Sony announces Vaio Z Series premium laptop

Sony's new ultra slim Z Series laptop
Sony revealed its latest batch of laptops at an event in London today, including the Vaio Z Series - a new ultra slim, premium 13.3-inch model.

Aimed at the mobile office worker, it weighs less than 1.2kg and is 16.65mm thin, according to Sony. Specifications are high, an Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of memory and up to 256GB hard drive storage.

Find out how Sony's laptops compare to others in our guide to the leading laptop brands.

To pump up the power further, the model comes with a Power Media Dock, an expansion module that you can hook up using an optical cable. It boosts graphics performance and gives the user extra connectivity options when it's docked, with additional USB ports and VGA and HDMI outputs. The dock comes with certain model configurations or you can buy it separately.

It's not cheap - prices for the most basic model start at around £1,400 - and it'll be available from the end of July from retailers including Sony Direct, Dixons and John Lewis.

Sony Vaio Z Series sheet battery and dock
Vaio Z 'sheet battery'
The Vaio Z offers an interesting option for users who want to boost battery life. Sony claims the internal battery will last up to seven hours, but this can be upped by using the optional sheet battery. It's a thin flat piece of kit which can be attached to the bottom of the laptop without having to switch it off. This should then give users and extra 14 hours of battery life. You will have to purchase this separately though.

It's a neat solution for those who want an extra boost. As the laptop is so thin anyway, it doesn't add to the bulk too much.

The sheet battery isn't entirely new, we first saw it on the Sony Vaio S Series - watch our Sony Vaio S series first look video to see it in action.

Sony's Vaio Y series 11.6-inch netbook
Sony Vaio Y Series netbook
Sony'sY Series is a new 11.6-inch netbook, it claims up to six hours of battery life and weighs 1.5kg. Features include a webcam and an HDMI output that you can use to watch high definition (HD) content on your HD TV. It will cost around £429 and is available to buy now.

Sony Vaio E and C Series laptops
A couple of additions to existing ranges were also announced today. The Vaio E Series comes in 15-inch and 17-inch versions and is aimed at everyday use. New models come with second generation Intel Core processors.

The Vaio C series comes in 14-inch and 15.6-inch screen sizes and come in a range of very bright colours. Updates include new colour options and a new 15.5-inch model available in a black finish with Blu-ray as standard.

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