UPDATE: Samsung X360 pricing revealed 02/09/2008

It's taken longer than we thought, but Apple no longer has the world's thinnest 13.3-inch laptop, as Samsung has released details of its X360 laptop.

Measuring just 16.7mm at its thinnest point, rising to 31mm at its thickest, the X360 weighs an impressive 1.3kg including 6-cell battery – putting it on a same weight ratio as the 8.9-inch Asus Eee PC.

The final specification has yet to be decided but an Intel Centrino 2 Ultra-Low Voltage processor and up to 4GB of memory will power it. A choice of standard hard drive or Solid State Disk (SSD) will also be made available for storage.

As we've come to expect, the 13.3-inch screen offers a standard resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels and uses LED screen technology to keep the profile to a minimum, as well as help preserve battery life. Samsung is also claiming the LED screen offers 33 per cent improved brightness over a standard laptop screen.

Samsung may have gone for thin and light but it hasn't cut the design to a minimum, as you'll find a wide array of connections, including three USB ports, HDMI-out (High Definition Multimedia Interface), ExpressCard slot and VGA-out port. There is also a webcam fitted above the screen and a 7-in-1 card reader for copying over files from memory cards. For the security minded, a biometric fingerprint reader is also fitted.

Style wise, the Samsung X360 isn't about to rival the Apple MacBook Air, but as a lightweight machine for the mobile worker, this looks like a fully featured but slim machine. Available from the end of October, prices start at a MacBook Air-rivalling £1499 (inc. VAT).

www.samsung.co.uk