Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 Review: The Best-Looking Chromebook, Rebooted

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[SAMSUNG GALAXY CHROMEBOOK 2 REVIEW]
As the name implies, the Galaxy Chromebook 2 is Samsung’s follow-up to last year’s Galaxy Chromebook … but contrary to what you’d expect, this is not a sequel in the proper sense. Because as Android Central points out: almost everything on this machine is actually a downgrade from the original.
Last year’s 4K AMOLED screen takes a step down to a Full-HD QLED; the storage and the camera count are cut in half; the Intel processors drop by a grade at each trim level; and the embedded S Pen and fingerprint sensor are deleted wholesale. While the chassis that carries all this is still available in the signature “Fiesta Red,” it’s also slightly thicker and heavier than the first one.
In short: this is a midrange reboot of the original, and from one point of view it’s a much more reasonable computer. After all, Chromebooks have built a big part of their success on being the better value, and by eliminating all of the sweeteners from last year’s thousand-dollar model, Samsung has dropped the entry price of the Chromebook 2 to a more palatable $549 … or in the case of my higher-end review unit, a buck short of $700. But in the very competitive thick middle of the ChromeOS market, is that enough of a discount to make the Galaxy Chromebook 2 a contender? Watch Michael Fisher’s review to find out!
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[ABOUT MRMOBILE'S SAMSUNG GALAXY CHROMEBOOK 2 REVIEW]
MrMobile's Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 Review was produced following eleven days with a Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 review sample on loan from Samsung. Preproduction device running pre-release software. MrMobile does not produce reviews paid for by the subjects of those reviews; Samsung did not pay a fee or otherwise offer compensation in exchange for this coverage, and no company was given a preview of the content or offered copy approval rights concerning same. The lone sponsor of this video is Surfshark.
MrMobile sought comment from Samsung regarding the keyboard and audio issues reported in this video. Samsung agreed to send a replacement review device to help troubleshoot the issue, but the replacement device did not arrive by publication time. Watch for follow-up testing in the comments section and on Twitter at / themrmobile .
[PRODUCTS IN THIS VIDEO]
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook (2020) [Future PLC affiliate link]:
mrmobile.tech/1W2
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 [Future PLC affiliate link]:
mrmobile.tech/1W3
[LINKS]
The case for expensive Chromebooks [About Chromebooks]:
www.aboutchromebooks.com/news...
The $700 Galaxy Chromebook 2 could be the most interesting Chromebook of 2021 [Android Central]:
www.androidcentral.com/samsun...
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Complete Walkthrough [TheUnlockr]:
• Samsung Galaxy Chromeb...
The world’s second-most popular desktop operating system isn’t macOS anymore [Ars Technica]:
arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/...
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[DISCLOSURES]
This post may contain affiliate links, which afford MrMobile / Future plc a commission if you make a purchase. See our affiliate link policy for more details: www.mobilenations.com/externa...
Additional information concerning MrMobile’s ethics policy can be found here: mrmobile.tech/ethics
#galaxychromebook2 #galaxychromebook #chromebook #chromeos #samsung #laptops #notebooks #computers #tech

[@TheMrMobile]

UPDATE: As promised, Sammsung sent me a replacement review sample, and as promised, here's your two-day follow-up! As you can see from the "Sammsung" gaffe there ... the double-keystroke problem is still present. But I'm happy to report that it's far less frequent on the replacement model, appearing only once in a while, which jives with both the Engadget review and Jaime Rivera's review at Pocketnow (up soon). Additionally, the audio problem from the webcam video recording is gone - the audio is much cleaner on the replacement device. My other conclusions from the video stand. Thanks for watching!

[@arunbaburaj]

Michael, could you please let us know what game you are playing at 2:57?

