Sony has launched a new duo of touchscreen Ultrabooks, the Sony VAIO Pro 11 and Sony VAIO Pro 13, which it claims are the lightest in the world.
The Sony VAIO Pro range replaces the outgoing Sony VAIO Z series as the company’s ultra-light, ultra-portable laptop solution.
According to Sony the VAIO Pro 11 weighs just 870g and the VAIO Pro 13 a tad more at 1.06kg. Despite this, these remain flagship devices in terms of their premium look and feel. This mixture of lightness and sturdiness is achieved through a largely carbon fibre composition.
Underneath this advanced shell, both Ultrabooks run on fourth generation Intel Core i7 ‘Haswell’ processors backed by 4GB of DDR3 RAM, which is about as cutting edge as you can get. You can order up to a 256GB SSD for the 11 and a 512GB SSD for the 13.
Both Windows 8 Ultrabooks feature HD Triluminos touchscreen displays, though the main choice between the two is whether you want a 11.6-inch or a 13.3-inch screen.
Battery life is another major feature of the Sony VAIO Pro range, with the VAIO Pro 11 topping the 11 hour mark on a single charge. The Sony VAIO Pro 13, meanwhile, can manage a still-healthy 8-hours.
What’s more, these standard batteries can be expanded with an additional sheet battery, which boosts those average figures to 25 and 18 hours respectively.
Elsewhere, the Sony VAIO Pro range feature a couple of neat touches that mark them out as top-of-the-range Ultrabooks. There’s NFC support for one thing, and there’s also a nifty design feature that subtly tilts the keyboard towards you when the screen is opened, supposedly reducing wrist strain.
Expect the Sony VAIO Pro range to hit European shops from the end of June.
Check out the Sony VAIO Pro’s key Ultrabook competition in our MacBook Air review.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
