Technology Update

Hands-on review: Updated: Toshiba Satellite Radius 12

Updated: We've gotten a little more hands-on time with the Toshiba Satellite Radius 12 leading up to our full review and have updated our hands-on impressions with new pricing and availability details.

Toshiba loves a 4K display. From the Satellite P50t to the Kira and the Radius 15, the company is fitting sharp screens to laptops of all form factors and sizes, and now it's taken the title of being the first one to put one on a 12.5-inch laptop.

The Satellite Radius 12 isn't any old laptop either: it's a 2-in-1, meaning it'll flip and rotate into five different positions depending on how you want to interact with its touchscreen.

We've seen it done plenty of times on 13-inch devices such as the Yoga 3 Pro and HP's Spectre x360, but the Satellite 12's smaller form factor, light chassis and super-sharp display makes its transforming abilities that bit more useful depending on how you want to interact with it.

If you like the 12-inch MacBook's size and style but want a device that packs full Intel Core-series power, transforms into different modes and offers plenty of ports then the Satellite Radius 12 fits the bill.

The Radius 12 catches the eye thanks to its brushed aluminium finish (Satin Gold, to be exact - though it looks more of a silver colour). Its design echoes the company's Satellite Kira, with a grey trim surrounding the base paired with a black plastic hinge.

It's plenty portable due to it small dimensions, and at 1.32kg is light in the hand too. It would be comfortable to hold for long sessions when reading on its tablet mode but, as is the problem with most 2-in-1s, I found myself accidentally mashing the keys with the hand I was holding it in. You'll have to grip it near the centre to avoid doing that.

Picking it up with a single hand revealed noticeable flex in the trackpad, so if you're a firm believer that high-end devices with premium price tags should be built as solid as a rock, the Satellite Radius 12 isn't going to be the one to go for. At a starting price of $999 (about £652, AU$1,363) with a Full HD display – or $1,299 (about £848, AU$1,773) for the 4K mode – you're in the right to expect a solid chassis.

Toshiba's laptop displays are sometimes guilty of being dimmer than we'd like (Kira, we're looking at you), which thankfully isn't the case with the Satellite Radius 12. It's clear, bright and vibrant with bold colours but that's to be expected as ever screen that comes with this laptop is technicolor certified. The display is also reflective, but not overly so. The light gloss on the display makes Windows 10's translucency effect look gorgeous against the dark UI.

The trackpad is of a decent size, but click presses are a little mushy. If you're still waiting for MacBook-like levels of tapping satisfaction, you'll be waiting a bit longer - as is the case with most Windows laptops.

The chiclet-style keyboard's keys provide a small amount of travel and are slightly smaller than keys on a regular-sized keyboard. They're slightly longer than they are wide and feel similar to Dell's XPS 13 to type on - and that's no bad thing.

The model on display was equipped with an Intel sixth-generation (Skylake) Core i7-6500 CPU clocked at 2.5GHz backed up by 8GB of RAM, and Toshiba included a 512GB SSD for storage. Like the 12-inch MacBook, the Radius 12 has a USB 3.1 Type-C port and 802.11ac Wi-Fi for communication.

Toshiba claims that the Satellite Radius 12's battery life can go for up to eight hours, which isn't to be sniffed at considering you're packing full Core-series power under the hood. Clicking on apps and pressing the touchscreen felt nippy and responsive as you would expect with the specs on show.

Early verdict

The Satellite Radius 12 is shaping up to be a great option if you're in the market for a powerful 2-in-1 with a great 4K display. It's incredibly portable and mostly well-built, flex-ridden trackpack aside. There are more ports than you can shake a USB stick at despite its thin dimensions, and its comfortable keyboard means typing isn't a chore - though the keys might a touch on the small side small for seasoned document warriors. The Satellite Radius 12 is due to launch in the US on October 18, while availability in the UK and Australia has yet to be announced.

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