Sony freshens up Vaio S and E series laptops with Intel Ivy Bridge

High-end models offer 14 hours' battery life and 1TB storage

Sony has unveiled two new E Series laptops alongside an update to its high-end S Series range with Intel Ivy Bridge CPUs and Nvidia Kepler GPUs.

The updated S Series features 13.3in and 15.5in models. Details of the smaller 13.3in machine remain vague, with Sony offering no information on it other than it will be launched with a choice of Core i5 and i7 processors.

Sony has been more forthcoming with the larger device, confirming the 15.5in machine packs a 1080p IPS screen.

The larger model also houses a 22nm Ivy Bridge Core i7-3612QM 2.1GHz quad-core processor, 8GB of RAM and an Nvidia GeForce GT 640M LE discrete GPU that will work alongside Intel's HD Graphics 4000 integrated chip.

The device features 1TB of storage with solid-state drive upgrade options, Bluetooth 4.0, one USB 2.0 port, two USB 3.0 ports and a 1.31MP webcam.

Sony will also be selling a sheet battery add-on for both S Series laptops, promising the component will give the machines 14 hours' battery life. The company also announced a docking station for the two devices that features a 500GB hard drive.

Sony unveiled new 15in and 17in E Series lower-end laptops alongside the S Series machines. The 15in E Series model packs a 1366x768 display, while the 17in version boasts a 1600x900 screen.

The two both come with a 750GB hard drive. They are powered by a Sandy Bridge Core i5-2450M processor, paired with 6GB of RAM and an AMD Radeon HD 7650M graphics card.

In terms of drives, the 17in model packs a Blu-ray drive while the 15in features a DVD combo unit.

Sony is yet to give any of the new devices a firm release date or price, though V3 is expecting them to appear at the Sony World of Vaio event on Thursday. Check back on the day for confirmation and hands-on reviews of the new devices.