Sony VAIO Pro 13 Touch Ultrabook (SVP1321BPXB): Review

Priced at $2,999, the Sony VAIO Pro 13 Touch Ultrabook (SVP1321BPXB) is an excellent touch-enabled ultrabook that can suitably meet your requirements related to work, play, and entertainment. Power-packed with amazing configuration and stylish appearance, the device is counted amongst one of the lightest and thinnest ultrabooks available in the market. Featuring a 13.3" Full HD Triluminos display, 1.80GHz1 Intel Dual Core i7-4500U processor, and an 8 GB RAM, the gadget is capable of running all the productivity suits, majority of heavy apps/software, games, and movies. Possessing a super-slim appearance, the machine delivers a surprising experience while running multiple apps and windows at a given point of time.

 

Design

Measuring around 12.68" x 0.68" x 8.50" inches, the VAIO Pro 13 Touch Ultrabook features a sturdy build and classy professional look with its light-weighted carbon fiber chassis. The entire system with the battery attached to it weighs a mere 2.4 lbs, which makes it to be counted amongst the lightest workstations in highly portable class. Possessing a super-slim appearance that records 0.68 inches thickness, the device can be easily handled during outdoors, travels, business meets, and other locations.

 

The lid of this sleek looking Sony ultrabook is crafted using carbon black fiber that provides the looks of an executive chic and resists fingerprints to maintain its shine. The keyboard deck of the device is supported by a large, aluminum palm that carries a brushed metal look and it is ideal for making a user comfortable even for long typing hours. The company has emphasized on hiding the hinge with a silver metal band that adds a touch of class to the overall construction of the device. The ‘Assist button’ on the left side, located just above the backlit keyboard, is for launching the VAIO Care portal, while a green backlit button on the right is the ‘Power’ button. 

All in all, the VAIO Pro 13 is adorned with the best-in class designing that makes this device ideal for users across various industries. Its portable design, supportive hinge, excellent keyboard placement, and multi-tasking capabilities make it a suitable choice for students, business professionals, homemakers, and others.

Giving a tough competition to the MacBook Air and touch-enabled Acer Aspire S7-391 that weigh 3-lb. and 2.8-lb., respectively, the Pro 13 weighs considerably less even with a touch screen on board.

Display

Offering you a 13.3" Full HD Triluminos display that is generally used in mobile technology, the VAIO Pro 13 incorporates LED backlight technology to boost up its display. Featuring a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080pixels per inches (ppi), the device has capacitive touch-screen and supports 10-point to complete the desired actions. The display’s full-HD panel promises richer and purer colors while the X-Reality technology that is mainly used in mobile tech industry makes the images look even sharper.

The display technology smartly analyzes each image and effectively reproduces the lacking pixels to deliver an unforgettable display experience. Supported by wide viewing angles ranging from one side to another, the device automatically starts supporting anti-glare feature, when an ambient light hits the screen. Recording a brightness reading of 237 lux, the device supports a slightly higher value than the ultraportable category average (231 lux).

Keyboard and Touchpad

The VAIO Pro 13's backlit keyboard is highly comfortable for typing long documents, chatting for hours, and making detailed business proposals. Featuring the QWERTY style, the keyboard deck houses 82 keys that has 1.35mm stroke and 19mm pitch, making it an ideal keyboard for usage during intense work pressure. The entire layout is quite spacious and the keys are considerably large however, the company wants users to stop forcing on the Fn keys. Separate keys are provided to adjust the brightness and volume level to meet the user’s preferences. Incorporating a 4.1 x 2.5 inches touchpad, the VAIO Pro 13 supports easy navigation to the desktop and optimal comfort while using the Windows 8 gestures. 

Performance

Equipped with an 1.80GHz1 Intel Dual Core i7-4500U processor, the device is supported by high performance Intel Turbo Boost technology up to 3.00GHz2, which makes it run extremely well while multi-tasking. Supported by an 8GB DDR3/1600MHz RAM and 512GB4 PCIe Solid State Drive, the gadget can quickly browse the web for long hours and store your important documents with ease. An Intel HD Graphics 4400 graphics processor has been added to the device for ensuring picture-perfect graphics and improved overall performance.

Running on Windows 8 Pro, followed by 64-bit architecture, the device comes bundled with free software including Microsoft Office trial version, VAIO Care, PlayMemories Home, and ArtRage Studio. Possessing the Intel High Definition Audio, the device features ClearAudio+ technology that produces fairly robust sound to turn your room into a theatre, while watching movie. The device is supported by Internal Lithium Polymer Battery set that delivers a battery life of up to 6 hours and 30 minutes, during active video playback.

Technical specifications for Sony VAIO Pro 13 Touch Ultrabook (SVP1321BPXB)

Feature	Description
Processor	an 1.80GHz1 Intel Dual Core i7-4500U processor
Operating System	Windows 8.1 Pro (64 bit)
Battery life	Up to 6.5 hours
Camera	1 MP HD Webcam
Memory	8 GB
Storage	512 GB
Display	A 13.3" Full HD Triluminos display
Bluetooth	Bluetooth Version 4.0

Owing to its extremely portable design and excellent configuration, the VAIO Pro 13 can efficiently serve as a home, work or business device for users. Weighing just 2.4 lbs., this touch-screen Ultrabook can be taken along with you on travel, meetings, vacations, outdoors, and other places easily. Supported by one of the fastest SSDs ever, the device can easily multi-task and supports a promising battery life to complete all your assignments and work on time. Unfortunately, the bottom of this device is that it turns out warm really soon and the webcam delivers a poor image quality that are the only two significant downside of this laptop.