Vaio’s SX12 proves small laptops can have all the ports

Buying a compact laptop in 2019, you’re lucky if you get more than a few USB ports. Even so-called “desktop replacements” with 15-inch+ screens rarely do much better. But if Vaio’s 12.5-inch SX12 is anything to go by, it doesn’t have to be this way.

Get this: A laptop no larger than a MacBook has:

• 3x USB-A
• USB-C
• HDMI
• Ethernet
• An SD card slot
• VGA(!)
• A headphone jack

Barring a requirement for Thunderbolt 3, that should handle just about anyone’s I/O requirements. The brushed aluminum chassis has got a fair bit of power under the hood as well, with i5 or it 8th Gen Intel processors. LTE is also available as an option.

All this power, and it only weighs 888 grams.

Of course, this says nothing of battery life – it’s fair to assume Vaio doesn’t have as much internal space to work with as less port-happy manufacturers. I wouldn’t expect marathon runtimes from the SX12, but that could be just fine for someone who values connectivity over longevity.

The SX12 goes on sale this week starting around $1,100 dollars or 119,800 yen. It’s not clear if the model will make its way west – VAIO has dramatically cut down its global shipments, but I other manufacturers will at least notice there’s an audience for computers with all sorts of ports.

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Published July 9, 2019 — 16:23 UTC