Laptops to look forward to in 2026

Before we talk about the laptops that were unveiled at CES 2026 earlier this month and should be making their way to you over the course of the year, lets first talk about the brand-new chips from the heavyweights, AMD, Intel and Qualcomm which will power these devices.

At CES, Lisa Su, CEO of AMD, took the stage to deliver the keynote address, during which she unveiled the Ryzen AI 400 Series processor, the company’s latest AI-powered PC chips. This one allows for 1.3x faster multitasking than the competition and is 1.7x faster at content creation. The brand-new chips feature 12 CPU Cores, individual processing units within each core, 24 threads, and more.

These new chips feature 12 CPU Cores, individual processing units within a core, and 24 threads, independent streams of instructions.

Furthermore, AMD also announced the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, its newest and greatest gaming-focused processor. The Ryzen AI 400 series is set to launch in Q1 of this year. The processor will appear in laptops from Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo over the next few months. Intel broke the cover on its Panther Lake chips a few months back, but at CES 2026, we finally got a glimpse of the laptops it's being featured in. These are the Core Ultra 3 chips that Intel hopes will spark a comeback for the company. The company promises a combination of great graphics, long battery life, and performance gains. They are available in Core X7 and X9, which ship with 12 Xe graphics cores over the usual four.

At CES 2026, Qualcomm introduced the Snapdragon X2 Plus chip for cheaper laptops. The X2 Elite chips rolled out late last year, and laptops with both will be announced over the course of the year.

Dell’s XPS line of laptops

Hallelujah! At CES 2026, Dell admitted its grave mistake in 2025 of killing off the XPS laptop line. This year, we’re getting brand-new XPS 14 and XPS 16 laptops, and they look as gorgeous as ever. So, yes, the Dell XPS is back from the dead!

Both laptops, powered by Intel Core Ultra X9 processors, are among the thinnest XPS laptops to date. They come with the XPS logo on their lids for the first time, and even a physical function row. They come with built-in Intel Arc graphics, support up to 64GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and offer up to 4TB of PCIe 4 SSD storage. There is also an easy-to-remove keyboard and modular USB-C ports.

Dell has unveiled the Dell XPS 14 and XPS 16 laptops. Both models are powered by up to Intel Core Ultra X9 processors and feature built-in Intel Arc graphics. They support up to 64GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 4TB PCIe 4 SSD storage. The laptops also offer practical features such as easy-to-remove keyboards and modular USB-C ports.

Lenovo's leaders

Lenovo had plenty on show - both mainstream and prototypes - and there was something for everyone. Let’s start with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition. This one puts modular design first. With this laptop, Lenovo introduces the Space Frame design, making it easy to pop off the bottom panel. You can also remove the keyboard to reach the motherboard, which is double-sided. Most of the components can be accessed and easily replaced.

Other than that, the X1 Carbon gets a boost to the Core Ultra X7 Series 3 processor. There’s also the sibling 2-in-1 ThinkPad that receives the same treatment.

Then there is the ThinkPad Rollable XD. It’s a proof-of-concept device that comes with a unique display which wraps over the top of the laptop and extends toward the hinge. There are two use cases for this. In standard clamshell form, the rear-facing display can be used to present things on the screen to others sitting across from you. It’s also possible to extend the screen upwards from a 1.3-inch to a 16-inch workspace.

My personal favourite is the ThinkBook Plus Gen 7 Auto Twist. It features a dual-rotation hinge (positioned at the centre of the display). In short, the display can rotate nearly 360 degrees (thanks to its motorisation). The display itself is a 14-inch 2.8K OLED touchscreen, and the laptop comes with Dolby Atmos-tuned speakers, a 75Wh battery, and is powered by the latest Intel chipset.

The Yoga Slim 7i Ultra Aura Edition seems the most practical of the lot. It’s the company's latest thin-and-light, all-white, ultraportable laptop. It weighs under a kg and comes with a fingerprint-free, matte-white magnesium alloy chassis.

Last, but not least, is the Legion Pro Rollable. This one is a wild prototype. It takes the extended-display revolution and turns it sideways. Thanks to small motors, the OLED display can physically extend from 16-inch to 21.5-inch and to the full 24-inch. The first mode is known as Focus Mode, the second as Tactical Mode, and the last is Arena Mode.

Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo/Zenbook A16/ProArt PX13

When I first read about the ROG Zephyrus Duo, I found it big and weird. Then, after diving in deeper, I found it all kinds of awesome. Of course, it isn’t a laptop that is for everyone. It is one of the world’s first true dual-screen gaming laptops. Both displays are 16-inch Nebula OLED panels with HDR support and peak brightness up to 1,100 nits. They come with stylus integration, NVIDIA G-Sync and more. The laptop itself is outfitted with the latest Intel Core Ultra processors and an NVIDIA RTX 5090 GPU.

To access the second display, all you need to do is detach the keyboard (which is wireless), and then you can set up the laptop in all sorts of positions. It is a weighty laptop, coming in at 2.85 kgs, but it is quite thin at 0.77 inches.

Then there is my favourite, the Zenbook A16. Last year, Asus unveiled one of the lightest laptops ever, the Zenbook A14 with Snapdragon chips under the hood. This year, the line is expanding with the Zenbook A16 and the Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite hardware. The Zenbook A16 comes in at just 1.2 kilos. This is possible thanks to the Ceraluminum build all around. It’s an “anti-scratch, anti-wear, smudge-free alloy that’s tougher and more resilient than the standard anodised aluminium materials” that is used on most laptops. In fact, it’s lighter than a 13-inch MacBook Air.

The one laptop that can really entice content creators is the ProArt PX13. This one comes with AMD’s latest Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor. It’s a 13.3-inch AI-powered convertible laptop aimed squarely at creators. It can support up to 128GB of unified memory.

The laptop is sleek, weighs just 1.39kg and can flip between laptop, tent, stand or tablet modes, and comes with full stylus support. It’s also got the brand-new 3K Asus Lumina OLED touchscreen for precise colour accuracy. Then there is the ASUS DialPad that provides tactile control for precise adjustments.

HP had a surprise up its sleeve

Yes, I’m not sure how to exactly describe this to the layman, but a portable laptop right in your lap. Maybe that’s the best way. I’m talking about the HP EliteBoard G1a concept. It’s basically a whole PC in a skinny keyboard. Basically, the computer and keyboard have fused into a single piece of portable tech. You just plug the EliteBoard into a monitor, and you’re good to go. It also comes with dual microphones and speakers. In fact, the EliteBoard can be outfitted with up to an AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 CPU and an AMD Radeon 800-series graphics card, which support 4K monitors at a 60Hz refresh rate. Furthermore, it contains up to 64GB of RAM and 2TB of storage.

It is something out of the ordinary, and I applaud HP for thinking outside the box.

MSI Prestige 14 AI Plus and Prestige 16 AI Plus

MSI is primarily known for its gaming laptops. But the non-gaming products, with a brand-new design, shone through at CES 2026. Those are the MSI Prestige 14 and Prestige 16 business laptops. The edges have been smoothed out, there are no more sharp corners, and they have slimmed down, now featuring best-in-class OLED displays. Even the battery life has got a nice bump. Furthermore, the MSI logo is now prominently featured on the back.

Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro/Ultra

Samsung announced the Galaxy Book6 family at CES, and the Pro and Ultra models stood out. The Ultra comes with Intel Core Ultra X9 processors, Intel Arc graphics and NVIDIA RTX 50-series GPUs (5060 and 5070 options). It delivers 1.6x better CPU performance, 1.7x better graphics, and a wider vapour chamber and a new dual-path fan to keep the system cool.

The Book6 Pro comes with an upgraded AMOLED 2X display (2,880x1,800) with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of up to 1,000 nits. The laptops are thinner than before. The Ultra measures 15.4mm thick, and the Pro is just 11.9mm. Another first is that Samsung has added haptic trackpads.

LG Gram Pro 17

Aerominum. That’s the word you’re looking for. Yes, it’s developed in-house primarily to reduce weight while maintaining durability. The LG Gram Pro 17 is the lightest 17-inch laptop on the market. It’s got an Intel Core Ultra series processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050 graphics card and an LCD screen. There’s also a 16-inch model that swaps the LCD panel for a more vibrant, sharper OLED panel.