The best 13-inch laptops all aim to do one thing: strike that perfect balance of high portability and high performance. And it’s this balance that makes these devices so popular. Manufacturers are aware of this and are constantly innovating and releasing new laptops that edge closer and closer to this ideal, releasing laptops that can do what you need them to do, and go where you need them to go.
The best 13-inch laptops aren’t only covered by one company or operating system. Nevertheless, we here at TechRadar thoroughly test each one before placing them within a prestigious buying guide such as this. We then rank them accordingly to the review score they’ve received.
No matter what you’re looking to do with your laptop, whether you want an ultra premium MacBook with all the extras, or a cheap Chromebook that you can browse the internet with, there will be a laptop that fulfills all of your needs below.
- Dell XPS 13
- Asus Zenbook Flip UX360
- HP Spectre x360
- Samsung Notebook 9
- Acer Aspire S 13
- Lenovo Yoga 910
- 13-inch MacBook Air
- 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display
Dell has once again struck (rose) gold with the XPS 13, especially now that they feature 7th generation Intel Core CPUs. The beautiful design, lengthy battery life and even the SD card slot are still there, only now it’s souped up with improved internal components and a sleeker aesthetic reminiscent of the MacBook and HP Spectre lineups. What’s more, the full-size processor and 13.3-inch display are somehow packed (magic?) into an 11-inch frame made possible by Dell’s own nearly bezel-less InfinityEdge display technology.
Read the full review: Dell XPS 13
There’s a new entry to Asus’s Zenbook lineup with the UX360, featuring a lot of the same specs as its predecessor but with the flexibility of a 2-in-1 laptop. While the ability to bend over backwards may diminish the build quality somewhat, it allows for new levels of functionality for computer consumers who want a laptop and tablet all in one. Thanks to an all-day battery, the Zenbook Flip UX360 really can go with you for everything you do. And, with a wide variety of internal customization, you can deck out the Zenbook Flip UX360 for your own personal needs, saving you some cash or boosting its performance.
Read the full review: Asus Zenbook Flip UX360
The HP Spectre x360 is the laptop that you show to your parents. It’s beautifully well-crafted, featuring a chrome design that makes it every bit as cutting-edge on the outside as on the inside. With the option between a 7th-generation i5 or i7 Ultrabook-class CPU and a 1080p or 4K Display, HP allows for plenty of room for customization. It’s not underpowered, nor does its battery life suffer from overcompensation. In fact, in our own movie test, the HP Spectre x360 lasted a surprising 8 hours and 45 minutes. The only real catch is that, like a lot of its competitors, the Spectre x360 also lacks an SD card slot, opting instead for a pair of USB Type-C ports.
Read the full review: HP Spectre x360
Samsung may not have made much of a dent in the laptop scene with much more than its Tab Pro S convertible, but Samsung's follow-up to the 2012 Series 9 notebook doesn’t just feature impressive specs – it’s got a competitive price as well. Marketed as an Ultrabook, it's certainly disheartening to know the battery life lasts only five hours, but given its sleek and sexy design, it almost doesn't matter. What's more, with the Samsung Notebook 9, you won't have to deal with the bloatware that makes many other Microsoft the target of angry forum posts.
Read the full review: Samsung Notebook 9
The Surface Laptop is Microsoft’s first stab at a 'traditional' laptop, if you can even call it that knowing full well that its PixelSense touchscreen and Alcantara keyboard are anything but conventional. Featuring a full stack of U-series 7th generation Intel Core i processors, the Surface Laptop beats out Apple’s 12-inch MacBook any day of the week, and for a lower starting price at that. Despite the ports and operating system being limited, the Surface Laptop is appealing for its laudable design, beautifully vivid screen and impressive performance.
Read the full review: Surface Laptop
The Lenovo Yoga 910 is all about second chances. It throws away many of the signature design traits of the previous model, the Yoga 900, in favor of a more pristine outward appearance and a heavy duty Intel Core i7 processor as well as the option of a 4K display. Lenovo also managed to squeeze a larger, nearly 14-inch screen into the same 13-inch chassis of the Yoga 900 without compromise. Not to mention, even with the implementation of USB-C ports, the Lenovo Yoga 910 doesn’t completely neglect USB Type-A, dragging the precious connection standard of the past along with it.
Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga 910
In a market densely populated with slim-line laptops from a massive range of manufacturers, Apple's MacBook Air fights on admirably – though it started showing its age on the outside a long time ago. It has Intel's fifth-generation Core-series processors rather than the newest Skylake variants, but it's still a capable machine; even more so since Apple made 8GB of RAM standard across the line.
Read the full review: 13-inch MacBook Air
The latest iteration of Apple’s seminal MacBook Pro series is here, and as you would expect it makes a number of notable improvements over last year’s offering. While it might not exactly feature the strongest battery life in the game (scoring under an hour less than last year’s offering), it does offer increased performance by way of a new CPU and faster RAM. Add that to Apple’s continued dedication to simplicity and beautiful design and you have a laptop that is sleek, portable and reliable.
Read the full review: Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2017)
Joe Osborne and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article
- Could the Surface Book 2 be the next 13-inch laptop to make our list?
from TechRadar - All the latest technology news http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/laptops/best-13-inch-laptops-which-is-right-for-you-901574
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