Laptops! There are just so many of them. But what’s the best laptop in 2022 for you? Is it a business notebook, a powerful gaming laptop, or a Chromebook? The top laptop should have a fantastic keyboard and trackpad — after all. Its display should be easy on the eyes, bright, and sharp enough that you aren’t distracted by jagged edges and visible pixels. It should be powerful enough for almost anything short of intensive video editing and advanced gaming. It should be easy to carry around from place to place, and it should be able to last all day without needing to be plugged in.
We know quite a number of choices are available, which is why we made this list.
1. The Best Laptop: Dell XPS 13
Why should you buy: It’s portable, fast, attractive, and reasonably priced.
Who it’s for: Everyone except gamers.
13-inch laptop designed with precision-engineered details, from stunning materials to minimal footprint, with true unrivaled performance and 11th Gen Intel® Core™ processors.
The latest Dell XPS 13 is one of the first ultraportable laptops to come with Intel’s latest 11th Generation “Tiger Lake” CPUs, offering speedy, efficient computing performance and long battery life. This 2.8-pound laptop also has an exceptional 13.4-inch display and a gorgeous chassis, all of which combine to make it our Best Choice among premium Windows ultraportable laptops. This year’s Dell XPS 13 also gets a larger keyboard and touchpad, making use of every possible surface of the device.
Of course, it’s just as powerful and long-lasting as before, not sacrificing function over form. It’s no longer a cheap laptop, but as far as I’m concerned, the XPS has earned its spot as a premium brand. The price starts from $999.99 and ringing up at $1,649 as tested, but it’s worth it for uncompromising fans of cutting-edge performance and style.
2. The best laptop for students: Apple MacBook Air M1
Why should you buy: Those who want something shiny to bring to school.
Who it’s for: Students and Apple fans.
The late-2020 MacBook Air, powered by Apple’s M1 processor, is the best laptop you can buy. The base model, which includes 8GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, starts at $999. This laptop has a lot in common with the Intel-powered MacBook Air that Apple released earlier this year, including the same 2560 x 1600 screen, Touch ID, 720p webcam, fingerprint sensor, and scissor-switch keyboard.
The old MacBook Air was hamstrung by a slow, dual-core processor that was used to keep the system completely fanless. Apple accomplishes the same task with the M1 but doesn’t have to sacrifice speed. it handled intense photo- and video-editing workloads better than almost any Intel-powered laptop. Upon test, it has between eight and 10 hours of sustained work. M1 chip brings a few major advantages to the MacBook Air, which makes it the perfect laptop for students.
Another benefit of the M1 processor is that it enables the MacBook Air to run iPhone and iPad apps natively on macOS.Indeed, This isn’t cheap, but the discount for students makes the MacBook Air a perfect gift for a student going off to college.
Overall, there’s no reason that a general-use customer shouldn’t consider the MacBook Air. It’s a reliable device with excellent performance, as well as the excellence in build quality for which Apple is known. Power users who need a MacBook Pro probably know who they are; the Air should be fine for everyone else.
3. The best budget laptop: Lenovo IdeaPad 5
Why should you buy: Performance that beats out premium Intel laptops at a budget price.
Who it’s for: One who needs performance and functionality with style.
The IdeaPad 5 has all the performance, ergonomics and battery life we need. Lenovo’s latest affordable laptop combines smart design with new components to become the best budget notebook on the market – despite it having some expected, inevitable compromises.
The IdeaPad 5 looks the part, with a smart exterior made from aluminium and plastic and a body that’s a modest 19mm thick, weighing 1.4kg. Build quality is robust, which means this machine can be slung in a backpack without concerns. Around the edges, it’s got two USB 3 ports, an HDMI output, an SD card slot and a USB-C connector that can also provide power and output to DisplayPort. The power button has a fingerprint reader.
Lenovo’s reputation for high-class keyboards continues. The IdeaPad’s typing unit doesn’t have a huge amount of travel, but the buttons on this machine are consistent, quiet and soft. This keyboard is easily good enough for working. The trackpad is also fine.
On the inside, this most affordable IdeaPad deploys an AMD Ryzen 5 14inch. It’s a quad-core chip without multi-threading – but it uses AMD’s latest architecture, which is excellent. There’s 8GB of memory, a 256GB SSD.
When it comes to performance, expect Lenovo to handle day-to-day computing: Office multi-tasking and web-browsing will be batted aside. This AMD chip is twice as quick as equivalent Intel Core i3 CPUs in productivity applications, and its integrated graphics core has enough power to handle casual gaming. The speakers are not bad either. They lack bass but they have the snap and clarity to handle casual gaming, media and box-set viewing.
The IdeaPad 5’s 57Wh battery delivers around eight hours of life when working and around ten hours when playing video, so it won’t be too difficult to get this machine through a full day.