[@iSamYTBackup]

@@arunbaburaj it's a clone of the 2004game by popcap ges called zuma

[@primewastaken]

@Rjlin Kyles you can get it for cheaper on ebay

[@anonymouslc7278]

I almost bought this but decided to purchase the Samsung Galaxy flex 2.. I hope I made a good decision

[@TheMrMobile]

CORRECTION: The spec sheet says "SSD" but the Galaxy Chromebook 2 uses eMMC for internal storage. MrMobile regrets the error.

[@dan...dandan...]

Don't forget to pin the comment

[@ChrisBeard]

🙏@MrMobile is forgiven. Amen.

[@CFG-qv7hy]

Thanks for that clarification, that's a deal breaker for me.

[@marioluigi9599]

Baby didn't triple check his facts ☺

[@marioluigi9599]

Really minor error though. Nothing to worry about

[@electrofreak0]

Seems to me they should have called this the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook FE

[@TheMrMobile]

Ahaaaaaa.

[@gjeraldh2989]

I don't get the joke help

[@JamesLawner]

@@gjeraldh2989 FE means Iron, so this is like an Iron Man joke.

[@gjeraldh2989]

@@JamesLawner ah yes Iron man, definitely not what the other guy said

[@gjeraldh2989]

@Red X even on the s20 fe 5g?

[@ThomasTheTankEngine22]

$700 for an i3 chromebook without an s pen... Nah I'm good

[@jackf1684]

kinda weird when even a surface laptop has better value ;-;

[@SilverStar555]

As it stands, chromebooks are dumb. Buy a real laptop people.

[@wolfitsolutions5502]

@@SilverStar555 My money, I do what I want with it

[@SilverStar555]

@@wolfitsolutions5502 Ik, I am only suggesting that you dont waste your money. Im not forcing you to not buy it.

[@jellybr3ak]

@@SilverStar555 While a normal laptop is way more versatile, companies/schools with deep Google service integration love Chromebook. My cousin made the mistake visiting porn website on his school Chromebook and his parents got a call from the principal herself. Spyware to the teeth.

[@crashmaster26]

this is the gold standard of review videos :)

[@MegasXLR]

Not having a music play/pause button is a HUGE deal, believe me I know.

[@AlexKarmazin]

You know - I didn't think it would be, but after I got my PBG I've been finding myself using it pretty frequently. I still wish they could have both a play/pause button and a physical page forward button though.

[@Lollllllz]

Kinda weird they'd offer a celeron with that especially at that price.

[@mguanipa2]

It's a Chromebook. They all have a Celeron

[@Lollllllz]

@@mguanipa2 the model reviewed by mrmobile had an i3 however the base model has a celeron which imo it shouldn't offered at all.

[@bradavon]

@@Lollllllz yeah I wish they'd stop unless it costs less than 250. Even ChromeOS needs an i3 or m3.

[@TechnoLawyer]

How in 2021 are companies still putting garbage webcams in laptops? Anyone ever heard of zoom? Even once covid is over, unfortunately, video calls are never going away. Would it really require that much effort and price increase to slap the selfie cam from an s21 in there?

[@nicholascoulter3760]

Even the selfie cam from an S8 would blow most premium high end laptops out of the water.

[@storyanaksekolah2]

is it hard to put a cheap phone front camera to a laptop? if you dissamble it, they had a similar size

[@ApolloVIIIYouAreGoForTLI]

Yes & the s20 is also 8mm thick - your average laptop screen/lid assembly is 3mm.....most. So yeah, Even in 2021 optics, light propagation, refraction & reflections remain the same as always........

[@naraydaniels7832]

I think the front camera of a budget 2018 phone would blow away a laptop's easily

[@TechnoLawyer]

@@ApolloVIIIYouAreGoForTLI there's got to be a solution that doesn't involve putting a potato cam on a $550 laptop.

[@SilvioBritto]

Exactly, the little things are all. As how you change your marvelous text after the sponsor to summarize and end the video. Amazingly subtle. Congrats.

