Best laptops 2026: Premium, budget, gaming, 2-in-1, and more

CPU: Intel Core Ultra X7 358H | RAM: 32GB LPDDR5X | Storage: 1TB PCIe Gen5 SSD | Screen: 16-inch, 2880×1800 OLED touchscreen, 120Hz | Battery life: Almost 18.5 hours in testing | Weight: 3.42 lbs

Who should buy the Acer Swift 16 AI?

The Acer Swift 16 AI is the best choice for most people and I’ll tell you why.

First of all, it’s running Intel’s Panther Lake platform, so it feels consistently fast in everyday use. Apps open up fast, and it stays pretty smooth even when you’ve got a bunch of stuff running at once. In testing, it scored a PCMark 10 of 10,474, and in the video playback battery test it hit around 18 hours, which is honestly a lot more than you’d expect. It’s not perfect, though.

The glossy OLED can get kind of annoying with reflections, and the webcam is just okay, nothing special. But overall, the performance and efficiency are definitely the highlights. Battery life is another thing it really does well with. 

Getting around 18.5 hours in testing is not something you usually associate with a 16-inch OLED machine. In real use, it just means you stop worrying about the charger unless you’re doing something heavy.

And, despite the bigger screen, it doesn’t feel ridiculous to carry around. At 3.42 pounds, it’s totally manageable.

Acer Swift 16 AI: Further considerations

Acer also did a pretty solid job with the physical stuff here.

The aluminum chassis feels sturdy, the keyboard is roomy with a numpad (which you either love or ignore), and the haptic trackpad is actually one of the better implementations on a Windows laptop. It has a consistent, clean feel instead of that uneven click you get on cheaper setups.

Port selection is also better than you’d expect on something this thin. Two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, HDMI 2.1, microSD, and a headphone jack. It’s the kind of layout that saves you from immediately living the dongle life.

CPU: A19 Pro | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 256GB SSD | Screen: 13-inch 2408×1506 Liquid Retina display | Battery life: 13 hours | Weight: 2.7 pounds

Who should buy the MacBook Neo?

If you’ve been holding off on buying a MacBook because of the steep price, Apple’s latest installment is your golden ticket. At just $599, it’s the most affordable MacBook ever, but don’t let the “budget” label fool you.

Inside, it’s got an A19 Pro chip with 6 CPU cores, a 16-core Neural Engine, 5-core GPU, 8GB of memory, and a 256GB SSD. That’s more than enough for everyday productivity like browsing, emailing, streaming, documents, spreadsheets, and so on. The 13-inch Liquid Retina display is bright and sharp at 2408×1506 with 500 nits, and the all-aluminum case is both strong and lightweight, the kind of quality you’d expect from a MacBook.

MacBook Neo: Further considerations

The MacBook Neo isn’t perfect. The screen only supports sRGB, so it’s not great for serious color work. The SSD is also a bit slower, and one of the USB-C ports is really slow (according to our review). There’s no Thunderbolt connectivity and Touch ID is only available on the $699 model. But for $599, these are expected trade-offs. For normal everyday use, the battery easily lasts all day, the keyboard feels good, and macOS runs smoothly.

CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 RAM: 32GB DDR5 | Storage: 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD | Screen: 16-inch, 2560×1600 IPS | Battery life: Just under 7 hours | Weight: 5.86 lbs

Who should buy the Alienware 16X Aurora?

The Alienware 16X Aurora delivers serious speed with its Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU and RTX 5070 GPU. It’s perfect for gamers who want to run modern titles without bleeding their wallets dry. It’s currently $1,649.99 at Dell. The 16-inch 2560×1600 display keeps every frame looking buttery smooth thanks to its 240Hz refresh rate, and its subtle Interstellar Indigo finish makes it look sharp in just about any setting, whether it’s in a dorm or office space.

Alienware 16X Aurora: Further considerations

Alienware packs in plenty of goodies here, like a crisp 1080p webcam (with Windows Hello facial recognition), Wi-Fi 7 for super fast connectivity, and a wide variety of ports. The full-size keyboard has a number pad and customizable backlighting. And you get nearly seven hours of battery life, which is awesome, since long runtimes aren’t common in gaming laptops.

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 240 | GPU: Nvidia RTX 5050 RAM: 16GB LPDDR5-5600 | Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD | Screen: 16-inch, 1920×1200, 180Hz IPS-LCD | Battery life: 8 to 12 hours | Weight: 5.38 lbs

Who should buy the Acer Nitro V 16 AI?

The Acer Nitro V 16 AI, which can occasionally be found as low as $629 at times, delivers great 1080p gaming performance–making it a great choice for gamers who don’t want to spend a ton. Its RTX 5050 outperforms other (older) entry-level graphics like the 4050, hitting an average 72 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077. Surprisingly, for a gaming laptop, the battery life is surprisingly good, lasting eight to 12 hours with light use.

Acer Nitro V 16 AI: Further considerations

The 16-inch 1920×1200 IPS display offers more vertical space than standard 1080p panels, and the 180Hz refresh rate keeps things snappy during fast-paced games. The audio isn’t the best, but you can always hook up to external speakers. Overall, though, the Acer Nitro V 16 AI really hits the sweet spot between performance and affordability.

CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 256V | RAM: 16GB LPDDR5X | Storage: 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD | Screen: 16-inch, 2880×1800 OLED | Battery life: 17.5 hours | Weight: 3.37 lbs

Who should buy the Acer Swift 16 AI?

