ASUS is coming out with a refresh to the Ultrabook line with Ivy Bridge and 1080p IPS displays. The company is bringing four models to the states: the 11-inch UX21A, the 13-inch UX31A / UX32A and the UX32VD. The difference between the UX31A and the UX32A is storage: the UX32A uses hybrid hard drives, while the UX31A packs an SSD. Meanwhile, the UX32VD is nearly identical to the UX31A except that it packs an NVIDIA GT 620M GPU.
The lineup includes Core i5 and i7 Ivy Bridge processors, with 1920 x 1080 IPS displays offered even on the 11-inch model. Additionally, ASUS has tweaked the touchpad and re-tooled the keyboard, making the pitch 12 percent deeper. Also, the keys are now backlit.
ASUS says the 13-inch variations will start at $999 with Ivy Bridge (that lone $799 13-inch model comes with a Sandy Bridge CPU). Still no word on pricing for the smaller UX21A, though we know it will be offered in two flavors: one with Core i5 and a 128GB SSD, and one with Core i7 and an optional 256GB drive. ASUS isn’t saying when, exactly, these models will be available, but it’s obvious that Intel needs to formally unveil its remaining Ivy Bridge CPUs before these laptops can come to market.
