Samsung aims to be no.1 in laptops – we talk to the top men in Seoul

4. THE NEXT GENERATION

As to the next generation of the Series 9 itself, Samsung did reveal a few titbits that were under consideration for 2013’s flagship laptop. We asked whether the new model could be even thinner than the current one, and were told that Samsung plan to keep roughly to the current dimensions in this aspect, and instead concentrate on “adding functionality, and improving the keyboard and screen”. The engineers noted that heat management was a big issue with further miniaturisation, as keeping air circulating around the core components is a major challenge. In terms of materials, there may be a move from aluminium to new, stiffer plastics; though this may not be the case for the Series 9 in particular.

Will the next Series 9 follow the new MacBook Pro and use a super-high resolution display?

The display should undergo an upgrade to at least a Full HD resolution, and this looks more than likely given the subsequent launch of Apple’s latest MacBook Pro with its ground-breaking 15in, 2,880×1,800 resolution screen. The company had looked into using its own AMOLED displays in the Series 9, seen on many of Samsung’s smartphones and some smaller tablets, but it proved too expensive. It’s a possible switch for next year’s model, and one we’d applaud given the increased contrast ratios and reduced battery drain of such displays, but no final decision had been made.

We’re hoping that the next generation of the Series 9 will use an AMOLED screen like this Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7

Speaking of batteries, we inquired about new technologies; but there’s little good news here unfortunately, with no revolutionary new designs on the horizon. Intel are planning to flex the combined muscle of the laptop industry by establishing some standardised battery sizes for Intel-based laptops. This should help bring down prices and concentrate the minds of the battery cell industry on improving their products. However, even this will only result in the same slow evolution of cell capacities and dimensions – for example, your laptop probably uses 18650 type cells which are 18mm across and have a 2,200mAh capacity, the latest 16650 cells are 16mm across and can have a 2,400mAh capacity – hardly a radical upgrade. Samsung admitted it didn’t yet have an innovation to compete with Apple’s excellent (and heavily patented) magnetic power connector, but it is working on it.

Samsung certainly has Apple’s MacBook range in its sights with the Series 9, so we were curious whether a smaller 11in version of the Series 9 was on the cards. Apparently, it was considered but market research showed there wasn’t enough demand for such a device. Furthermore, they said that upcoming devices with such small screen sizes are unlikely to be standard laptop designs.