Pros & Cons
-
- Dual-hinge design.
- Brilliant 4K In-Plane Switching (IPS) screen.
- Large-capacity 512GB solid-state drive (SSD).
- 12GB of memory.
- Full numeric keypad.
-
- Somewhat bulky and heavy to use in Tablet mode.
- Middling battery life in testing.
Toshiba Satellite Radius 15 P55W-C5212-4K Specs
| Graphics Processor | Intel HD Graphics 5500 |
| Native Display Resolution | 3840 by 2160 |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Optical Drive | external |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-5500U |
| Processor Speed | 2.4 |
| RAM (as Tested) | 12 |
| Screen Size | 15.6 |
| Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes) | 4:55 |
| Touch Screen | |
| Weight | 4.96 |
| Wireless Networking | 802.11ac (2.4+5.0 GHz Dual-band) |
The Toshiba Satellite Radius 15 P55W-C5212-4K ($1,499.99 as tested), the first Windows 10-equipped system we've reviewed, is a convertible-hybrid laptop that's larger than many of the other hybrids we've seen. Like the Editors' Choice Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro, it sports a multimode design, but it's thicker and heavier, with a 15.6-inch 4K display and a fifth-generation Intel Core i7 processor. It's a good choice if you need a 4K screen for photo-editing projects or if you simply want a wide, expansive virtual workspace, but other hybrid laptops are lighter and easier to use in Tablet mode.
Design and Features
The Radius P55W-C5212-4K, a Best Buy exclusive, uses a dual-hinge design—similar to that of Lenovo's ThinkPad Yoga 15—to let you bend the display back and around. It has five different use modes: Laptop, Tabletop (open flat on the table), Presentation (similar to Tent mode), Audience (similar to Display mode), and Tablet.
View All The metal-clad, silver-gray exterior measures 0.79 by 14.9 by 9.6 inches (HWD) and weighs 4.96 pounds. The weight shouldn't be an issue in Laptop mode, but it may be hefty and somewhat uncomfortable to hold in the crook of your arm in Tablet mode. In contrast, the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro (2.6 pounds) and the Lenovo LaVie Z 360 (2.04 pounds) are much lighter.
The physical Windows key is located on the left side of the laptop, next to the volume controls. Most other convertible-hybrids have the key between on the screen bezel above the laptop hinge. The button is accessible in Laptop and Tablet modes, but it's harder to reach in the other positions.
The bright, 15.6-inch, In-Plane Switching (IPS) display offers 10-point touch capability and wide viewing angles. Toshiba touts the resolution as "ultra HD 4K," which translates into an impressive 3,840 by 2,160. That matches the 4K resolution of the Asus ZenBook Pro UX501J-DS71T, our current Editors' Choice for high-end desktop-replacement laptops, but it's still significantly denser than the 2,800-by-1,800 resolution of the Apple MacBook Pro 15-Inch Retina Display .
The chiclet-style keyboard has a full numeric keypad, a welcome feature for number-crunchers, as well as a pleasingly large touchpad. The keys are comfortable to type on, although the Lift 'n' Lock keyboard on the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 15 has the best design and typing feel among the hybrid systems we've tested.
Connectivity is about average for a convertible-hybrid laptop. There's a single USB 2.0 port on the left side. The right side has an HDMI port, an SD card reader, and a pair of USB 3.0 ports. That's fewer than the Apple MacBook Pro and the Asus ZenBook Pro, both of which also feature a Thunderbolt port (two, in the case of the MacBook Pro). 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1 handle wireless connections.
