Table of Contents
- Apple MacBook Air M1 2020
- Dell XPS 13
- Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 7
- Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360
- Acer Chromebook Spin 713
With so many laptops to choose from, let Dose help you find the right one.
Outside of Black Friday, spring is one of the best times to look for deals on a new laptop. There are a lot of new 2022 laptops coming out now, which means you’ll see several 2021 models that you can get at a huge discount. Plus, there are plenty of big sale events around this time for Father’s Day, Memorial Day, and graduation.
Our laptop and PC experts have collectively spent decades testing and reviewing laptops, covering everything from performance to price to battery life.
This hand-curated list covers the best laptops across various sizes, styles, and costs, including laptops that run on Windows, macOS, and Chrome. (Microsoft released the full version of Windows 11 in October 2021; all Windows laptops on this list should fully support the new operating system.)
If you want more laptop brands and options for a specific category, we also have specialized lists for you to check out, including the best gaming laptops, best 15-inch laptops, best two-in-ones and best Chromebooks, plus The best laptops for college students and designers, and the best MacBook Pro alternatives.
If you need to stay as low-key as possible regarding the price of a new laptop, check out our best budget laptop and our best gaming laptop picks.
Apple MacBook Air M1 2020
This is our recommendation for those looking for a macOS laptop for basic daily use. MacBook Air updated in November 2020 with Apple’s native M1 processors to replace Intel CPUs. The M1 delivers better performance and longer battery life – up to 18 hours. The Air was one of the first Apple computers to convert to the M1 chipset. Since then, Apple has been busy updating laptops and other desktops with it, leaving the Air unchanged. A new aircraft is expected to appear sometime this year
Dell XPS 13
The Dell XPS 13 is a perennial favorite for its size, weight and performance and just overall good looks. In 2020, Dell made the laptop even smaller, while making the laptop screen larger and increasing performance for both CPU and graphics-intensive tasks. It’s not a huge leap, but this Dell XPS is still the best in the category. And for those who want the latest and greatest Intel processors, the Dell XPS 13, as well as the company’s XPS 13 2-in-1 (also a great pick), are available with the chipmaker’s 11th-gen Core processors, with Intel Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 options. This Dell also offers a selection of solid-state storage and memory options, starting with a 256GB SSD and 8GB of memory
Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 7
Lenovo launched the Yoga line 10 years ago with Windows 8 and now, with Windows 11, the flexibility of the design has only gotten better. The company’s flagship 14-inch Yoga 9i Gen 7 has an updated look with comfortable, rounded edges and 12th-gen Intel processors that give it a big multicore performance jump. A beautiful OLED display and improved audio make it excellent for work, video conferences and entertainment. Lenovo includes an active pen and a laptop sleeve to complete the premium package.
The powerful speakers do add some vibration to the palm rests when turned up and Lenovo has cluttered the laptop with pitches for optional services and software. But, overall, the latest Yoga 9i is the two-in-one convertible laptop to beat. Unfortunately, its availability is limited at the moment so you might have to wait to buy one.
Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360
Samsung’s latest big-screen two-in-one doesn’t look all too different from its predecessor, but inside is a new, 12th-gen Intel processor that gives it a sizable multicore performance bump. Plus, the other, smaller updates Samsung made to the Pro 360 improve the overall user experience, making it one of the best two-in-ones available right now.
Acer Chromebook Spin 713
Tired of trying to work on documents or spreadsheets on a small widescreen display? The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 uses one of Acer’s bright VertiView displays, a 13.5-inch 2,256×1,504-pixel touchscreen with a 3:2 aspect ratio. As the name implies, it gives you more vertical room to work, but it still has the width of a typical 13.3-inch laptop with a 16:9 ratio. Between that and its battery life, which lasted nearly 13 hours in our tests, you’ll be able to get more work done in a day with this Chrome OS laptop — and it’s still thin and light enough for an everyday carry.
The latest version of this Chromebook is the first to receive Intel’s Evo verification, which means you’ll be getting the best possible mobile experience with this model. It’s also the first with Thunderbolt 4 support, which lets you connect to multiple external displays as well as providing fast data speeds and networking.
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