In this article I bunched currently available and upcoming Ultrabook models by the feature. You will see them organized by Processor type and performance, Memory, Storage, Battery, Chassis, Ports and Connectivity , Keyboard, Display resolution and size, Availability and base price.
Technical specifications mentioned here are correct to my knowledge, but they’re subject to change as I find out more, or details change about unreleased models.
Models examined in this article are the following (these links will take you to individual models’ tech spec page) :
Toshiba Z835/Z830
Lenovo U300s
Acer Aspire S3
Asus Zenbook UX21
Asus Zenbook UX31
Samsung Series 5 530U 13″
Samsung Series 5 530U 14″
Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook
Macbook Air 13″
Lenovo IdeaPad U300e
Not yet Available
Toshiba Satellite U840
LG X-note Z330
Samsung Series 9 Ultrabook
HP Envy 14 (HP Spectre)
Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 13
Acer Aspire S5
Processor
CPU Name | Frequency (Max Turbo Freq.) | # of Cores (HyperThreading) | CPU Cache | Typical Geekbench Score
[>] Toshiba Z835/Z830 :
Intel i3-2367M | 1.40 GHz (1.4) | 2 Cores (HT) | 3 MB Cache | GB : 3,050
[>] Lenovo U300s :
Intel i5-2467M | 1.60 GHz (2.3) | 2 Cores (HT) | 3 MB Cache | GB : 4,800
Intel i7-2677M | 1.80 GHz (2.9) | 2 Cores (HT) | 4 MB Cache | GB : 5,800
[>] Acer S3-951 :
Intel i5-2467M | 1.60 GHz (2.3) | 2 Cores (HT) | 3 MB Cache | GB : 4,800
Intel i7-2637M | 1.70 GHz (2.8) | 2 Cores (HT) | 4 MB Cache | GB : ~5,500
[>] Asus Zenbook UX21 :
Intel i3-2367M | 1.40 GHz (1.4) | 2 Cores (HT) | 3 MB Cache | GB : 3,050
Intel i5-2467M | 1.60 GHz (2.3) | 2 Cores (HT) | 3 MB Cache | GB : 4,800
Intel i7-2677M | 1.80 GHz (2.9) | 2 Cores (HT) | 4 MB Cache | GB : 5,800
[>] Asus Zenbook UX31 :
Intel i5-2557M | 1.70 GHz (2.7) | 2 Cores (HT) | 3 MB Cache | GB : 5,700
Intel i7-2677M | 1.80 GHz (2.9) | 2 Cores (HT) | 4 MB Cache | GB : 5,800
[>] Samsung Series 5 530U 13″ :
Intel i5-2467M | 1.60 GHz (2.3) | 2 Cores (HT) | 3 MB Cache | GB : 4,800
[>] Samsung Series 5 530U 14″ :
Intel i5-2467M | 1.60 GHz (2.3) | 2 Cores (HT) | 3 MB Cache | GB : 4,800
[>] Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook :
Intel i5-2467M | 1.60 GHz (2.3) | 2 Cores (HT) | 3 MB Cache | GB : 4,800
Intel i7-2637M | 1.70 GHz (2.8) | 2 Cores (HT) | 4 MB Cache | GB : ~5,500
[>] Macbook Air 13″ :
Intel i5-2557M | 1.70 GHz (2.7) | 2 Cores (HT) | 3 MB Cache | GB : 5,700
Intel i7-2677M | 1.80 GHz (2.9) | 2 Cores (HT) | 4 MB Cache | GB : 5,800
[>] Lenovo U300e :
Intel i3-2367M | 1.40 GHz (1.4) | 2 Cores (HT) | 3 MB Cache | GB : 3,050
Intel i5-2467M | 1.60 GHz (2.3) | 2 Cores (HT) | 3 MB Cache | GB : 4,800
Not Yet Available:
[>] Toshiba Satellite U840 :
Intel i5-2467M | 1.60 GHz (2.3) | 2 Cores (HT) | 3 MB Cache | GB : 4,800
Basic model is mentioned to come built with Intel i3 chips. No precise information available yet.
