Toshiba has taken the wraps off the new Satellite Radius 12, a laptop-tablet hybrid that is sure to pop off some eyeballs with its stunning 4K display and an accompanying string of fancy new features compatible with Windows 10's best new features.
The Satellite Radius 12 was unveiled on the first day of the IFA electronics trade show in Berlin, and Toshiba has scheduled it for release sometime in the fourth quarter.
Billed as the first ever laptop-tablet hybrid to sport a full Ultra High-Definition display, the Radius 12 is Toshiba's latest product that directly competes with the growing number of convertible devices that can go from flat tablets to full laptops and everything in between, such as Lenovo's Yoga series of hybrids and the Microsoft Surface Pro 3.
The Radius 12, the latest in Toshiba's line of Satellite Radius two-in-one devices, hopes to keep a good edge over its competition with its resolution of 3,840 by 2,160 pixels. However, the more practical sort of user may point out that they may not be able to reap the benefits of such a high resolution on a 12.5-inch display. Nonetheless, Toshiba has also made available a similar laptop with a Full HD display, likely for a much lower price.
The display is also certified by Technicolor: it meets the same stringent standards for color fidelity used in Hollywood movies. It also supports 100 percent RGB color space reproduction, which should be very useful for professionals such as video editors and graphic artists.
Toshiba has also integrated the Radius 12 with its own built-in infrared camera that can be used to power Windows Hello, the facial recognition security system introduced in Windows 10 that allows users to unlock their computers with their face. This makes the laptop one of the first few devices that support the new technology.
The Radius 12 will come with a sixth-generation Skylake Intel Core processor, which packs enough power to do things such as HD video conferencing, high-performance video streaming and Xbox gaming on Windows 10 with DirectX 12 support. Aside from that, however, Toshiba has not provided too many details on the laptop's specs. Pricing, as well, is unclear, though we can expect any 4K laptop to cost quite a small fortune.
Despite its power, the Radius 12 is a sleek, portable device that measures just 0.6 inches in thickness and an easy 2.9 lbs. in weight, making it ideal for the worker-on-the-go. It has a durable aluminum casing with a brushed metal finish in carbon gray, and the 360-degree precision hinge lets users switch between five modes: laptop, tablet, tabletop, presentation and audience. To top it all off, the laptop also features its own LED-backlit keyboard.
"Through our deep relationships with our partners at Microsoft, Intel and Technicolor we have designed a top-of-the-line compact PC that delivers the new gold standard in screen, sound and performance," said Philip Osako, senior director of product marketing at Toshiba America. "The Satellite Radius 12 expertly blends the latest technology into an extremely powerful yet compact and easy-to-carry PC that is not only versatile but durable enough to handle a highly mobile lifestyle."
