VAIO launches a pair of 2.2 pound Intel Meteor Lake laptops with 14 inch displays

Japanese PC maker VAIO is launching its first laptops with Intel Core Ultra processors. Unfortunately the new VAIO SX14-R laptop for consumers and VAIO Pro PK-R business laptops are featuring Intel Core Ultra Series 1 processors based on last year’s Intel Meteor Lake architecture rather than the new Series 2 “Lunar Lake” chips.

Still, these new laptops pack a lot of features into compact designs. Both models have starting weights of less than 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) and feature Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, and Ethernet ports as well as features designed to help improve audio and video call quality during online meetings.

For example, the laptops have a microphone system that works with VAIO Conversation software that lets you choose whether the mics should pick up audio from a 360 degree radius or if they should focus more tightly to a 90 degree or 40 degree angle for more private conversations. There’s also a Whisper mode feature that can amplify your voice if you’re speaking at a low volume.

The laptops also feature stereo front-facing speakers and optional support for a 9.2MP webcam with HDR video support and support for Windows Hello face recognition. There’s also a VAIO User Sensing feature that can turn off the display when you walk away from the computer or alert you if the PC notices somebody looking at the screen over your shoulder.

The VAIO SX14-R is available with a choice of Intel Core Ultra 5 125H or Core Ultra 7 155H processor options and supports 16GB to 64GB of onboard LPDDR5x memory. Since the RAM is soldered to the mainboard it’s not user upgradeable.

VAIO sells the computer with 256GB to 2TB of PCIe 4.0 NVMe storage, which should be user upgradeable.

Display options include a 14 inch 1920 x 1200 pixel non-touch display or a 2560 x 1600 pixel touchscreen display. Both are described as anti-glare screens.

The notebook features support for WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and has optional support for 4G LTE and GPS. And ports include:

• 2 x Thunderbolt 4
• 1 x USB 3.0 Type-A (5 Gbps with power supply functionality)
• 1 x USB 3.0 Type-A (5 Gbps)
• 1 x Gigabit Ethernet
• 1 x HDMI
• 1 x 3.5mm audio

VAIO says there are “standard” and “large capacity” battery options and the company offers battery life estimates for both, but doesn’t actually provide details about the actual capacity.

The VAIO SX14-R measures 312 x 226 x 19mm and weighs between 999 and 1178 grams, depending on the configuration.

The VAIO Pro PK-R is similar in most respects, but there are a few key differences. For one thing, this laptop is available with Intel Core Ultra 5 125U, Core Ultra 5 135U, Core Ultra 7 165U, and Core Ultra 7 155H processor options.

Another difference is that models with touchscreen displays feature an active digitizer for pressure-sensitive pen input. That’s an interesting choice for a laptop with a screen that opens to a maximum angle of 180 degrees – you can lie the screen flat against a desk and write on it, but you can’t flip it all the way around for use in tablet mode the way you can with most other laptops I’ve seen that feature active digitizers. And VIAO Pro PK-R models with touchscreens feature glossy displays rather than anti-glare.

One other difference is that while both the consumer and business-class laptops have optional support for 4G LTE and GPS, the business model tops out at WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3time rather than WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4

The business model has the same physical measurements as the consumer-oriented model, but with weights ranging from 948 x 1237 the lightest version of the VAIO Pro PK-R is lighter than the SX14-R while the heaviest model is heavier.

So far both of these laptops are available exclusively in Japan, but VAIO does have a presence in global markets, and we could eventually see these new models show up at the VAIO US website.