VAIO has introduced its new SX12 notebook that brings together miniature dimensions, low weight, decent specs, full-pitch keyboard, a long battery life, and vast connectivity options that include a variety of physical ports and an optional 4G/LTE modem. Unlike most 12-inch laptops, the VAIO SX12 does not use a low-power processor, but packs a fully-fledged quad-core Core i7 CPU with VAIO’s True Performance technology.

The VAIO SX12 comes in a chassis made of carbon fiber and plastic in a bid to make its weight no heavier than 897 grams as well as dimensions not significantly bigger than those of 11-inch notebooks. The mobile PC is slightly smaller than an A4 piece of paper and is around 15.7 ~ 18 mm thick. The laptop is equipped with a 12.5-inch Full-HD display with very thin bezels as well as a backlit keyboard featuring a 19-mm pitch and fluorine-containing UV curing coating.

VAIO’s SX12 laptop is based on Intel’s 8th Gen quad-core Core U-series processor with UHD Graphics 620 code-named Whiskey Lake (up to Core i7-8565U) which uses the company’s TruePerformance technology that combines an advanced cooling system as well as increased CPU power limits in order to enable the CPU to work at higher frequencies for a longer time. The processor can be accompanied by 16 GB of LPDDR3 DRAM as well as a PCIe SSD. For precise specs, check the table below.

Connectivity is one of the key selling features of the VAIO SX12 because unlike some other 12-inch class laptops, this one comes with all the necessary physical ports possible, including GbE, a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C (can be used for data, display, and charging) port, one USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A connector, two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, an SD card reader, two display outputs (HDMI, D-Sub), a 3.5-mm audio jack, and a proprietary power port. On the wireless side of things, the laptop is equipped with a 802.11ac Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.1 controller as well as an optional 4G/LTE modem. In addition, it has a webcam, a fingerprint reader, stereo speakers, and a microphone.

VAIO does not disclose capacity of the battery it uses for the SX12, but says that it can last for 13 ~ 14.5 hours depending on usage, a claim that has yet to be tested in real life. Meanwhile, the laptop comes with a proprietary 200-gram charger that uses the aforementioned proprietary connector, and also has a USB port to charge the laptop and a mobile phone at the same time.

The VAIO SX12 laptops will be available in five colors, including black, silver, brown, pink, and ‘all black’ for custom special edition models.

VAIO will start selling its SX12 notebooks in Japan this week starting at $1,100. For corporate customers VAIO will offer a very similar Pro PJ laptop with appropriate functionality. It is unclear whether the new mobile PCs will be available in other countries, but VAIO sells its products in the U.S. and chances are that the SX12 will be sold outside of Japan are fairly high.

VAIO SX12 (VJS1211) General Specifications
  Black Silver Brown Pink
Display 12.5" anti-glare panel with 1920×1080 resolution
SoC Core i7-8565U
4C/8T
1.8 - 4.6 GHz
TruePerformance
UHD 620
Core i5-8265U
4C/8T
1.6 - 3.9 GHz
TruePerformance
UHD 620
Core i3-8145U
2C/4T
2.1 - 3.9 GHz
-
UHD 620
Celeron 4205U
2C/2T
1.8 GHz
-
UHD 610
RAM 8/16 GB LPDDR3 8/16 GB LPDDR3 4/8 GB LPDDR3 4/8 GB LPDDR3
Storage 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB NVMe 256 GB SATA
256 GB PCIe
128 GB SATA
Wireless  802.11ac Wi-Fi
Bluetooth 4.1
Optional 4G/LTE modem
I/O ports GbE
1 × USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C
1 × USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A
2 × USB 3.0 Type-A
HDMI
D-Sub
SD Card reader (UHS-I)
GbE
1×USB 3.0 Type-C
3×USB 3.0 Type-A
HDMI
D-Sub
SD Card reader (UHS-I)
Camera 720p webcam
Audio Integrated speakers
1 × TRRS 3.5-mm jack for headset
Dimensions 287.8 × 203.3 × 15.7 ~ 18 mm
Weight 888 ~ 897 grams
Battery 13 ~ 14.5 Hours
OS Windows 10 Pro Windows 10 Home
Fingerprint Yes No
Finish Black Silver Brown Pink
Availability July 2019

Related Reading:

Source: VAIO (via Liliputing)

Comments Locked

26 Comments

View All Comments

  • wilsonkf - Friday, July 12, 2019 - link

    Performance is tied to color. This is very Japanese. No other brands do this.
  • s.yu - Saturday, July 13, 2019 - link

    What? The pink Blades come only in one configuration, and the White version also only comes with limited options, and that's because I only really paid attention to the Blades recently, there's probably more.
  • eastcoast_pete - Friday, July 12, 2019 - link

    Interesting machines, really like the 13" model. My worry is the platinum price tag usually woven into the carbon-fiber body. So, any information on pricing? Also, a three year warranty or similar would be nice (had a VAIO laptop die on me 15 months after purchase, 3 months out of warranty). lastly, why are laptop webcams (this one: 720p) often so lousy compared to even the selfie-cam on modern entry-level smartphones? Sucks when I have to videoconference with clients.
  • eastcoast_pete - Friday, July 12, 2019 - link

    I had rounded up to 13"; I know it's 12.5", but that's great for travel.
  • s.yu - Saturday, July 13, 2019 - link

    Anandtech cites much lower than Notebookcheck which said this starts at ~$2000 IIRC, maybe cheaper tiers aren't sold outside of Japan.
  • Quantumz0d - Friday, July 12, 2019 - link

    And guess what Sony Mobile lost the 3.5mm jack despite their Signature series Hi-Fi audio.
  • Old_Fogie_Late_Bloomer - Friday, July 12, 2019 - link

    My Japanese might be pretty damned rusty but I can read "heddosetto" and "heddofon" in that picture just fine. They just don't show a cable connected to it for some reason.

    Also, it says right there in the spec table: "1 × TRRS 3.5-mm jack for headset".
  • s.yu - Saturday, July 13, 2019 - link

    Sony *Mobile*. Read the English first.
  • oRAirwolf - Saturday, July 13, 2019 - link

    VAIO is a separate business entity. Sony owns a minority 25% share in the company but it is primarily owned and operated by Japan Industrial Partners. These are not Sony laptops.
  • s.yu - Saturday, July 13, 2019 - link

    Honestly this would be more than reasonable starting at $1000 but my only non-Sony VAIO device had a bloated battery within the warranty period and their NA customer support is BS.

Log in

Don't have an account? Sign up now