14 DAY TRIAL // Showing that it is actively expanding its horizons, Fujitsu has put together three ultrabooks and is getting ready to launch another, higher-end one in the near future.
Ultrabooks have been steadily reaching lower and lower in terms of pricing, much like Intel and its partners promised.
Sure, the cost reductions led to a lower overall product quality, with plastic cases instead of metal and the occasional use of older-generation processors, but the price still fell from $1,000 to $800 and then below.
Unfortunately, Fujitsu's newest ultraportable mobile computers don't have affordability as a strong point. Not according to the reports we've seen.
In fact, the Lifebook UH572, the cheapest of the newest three, stays at a solid NT 30,000 ($1,001 / 800 Euro).
Weighing 1.6 kilos (3.52 pounds), it relies on an Intel Core i5-3317U processor and features a 13.3-inch LCD (liquid crystal display). We assume that the rest of the specs are similar to those of all other ultrabooks on the market (4 GB RAM, integrated GPU, hybrid HDDs / SSDs, USB 3.0, Gigabit LAN, webcam, card reader, etc.).
The two other Lifebooks, named SH772 and SH572, were made for businessmen but they aren't any cheaper than their consumer-oriented sibling.
In fact, they are quite a bit pricier. The former hovers at NT$69,800 ($2,341 / 1,859 Euro), while the latter will drain wallets of NT$49,800 ($1,670 / 1,326 Euro).
We can only guess at the tag of the high-end U772. Fujitsu hasn't launched it yet, but it does mean to send it out into the world at some point next month (August 2012). The screen size will be of 14 inches and the hardware might just have an Intel Core i7 as the heart.
Strangely enough, there hasn't been any mention of AMD-powered Lifebooks. We'll keep our fingers crossed and hope the company will make at least one or two.