[@Krp006]

This guy's delivery just gets better and better!! ❤️

[@NigelMelanisticSmith]

Has Mr Mobile ever reviewed M1? In terms of battery life, I hear those things do live up to the hype

[@erickmazariegos5778]

Ouu the portable oven :0 it has like 5 hours of battery life only browsing or whatever not to hard

[@ProtegoKapulto]

@@erickmazariegos5778 Where do you have this information from? I heard just positive things about it. Maybe you think about an other device?

[@JawadMohiuddin]

@@ProtegoKapulto I own one and its 20+ hours anyhow

[@parthasarathimandal3602]

@@erickmazariegos5778 He's talking about the M1, not the Intel variant.

[@Caroban]

Oh shoot i have to pay a 1000 bucks for good battry life oh crap

[@SammyOdds]

Your place always looks so damn cozy, I love it.

[@blaster915]

You always make the most elegant and well articulated videos, You really capture the FEEL of a product And I think that's the most important thing as a reviewer :)

[@AndroidDigest]

I reviewed this on my channel as well Let me just say that after I got used to the keyboard and after I updated the device, I had no issues with double inputs. This is a phenomenal device, a much more usable device then it's predecessor, And it's one of the better Chromebooks that's out. Just don't compare it to last year's $1,000 model spec wise. Yes the specs are better but it overheats like crazy and has big issues with battery life. But if you compare to that model you will see all the things that this model is missing and be disappointed. Instead realize that this is a fantastic Chromebook, but because Chromebooks go on sale so often, the price isn't extremely competitive yet. That's a little bit of a better way to look at it

[@FlugPoP]

Haha, you keep teasing us with the AOL communicator.

[@TheMrMobile]

Damn password lock.

[@wmurch3]

@@TheMrMobile did you try "asl?"

[@TheMrMobile]

@@wmurch3 "cyber"

[@FlugPoP]

Thanks for trying. I have a working one some where in my stash. If I come across it I'll let you know. It's not password protected. Thanks for all you do.

[@TheMrMobile]

@@FlugPoP If it boots and the screen still works, I'd love to take that off your hands. Thanks!

[@Paulie8K]

Still using my Samsung Chromebook Plus years later even though I have a gaming laptop and desktop. So light and convenient even if underpowered in comparison.

[@MarkyShaw]

Agreed. I really like some of the ~$500 Chromebooks like the HP x360. I'd consider others, but they absolutely must have a good webcam. We have amazing cameras squished in to Androids and iPhones, and they pull out this 720p like it was some leftover crap in their spare parts bin. Nice looking chassis though. Maybe revision 3 will be better. Will still keep my eyes on them. Especially if you're a Google Workspace user, Chromebooks are great for getting stuff done.

[@TechnoLawyer]

That webcam looks like it was pulled from a $50 burner phone from Walmart.

[@jkirk1626]

Great, substantive content as usual.

[@benjacobstein4210]

You should review the Samsung Galaxy Flex Alpha. You can usually find them on sale for like $200 off retail

[@ThierryTiramisu]

Gotta love that "narrow bazel" at 8:45 Mr. Mobile 😂

[@hoilst]

It's a good looking machine. I wish this sort of style and design would make it to regular laptops, but.

[@mguanipa2]

They do! .... Just for the same price

[@TechnoLawyer]

Galaxy Book Flex is basically this design with normal laptop guts and windows. So, your wish is granted.

[@sydguitar99]

uh...there are a lot of windows machines that look like this lol

[@JeremyPatMartin]

Chrome OS has matured with Android Apps and a full debian command terminal

[@JeremyPatMartin]

@@sydguitar99 Example?

[@SpaceWithSam]

Always love your reviews Michael, these are always enjoyable and entertaining to watch, appreciating the hard work, you clearly deserve more attention and subscribers!

[@Isaax]

It's absolutely gorgeous, in part due to the colour

[@nelsoncabrera6464]

Geeking out over the combadge spice rack.😍

[@matthewharhai4039]

Just bought one. Trading in my S6 Tablet which brought the price to a bit over $400. Couldn't say no! Will carry around for browsing and leave my high end Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 laptop at home.

