amazon, and a number of other e-tailers.

Wondering about that 11.1-inch Series 9 model that we saw hanging around a few weeks ago? That one is a bit farther out, though not by much. Samsung isn't releasing pricing on the smaller, 2.3-pound version, but it will be hitting in mid-April with a older Core i3-380UM processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 64GB SSD. It sounds like that one will be kinder on the wallet, but we're still convinced there are a bunch out there that will opt for the larger screened machine. We're hoping to bring you a review of the 13-incher very soon, but in the meantime hit the break for the official release.


Update: A few retailers seem to have the 13-inch version up for pre-order already, but Dynamism's actually showing the 11-incher for $1,149. Samsung still isn't giving official pricing on that version yet, however.

Show full PR text
JUST IN TIME TO "LIGHTEN UP" FOR SPRING, LIGHTWEIGHT Samsung SERIES 9 BECOMES AVAILABLE IN THE U.S.

Samsung's new ultra premium laptop goes on sale March 17

What:
Samsung Electronics America Inc. today announced that the highly anticipated 13-inch, Series 9 laptop featuring Windows® 7 Home Premium will be available in the U.S. through Best Buy and other select retailers and e-tailers beginning tomorrow, March 17.

The 13-inch Series 9 laptop equipped with Windows® 7 Professional will become available at retail/e-tail and through select channel partners in mid-April.

Additionally, an 11-inch Series 9 laptop featuring Windows® 7 Home Premium and 64 GB of HDD storage will also be made available in mid-April.

Where:
Series 9 laptops will be available through a variety of retail and reseller channels including Best Buy, Amazon and Tiger. For a full list of local Samsung resellers and distributors call 1-800-SAMSUNG or visit www.samsung.com.
MSRP:
Series 9 13-inch, Windows® 7 Home Premium: $1,649 MSRP.
Series 9 13-inch, Windows® 7 Professional: $1,699 MSRP

Series 9 Specs:
CPU:
13" – Intel® CoreTM i5 Processor 2537M (1.4 GHz, 3MB)
11" – Intel® Core™ i3 Processor 380UM (1.33 GHz, 3MB)
Operating System:
13" – Windows® 7 Home Premium (64 bit) or Windows® 7 Professional (64 bit)
11" – Windows® 7 Home Premium (64 bit)
Memory: (should include if it's upgradable?)
13" – 4GB DDR3
11" – 2GB DDR3
Storage (max):
13" – 128GB Solid State Drive (SSD)
11" – 64GB SSD
Screen:
13.3-inch HD LED-backlit SuperBright Plus display (400 nit)
11.1-inch HD LED-backlit SuperBright Plus display (340 nit)
Resolution:
13"/11" – 1366x768
Graphics:
13" – Intel HD GT
11" – Intel GMA HD (Integrated)
Speakers
13"/11" – 3 watt (1.5W x 2) stereo speakers
Battery: Lithium Polymer; up to 7 hours
Wireless: 802.11b/g/n; WiMaxi
Weight:
13" – 2.89 lbs.
11" – 2.31 lbs.

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