This machine’s biggest weakness is the 14inch screen: while it’s a Full HD panel with narrow bezels, a webcam and a privacy shutter, the quality is slightly inconsistent. It’s bright and has decent contrast, but the colours are muted. There are minor issues elsewhere, too. The Lenovo is quiet, but the exterior can become a little warm. There’s no Gigabit Ethernet socket, and no faster USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports.
Also consider Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15.6 Inch FHD Laptop – (AMD Ryzen 7, 8 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, Windows 10 Home S Mode) – Platinum Grey The IdeaPad 5 15.6 Inch with powerful AMD Ryzen processing and AMD Radeon Graphics, you’ll be running all your favourite apps without a hitch. Enjoy crisp visuals on the 15 Inch FHD display along with the rich sound of Dolby Audio-tuned speakers, perfect for binge-watching your favourite TV shows.
4. The best Chromebook: Google Pixelbook Go
Why should you buy: If you want an inexpensive but well-built Chromebook.
Who it’s for: Students, people who need only basic functionality, anyone who wants a cheap laptop to use as a second PC.
The Pixelbook Go is a handsome 13.3-inch laptop with an understated, clean design. It’s not hugely different looking from a MacBook Pro if you could get one of those in black. It weighs 2.3 pounds and feels sturdy and trustworthy thanks to a magnesium chassis.
It is lightweight, fast and ready to entertain.. The Pixelbook Go is the best Chromebook you can buy. Google has coated that magnesium with soft paint that’s almost plastic-like. The Go is a nicely made really comfortable 13-inch laptop. Its keyboard is excellent. Its trackpad is OK. The display is fine. It has USB-C (two ports, in fact). It has extremely long battery life.
All Pixelbook Go models are fanless because all of them use Intel Y-series chips. In fact, Google is using 8th Gen Intel chips instead of something newer. Three of the four Pixelbook Go models come with a 1920 x 1080, 16:9 LCD touchscreen. The bezels on the top and bottom of the screen are on the large side, but the screen itself gets plenty bright and doesn’t inspire any complaints.
Chrome OS has evolved over time from just being essentially a web browser, into being a user interface with more layers and capabilities than was previously available. Chrome OS enabled Android app support a couple of years back. Built-in Play Store for Android apps has Still issues with optimisation.
It’s designed around Google’s Chrome web browser, meaning you can’t download your normal Windows applications. It’s wonderfully simple and intuitive to use, however, and with the inclusion of the Google Play Store, you can fill some of the gaps in software with Android apps. It might still be a bit more expensive than other brands’ Chromebooks, but it is a lot cheaper than previous Pixelbook models, which we think makes it a real winner.
5. The best 2-in-1 laptop: Microsoft Surface Pro 7
Why should you buy: If you want a great tablet and a laptop.
Who it’s for: Anyone who needs mobility, versatility and performance.
Ultra-light and versatile. get more done your way with Surface Pro 7. The Surface Pro line has earned its dedicated following over the years with its excellent detachable keyboard and full Windows 10 performance.
Microsoft has finally included a USB-C port, but absolutely nothing else has changed about the Surface Pro 7 design from last year’s model. The device still measures 11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33 inches (292 x 201 x 8.5mm) and weighs 1.7 pounds (770g). It’s the familiar PC experience you’re used to, with the added interest of 2-in-1 capability, Surface Pen stylus compatibility, and a tablet mode. It’s a supremely well-built device, complete with a beautiful, high-resolution display and rock-solid kickstand.
Microsoft has improved the device’s studio microphones for stronger accuracy when using Cortana with your voice.
“Surface Pro 7+ offers the adaptability to dock into external displays and leverage the needed peripherals for a full workstation setup”.
Microsoft
In short, this tablet is going to chew through all ordinary computing tasks, and serve as a fine portable multitasker. The additional graphics brunt should also serve digital artists well. It’s all in all a major bump forward in performance that power users will definitely see, but that the average user likely won’t notice. if it’s peak battery life you’re after, you may be better off picking up one of Microsoft’s Surface Pro 6 models. It also allows you to sync up an Android phone with Windows to see and respond to text messages, edit calendar entries or even take calls.
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is the company’s most powerful Surface tablet to date. However, that boost in power appears to come at a cost to battery life. But the Surface Pro 7 is cheaper, faster, and more universal in terms of app support.
6. The best business laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (8th Gen)
Why should you buy: The ultra-thin business laptop that sacrifices nothing.
Who it’s for: Business pros who want a laptop that won’t embarrass them.
Smaller and lighter in every way than the previous versions+Improved Microsoft Precision Touchpad. Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Carbon (8th Gen) continues its tradition as a premier, though pricey, business laptop that weighs as little as some tablets.
Around the very good 14-inch display can be found a variety of ports, including a pair of high-speed Thunderbolt connectors ideal for driving external displays. Battery life is also very good, though that’s assisted by the somewhat basic 1080p display that accompanied our review unit. Under the hood, there’s an 8th-gen quad-core Intel Kaby Lake-R processor that accomplishes quite enough for most business tasks. For benchmarks please check performance comparison. It may be a few hundreds more than the competition, but that hasn’t prevented it from earning our best laptop award.
According to Lenovo, the Thinkpad X1 Carbon is constructed of four layers of carbon fiber, together with a magnesium alloy roll-cage.
“It’s rugged enough to pass the military’s MIL-STD-810G ruggedized tests”.
Lenovo
In terms of ports, the X1 Carbon offers a smorgasbord of options.Two other key features were also designed with security in mind. First, there’s the fingerprint reader to the right of the trackpad, Lenovo’s choice for allowing users to log in using Windows Hello. By default, Lenovo’s X1 Carbon optimizes its performance settings to boost performance when you need it. This is assisted by the large 57Wh battery.
If you’re looking for a moderately powerful business machine with good battery life this is a perfect choice. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 8th Gen receives several awards as a thin-and-light laptop that deserves to be on your desk.
7. The best gaming laptop: Razer Blade 15
Why should you buy: It provides a fantastic gaming experience, even on the go.
Who it’s for: enthusiasts who want a fantastic laptop that can also play games.
The Razer Blade 15 has made a name for itself rocking the best mobile hardware inside its elegant exterior. From the exterior, you might not even know the Razer Blade is a gaming laptop. It’s as light and thin as a MacBook Pro, with thin bezels, a world-class keyboard and touchpad, as well as a bright, vivid, 15-inch display.
Even if it weren’t a gaming laptop, the Razer Blade would probably still be a contender for one of the best 15-inch laptops. The fact that it can play games at respectable frame rates makes it a bit of a miracle. At 300 nits of brightness and hitting 111% of the sRGB color gamut, the Razer Blade 15 display is perfect for some PC gaming, especially when you take that fast refresh rate into consideration. Plus, with the Core i7 processor and RTX 2080 Super, you’ll definitely actually be able to hit that 300 fps on pretty much any major esports title.
Now with new RTX Super graphics, maxing out at the RTX 2080 Super, and a 300Hz refresh rate display, the Razer Blade is a killer gaming machine. The Razer Blade made short work of just about everything we threw at it — as long as you stay away from 4K, of course. Razer redesigned its thermal system to ensure that despite some throttling, the Blade can play nearly any game with settings maxed. That includes heavy loads like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Battlefield V.
If you’re looking for a gaming laptop that looks like a premium product, and not like an edgy plaything, the Razer Blade 15 is still the best example of what that could look like – that is if you have the cash for it.
8. The best laptop for creative artists: Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch
Why should you buy: you want the best for your creative projects.
Who it’s for: Photo/video editors who want a display that will give them real-world results.
Everything you love about the MacBook Pro But with a beautiful 16″ screen. The 16″ MacBook Pro is perfect for all your creative projects (just like always), but now with loads more storage, a longer battery life and of course that screen.
The 16-inch MacBook Pro has a similarly-great display with new Intel 9th-gen CPUs and provides the larger screen that some photographers will appreciate. It also features an improved keyboard and powerhouse performance.
Apple’s Touch Bar replaces the function keys at the top of your keyboard, so you can see relevant controls depending on what you’re doing. Watching a film? Rewind or skip forward with the Touch Bar. Editing photos? Adjust, crop and filter the image – all from the Touch Bar.
Touch ID provides advanced security for everything you do. Unlock your MacBook securely, use Apple Pay without remembering your password, and access private files with just your fingerprint. Take your MacBook Pro with you wherever you are – the library, the daily commute, an important business meeting. It’s razor thin at 16.2 mm and feather light at just 2 kg. It got up to 11 hours of battery life when you’re using it non-stop. Perfect for a full working day and beyond.
Enjoy enhanced videos, images, and games with the enhanced Retina display that’s brighter and more colourful than previous generations. The LED backlit display offers true-to-life images with vivid, realistic details – essential for graphic design, colour grading, and editing.
True Tone technology automatically adjusts the images you see to the lighting around you – so everything looks great whether you’re finishing an edit late at night or in bright sunlight. The keyboard is designed to give you loads of room to gesture and click, and no matter how quickly you’re typing out an email, you won’t disturb people around you. The MacBook Pro has Thunderbolt 3, so you can connect to monitors, charge up your phone, or transfer data from the same port. Easy.
Windows laptops are catching up, but the Apple MacBook Pro 16 retains its place at the top of the laptop market for audio, video, graphics editing.
- More from Best In Focus The Best Dash Cam 2022