[@menaseven9093]

Nice and honest review of the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2

[@kolt9051]

Loved this video, great stuff, and stellar analysis of the market!

[@soubhikmukherjee6871]

I just subscribed to your channel!

[@RobWatkins]

Thanks for your excellent review! I'll stick with my Acer Chromebook Spin 13 i5 with 8 GB of RAM and a 128 GB SD storage for $629. It's fanned but it's unintrusive for me. Screen is great, keyboard is good and battery life is a solid 10 hours with moderate use. It's MIL certified too for drops etc. Any thoughts Mr.Mobile?

[@U2haveaniceday20]

Michael always enjoy.Thanks so much Deb.👌✌

[@syedia]

2:55 I noticed that lag ;) anyways nice video as always

[@zagubionemysli]

I'm always intrigued by the Chromebooks!

[@Geekosification]

YEEEEEES. Thank you for renewing this one.

[@orionshtrezi]

Honestly, I don't see the point of this

[@tonyutter]

Same. This will not make me give up my Pixelbook Go anytime soon.

[@MyDarkMuffin]

Yup, a chromebook just has to be cheap, no point otherwise.

[@TheMrMobile]

@@tonyutter Brought the Pixelbook Go out of mothballs to get a few of these shots. Holy hell, I forgot how great that keyboard is.

[@wmurch3]

I get the point of expensive chromebooks...i don't get the point of a second gen that is a downgrade in just about every way for the same price.

[@dhevarsh]

Exactly. My gaming laptop costs only 100$ more. Sure the battery life is way worse and its heavier but its better in every other way. They shouldve priced this around 500-550

[@pouyamahmoudi]

I know it's a good day when Mr. Mobile releases a new video.

[@monarch3724]

It's the little things. Can't be more true. Moving away from samsung to other company n I even miss how I was able to adjust the blue light filter to very low which I can't do now.

[@kundiemangwende]

Thanks Mr Mobile just subscribed to SurfShark

[@skyswinger5249]

Just got past the 1:05 mark. That was a solid intro 👌🏼

[@I_am_Allan]

2:45 Michael is watching "Star Trek: The Next Generation", Season 4, Episode 20 "QPid" which ... was a humorous episode. Worf: "I am *not* a merry man!"

[@xyxx566]

Interesting to see the mention of smart lock. Just recently my smart lock for some reason just won't work, can't even turn it on in settings anymore, and I've tried disconnecting and forgetting the phone to fix with no dice. I googled the issue and it turns out a big portion of the community also has similar issues with smart lock, and definitely doesn't work as intended. Not sure if this is just a small one-off issue but it's just so weird that it worked one minute but failed the next. Probably an update or something that broke it. Makes me wish more chromebooks would have fingerprint sensors, I mean every budget phone has one, and the only difference between that and a chromebook is a keyboard and hinge! 😂 Really though, it would be nice to see more integrated biometrics in chromebooks, as it's always been something that seems lacking in the department, with only few and far between high ends getting the luxury.

[@weekendhoppers]

I really like this channel called Surf Shark, awesome content 👍

[@-Unguardian-]

Nice, I see you're using the Samsung galaxy z fold 2 Mr. Mobile. I love my fold 2

[@sriramm5163]

Yayy first time I am early for a Mr Mobile video.

[@vape9546]

I love that Colour!

[@alexanderpit2006]

I would watch you review literally anything.

[@MikeCasper]

Looks like Surfshark is sponsoring every tech KZbinr that I watch.

[@evelinecarolinelienhuaming1184]

Wow ChromeBook, I Love the Flip Version. It's like have Super Big Android Tablet in Laptop Shape, a lot of Android Apps inside One Laptop Packaging!!! 😍😍😍

[@bobvw14]

On another note, that opening tune is hella catchy!

