Sony Vaio Flip 13 scores high on performance

Sony Vaio Flip 13
Price: Rs 99,990
Specifications: 13.3-inch Full HD display;  Intel Core i5-4200U CPU;  4GB RAM; 128 GB SSD; 2 USB; 1HDMI; Card reader; Windows 8.1 OS

In the last couple of years, convertibles have become popular in the premium laptop segment. Japanese tech giant Sony's latest offering in the Vaio family-Flip 13 is a good looking, sleek laptop that can be converted into a tablet.

Boasting a brushed metal finish, the overall look is good. The Flip 13 has a prominent line running between the lid. But fingerprints and smudges on the panel spoils its neat look. The laptop has a 13-inch Triluminous Display with 1080p resolution and runs on Windows 8.1 operating system. The display looks thick as that mechanism turns it into a tablet.

There is a 4GB RAM onboard with a 128-solid state drive for storage. For graphics, the Intel HD 4400 GPU has been integrated into the CPU itself. It managed to start quickly and run apps too. There is a lock-release slider above the keys on the keyboard. Releasing the slider and pushing the screen down from the top, towards the front brings it to the tablet position.

Unlike other convertibles, where the screen turns 360 degree and the keyboard is exposed to damages, the keyboard is protected here. Instead of using the tablet always in the flat mode, it can also be used to play presentations and videos by slightly tilting the display at any convenient angle.

Be it reading or watching videos, the full HD display is bright and crisp but it isn't the same from steep viewing angles. The touch response is just average. The backlit keyboard is convenient to type and is accompanied with smooth trackpad. The left-side edge has a charging port along with a headset port while the right edge has got two USB ports, one HDMI, a card reader along with the power key and speaker grills.

While charging it, Sony seems to have taken cues from Apple 's MacBook Pro but has failed miserably. The magnetic port doesn't attract the charger easily and one has to struggle to connect the charger.

Full HD video playback was smooth and the sound output was just about average. This sleek size of the machine packs in a decent battery that lasted me close to five hours.

Rating: 3.5/5

Bag it or Junk it: Has got looks and performance but comes at a cost