There is an array of laptops on the market today: traditional clamshells, 2-in-1’s and Chromebooks powered by Google. Of these models, Dell XPS 13 stands out with its stunning display, outstanding keyboard and impressive battery life – making it easy to take with you wherever life may take you. Asus’ ZenBook Pro 14 provides powerful performance in an attractive package. Ideal for Excel spreadsheets, photo and video editing and light gaming tasks alike. A laptop can do almost everything you need it for, yet choosing the appropriate model can be challenging. Here are some of the Best laptop options in 2024:
Apple MacBook Air M2
The MacBook Air M2 is an update to what many consider the best entry-level Mac ever created. Still lightweight and thin, but now with an upgraded 1080p FaceTime camera and more powerful Intel processor than its predecessor.
Apple calls their new screen, the Liquid Retina display. It measures 13.6 inches diagonally versus 13.3 inches on previous models and boasts thinner bezels; brightness levels have also improved greatly and scored well in my color accuracy tests – covering 100 percent of SRGB color space, 84% of AdobeRGB, 95% of P3 colors as well as wide color support and Dolby Atmos when connected to external speakers compatible with this functionality.
Though the new screen is impressive, most existing MacBook Air users won’t upgrade for that reason alone. Instead, most will opt to upgrade due to its 15%-18% faster multicore processing power and dedicated ProRes decode engine that should benefit video editors – although for most people the difference will likely come down to personal taste.
The specs remain unchanged from its predecessor: backlit keyboard and trackpad with Touch ID security for identity access; 1366x800p “retina” display with support for Apple apps like iMovie and GarageBand; storage options starting from 256GB up to 2TB at an extra premium; 14-hour battery life is considered average in this price range and higher than what was achieved on our Laptop Mag Battery Test with Air M1.
Dell XPS 13 Laptop
The Dell XPS 13 remains our go-to Windows laptop thanks to its stunning and immersive display, superior keyboard and more than 12 hours of battery life. The latest iteration enhances these virtues further while shrinking down a remarkable amount of hardware into a package that’s 2% smaller and slimmer than its predecessor.
At $1,149 ($250 off at time of writing), the base configuration offers 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD storage space and 1920 x 1200 non-touch screen resolution. You may opt to upgrade with either an OLED panel (3840x 2160 resolution) and/or Intel Core i7 processor based upon your needs.
However, you will have to pay extra for either option. Furthermore, this sleek beauty features only two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports instead of previous models’ headphone jack and microSD slot for easier port management.
I found the XPS 13 to perform admirably for casual tasks and light workloads, yet its performance suffered when pushed too hard. Fans began spinning unexpectedly quickly while its CPU struggled to keep pace. This could be down to Intel’s new U-series processors; these chips combine power efficiency but don’t deliver on single threaded performance as we have come to expect with its H series chips.
Acer Swift 3 Laptop
Acer Swift 3 is an AMD-powered student laptop offering OLED displays and impressive performance at an attractive price point, competing directly against similar laptops such as the Asus Vivobook S 14X and Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1; its top configuration comes in less expensive than even Apple MacBook Air models.
The chassis of this device is stunningly stylish, featuring a triangular hinge and metal base tapering down to an elegant edge. Additionally, its construction feels sturdy with no noticeable flex in keyboard deck or screen bezels; not as thin or compact as 360-degree convertibles yet still very slim overall.
Everyday use of the Acer Swift 3 is effortless. The trackpad is responsive and well-designed, while typing feels excellent on its keyboard with an island-style layout not as wide as other premium laptops but large keys so you don’t run out of room when typing.
The two downward-firing speakers deliver high sound quality and loud enough to fill a medium-sized room with Drake’s “Certified Lover Boy.” However, some bass thump would add even greater enjoyment.
HP Spectre x360 14
HP’s Spectre x360 14 2-in-1 laptop starts at $1,170. You can customize it with 11th generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processors and 8GB or 16GB memory with up to 2TB storage space – I reviewed an i7 model which featured an OLED screen, 11.5 hours of battery life, quad speakers, Wi-Fi 6, privacy webcam and Thunderbolt 4.