[>] LG X-note Z330 :
Intel i5-2467M | 1.60 GHz (2.3) | 2 Cores (HT) | 3 MB Cache | GB : 4,800
Intel i7-2637M | 1.70 GHz (2.8) | 2 Cores (HT) | 4 MB Cache | GB : ~5,500
[>] Samsung Series 9 Ultrabook :
Intel i5-2537M | 1.40 GHz (2.3) | 2 Cores (HT) | 3 MB Cache | GB : 4,100
[>] HP Spectre (Envy 14) :
Intel i5-2467M | 1.60 GHz (2.3) | 2 Cores (HT) | 3 MB Cache | GB : 4,800
[>] Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 :
Intel Ivy Bridge | Unknown
[>] Acer S5 :
Intel Ivy Bridge | 1.70 GHz | Unknown
Memory
Toshiba Z835/Z830 : 4GB DDR3 1333MHz (Max supported 6GB. 1x2GB on-board + 1x4GB module in slot. Will void warranty.)
Lenovo U300s : 4GB DDR3 1333MHz (1 slot available, max 1x4GB module supported.)
Acer S3 : 4GB DDR3 1333MHz (Max supported 4GB)
Asus Zenbook UX21 : 4GB DDR3 1333MHz (Max supported 4GB)
Asus Zenbook UX31 : 4GB DDR3 1333MHz (Max supported 4GB)
Samsung Series 5 530U Ultrabook : 4GB DDR3 1333MHz (Max 8GB)
Dell XPS 13 : 4GB (Max. Unknown)
Macbook Air 13″ : 2GB or 4GB DDR3 1333MHz (Max 4GB)
Lenovo U300e : 1GB/2GB 1066/1333 MHz DDR3 (Max 4GB)
Not yet available:
Toshiba Satellite U840 : 8GB DDR3 1333MHz (8GB Max. due to Memory controller in CPU)
LG X-note Z330 : 4GB DDR3 (Max. Unknown)
Samsung Series 9 : 4GB DDR3 (Max. 8GB)
HP Envy 14 (HP Spectre) : 4GB (Max 8GB)
Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 13 : Up to 8GB
Acer Aspire S5 : 4GB (8GB Max.)
Storage
Toshiba Z835/Z830 : 128GB SSD. External Optical Drive sold separately
Lenovo U300s : 128GB SSD in base model (10802AU), 256GB SSD in premium (108029U)
Acer S3-951 : Base model 320GB HDD + 20GB SSD Cache, mid-level 500GB HDD + 20GB SSD Cache, premium 240GB SSD
Asus Zenbook UX21 : 64GB/128GB/256GB Sata III SSD
Asus Zenbook UX31 : 128GB/256GB Sata III SSD
Samsung Series 5 530U Ultrabook 13″ : 128GB/256GB SSD or 500GB HDD + 16GB SSD cache
Samsung Series 5 530U Ultrabook 14″ : 500GB HDD + 16GB SSD Cache or 1TB HDD + 16GB SSD Cache
Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook: 128GB/256GB SSD
Macbook Air 13″ : 128GB/256GB SSD
Lenovo U300e : 500GB/750GB/1TB HDD (5,400/7,200rpm). 32/64 GB SSD optional
Not Yet Available
Toshiba Satellite U840 : 128GB SSD or 320GB HDD (5400RPM) + 16GB SSD
LG X-note Z330 : 128GB Sata-III or 256GB Sata-II
Samsung Series 9 Ultrabook : 128GB SSD
HP Envy 14 (HP Spectre) : 128GB SSD + 1 SSD slot
Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 13 : Unknown
Acer S5 : Unknown – SSD
Battery
Toshiba Z835/Z830 : 47 Wh 8-cell, 8 hours.
Lenovo U300s : 4-Cell, 8 hours.
Acer S3 : 3-cell 3260 mAh, 6 Hours
Asus Zenbook UX21 : 35 Wh, 5 Hours
Asus Zenbook UX31 : 50 Wh, 7 Hours
Samsung Series 5 530U 13″ : 45 Wh, 6 hours+
Samsung Series 5 530U 14″ : 45.3 Wh, 6.5 hours
Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook : Almost 9 hours
Macbook Air 13″ : 7 hours
Lenovo U300e : 59 Wh, 4-Cell, ~7 hours
Not Yet Available
Toshiba Satellite U840 : 6-cell of unknown capacity.
