Samsung unveils super thin laptop to take on MacBook Air

A NEW laptop and a premium watch have led a stream of major announcements from Samsung in New York on Thursday morning.

The new Galaxy Book S from Samsung.

A NEW laptop and a premium watch have led a stream of major announcements from Samsung in New York on Thursday morning.

The tech giant used its Unpacked event at the Barclay Center in New York City to announce a renewed focus on the laptop computer market in Australia, showcasing the new Galaxy Book S.

The new Galaxy Book S will take on Apple's MacBook Air.

Due to go on sale before Christmas, the new laptop features:

•         A 13.3 inch touchscreen, with  case just 11.8mm thick and weighing 960 grams.
•         8GB of RAM, a 256GB or 512GB hard drive, with room for a 1TG microSD expansion.
•         A battery which Samsung claims can run continuous video playback for up to 23 hours and retaining power in standby for up to 20 days.
•         The ability to run Windows 10 Home or Pro.
•         Two USB C ports and a headphone jack.
•         An anodised aluminum case designed to withstand corrosion and wear and tear.
•         An LTE variant which will allow for a gigabit connection, constantly in contact with the cloud.

The new Galaxy Book S from Samsung.

The laptop is being aimed at the student and business markets. No pricing is available yet but it is expected to be sold through electronics retailers as well as telcos.

"Galaxy Book S combines the best mobility features Samsung has to offer with Microsoft's leading productivity solutions and Qualcomm Technologies' performance capabilities to deliver the best mobile productivity experience available in a mobile device today," said Samsung mobile communications president DJ Koh.

A new watch for fitness fans from Samsung.

Also announced at Unpacked was a special Under Armour edition of the Galaxy Watch Active2. The model is targeted at the fitness and running markets and boasts a specialised app and user interface.

MapMyRun allows users to "optimise their form and reduce the risk of injury". It has fitness insights, coaching and a range of fitness workouts.

Each purchase of the Active2 Under Armour edition comes with a six month premium membership for MapMyRun which includes a series of training plans and unique watch faces which chart exercise insights.

It comes in two sizes, 40mm and 44mm, with a grey and black strap respectively.

The writer travelled to New York as a guest of Samsung.

Originally published as Samsung unveils super thin laptop to take on MacBook Air