Store brands aren’t just for socks, imitation mac and cheese and soda anymore. On Wednesday, Best Buy announced the creation of Blue Label, a new line of in-store consumer electronics products that the retailer will have some hand in developing using feedback from its customers.
Unlike true “store brands” that imitate name brands and attempt to cut down on cost, Blue Label products will be developed hand-in-hand with leading manufacturers, and still bear name brands. The first two Blue Label laptops, for instance, come from HP and Toshiba, but have been built to specs Best Buy cooked up with input from consumers.
According to Best Buy, that list included longer battery life, a thin and lightweight design, an illuminated keyboard, “more optimal” screen size and a better warranty. The HP Pavilion dv3510nr and Toshiba Satellite E105-S1402 were both tailored to those needs.
The dv3510nr includes a 13.3-inch LED-backlit display, backlit keyboard, and delivers up to four hours on a single charge. It also weighs 4.6 pounds and measures 1.41 inches thick. The Toshiba E105 gets a bigger 14.1-inch screen, even longer battery life of 5.5 hours, and also includes a backlit keyboard. It weighs just shy of five pounds, and measures 1.2 inches thick.
Both machines retail for $1199 and are available immediately in Best Buy stores. Further Blue Label can be found at Best Buy’s Blue Label landing page as they debut.