LG X-note Z330 : Around 6 hours
Samsung Series 9 Ultrabook : 6 Hours
HP Envy 14 (HP Spectre) : 9 hours
Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 13 : 8 hours+
Acer Aspire S5 : ~8 hours
Weight
Toshiba Z835/Z830 : from 2.47 lbs (1,120g)
Lenovo U300s : from 2.91 lbs (1,320g)
Acer S3 : 3.04 lbs (1,380g)
Asus Zenbook UX21 : 2.43 lbs (1,100g)
Asus Zenbook UX31 : 2.87 lbs (1,300g)
Samsung Series 5 530u 13″: with SSD 3.06 lbs (1,390g), with HDD 3.15 lbs (1,430g)
Samsung Series 5 530u 14″: 4.05 lbs (1,837g)
Dell XPS 13″ ultrabook : from 2.99 lbs (1,356g)
Macbook Air 13″ : 2.96 lbs (1,350g)
Lenovo U300e : 3.48 lbs (1,580g)
Not yet available
Toshiba Satellite U840 : from 3.81 lbs (1,730g)
LG X-note Z330 : 2.7 lbs (1,224g)
Samsung Series 9 : 2.5 lbs (1,134g)
HP Envy 14 (HP Spectre) : 3.95 lbs (1,792g)
Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 13 : 3.1 lbs (1,406g)
Acer Aspire S5 : 2.97 lbs (1,347g)
Chassis
Toshiba Z835/Z830 : Magnesium alloy
Lenovo U300s : Magnesium-alloy shell
Acer S3 : Brushed-aluminum lid, magnesium alloy shell
Asus Zenbook UX21 : “Monoshell” one-piece hardened aluminum, spin-brushed lid
Asus Zenbook UX31 : “Monoshell” one-piece hardened aluminum, spin-brushed lid
Samsung Series 5 : Aluminum with fiber glass bottom.
Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook : Carbon-fiber body, aluminum lid
Macbook Air 13″ : One piece aluminum, “Unibody”
Lenovo U300e : Full aluminum-shell
Not yet available
Toshiba Satellite U840 : brushed Aluminum
LG X-note Z330 : Brushed metal
Samsung Series 9 : One-piece aluminum
HP Envy 14 (HP Spectre) : Scratch-resistant glass lid and palmrest, aluminum
Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 13 : Unknown + soft-touch plastic
Acer Aspire S5 : Magnesium alloy
Ports and Connectivity
Toshiba Z835/Z830 :
Audio jack, mono mic jack, 802.11 b/g/n wireless + WiDi (Wireless Display), gigabit ethernet Rj-45, 1x always-on USB 2.0, 1x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, (SD) memory card reader, HDMI output, D-SUB 15 VGA out, Bluetooth (in Z830 only).
Lenovo U300s :
Audio jack (audio out, mic input combo), 802.11 b/g/n/ wireless, no ethernet, 1x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, no memory card reader, HDMI, Bluetooth 3.0, PCI-express mini card slot (supports 1030N Intel card).
Acer S3 :
Audio jack (audio out, mic input combo), 802.11 b/g/n wireless, no ethernet, 2x USB 2.0, no USB 3.0, HDMI output, no D-SUB 15 VGA, SD/MMC memory card reader, bluetooth 4.0
Asus Zenbook UX21 :
Audio jack, 802.11 b/g/n wireless, no ethernet, 1x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, no memory card reader, microHDMI, miniVGA, Bluetooth 4.0
Asus Zenbook UX31 :
Audio jack, 802.11 b/g/n wireless, no ethernet, USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, SD memory card reader, microHDMI, miniVGA, Bluetooth 4.0
Samsung Series 5 530U 13″ :
Audio jack (audio out, mic input combo), 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless, Rj-45 ethernet connector, 2x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, SD/MMC memory card reader, HDMI output, VGA via dongle, Bluetooth 3.0
Samsung Series 5 530U 14″ :
Audio jack (audio out, mic input combo), 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless, Rj-45 ethernet connector, 1x USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.0, SD/MMC memory card reader, HDMI output, VGA, Bluetooth 3.0
Dell XPS 13 ultrabook :
Audio jack, 802.11 a/b/g/n + WiDi (Wireless Display), no Ethernet, miniDisplayport (adapter to HDMI included), no VGA, Bluetooth 3.0
Macbook Air 13 :
Audio jack (audio out, mic input combo), 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless, no Ethernet, 2x USB 2.0, SD memory card reader, Thunderbolt, no HDMI, no VGA, Bluetooth 4.0
Lenovo U300e :
Audio jack (audio out, mic input combo), wireless lan, RJ-45 gigabit ethernet, 2x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, HDMI output, bluetooth antenna installed, PCI Express mini card slot (supports Intel 1030n card)
Not yet available
Toshiba Satellite U840 :
Audio jack, Microphone in, 802.11 b/g/n wireless, RJ-45 10/100 ethernet, 2x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, SD memory card reader, HDMI Output, Bluetooth 3.0
LG X-note Z330 :
Audio jack, 802.11 b/g/n wireless, RJ-45 gigabit ethernet, USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, microSD memory card reader, HDMI output, Bluetooth 3.0
Samsung Series 9 ultrabook :
Audio jack (audio out, mic input combo), 802.11 b/g/n wireless, RJ-45 gigabit ethernet, USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, sd memory card reader, microHDMI, Bluetooth 3.0
HP Envy 14 (HP Spectre) :
Audio jack, 802.11 (presumably b/g/n) wireless + WiDi (wireless display), RJ-45 ethernet, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, HDMI output, mini Displayport, NFC
Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 13 :
audio jack, wireless, HDMI -out. Sporadic information subject to change until final release.
