The Best Laptops of 2024

The Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (2024) stands out in the 'Best Overall' category due to its impressive blend of performance, design, and portability. Powered by the M3 chip, which combines an 8-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU, this laptop handles both work and leisure tasks with ease. Its superportable design, being lightweight and under half an inch thin, makes it a perfect companion for users on the go.

One of the highlights is its 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display, which supports a billion colors, offering stunning visuals for any kind of content. This display, along with the 1080p FaceTime HD camera and the superior audio set-up with three microphones and six speakers featuring Spatial Audio, ensures that everything looks and sounds top-notch.

Additionally, the MacBook Air's all-day battery life, lasting up to 18 hours, means leaving the power adapter at home is a viable option. The integration with Apple Intelligence also sets a new standard in AI-driven personal assistance and privacy.

Despite its innovative features, the connectivity options, including two Thunderbolt ports and MagSafe charging, are fairly standard, though still highly practical. Its seamless interaction with other Apple devices offers a cohesive user experience, making it an excellent overall choice for most users.

The HP Envy 16 Business Laptop for 2024 stands out in the 'Best Windows' category with its exceptional hardware and performance. At the heart of this device is the 13th Gen Intel i7-13700H Processor, featuring 14 cores and up to 20 threads to effortlessly handle multitasking and demanding tasks. High performance is further ensured with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card, making it an ideal choice for creatives and gamers alike. This combo delivers robust gaming experiences and accelerates workflows in creative applications.

The 16" WQXGA touchscreen display is a visual treat. It provides a high resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, a 16:10 aspect ratio, and 100% sRGB color accuracy, making it perfect for high-quality media consumption and digital content creation. The immersive experience is enhanced by the slim bezel, allowing users to fully engage with their work or entertainment.

With options to upgrade to 64GB RAM and up to 2TB of PCIe SSD storage, the laptop ensures smooth operation of multiple applications and swift access to files. Featuring Windows 11 Pro and a lifetime license for Microsoft Office, this device supports productivity and security right out of the box.

While there are many high points, some may find the pre-installed software restrictions a minor drawback. Nevertheless, the HP Envy 16 excels in offering a powerful, versatile, and user-friendly experience.

The Apple 2023 MacBook Pro shines brightly in the 'Best Powerful' category due to its robust M3 chip, which includes an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. This powerhouse easily handles demanding tasks like 4K video editing and multitasking, making it ideal for professionals and creatives. Additionally, Apple's proprietary intelligence promises seamless, context-aware interactions, setting a new standard in privacy and usability.

Another standout feature is the incredible battery life of up to 22 hours, ensuring the performance remains consistent whether plugged in or on the go. The 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display offers exceptional brightness and color accuracy.

Connectivity is another strong suit, with comprehensive port options including Thunderbolt/USB 4, an HDMI port, and an SDXC card slot, along with enhanced wireless capabilities via Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. Moreover, its advanced camera and audio setup significantly improve the quality of video calls.

Although the MacBook Pro comes with an industry-leading security system and durable aluminum unibody design, which are pretty standard for Apple products, the integration with other Apple devices elevates its usability. Overall, this model is a remarkable option for those needing performance-packed, reliable laptops.

The Lenovo Ideapad 1 shines in the 'Best Value For Money' category, offering an impressive blend of performance and affordability. One major highlight is its 15.6" FHD IPS anti-glare touch screen, which delivers crisp visuals and vibrant colors, making it perfect for both work and entertainment. The anti-glare feature ensures comfortable viewing in various lighting conditions.

Powered by the AMD Ryzen 5 7520U processor, the laptop handles everyday tasks with ease, thanks to its 4 cores and 8 threads. It delivers a solid performance, meeting the demands of multitasking efficiently. Additionally, the integrated AMD Radeon 610M Graphics ensure smooth video playback and basic gaming functionality.

The Lenovo Ideapad 1 comes equipped with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and a 512GB SSD, providing ample storage and speedy performance, whether you're booting up the system or loading applications. These features contribute significantly to its value, offering a performance boost that is often found in higher-priced models.

While the port selection is fairly standard, including USB-C and HDMI, it does offer flexibility for various peripherals and external devices. The HD camera with a privacy shutter caters to the increasing need for secure video conferencing.

Overall, the Lenovo Ideapad 1 manages to deliver key features that enhance productivity and user experience, all at a competitive price point, making it an excellent choice for budget-conscious users.

