Samsung's Notebook 9 Pen, laptop portfolio miss opportunity to connect company's other devices, services

Samsung's Notebook 9 Pen is a nice example of the company taking what works on the smartphone and bringing it to a larger screen. But Samsung also misses opportunities to connect its broader product roadmap to its laptops.

Samsung latest laptop lineup led by the Notebook 9 Pen is notable but misses key opportunities on multiple fronts to provide the connective tissue between its products and services.

The reviews of the Notebook 9 Pen are in, and most tout Samsung's use of the S Pen stylus as a bridge to the Galaxy Note 8, but they also gripe about the overall design.

CNET recapped the Notebook 9 Pen this way:

The Good: The Samsung Notebook 9 Pen is extremely light but powerful, has plenty of ports, multiple biometric security features and includes Samsung's excellent S Pen stylus.

The Bad: Especially for a premium-priced laptop, the design is bland. Battery life is merely OK. The stylus feels better suited for a small phone screen than a laptop screen.

The Bottom Line: With the Notebook 9 Pen, Samsung works some key features from the Galaxy Note 8 phone into a premium two-in-one laptop.

Overall, Samsung came in with a price too high at $1,399 and missed a halo-effect opportunity.

Clearly, Samsung's primary product focus is on smartphones, TVs , and appliances. The components such as processors and OLED screens are what really pays Samsung's bills. In some ways, laptops appear to be almost like a side project to Samsung.

But there are good arguments for Samsung to step up the laptop game:

• Laptops and 2-in-1 devices can bridge Samsung's smartphones and TVs as well as its Internet of Things platform. Remember the laptop can -- and often does -- become a smart home server or hub. Electronics makers try to force other hubs on us -- refrigerators and TVs, for instance -- but laptops are a more natural fit.
  
• Samsung has a B2B business that aims to connect the Galaxy line of smartphones, large screens, the smart office, and even virtual reality. The lead device in the workplace remains the laptop.
  
• Two-in-1 devices offer an opportunity for Samsung to use its software to connect experiences.
  
• Strong laptop designs serve as word-of-mouth marketing fodder for the Samsung brand.

SOURCE BY ZDNet