Acer Aspire S5 :
Audio jack, 802.11 wireless, 2x USB, HDMI, Thunderbolt
Keyboard
Toshiba Z835/Z830 :
“At first glance, the Toshiba Portege Z835′s keyboard has a lot going for it. [...] Unfortunately, the keys felt somewhat stiff and shallow. There’s not a lot of travel here.” Laptopmag.com
“Its typing feel, alas, is less satisfactory—flat and shallow [...] I’d still rate the keyboard as inferior to that of the Lenovo IdeaPad U300s.” PCMag.com
Lenovo U300s :
“it’s obvious that Lenovo put its ThinkPad know-how to good use here [...] as you’d expect from a Lenovo keyboard, it’s sturdy, well-spaced and cushy enough that you needn’t worry about whether you’re pressing the buttons hard enough.” Engadget
“The keyboard itself has a very nice feel for having such a short stroke (a common problem with ultrathin laptops).” Pcworld.com
Acer Aspire S3 :
“The island-style keyboard on the S3 isn’t the worst we’ve ever used, but it was a bit stiff [...] On more than one occasion, the keyboard missed our inputs when we were typing at a fast pace, and we had to make a conscious effort to press harder.” Laptopmag.com
“The keyboard is at least comfortable to type on, helped by bouncy keys whose travel isn’t quite as shallow as other ultrabook keyboards we’ve used. ” expertreviews.co.uk
Asus Zenbook UX21 :
“I’m a touch-typist and I liked the keyboard with its chiclet keys and its firm, springy touch, though I found I had to hit the keys harder than I expected, especially the space bar.” guardian.co.uk
“The Zenbook’s keyboard is almost too stiff for my tastes, although I definitely felt it loosen up over the course of this review ” Anandtech.com
Asus Zenbook UX31 :
“Unfortunately, there’s something about how the keys respond to quick, light touch typing that I’m having a difficult time acclimating to.” codeproject.com
“We weren’t so hot on some of the frilly-script branding, annoying trackpad and a keyboard that required hammer-typing to register our presses.” engadget.com
Samsung Series 5 :
“There’s room for a full-sized keyboard, which felt good to type on in the short time we had to try it out, and the trackpad is pleasingly large.” cnet.co.uk
“As is generally the case with Samsung laptops, the keyboard seems great,” techradar.com
Dell XPS 13 :
“The keyboard is nicely spaced and the keys themselves have reasonable travel given the limits of the keytray.” slashgear.com
Macbook Air 13″ :
“This same keyboard is found across the entire Apple laptop line, and very few have complained about it.” PCMag.com
Lenovo U300e :
“it has the same [as the U300s] aluminum chassis, comfortable keyboard and sprawling trackpad,” engadget.com
Not yet Available
Toshiba Satellite U840 :
Backlit island-style (chiclet).
LG X-note Z330 :
“The keyboard felt a little cheap if I’m honest and had the vertically squashed feel that the Toshiba Z830 has but there was good feedback.” ultrabooknews.com
Samsung Series 9 Ultrabook :
“The full-chiclet keyboard is very well-sized, easy and comfortable to use and the keys are well-spaced and feel very nice and smooth. It is also backlit, [...]” ultrabookreview.com
HP Envy 14 (HP Spectre) :
“Unlike so many other Ultrabooks we’ve tested, the keys feel pillowy, and are backed by a sturdy panel, to boot.” engadget.com
Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 13 :
“the YOGA 13 can also be positioned with the keyboard area flat against the desk” gizmag.com
No word on keyboard quality yet.
