Sony VAIO Duo 13

The closer you look, the more the Sony Vaio Duo 13 appears an ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ device that has a little too much of the oddball vibe of the original Duo 11. However, in use it still solves many of that earlier model’s problems,...

Good performance. Great battery life. Digitizer support.

Small touchpad. No screen adjustment in laptop mode. Narrow viewing angles.

The Sony VAIO Duo 13 is a compelling choice for anyone looking to join the hybrid ultrabook movement. It's improved slider design and terrific battery life make this 13 inch hybrid a much better choice than it s predecessor, the Duo 11, and you get a...

Great screen ; Light and thin ; Amazing battery life

OMG! The price! ; Sliders aren't for everyone

Increased battery life ; Bigger screen looks fantastic ; Proper trackpad ; Good build quality ; Haswell processors

Very expensive ; Sliding mechanism still feels delicate

So how much of a success - or failure - is the Sony Vaio Duo 13? Seeing as the Sony Vaio Duo 11 was a fair attempt at a hybrid machine and that the Sony Vaio Duo 13 brings improvements in nearly every aspect, we can confidently rule out it being a...

Terrific display ; Great battery life ; Nice performance

Some design and build issues ; Lousy keyboard ; Cramped trackpad ; Odd button placement

You’re going to have to think carefully about what you’re looking for in a portable before deciding on whether the Sony VAIO Duo 13 is for you. The device works well as a tablet, even if the button placement is a bit awkward, and it fits nicely in the...

Not too bulky in tablet mode, Good build quality, Ports located at the rear, Connectivity similar to a subnotebook, Strong performance, comes with a SSD, High contrast ratio, great viewing angles, High color fidelity, covers 93 % of the sRGB color...

Unsatisfying keyboard and touchpad feedback, USB ports located too close to each other, Short Wi-Fi range, Swapping the battery? Cleaning the fans? Upgrading the RAM or putting in a larger SSD? Impossible except for experienced tinkerers. The keyboard...

Extremely light ; No screen wobble when touched ; Very thin ; Snappy performance ; Good looker

Average specs ; Lacks storage ; Complex hinge

If you value portability over all else, or need a tablet that handles handwriting with ease, the Duo 13 has a lot to commend it. However, measured alongside other highly portable transformers like the Dell XPS 12, the Duo 13's specs leave a lot to be...