The demise of the desktop computer continues apace, as manufacturers find new ways of cramming more power, connectivity, storage and speed into the traditional laptop form. Whether it's a MacBook, Windows PC or Chromebook, we've rounded up seven high-end competitors suitable for creatives who want the latest and greatest in portable computing.
7 new laptops to lust after
1. Microsoft Surface Pro 9
The Surface Pro 9 is the latest version of Microsoft’s pioneering and acclaimed tablet/laptop combo. The 2-in-1 device is not only a swift Windows 11-powered tablet, but clip in the optional Surface Pro keyboard (which doubles up as a cover) and you have a fast, compact laptop. Available with 5G, there’s also a Surface Pro Signature Keyboard that incorporates a storage and charging niche for the Slim Pen 2, with a tactile bio-based Alcantara texture.
Microsoft Surface Pro 9, from £1,040, Microsoft.com
2. LG gram Ultraslim and Style
Two new devices from LG’s ‘gram’ range of minimal laptops debuted at CES 2023. The Ultraslim is, as the name suggests, aiming for an incredibly slender profile – a shade under 11mm when closed. It also weighs less than a kilogram, but still manages to have a 15.6” OLED screen. LG is also including a new compact power adapter.
The LG gram Style, available as a 14in and 16in model, has a vivid coating that shimmers in different colours depending on the light, a touchpad that is seamlessly integrated into the chassis, OLED screens and Dolby Atmos audio.
LG gram Ultraslim and Style models, available soon, LG.com
3. ASUS ProArt Studiobook 16 3D OLED
The ProArt Studiobook from ASUS combines a cutting-edge NVIDIA graphics card with hardware enhancements designed to make it a natural choice for artists and designers, particularly those working with data-heavy CAD files and 3D modelling. For a start, the large trackpad is stylus-compatible, while a special dial controller can be mapped to frequently used controls. The 16in display incorporates the company’s 3D OLED technology, which it claims will give a ‘glasses-free 3D visual experience’, with plenty of connectivity plus support for up to 64GB of ram and a 7-terabyte solid state disk.
ASUS ProArt Studiobook 16 3D OLED, price tbc, ASUS.com
4. Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Twist
The search for the ultimate form factor continues with Lenovo laying down another approach to flexibility. The forthcoming ThinkBook Plus Twist adapts to a tablet format through an ingenious pivoting double-sided screen. In addition to being a conventional 13.3in OLED laptop, the Twist also has a 12in e-ink display.
Rotate between the two depending on your use, with the latter offering a low-power option for reading books and marking up documents, or just checking in on emails without opening up the whole laptop.
Lenovo, ThinkBook Plus Twist, available from June 2023, Lenovo.com
5. Apple MacBook Pro M2 Pro and M2 Max
The headline stats behind the newly launched M2 Pro and M2 Max versions of the venerable MacBook Pro are speed increases of up to six times more than that achieved with the old Intel chips, as well as a maximum battery life of 22 hours. You’re unlikely to achieve the latter if you’re making full use of the M2 Max’s 96GB of memory and driving an 8K display, but the flipside is that any computation-heavy creative task will be achieved in a fraction of the time. Pitched at animators, filmmakers, product designers and musicians, the 14in and 16in MacBooks also contain more recycled material than ever before.
14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro, from £2,149, Apple.com
6. HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook
HP’s new flagship Chromebook is the Dragonfly Pro, a high-end performer that has a couple of key selling points in addition to plenty of memory and storage. The backlit RGB keyboard is paired with a haptic trackpad, as well as the brightest touchscreen and the first 8MP camera on a Chromebook. Premium materials and quality finishes prove that these hardy, instant-on devices can make a perfect replacement for a Mac or PC for the vast majority of the time.
HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook, available soon, Google.com/Chromebook
7. Dell Alienware M18
Dell’s Alienware sub-brand started life as an independent supplier of gaming-focused laptops. Under the stewardship of the massive American manufacturer, Alienware has toned its down more adolescent design elements and matured into a supplier of highly specified machines that are not only adept at handling the graphical heavy-lifting of modern gaming titles, but also work especially well for power-hungry creatives.
The M18 models include the first 16in and 18in screens in the Alienware range, with a taller 16:10 display ratio screen and the addition of Dolby Atmos sound and a hi-res webcam. As with all Alienware’s models, special attention is paid to keeping the silicon cool.
Dell Alienware M18, available soon, Dell.com
-
Extreme Cashmere reimagines retail with its new Amsterdam store: ‘You want to take your shoes off and stay’Wallpaper* takes a tour of Extreme Cashmere’s new Amsterdam store, a space which reflects the label’s famed hospitality and unconventional approach to knitwear
-
Titanium watches are strong, light and enduring: here are some of the bestBrands including Bremont, Christopher Ward and Grand Seiko are exploring the possibilities of titanium watches
-
Warp Records announces its first event in over a decade at the Barbican‘A Warp Happening,' landing 14 June, is guaranteed to be an epic day out
-
The new Polaroid Flip unfolds to bring you pin-sharp instant photographyPolaroid announces the Flip, an instant camera that blends its evergreen film technology with better results and more control
-
Could putting pen to reMarkable’s Paper Pro tablet make you more creative and less stressed?Design Museum director Tim Marlow extols the power of ‘scribbling’, and is backed up by new research from reMarkable on the benefits of its paper tablet
-
Clicks creates keyboard cases for iPhones – now they're also available for three Android flagshipsSmartphones get a new lease of life with Clicks, which brings a Blackberry-style keyboard to today’s cutting-edge Apple and Android devices
-
The OM System OM-3 camera blends heritage design with cutting-edge technologyThe OM-3 from OM System is the newest must-have mirrorless camera design, classically styled and comprehensively equipped to create the ultimate contemporary digital camera
-
Type without the tyranny of distractions: eight new ways to get the words outLooking for a way to divert you from doom-scrolling? This selection of eight distraction-free typing devices will keep you offline and away from the socials to help you meet that deadline
-
Layer conceptualises a next-gen AI-powered device: introducing the PiAPiA, the Personal Intelligent Assistant, is a conceptual vision of how AI might evolve to dovetail with familiar devices and form factors
-
Point, shoot and process with Lomography’s two new colourful Instax camera editionsWith the Pemberley and The Blues editions, the Lomo’Instant Square Glass camera provides stylish and pocketable analogue photography
-
We put the new ultra-compact Dyson Car+Boat handheld vacuum through its pacesA cordless handheld vacuum pitched at a plethora of tasks, Dyson has tasked the new Car+Boat with far-reaching functionality without compromising performance