Acer Aspire S5 :
“[...] the S5 is much improved, with clickier keys and much more depth to the key wells. We’ve noticed an across-the-board improvement in key travel in several of the ultrabooks we’ve tried, which is a very welcome change.” arstechnica.com
Display
Toshiba Z835/Z830 : 13.3″ 1366×768 (glossy)
Lenovo U300s : 13.3″ 1366×768 (glossy)
Acer S3 : 13.3″ 1366×768 (glossy)
Asus Zenbook UX21 : 11.6″ 1366×768 (glossy)
Asus Zenbook UX31 : 13.3″ 1600×900 (glossy)
Samsung Series 5 530u 13″ : 13.3″ 1366×768 (reduced glare, glossy, 300 nits)
Samsung Series 5 530u 14″ : 14.0″ 1366×768 (reduced glare, glossy, 300 nits, AMD 7550M Discrete GPU)
Dell XPS 13 : 13.3″ 1366×768 (gorilla glass)
Macbook Air 13″ : 13.3″ 1440×900 (glossy)
Lenovo U300e : 13.3″ 1366×768 (>220 nits, glossy)
Not yet Available
Toshiba Satellite U840 : 14.0″ 1366×768
LG X-note Z330 : 13.3″ 1366×768 (glossy)
Samsung Series 9 : 13.3″ 1600×900 (400 nit, matte)
HP Envy 14 (HP Spectre) : 14″ 1366×768, upgrade to 1600×900 will be available(gorilla glass)
Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 13 : 13.3″ ?
Acer Aspire S5 : 13.3″ 1366×768
Availability
Toshiba Z835/Z830 : Debuted in Sept. 2011 on IFA, Z835 available only in US. Z830 internationally.
Lenovo U300s : Debuted in Sept. 2011 on IFA, internationally available.
Acer S3: Released in Oct. 2011, internationally available.
Asus Zenbook UX21 : Unveiled in Oct. 2011, internationally available.
Asus Zenbook UX31 : Unveiled in Oct. 2011, internationally available.
Samsung Series 5 : Available since mid-January 2012. UK stock patchy.
Dell XPS 13 ultrabook: Announced at CES 2012, early January, to be available in Q1 2012
Macbook Air 13″ : Internationally available since 20/07/11
Lenovo U300e : Available in Singapore on 13th Feb 2012. Worldwide availability soon.
Not yet Available
Toshiba Satellite U840 : First shown at CES 2012, available in Singapore and Australia, no word on US distribution.
LG X-note Z330 : Available in South Korea, no word on US distribution.
Samsung Series 9 : Announced on CES 2011, to be available from 27th of February, 2012.
HP Envy 14 (HP Spectre) : Pre-orders are now available (Feb 8), to ship on 17th if ordered today.
Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 13 : Unknown
Acer S5 : Expected before Q2 2012
Entry Point Price
Toshiba Z835/Z830 : RRP $899.99 / 820 GBP
Lenovo U300s : $1,199
Acer S3 : $799.99
/ 680
GBP
Asus Zenbook UX21 : $899.99
/ 849.95
GBP
Asus Zenbook UX31 : $1,049 / 1,000 GBP
Samsung Series 5 530u 13″ : $949
Samsung Series 5 530u 14″ : $979.99
Dell XPS 13 : $999
Macbook Air 13″ : $1,299 / 1,099 GBP
Lenovo U300e : SG$ 1,299 (~US$ 1,030) until March, SG$ 1,499 (~US$1,190) normally (with i5. 500GB HDD and 4GB RAM)
Not yet Available
Toshiba Satellite U840 : est. around $1,000 . High-spec model is AUD$1,499 ~$1,600
LG X-note Z330 : ~$1,500
Samsung Series 9 : $1,399.99 (13.3″), $1,499.99 (15″)
HP Envy 14 (HP Spectre) : $1,400 / 1,200 GBP
Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 13 : $1,199 est.
Acer S5 : $1,199 est.
Sources used
The links are in no particular order. Some sources are credited where used, but not cited below:
