Samsung NP535U3C A01PH - The "Ultrabook" breaks the 30k barrier...

Samsung's new NP535U3C-A01PH is priced at Php29,900. At that price it undercuts the cheapest Ultrabook by 10K.

The Samsung NP535U3C-A01PH laptop has a 13.3-inch HD (1366 x 768) display fitted into a Ultrabook like case which is just 0.69-inches thick at the thickest point (yup, just like a MacBook Air) and weighs in at a light 3.35 pounds. But it is technically not an Ultrabook. Inside it does not have an Intel processor or a SSD or hybrid drive. Instead it is powered by a AMD dual-core A6-4455M Accelerated Processor. This cool running chips (17W TDP) runs at 2.1 GHz and can boost its speed to up to 2.6 GHz on demand. Graphics is provided by a on chip AMD Radeon HD7500G graphics processor.

While the AMD dual-core A6-4455M Accelerated Processor cannot compete with the latest Intel ultra mobile processors found in Ultrabooks, it is fast enough for the typical task an ultraportable computer is used for like running Office, web browsing, playing full HD video and even some 3D gaming. The Samsung NP535U3C-A01PH also comes with a sufficient amount of RAM and storage. The supplied RAM is 4GB, with storage being supplied via a 500 GB hard drive. Connectivity options are what you expect with WiFi, Bluetooth, HDMI out, and despite its slim case, Samsung even managed to include a full sized LAN port.  It has one USB 3.0 port and 2 USB 2.0 ports. 

Keeping the Samsung NP535U3C-A01PH running is a 4400 mAh battery which can provide up to 5 hours of battery life based on MobileMark tests scores. What else? Windows 7 Home Basic (64-bit) comes pre-installed and it comes in brown and pink.*

Except for the absence of a USB 3.0 port, it is one nicely package laptop.  For the asking price of Php29,900, and at that price you can get it on 12-months deferred payment at that price, it looks like a really good deal. Buy it for cash and you can get 6-10% of the retail price.     

*Article updated on July 4, 2012 (Revision on battery an operating system installed).
*Article updated on July 5, 2012 (Revision on USB 3.0 port).