HP’s Spectre x360 14 stands out with an eye-catching 3000x 2000 OLED panel display that delivers excellent viewing angles and delivers stunning picture quality. Other manufacturers force you to choose between blurry 1080p screens or battery-killing 4K ones, but HP opts for something completely different: an impressively wide viewing angle 3000 x 2000 OLED panel provides impressively clear images regardless of environment or condition.
Performance-wise, the Spectre x360 14 can hold its own against competitors such as Dell’s excellent XPS 13 2-in-1 and Lenovo Yoga 900. It scores highly in PCMark 10 and Geekbench 5, although lagging behind on 3DMark Time Spy and Fire Strike tests owing to using an Intel U-series CPU which may not deliver as high a gaming performance compared with H or P series chips.
Notable features of HP’s Spectre x360 14 include its outstanding keyboard and touchpad: both are comfortable to use, offering good sensitivity while also supporting Windows native palm rejection feature. Furthermore, you get a USB-C rechargeable MPP2.0 tilt pen for writing or drawing directly onto the screen bundled in with it; plus there’s even a leather sleeve which doubles up as a pen loop! All these extra goodies make this laptop quite appealing to choose.
Asus Zenbook Pro Duo 14
Asus’ top-of-the-line Zenbook Pro Duo 14 is an elite portable workhorse equipped with revolutionary secondary screen that opens up new possibilities for creators. Featuring its distinctive dual-screen design that enables you to either expand your desktop on its primary display, or access shortcuts and tools on its second half-size ScreenPad Plus touchscreen – as well as featuring Intel’s latest Core i9 chip and cutting edge SSD storage – it delivers powerhouse performance for creators on the move.
The main display is a 14.5-inch 16:10 2.8K OLED panel featuring 550 nits of brightness and excellent colour coverage thanks to OLED technology’s pure blacks. With 120Hz refresh rate for smoother motion and responsive inking. Meanwhile, its secondary screen – an 12.7-inch NanoEdge OLED touchscreen with resolution 2880×1800 and frame rate 120Hz – supports sRGB colour support but lacks antiglare technology; therefore may add some image noise due to lack of antiglare technology resulting in increased image noise due to lack of antiglare technology which may compromise image quality over time.
The Core i9 processor inside is an incredible piece of work, boasting six performance cores and eight efficiency cores with 32GB of memory backed up by fast PCIe Gen 4 storage spec for speedy performance. However, one potential drawback here is that this laptop comes bundled with the usual bloatware such as McAfee popups or trial software installations which may prove annoying over time.
Asus Chromebook Flip CX5
Asus’ Chromebook Flip CX5 boasts stunning hardware and an eye-catching 14-inch display, positioning itself among other premium ultraportables like the MacBook Air and Dell XPS 13. The beveled edges of its aluminum body, coupled with silver Asus branding on its matt white lid make for an aesthetic more distinct than your typical Chromebook; when opening its screen the back chassis lifts slightly creating space to improve audio quality while increasing passive cooling.
ErgoLift hinges provide precise 360deg control to open your screen into tent, presentation or tablet angles while maintaining a comfortable typing position when in laptop mode. Unfortunately, their 16:9 aspect ratio makes the screen less ideal for content consumption.
Our review unit featured Intel’s 11th-gen Core i5 CPU and 16GB of RAM; however, Asus offers an even more attractive 14-inch version equipped with a Core i3-1135G7 CPU and half the memory for $830 less.
Performance was very strong, matching up well against rival laptops like the Acer Chromebook 515 while outperforming more general purpose models such as Lenovo IdeaPad 3 and Samsung Chromebook 2. Both its TouchPad and keyboard stayed cooler than skin temperature during my testing – something highly desirable in productivity machines.
The two upward-firing speakers and two downward-firing midrange/bass drivers produce clear, crisp sound from this device. I used it while listening to several songs and watching a Netflix movie and had no complaints regarding quality or volume levels.
The Framework Laptop
The Framework Laptop is an enthusiast machine with a sleek, unassuming chassis that belies its geeky roots. However, its most intriguing feature lies within: four user-selectable expansion modules capable of accommodating a range of add-ons ranging from additional storage capacity to high-speed AI accelerators – they also lock securely into place via small retention latches like graphics outputs do.
