This laptop weighs only 999 grams, yet it houses a 99.9Wh battery. Its battery life is said to last for two days.

Japanese NEC has unveiled a laptop that defies one of the oldest compromises of portable computers – the longer the battery life, the heavier the bag. The Lavie BM94C model managed to fit a 99.9 Wh battery into a body lighter than a kilogram, which, according to the manufacturer, should ensure the longest battery life in the sub-one-kilogram class.

The combination of these numbers sounds almost contradictory. The laptop weighs 999 grams, but inside it carries an energy cell you would expect in a much more powerful machine. Typical ultralight laptops hover around 50 to 70 Wh; NEC got just under a hundred without exceeding the imaginary one-kilogram limit.

How did NEC save on weight?

The answer lies in the materials. Both the frame and the lid are made of aerospace-grade carbon laminate supplemented with magnesium-aluminum alloy and glass fiber-reinforced resin – a combination designed to maintain rigidity at minimal weight. The entire machine is only 18.9 mm thin and, with dimensions of 313 × 221 mm, corresponds to a classic fourteen-inch format. The display has a diagonal of 14 inches and WUXGA resolution, i.e., 1,920 × 1,200 pixels.

Performance was not spared either. The customer can choose from Intel Core Ultra 5 or Core Ultra 7 processors, along with up to 32 GB of LPDDR5X memory and an SSD with a capacity of up to 1 TB. There are surprisingly many connectors for such a thin body: two Thunderbolt 4, two USB 3.2 Gen 2, HDMI, and a full-fledged gigabit Ethernet. Wirelessly, the machine supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, the webcam offers Full HD, and login via Windows Hello.

More than 30 hours of video playback

NEC states up to 30.5 hours of video playback and up to 50.8 hours in idle mode, which is roughly two days of operation without a power outlet. A real workday with a browser, video calls, and a lit display will naturally be shorter, but even so, this is a battery life that most ultrabooks cannot achieve. When it comes to charging, half an hour at the outlet should be enough for an entire eight-hour workday. Individual figures must, of course, be taken with a certain reserve, as these are manufacturer’s laboratory data that we are unable to independently verify.

Why 99.9 Wh, and not a round hundred?

That decimal number is probably no coincidence. Airlines commonly tolerate a capacity of up to 100 Wh for lithium batteries in carry-on luggage – anything above this limit requires carrier approval, and anything over 160 Wh is not allowed on the plane at all. NEC thus came in one-tenth of a watt-hour under the limit, so you can take the laptop into the cabin without paperwork.

That this is not a given was shown by Energizer, for example: its laptop with a massive 192Wh battery promises even longer battery life, but you cannot take it on a plane due to that capacity.

This laptop weighs only 999 grams, yet it houses a 99.9Wh battery. Its battery life is said to last for two days. Adam Kurfürst News Adam Kurfürst News

Furthermore, the manufacturer also considers battery aging. Charging is monitored by an AI-controlled mode, thanks to which the cell is supposed to retain approximately 72.7% of its original capacity even after five years – this, too, is currently a NEC figure that only time will confirm.

How much does the NEC Lavie BM94C cost and will it arrive in the Czech Republic?

However, the manufacturer charges a premium for battery life and low weight. The basic configuration starts at 584,100 yen including tax, which is approximately 76 thousand Czech crowns. Sales begin at the end of July, but exclusively in Japan – the model is not officially coming to Czech stores, so any interested buyer would have to deal with import and a keyboard without Czech localization. Rather than a real buying tip, the Lavie BM94C is an example of how far battery life can be pushed.

Would you trade a few extra thousands for a laptop that only sees its charger once every two days?

Sources: PC Watch, Notebookcheck, TechTimes