Group test: what's the best ultraportable laptop?

5. Acer S7-391

• Reviewed on: 29 November 12
• RRP: £1395 inc. VAT
• Rating:

All in all, the S7-391 is a nice laptop to use and show off. It would be nice to have an 8GB option and better battery life, but neither is essential for the vast majority of users. The design and overall usability are top notch. And it's an eye-catching system, sure to draw attention whenever you pull it out.

4. Apple MacBook Air 11in (Mid-2012)

• Reviewed on: 11 July 12
• RRP: £849 inc VAT
• Rating:

Looking beyond our misgivings over the cheaper screen, the 2012 MacBook Air 11in is an improvement in every direction for the smallest and cutest Mac portable ever made.

3. Samsung NP900X4C-A01UK

• Reviewed on: 12 July 12
• RRP: £1299 inc VAT
• Rating:

That great anti-glare display and crisp all-aluminium shell lift the Samsung Series 9 15-incher above the ultrabook rabble, and speedy Intel silicon inside keeps the notebook fast and very far from ephemeral. If you need a light and limber laptop with a great 15in screen, look no further than the 900X4C.

2. Apple MacBook Pro 13in with Retina display

• Reviewed on: 7 December 12
• RRP: £1699 inc VAT
• Rating:

The essential specifications of the 13in Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display closely follow the groundbreaking original 15in version. Reduced size here necessitates integrated-only graphics, as well as a more efficient dual-core rather than quad-core processor. But this choice of components really delivers, and crucially in a state-of-the-art 13in notebook that takes the second-finest laptop display money can buy – beaten only by the 15in Retina model of the Apple MacBook Pro.

1. Apple MacBook Air 13in (Mid-2012)

• Reviewed on: 9 October 12
• RRP: £1249 inc VAT
• Rating:

This revised 13in MacBook Air is a little bit faster in general speed, a lot faster in graphics speed – if only catching up with 2010’s Air – but with approaching an hour of extra battery life. We also appreciate the even quieter fan. This is the original ultrabook, and with extra details and quality touches it still beats all Ultrabooks we’ve seen so far.