Razer Blade Stealth (2015) review

Razer has officially joined the crowded Ultrabook race and I've come away almost completely smitten with the device. It's a beautifully thin device with excellent performance, that only gets better when you connect it to the Razer Core.

That said, Battery life is the biggest and most troubling issue with this machine. Unlike other issues that can plague a laptop like a finicky trackpad or tinny speakers, it's going to always impact your usage, and there's no way of getting around it short of carrying an external battery pack

We liked

The Razer Blade Stealth gets many elements of the Ultrabook formula right on its first go. From the vibrant screen, to its reserved styling and impeccable build quality, the Stealth encapsulates all the finest qualities you'd expect out of an Ultrabook. And then it makes a name for itself by offering a uniquely colorful keyboard and great speakers – all at a competitive price.

We disliked

There really is anything I dislike about the Razer Blade Stealth, except for its exceptionally short battery life. Paired with its longer-than-normal recharge cycle and you've found this machine's fatal flaw, making it impossible to pick over any of the other longer-lasting Ultrabooks.

Razer could have easily added a few extra ounces of weight and another 0.5mm to the laptop's overall thickness, and almost no one would care if it helped the laptop run for a tiny bit longer. And, really, even two hours of additional battery life would have helped make this one of the best Ultrabooks I've ever tested.

Final verdict

I really, truly want to love the Razer Blade Stealth because it gets so many things right and offers more power than most Ultrabooks in a package that's also uncommonly small. But there's no way of getting past its – at the absolute best – four-hour battery life.

Two to three hours of usage is inconceivable for anything that isn't a super decked-out gaming laptop. And, even then, machines like the Origin EON17-SLX and PC Specialist Octane II Pro have proven to last longer.

If you're looking for a powerful and long lasting Ultrabook, keep looking. The Stealth only delivers on half of its promise to be thin, yet powerful. This laptop needs a bit more refinement before it can swing with the big Ultrabook hitters, like the Dell XPS 13 and Lenovo Yoga 900. As a notebook alone, the Razer Blade Stealth is too short-lived, but with the Razer Core, there may be still be hope for this otherwise awesome gaming Ultrabook.