The Apple MacBook Air 13-inch 2024 excels in the 'Best Portable' category, primarily due to its remarkable balance of performance and portability. Powered by the new M3 chip, which includes an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, this laptop effortlessly handles both work and entertainment tasks. Its streamlined design, measuring less than half an inch in thickness and weighing very little, makes it an ideal travel companion, perfect for professionals on the go.

Battery life is another strong suit, with up to 18 hours of use on a single charge, ensuring that power outages are not an immediate concern. The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display provides stunning visuals, supporting 1 billion colors, which is fantastic for creative work. The higher-end features like the 1080p FaceTime HD camera, three microphones, and Spatial Audio-capable speakers make it a well-rounded device for both productivity and leisure.

On the connectivity front, it comes equipped with Thunderbolt ports, a headphone jack, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and MagSafe charging, enhancing its versatility. While it integrates exceptionally well with other Apple devices, this can be considered average for those not deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem. Overall, the MacBook Air 13-inch 2024 stands out for its high performance packed into a sleek, ultra-portable design.

The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i stands out in the 'Best For Gaming' category thanks to its powerhouse 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900HX processor. With 24 cores and 32 threads, this CPU handles intense gaming sessions and multitasking with ease, offering turbo boost speeds up to 5.4GHz. Gamers will appreciate the smooth, lag-free experience that this processor provides, ensuring top-tier performance even in the most demanding situations.

Complementing its impressive CPU is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, ray tracing, and DLSS 3 technology, this GPU delivers stunning visuals and fluid gameplay. The 16" WQXGA PureSight display, boasting a 240Hz refresh rate, enhances the gaming experience with crisp, vibrant graphics and ultra-smooth motion, crucial for competitive gaming.

For those who need extensive multitasking capabilities, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i offers up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM and up to 4TB PCIe SSD storage, ensuring fast data access and ample space for games and applications. While the Windows 11 Pro upgrade might require a bit of extra effort, the operating system's advanced features and security enhancements significantly contribute to a seamless and secure computing environment.

Overall, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i combines cutting-edge technology and user-centric features, making it a formidable choice for gamers seeking top-notch performance.

The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 Business Laptop is a strong contender in the 'Best for Business' category, thanks to its impressive range of features designed to enhance productivity and user experience. The standout 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor ensures fast and efficient handling of demanding business tasks and large data sets. With its 10 cores and up to 5.00 GHz speed, users can expect seamless multitasking and reduced wait times.

The laptop’s 15.6" Touchscreen FHD display is another high point, offering excellent color accuracy and anti-glare properties that significantly improve viewing comfort, especially during lengthy work sessions. The inclusion of 32GB DDR4 RAM and 1TB PCIe SSD storage provides ample memory and rapid data access, both essential for business applications requiring substantial processing power.

Its Wi-Fi 6 connectivity and Bluetooth support ensure a reliable internet connection and easy integration with other devices. Additionally, the FHD webcam and MaxxAudio Pro stereo speakers facilitate high-quality video conferencing, essential for modern business communication. Running Windows 11 Pro, the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 also benefits from the latest productivity and security enhancements. While some features might be considered standard for business laptops today, the overall package delivers a highly effective work tool.

The HP Chromebook 14 stands out in the 'Best Chromebook' category with its blend of performance, functionality, and value. The 14-inch HD micro-edge, anti-glare display offers captivating clarity, making it a versatile option for work and entertainment. Whether you're watching movies or working on a project, the display ensures a pleasurable viewing experience.

Powered by the Intel Celeron N4120 Processor, this Chromebook handles multitasking efficiently, allowing users to switch seamlessly between study materials, streaming, and web browsing without noticeable lag. Complemented by 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, it offers smooth performance even when running multiple applications simultaneously.

One of the standout features is its extensive storage options. With 64GB eMMC, an additional 128GB SSD via the 7-in-1 Docking Station, and a 32GB MicroSD card, users have ample space to store their files and media. The integrated Intel UHD Graphics 600 supports decent graphical performance for casual gaming and multimedia consumption.

Additional features like the 720p HD camera, WiFi 5, Bluetooth, and a variety of useful ports ensure that the HP Chromebook 14 meets modern connectivity needs. While the specifications might be considered average for heavier tasks, the overall package and bonus accessories make this Chromebook a practical and budget-friendly choice for everyday use.