Framework’s Modules currently support USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, and microSD slots; in future they plan to release additional slots. They can even be swapped in and out while running; they all utilize PCIe x8 interface for external graphics support. Framework strives to create an ecosystem which allows users to add functionality over time with this modular approach.
The Laptop also features support for various wireless standards. Our review unit was equipped with WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 support; however, future standards can be added through upgrades via its mainboard.
Jumper Laptop – The EZbook X3 Air
The EZbook X3 is an affordable laptop ideal for simple tasks such as browsing the web and working on office applications. Featuring an attractive IPS display and fast Intel processor with plenty of storage space – however it may not be sufficient for more demanding use such as editing 4K video footage or playing games.
Jumper has equipped its EZbook X3 Air with an Intel Celeron N4100 processor, developed in 2017 at an economical price point and suitable for general daily computing tasks. Its four cores offer decent performance during our Cinebench R15 endurance test while its integrated graphics card can handle daily work such as streaming videos but will struggle against next-gen AAA titles that utilize higher fidelity visuals.
The keyboard and touchpad of this laptop are of superior quality; with keys that offer sufficient travel and spacing and non-slip surfaces. Furthermore, its responsive and accurate touchpad supports multi-touch gestures such as two-finger scrolling or pinch-to-zooming for smooth multitasking experiences.
The battery life of the EZbook X7 is one of its hallmark features, lasting up to 8 hours under regular usage – perfect for work, school and even at home without worrying about running out of juice! Furthermore, with 1TB NVMe SSD storage space providing ample digital file space and documents. Other key features include full HD IPS display with 88% screen-to-body ratio plus USB Type-C support, Mini HDMI support and three USB 3.0 ports plus one 3.5mm headphone jack as well as Micro TF slot.
Acer Aspire 5 Laptop
The Acer Aspire is an affordable general-use laptop featuring numerous connectivity options at an attractive price. Designed to easily handle office tasks such as email, documents and spreadsheets as well as basic photo/video editing and casual gaming, its 15.6″ IPS display still competes well against similar laptops in its category.
Acer Aspire 5 features 8GB of RAM and an impressive 256GB SSD for storage, though its CPU may not belong to Intel’s Ice Lake or Tiger Lake families, it still performs very quickly for its price point. Unfortunately, its low-power integrated GPU can only handle light productivity and entertainment tasks; therefore you will likely be limited in your gaming options when using lower graphical settings.
It may not be an attractive laptop, but this one looks fairly robust and should withstand rough handling in your bag or backpack. The chassis features a plastic finish in silver; its keyboard has full-size keys with Numpad on the right; its touchpad responds nicely and feels comfortable; Acer logo on top with “Aspire” written underneath.
On its left flank is an Aspire equipped with two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, one Thunderbolt 4 spec Type-C port and an HDMI 2.1 video output. On its other side you will find power jack, headphone jack and another USB Type-A port; unfortunately this model is lacking a microSD card reader.
Dell Latitude – Premium Laptop For Business and Professional Users
Latitude laptops from Dell cater to businesses and professionals that require higher security, toughness and often speed. These models include features like corning gorilla glass to protect from everyday bumps, SafeScreen technology to keep personal content private, Thunderbolt 4 ports for connectivity with solid state drives and 11th generation Intel core processors for reliable computing power.
These laptops are built to last while also looking their best, making them an attractive option for business users and boasting some of the longest battery lives on the market. Furthermore, some newer models even come equipped with touch screen displays which make accessing and viewing work from any location effortless and seamless.
When purchasing a Dell Latitude laptop, be sure to read all of the fine print and understand your individual work needs. These could shift over time; so consider what sort of lightweight, portable computer would best meet them now as well as in a year or so from now. Perhaps lightweight portable device with long battery life and multiple connections might meet them at home while for traveling frequent need mobile device with 4G/5G mobile data connectivity that provides crystal-clear audio streaming as well as seamless updates for emails calendars and notifications on-the-go might fit better.
