Since nearly all new Vaio computers are using a touch display, Sony thought that it was time to re-think how people would want to use their laptops. The idea behind the Vaio Flip is that with touch, it would be nice to have a “real laptop” that also offers a “flat” mode that is more touch-centric, maybe closer to a table computer than a classic tablet. Finally, having a “viewing” mode where the the display is upright, but without the keyboard in front of it could be desirable for presentations or simply for entertainment.
With that in mind, Sony has built the Vaio Flip series which does exactly that, thanks to a nicely designed display hinge. It’s best to see it in action in a video, but in the below, you can see three Vaio Flip PCs in all three positions.
My favorite model is the 13” which is the nicest one in this line of product. It is thinner, nice and slightly better built. Of course, it also happens to be the most expensive one… Sony will announce the pricing later, but look for something around $1000-$1100. The 14” and 15” are more affordable relative to their performance and design, but they are slightly bigger than laptops which don’t offer the multi-position feature.
In terms of specifications, all models come with a 1080p touch display by default, but there’s a 2880×1620 display with a 4K HDMI output. Users can opt for something as low as a Core i3 or as high as a Core i7 (4th Generation of course). They all have rear webcams placed at the bottom (for tablet-mode use) and users will be able to choose between Hybrid HDD or SSD. The 14” and 15” models also have a discrete GPU option from NVIDIA (1GB or 2GB), for maximum performance.
13”: 2.6lbs, SSD standard issue
14”: 4.2lbs, optional NVIDIA GPU (2GB max)
15”: 4.6lbs, optional NVIDIA GPU (2GB max)
Filed in . Read more about IFA, Ifa 2013, Sony and Sony Vaio.