The first two days of the IFA trade show in Berlin saw a couple of laptop-related surprises: first, Sony unveiled one of the most alluring machines we’ve ever seen in the form of its 14mm, 640g X-Series, before Samsung unleashed its very own X-Series notebooks the very next day.

Samsung’s trio of new laptops may not be quite as slim as Sony’s latest crowd-pleaser, but they still have some pretty enticing vital statistics: the 15in X520, for instance, is 24mm thick and weighs 2.09kg. And even though that’s more than three times as heavy as the Sony, it still feels incredibly light for a 15in notebook. The X120 is even more lightweight at 1.36kg.

These machines may not be able to lay claim to the title of “world’s lightest laptop”, then, but they’re still light enough to barely feel noticeable in the average backpack.

Such size results in inevitable compromise. The X120’s screen – itself mere millimetres thick – felt flimsy when we tugged and teased it, and prodding the back of the panel caused noticeable distortion across the 1,366 x 768 display. The X520’s screen, meanwhile, was even more flexible – chiefly because of its larger size – and the desktop distorted just as much.

Thankfully, build quality wasn’t as suspect elsewhere. The base of the machine may be thin but it felt rock-solid, and the wristrest hardly depressed when pressured, either. It may need a decent padded bag, but we’d have few qualms about carrying one of Samsung’s X-Series machines on our daily commute.

The larger dimensions, at least when compared to Sony’s X-Series, also allow for a better keyboard. While we felt the Sony VAIO X-Series offered hardly any travel and would prove uncomfortable, Samsung’s offering seemed more responsive and with more than enough travel for long typing sessions. Our only complaint was that the keyboard action felt a little clicky and clinical, but it’s a minor issue.

Inside, all three of Samsung’s X-Series laptops have broadly similar specifications. The Intel low-voltage CPU is currently shrouded in mystery – we’ve been told it’s dual core and is Intel’s most powerful low-voltage part yet – but, aside from that, there’s plenty else to like.

Up to four gigabytes of RAM, half a terabyte of hard disk space and draft-n wireless should ensure Windows Vista and Windows 7 run smoothly.

The final feather in Samsung’s cap is the supposedly superb battery life. Samsung has told us that the 5,900mAh battery will last for nine hours under light use, with this figure dropping to around six hours when performing more intensive tasks. Sony’s representative, on the other hand, confirmed that the VAIO X-Series’ battery lasts for only five hours.

If that wasn’t enough, Samsung also has Sony beaten on price: the three X-Series laptops will cost around €700, with the VAIO machines costing at least €1,500.

Of course, the Sony’s higher price does pay for one of the finest feats of notebook engineering that we’ve ever seen – but we may find that, for all of its slimline design, the Samsung machines are more versatile and practical machines for everyday use. Suffice to say, we’ll be giving both machines our full attention when they arrive in the PC Pro Labs.