Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra review: A flawed MacBook Pro clone
Despite featuring an Intel Panther Lake chip and Nvidia RTX 5070 graphics, the laptop is criticised for a poor keyboard, a low-quality webcam, and inconsistent battery life at a price point of $3,800.
The Verge has released a scathing review of the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra, characterising the flagship Windows machine as a "MacBook Pro clone gone horribly wrong." While the device boasts a premium build, a gorgeous 16-inch OLED display, and high-end specifications including an Intel Panther Lake chip and Nvidia RTX 5070 graphics, the assessment highlights fundamental flaws that undermine its value proposition.
The primary criticism centres on the input experience, with the reviewer describing the keyboard as having very flat keys with minimal separation. The 1mm of key travel feels shallower than the MacBook Pro's design, resulting in frequent typos and an experience the publication compares negatively to the previous Apple "butterfly" keyboards. This issue is compounded by a haptic trackpad that, while large, occasionally registers delayed clicks or repeated inputs during specific actions like dragging or highlighting spreadsheet cells.
Power delivery and connectivity also present inconsistencies for a device at this price tier. Battery life is described as uneven, with light usage yielding results ranging from seven hours to over ten, a disparity the review attributes to the Nvidia discrete GPU acting as a power drain even when the system switches to integrated graphics. Furthermore, despite the high cost, the laptop lacks Thunderbolt 5 support, offering only two Thunderbolt 4 ports and one USB-A port.
The financial argument against the device is particularly stark. Priced at $3,800, the Galaxy Book6 Ultra costs nearly $1,000 more than a base 14-inch MacBook Pro and sits just $100 shy of a high-end 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 Max chip. However, benchmarks indicate that the Samsung machine is outpaced by the cheaper Apple hardware in raw speed and 4K video export tests, offering performance closer to a significantly cheaper MacBook Pro rather than justifying its premium price tag against dedicated gaming laptops or genuine Apple hardware.
Other hardware elements receive mixed marks, including a 1080p webcam that produces images appearing simultaneously grainy and smoothed out due to aggressive noise reduction or skin smoothing algorithms. The included 140W power adapter resembles Apple's design but features non-folding prongs and a relatively short 70-inch cable. While the speakers are adequate, they lack the depth and bass found in equivalent setups on MacBook Pros.
Ultimately, the review concludes that while the Galaxy Book6 Ultra succeeds in mimicking the aesthetic of the MacBook Pro, it fails to deliver the essential fundamentals that justify such a high cost. The device offers a gaming performance advantage over Macs but falls short in raw processing speed, battery consistency, and input quality, leading the publication to suggest that consumers would be better served by the genuine article.
