Schenker XMG A102 review

As we expected from the incredibly compact chassis, the keyboard tray uses slightly smaller than full-size keys that are easy enough to type on, but can take some getting used to. The wrist rest isn’t quite long enough to make typing for long periods comfortable, unless you raise your wrists into the air, and even that isn’t much of an improvement. On the plus side, there was very little flex from the keyboard tray and the keys are quite responsive, bouncing back into place quickly after each press.

The touchpad is made of the same rubber material as the wrist rest, which is less than ideal for quick movements. It’s a decent size, but just wasn’t as responsive as we would have liked. The buttons below it are an improvement, as they are springy and responsive.

Our review sample came with a matt screen finish, although you can opt for a glossy panel and save £40. Both options use a 1,366×768 resolution panel, which looks pin-sharp at 11 inches. Viewing angles aren’t all that great, and there’s not a huge amount of screen tilt, but the matt finish certainly helps keep light reflections to a minimum. It also doesn’t dim colour vibrancy too much either, so images looked vivid, although brightness was only average.

The A102 is a bit of strange laptop. It’s got great gaming potential in a small chassis and performance is excellent, but the battery life is quite disappointing for an ultra-portable. If you can cope with that it’s a great choice, but the HP Envy 4 is better if you want longer battery life and don’t mind about games.