Samsung and Lenovo continue to put ultrabook offerings challenging leading players like Apple and Sony. Despite being relatively new compared to the two companies mentioned, Samsung and Lenovo appear to be stepping up their game proving capable of competing in the industry. Samsung has already released its Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus while Lenovo announced the Thinkpad X240. What can users expect from these ultrabooks? Can they truly compete with ultrabooks from Apple and Sony?

SAMSUNG Ativ Book 9 Plus

Samsung released the Series 9 back in 2011. Based from previous Series 9 products and other laptops Samsung came out, many sources agree that the Korean tech giant has released a laptop worth checking out. It is a true flagship product.

The ultrabook sports a 13-iinch matte anti-glare touch screen and offers 3200 x 1800 resolution. While it may not flip or twist, the device is a sleek as it can get. The laptop is thin at 0.54-inch thick. Other specs include Intel 4th generation Core i5 processor clocked at 1.65GHz, 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD. The Book 9 Plus can last up to 8 hours depending on usage. It also has 2 USB 3.0 ports, micro HDMI port, a 3-1 card reader, a mini-VGA and a security lock.

PC Magazine gave the ATIV Book 9 4.5 stars out of five. The lightweight design is also a plus. The device only weighs 3.06 pounds. It sports a similar size as Apple's MacBook Air ensuring portability. Because it has a similar processor with Sony Vaio Pro 13 and Acer Aspire S7, people are guaranteed of its performance.

The ultrabook starts at $1,400. Suffice to say, ATIV Book 9 can compete with some of the best ultrabooks around. Nonetheless, people will have to deal with a limited memory. Perhaps it is one of the few downsides to Samsung's flagship device.

LENOVO THINKPAD X240

Lenovo's ThinkPad X240 is currently the lightest and thinnest of the ThinkPad edition. The device weighs less than 3 pounds and measures only 0.8 inches to the thickest point. The device is a true definition of portability. The good thing about the laptop is that Lenovo does not compromise the durability, ports and connectivity despite increasing the ThinkPad's portability.

Lenovo included its well known ThinkPad ergonomic keyboard ensuring users of comfortable use. The keyboard offers an excellent TrackPoint pointing device and feel. Similar to the Samsung ATIV Book 9, the newest ThinkPad runs on Intel's 4th Generation Haswell processor. This guarantees speed and excellent performance.

Another selling point of this ThinkPad is the HD display plus IPS technology. This allows users to experience 180-degree viewing angles and vivid colors. There are two display options:

  • 12.5" HD (1366 x 768)
  • 12.5" HD IPS (1366 x 768)

Using internal battery along with external hot-swappable battery the device offers up to 10 hours of battery life or more. This depends upon the usage. Lenovo ships the laptop starting at $1040.

ThinkPad trumps the Samsung ATIV Book 9 in terms of battery life and price but ATIV has better resolution. Their portability is almost the same.