Samsung Series 5 13in (530U3B) review

In everyday use, the Series 5 excelled thanks to its bright 300nit display. The matt screen finish diffuses reflections so well that we had no trouble working under the fluorescent lights of our office, or even in direct sunlight. Colours looked vibrant and contrast was impressive for a matt display. Viewing angles were reasonable, as was the amount of screen tilt, so you shouldn’t struggle to find a comfortable working position. The 1,366×768 resolution is average for a laptop of this size, but we did miss the 1,600×900 resolution screens found on some more expensive Asus Ultrabooks.

Audio quality unsurprisingly fell behind image quality, as the small stereo speakers aren’t powerful enough to produce great sound. Although volume was reasonable and the mid-range was clear, there was a definite lack of bass and the high-end sounded rather sharp, even with Samsung’s audio enhancer switched on.

Typing was both comfortable and responsive, thanks to the springy Chiclet-style keys that are spaced well apart from each other. All the punctuation keys are where you would expect them and the function keys double as multimedia shortcuts, but only when holding the Fn key. Half-height arrow keys are a minor irritation, as is the lack of a backlight, but we would much prefer a keyboard that’s easy to use than one with unnecessary frills.

We were also impressed with the touchpad, which rejects an all-in-one design for separate physical buttons. It’s large and in proportion to the 16:9 screen, with a smooth finish that makes navigating the desktop a breeze. Multi-touch gestures work well, and it’s accurate too, even with the sensitivity set high enough that we could span the desktop in a single swipe.

Average performance aside, the Series 5 is exactly where we think the Ultrabook market should be heading. Although Intel’s specification looked great on paper, the huge prices must have slowed sales considerably; but here we have an incredibly thin and light laptop that costs £750. It isn’t perfect, as we’ve seen better screens and battery life from the competition. If you’re looking for the best in performance, the Asus ZenBook UX31 is still the fastest Ultrabook around, but the Series 5 is an excellent cheaper alternative – but with a quality feel about it.