The Toshiba Kira Ultrabook is finally heading to the UK, and with a boost in specifications. The processor has been beefed up to a healthy Intel Core i7 ("Haswell") CPU, with Intel HD 4400 graphics for good measure.

A former version has been on sale in the States for a while, but that model will also get a refresh, Pocket-lint was told.

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The Kira has a 13.3-inch touchscreen with a stunning resolution of 2560 x 1440. We saw it running some native 4K video and were very impressed. Images are incredibly sharp on the Ultrabook and there's no lag or judder on rolling footage, even at such a high resolution.

Its screen is also covered in Corning Concore glass, so is pretty sturdy and reasonably resistant to finger prints, which is just as well with Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit running at its heart - you'll be tapping and stroking away like a safe cracker.

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Only one variant is going to be released in the UK so you won't be confused by an array of different options. The Kira we get will come with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB mSATA solid state drive. The Ultrabook also sports Harman Kardon stereo speakers with DTS Studio Sound, but you have to remember that there is little space in a lovely, thin laptop to shift air, so don't expect miracles on audio output. It is nice though, with good clarity, as we heard during our hands-on play.

Battery life is claimed to be nine hours and there are the usual subjects in terms of other technologies on board: dual band wireless AC Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and Intel Wireless Display and Miracast readiness. An HD webcam is placed top-centre of the screen's bezel and there are dual microphones for better pick-up.

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Bar the sumptuous, clear and ultra-crisp screen, the other impressive part of the Kira is in its build quality. The case uses a magnesium aluminium alloy, which supplies stability while not sacrificing weight. It's 1.35kg in total and 19.8mm thick.

Toshiba tells us that it should be available from mid-February for £1,299.