Samsung announces the new Notebook 9 Pen 13 and 15 for 2019

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is still a few weeks out, but Samsung is getting the jump with the refreshed Notebook 9 Pen in both 13 and 15-inch editions. The laptops are not slated to hit until sometime in early 2019, but you can learn what's new starting today.

The Notebook 9 Pen carries on Samsung's existing PC design language – modest, sleek, and modern – with some refreshed hardware while also keeping system weight down.

As the name implies the Notebook 9 Pen ships with an improved Samsung S Pen, which is slotted in the device much like its Galaxy Note 9 phone (it's even yellow). The company is also throwing in a three-month trial of the Myscript Nebo app from the Microsoft Store, which is an excellent inking program. Samsung claims that new S Pen has a reduced latency of up to 2x from the previous model.

The more significant changes with the Notebook 9 Pen for 2019 are (as you can guess) the processor. Samsung is opting for 8th generation Intel Core i7 ones although the exact models were not detailed (likely quad-core 15W "Whiskey Lake").

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CategoryNotebook 9 Pen 13Notebook 9 Pen 15
OSWindows 10 HomeWindows 10 Home
Display13.3" Full HD15.0" Full HD
Processor8th Gen Intel Core i78th Gen Intel Core i7
Storage (SSD)PCIe NVMe SSDPCIe NVMe SSD
Memory8GB or 16GB LPDDR3 RAM8GB or 16GB LPDDR3 RAM
GraphicsIntel Graphics UHD 620NVIDIA GeForce MX150 (2GB)
Front cameraHD IR CameraHD IR Camera
SecurityFacial and fingerprint recognitionFacial and fingerprint recognition
SpeakersAKG stereo speakers with ThunderAmpAKG stereo speakers with ThunderAmp
PortsThunderbolt 3 (2)USB-C (1)HP/MICUFS & microSD ComboThunderbolt 3 (2)USB-C (1)HP/MICUFS & microSD Combo
KeyboardBacklitBacklit
PenS Pen built inS Pen built in
Battery lifeUp to 15 hoursUp to 15 hours
MaterialAluminumAluminum
ColorVibrant ocean blueVibrant ocean blue
Weight2.47lbs1.12kg3.44lbs1.56kg
Dimensions307.9 X 206.2 X 14.9 — 15.9 mm347.9 X 229.1 X 16.9 mm

The 15-inch Notebook 9 Pen also features a modest NVIDIA GeForce MX150 with 2GB of video memory – a common GPU to make up for the lack of an Intel Iris Plus option.

Other nice features include dual Thunderbolt 3 ports, Gigabit Wi-Fi, and narrower display bezels for the full HD screens.

There's also for the first-time support for Windows Hello via facial recognition instead of just a fingerprint reader (both are included here).

Compared to the last version of the Notebook 9 Pen the 2019-edition is thinner, sleeker, more colorful, and packs much more modern I/O.

As to pricing, well, Samsung is not revealing that just yet as well as specifics for configuration options but they usually start around $1,299. And, like usual, these laptops will only be available in the United States when they launch sometime in early 2019. We're sure to catch them, and other Samsung devices at CES for a hands-on so stay tuned for that.

Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central. He is also the head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007, when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and watches. He has been reviewing laptops since 2015 and is particularly fond of 2-in-1 convertibles, ARM processors, new form factors, and thin-and-light PCs. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.