[@SudeennnSam]

Waiting for MrMobile to include proper captions in this video. I know he wont let us down, seeing as his fans reach across the globe, myself included

[@aakashsheth3611]

I respect this guy so much i just bought the surfshark vpn! Not disappointed. Good man!

[@jccya]

Hi there, how does the battery life on this compare to the Pixelbook Go? which is what I currently have. I'm considering switching to a chromebook that doubles as a tablet. I also get the double key entry on my Pixelbook Go, but very rarely.

[@Maikeru_Dabittsu]

Celeron, now that's something I haven't heard of in a long time

[@Boswd]

you can organize the applications in the app drawer by click and dragging. I think at this price point it's really hard to overlook the Acer Spin 713

[@shahreiftaylor1687]

The ten sausage styli the good lord gave ya. Lol🤣😂

[@YgorCortes]

The price on this thing is outrageous! Damn...

[@Azulicine.Cinemato]

Haha, poor

[@p2umpkin]

I'll never get over spotting the other phones and gadgets in the backgrounds of your videos.

[@lacmcasares8755]

As always. ....super good review8

[@kavind1331]

2 mr mobile videos in 1 week. might be the best week of 2021 so far.

[@DavidWittlich]

LOVE the red color!!

[@dejavulinx3295]

i love the stickers on laptops

[@ThomasJarvis117]

Would love someone to make a chrebook with a similar form factor to the Surface Pro. They're the best type of laptop to me

[@kopfschuss881]

I have the last year model. The battery life is bad (for chrome) and it gets warm. But i do love it and that screen is gorgeous lol. Educator Discount helped a lot. Always check for the discounts samsung has.

[@misfortunearchitect7261]

that "frequency buzz" is coil whine, something you will hear pretty often on many microsoft surface devices as well as dell xps laptops, it is what happens when the capacitors are cheap or are not installed properly on a motherboard

[@Pedro-qj4tj]

Is the pixel density noticeable? thinking about buying it just for streaming video services consumption, should I get 1st gen?

[@Shadow__X]

is it compatible with existing s pens? i have a galaxy tab s6 (which is amazing btw), would that pen work on the chromebook?

[@ArdaAslan3172]

Are you planning to make a video on the m1 macs?

[@WightKnight]

Ah Disaster! One of the best TNG episodes ever imo, every Worf line cracks me up!

[@TheMrMobile]

"You may now give birth."

[@jasonboyd3619]

What kind of Pen will work with this? Will the Note series S-pen work? Or the Tab S series pen? Thanks

[@aumbhatt5339]

First time watched a live premier 😃

[@NoahPlaysMC3]

aye we made it to the premiere!!!

[@RusticKey]

The question is if this device is a better buy instead of the (upcoming) future Galaxy S tablets, lite ones included. Honestly Samsung's One UI have come a long way in terms of multitasking prowess, and Android is a plain better touch interface and for casual media consumption.

[@_Makanko_]

Nice, seems like last year's is the best deal right now. The 5hr battery should still be plenty. Cheers

[@aarontelander]

Great review! Actually considering the original 😁

[@TheMrMobile]

Looks like they bumped the price by $100 overnight (of course) but it's still a pretty compelling option at $799.

[@kiyoko335]

What game was that? The little max the color bubble? I used to play that as a kid on a really old computer!

[@cobaltblue5523]

How is the battery life now ? And how is the sounds quality

[@robinrai4973]

I sorta don't get these more expensive machines y'know? Like, yeah most of the work we do is in the browser, but why not get a machine for the same cost that can also do all the other stuff outside the browser as well when you need to? Especially since something like that HP Envy 360 has FAR batter specs, a much smaller (and equally nice!) chassis, and more for the same price.

[@erickmazariegos5778]

Because of the Galaxy Ecosystem 😁

[@JohnFrazier]

Mad respect for the TrekBBS reference.

