Samsung upgrades the Notebook 9 Pen with a new 15-inch option

CES may not be for another few weeks, but Samsung is already getting the ball rolling on new products, starting with an updated version of the Notebook 9 Pen laptop — which now comes in a new, 15-inch size, in addition to the old 13-inch form factor. Previously, only the regular Notebook 9 model offered the larger size, but now it’s coming to the convertible 2-in-1 model, too.

One of the big new features on the updated Notebook 9 Pen is an improved S Pen. Just like its smartphone cousin, the Note 9, the new S Pen for the Notebook 9 Pen now offers improved latency (Samsung says its up to two times faster). Samsung also now offers multiple user replaceable tips for the S Pen, allowing you to customize different drawing styles. (There’s also a bright yellow paint job on the S Pen, to match the Ikea blue laptop, a color combination Samsung introduced with its flagship phone earlier this year.)

As for the rest of the Notebook 9 Pen, it doesn’t seem that different from last year’s model. There are a few new tweaks, though: Samsung is promising the latest 8th Gen Intel processors, gigabit Wi-Fi, and the port selection has been overhauled to offer two Thunderbolt 3 ports and a single regular USB-C plug, along with a headphone / mic jack and a microSD slot.

Without actually getting some hands-on time with the new Notebook 9 Pen, it’s hard to tell whether or not Samsung has fixed the bigger problems with the current Notebook 9 Pen — the cheap, plastic-y feel and the poor battery life. Samsung is promising a vague “2019” release window, but hopefully we’ll get more information — including things like actual specs and a price tag — come CES in January.