If you need a laptop for college that won’t kill your back and doesn’t look boring, the Acer Swift 16 AI is worth checking out. It’s only 3.37 pounds, and the 16-inch OLED screen looks really sharp. Inside you get an Intel Core Ultra 7, Intel Arc graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. Not the fastest thing ever, but it handles schoolwork and big files without complaint.

The 70Wh battery will get you through a full day of classes (we clocked it at 17.5 hours), and you can charge it via either of the USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports. There’s also two USB-A ports, HDMI 2.1, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.4.

Acer Swift 16 AI: Further considerations

The OLED screen is such a lovely thing to behold–it’s bright, colorful, and sharp. The keyboard feels good for long typing sessions and, although the trackpad is on the smaller side and may feel cramped to some, it works fine for daily use. If you want a laptop that’s portable and won’t die on you halfway through the day, the Acer Swift 16 AI is the one to spring for.

If you’re looking for a more high-end machine, check out the latest Acer Swift 16 AI ($1,899 at the time of testing), which comes equipped with the new Panther Lake processor.

CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus | RAM: 16GB LPDDR5X | Storage: 512GB SSD | Screen: 12-inch, 2196×1464 IPS | Battery life: Up to 2 hours at full brightness, up to 19 hours with light use | Weight: 1.51 lbs

Who should buy the Microsoft Surface Pro?

If you’re always on the go — whether it’s the train, a coffee shop, or just hopping around the house — the Surface Pro is pretty much made for that. It’s super light (under two pounds!) and still powerful enough to handle all the usual stuff like emails and Zoom calls.

With its Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus CPU, it’s great for anyone who wants something that works like a laptop but feels like a tablet. You can doodle or get work done, all without feeling like you’re lugging around a heavy brick.

Microsoft Surface Pro: Further considerations

The smaller screen might not be great if you’re juggling a bunch of stuff all day, and there’s only two USB-C ports (so you’ll probably need a dock or something). Battery life can last a while, but honestly, it’s kind of all over the place. Expect around two hours at full brightness under heavy use or up to 19 hours with lighter tasks.

Still, if your work mostly lives in the cloud and you value portability above raw power, this is the best ultraportable Windows device you can get right now.

CPU: Intel Core Ultra X7 358H | RAM: 32GB LPDDR5x-8533 | Storage: 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD | Screen: 14-inch 1920×1200 OLED touchscreen | Battery life: 30+ hours | Weight: 3.02 pounds

Who should buy the MSI Prestige Flip 14 AI+?

If you’re looking for a laptop that just keeps on going and going, the MSI Prestige Flip 14 AI+ is totally worth looking into. With an Intel Core Ultra X7 357H (Panther Lake!) CPU, 32GB of RAM, and Intel Arc B390 graphics, it delivers solid everyday performance while sipping power. The 14-inch OLED touchscreen may only run at 1920×1200 and 60Hz, but it’s color-rich and responsive, and the included stylus adds precise note-taking and sketching capabilities. But what really sets this machine part? Its endurance.

Inside sits a massive 78.6Wh battery, which helped the Prestige Flip 14 AI+ achieve over 34 hours of offline video playback during our testing. That’s an insane result that tops almost every other laptop we’ve come across. So if battery life is your top priority, this is a pick worth considering.

MSI Prestige Flip 14 AI+: Further considerations

Don’t get me wrong, this is an impressive laptop, but it’s not flawless. The OLED display’s 294-nit peak brightness and 1920×1200 resolution are decent but not dazzling, especially when compared to sharper rivals. The webcam also delivers grainy 1080p footage, and the pre-installed Norton software caused some weird page-loading issues in our review (it went away after we uninstalled it). And while performance is totally fine for daily use, it’s not going to replace a workstation.

If you want insane battery life and a versatile 2-in-1 form factor for around $1,299, then this is a great choice.

CPU: Intel Core i5-1335U | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 128GB (universal flash storage) | Screen size: 14-inch, 1920×1080 touchscreen | Battery life: 13 hours | Weight: 3.17 lbs

Who should buy the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34?

If you need a zippy Chromebook for everyday tasks, the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 won’t let you down–it’s simple, reliable, and ready to handle whatever your day throws at it. This machine will easily crush your daily workflow thanks to its Intel i5 processor and 8GB of RAM. The 14-inch 1080p display also looks sharp, and the 1080p webcam is perfect for Zoom calls.

Asus Chromebook Plus CX34: Further considerations

While the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 offers smooth performance and a pretty design, there are minor trade-offs to be aware of like the non-competitive battery life (13 hours) and the lack of a touchscreen. You’ll also need to be comfortable with ChromeOS. If you prefer Windows or macOS, we’d recommend looking elsewhere.

CPU: AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 | RAM: 16GB DDR5-5600 | Storage: 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD | Screen: 13.5-inch, 2880×1920 IPS | Battery life: Just over 11 hours | Weight: 2.99 lbs

Who should buy the Framework Laptop 13?

Need a laptop that’s super easy to upgrade and tough enough to stick around? The Framework Laptop 13 is where it’s at. You can swap out pretty much anything—RAM, storage, even the motherboard if you want! It runs on an AMD Ryzen AI 300 processor and is slim enough to toss in your bag and go wherever.

Framework Laptop 13: Further considerations

The price might sting a bit upfront, and the built-in graphics are okay for everyday stuff, but don’t expect much gaming performance. Battery life’s decent, but nothing groundbreaking.