[@TheMrMobile]

Haha - TrekBBS has been hangin' out in my tabs since 2005

[@zero-lpds]

Re your comment on the media controls - the new UI for that lives behind a flag on the current stable branch, but if you check ChromeUnboxed's video on these flags I guess you'l be a bit happier with a Chromebook - probably not this particular one, but take a look at the Acer 713, that might give you the performance you need. just switched to that from a MacBook pro and I continue to be impressed with it.

[@TheMrMobile]

Thanks for the referral! ChromeUnboxed does solid work!

[@zero-lpds]

@@TheMrMobile Yeah their thing on features behind flags is great. Referred only as they tell everything about it so there's no point me trying to explain in a comment ;) Anyways, check the acer thing if you can - it's cool, you'll love the portability, the really 10+ hour battery and the 3:2 screen - you won't go back.

[@farhysthunterz6654]

I love the design and especially the colour

[@relt_]

2:05 this shot gives me goosebumps

[@grimmreaper3533]

I reaaaaaaally want this color and build quality in a smaller Sony Vaio P form factor. A slim Chromebook to slip into an inner suit pocket would be very handy for presentations and email. GPD pocket 2 is the closest I can find, but I want this style in a smaller Chromebook. I'm going to post this message on all Samsung Galaxy Chromebook videos in hopes a dev sees it and makes it.

[@Waffles8800]

What was that control stick setup for gaming?

[@irfanfikri2918]

Just curious, is there any high-end windows laptop with a similar (or almost similar) design with this laptop?

[@lupomapo]

Does it have samsung specific software features like it does for rheir phones? Or will we get all of the features with non-samsung chtomebooks?

[@thealterlion7163]

Ah yes, a chromebook for the price of a good windows pc. This is the problem with premium chromebooks. It may appeal to some people, but cheap chromebooks will always be the most popular

[@Caroban]

There was a 1000bbuck pixelbook Be glad thats 500 bucks

[@user-py4jm9cy5i]

Can you do a review of any recent Dell chromebooks? I think they seem to be a bit underrated.

[@tonydelgado10]

MrMobile have you reviewed the M1 macs yet?

[@pastalex421]

Actually the play/pause key is, to the best of my knowledge, a Pixelbook exclusive. All 3 other chromebooks I've owned, from Acer and Lenovo, along with the HP model from my old high school, all have the forward key and no play/pause.

[@burnttoast2330]

Mr.mobile is following mkbhd's Church of the 11 day tech review I see.

[@nazeefmashroor4833]

Dat wallpaper, please. I want.

[@MattTerrell]

Glad, I'm still loving my Pixelbook Go! It's still imo the best all round Chromebook.

[@TitusRamos]

Your reviews are always my go-to. I really love the "When Phones Are Fun" series. This laptop Chromebook by Samsung does not deserve its price for me. Heheh. Given Chrome OS still not stable.

[@jazzforce1]

If you can buy this at a good price dont hesitate!

[@yasunekanayake6346]

Just crazy comparing this to the chromebook pro from 2017 which was the same price. Lower resolution screen, celeron instead of a m3 and no spen. Chromebooks have been getting ridiculously expensive over the years.

[@acuppycakerz]

Just made it at the end of the premiere.

[@shuhuifoyhsu613]

notice when there is no one the sound(voice still on) wonder who made the video sound. the fade technology is exist over 20 or 30 years..

[@erlinestillore271]

I already order for my son. Thanks for the review.

[@JaeTheDev]

I just grabbed this same, i3 version brand new for $385. I think it’s well worth it at that price point, even almost a year after its initial release. $699? Not so much.

[@coltauto22]

Is there any reason for Samsung to use Intel CPU’s instead of arm based CPU’s? I thought chromeOS was basically built on the back of Linux which runs pretty good on arm based CPU’s

[@bradavon]

Clearly going for exactly the same market as the Surface Laptop Go. Now a similar price too. I'd still get the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 because of the 3:2.

[@dumboy886]

My internet broke literally when you pressed the pause button. was slightly confused ^^