MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo review: A flip in the right direction - Ars Technica

A 2-in-1 laptop may seem like the ultimate device for people who want portability and versatility without giving up too much power.

You get the ultraportability of an ultraportable from lightweight builds measuring under 1 inch thick.

The MSI E13 Flip Evo isn't completely immune to all these issues, but it evolves the story around convertibles that insist on being under an inch thick.

(We've spotted it for $1,800.) With its lightweight, trim aluminum build, shiny accents, and dedicated pen, the machine is a clear rival for premium ultraportables like Dell's XPS line and Microsoft's Surface offerings.

MSI's E13 Flip Evo proves that a black laptop doesn't have to look boring.

In the Ink Black hue, it carries a matte black finish accented by what MSI describes as "rose gold" (in person, the accents appear more like copper).

Weighing just 2.98 pounds (1.35 kg) and measuring 0.59-inch (1.5 cm) thick, the machine easily fit into various tasks with tablet and tented modes, and the latter withstood my most aggressive uses of the touchscreen.

For comparison, Dell's XPS 13 2-in-1 is similarly light and thin (2.9 pounds, 0.56-inch thick, or 1.32 kg and 1.4 cm), while Microsoft's Surface Laptop Studio convertible is notably heavier and slightly thicker and (4 pounds [1.81 kg] with an i7 CPU, like the E13 I'm reviewing has, 0.75-inch [1.91 cm] thick).

Most importantly, the laptop was reliable when flipped into a tablet or arched up like a tent.