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I tested MSI’s new convertible laptop, and its build and performance are top-drawer — but content creators will be left wanting more

1:10 pm | March 11, 2026

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+: Two-minute review

The MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ is a convertible laptop marketed for business users, and includes a stylus to unlock its full creative potential.

It cuts a sophisticated figure, thanks to its dark grey finish and minimal aesthetic. The ultra thin chassis with its soft, curved edges also help to make this an easy laptop to live with, especially if you’re frequently on the move.

Build quality is also excellent. Every material feels premium, and while the hinges for the lid are a little incongruous, they provide a very smooth pivot, which ranks among the best 2-in-1 laptop actions.

The included Nano Pen is engineered to an equally high standard. Like the laptop itself, it’s very compact, and stows away neatly under the front edge of the base, where it also charges wirelessly. It’s easy enough to remove, but putting it back is a little more awkward, since its integrated magnets encourage it to orient incorrectly.

For a laptop this small, it’s impressive that the Flip AI+ manages to include four USB ports (two type-C and two type-A), an HDMI port, and a headset jack. It’s a small shame, though, that a productivity-focused laptop such as this doesn’t feature an SD card reader of any kind.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 355 in my Flip AI+ review unit handled productivity and entertainment workloads with aplomb, while the 32GB of RAM meant it had no problem multitasking. It even managed to run AAA games in a playable state — surprising given there’s no dedicated GPU on board. However, this absence was felt when the Flip AI+ failed to even complete a benchmark test for Adobe Premiere.

Front view of MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ open on desk with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

A fair amount of noise is generated even when moderate workloads are undertaken. Some heat can be felt towards the rear as well, reaching the top rows of the keyboard, but thankfully temperatures remained comfortable.

The OLED display of the Flip AI+ is sharp and clear, although it lacks the brightness of the best monitors. Reflections and fingerprints are also visible at times. The touchscreen functions well, though, especially when used with the included Nano Pen; both combine to offer precise and responsive inputs.

MSI Center S is the utility app for the Flip AI+, housing system information and performance tweaks, as well as the ability to enable and customize the Action Touchpad. In the case of the latter, I had to manually update the app for these to work properly, even though I had automatic updates enabled.

The default quick controls for the touchpad are useful and operate smoothly for the most part. However, the brightness slider on the right edge would often trigger unintentionally when I typed, which was frustrating. Another frustration was the momentary freezes and jumps I sometimes experienced when attempting to navigate the cursor.

Fortunately, typing on the Flip AI+ is less fraught. The keys are snappy, although they’re perhaps a little heavier and harsher than I would’ve liked, resulting in the occasional press failing to register. Nonetheless, this is still a board suited to quick typing.

The battery life of the Flip AI+ easily ranks among the best in class. It lasted over 30 hours when I left it to playback a movie on a continuous loop, which is very impressive. It’s also quick to charge, making it a great laptop for those constantly on the move.

The Flip AI+ is undeniably expensive, but considering its premium design, powerful spec, and convertible capabilities, it represents good value. There are certainly cheaper 2-in-1 laptops that offer sufficient everyday performance, but the Flip AI+ is a more complete package. If its touchpad was less frustrating and it had a dedicated GPU, it’d be a hard laptop to beat at this price point.

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ review: Price & availability

Close-up of webcam on MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+, with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

$1,699.99 / £1,349.99 / AU$$2,999
Available now
Good value for the spec

The MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ costs $1,699.99 / £1,349.99 / AU$$2,999 and is available now. Various Intel Core Ultra processors are available depending on region, and in Australia, only the unit with 2TB of storage appears to be available.

If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly convertible laptop, the HP Pavilion x360 14 is a solid alternative. It has a weaker spec than the Flip AI+, and you’ll have to provide your own stylus, but it’s a great device for everyday tasking.

If you want to save even more money on a 2-in-1, the Acer Chromebook Spin 312 is one of the best Chromebooks in this class. Of course, you’ll have to forgo Windows, but if you don’t need the versatility of Microsoft’s OS, a Chromebook can be a useful companion for your studies and light entertainment.

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ review: specs

Price	$1,699.99 / £1,349.99 / AU$$2,999
CPU	US: Intel Core Ultra X7 358H (1.5GHz, 16 cores) UK: Intel Core Ultra 7 355 (2.3GHz, 8 Cores) Aus: Intel Core Ultra 9 386H (2.1GHz, 16 cores)
GPU	Intel Graphics (integrated)
RAM	32GB LPDDR5x
Storage	1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD Aus: 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD
Display	14-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200), OLED, 16:10, Touchscreen, 100% DCI-P3 (Typical), Low Blue Light & Flicker-free certified by SGS, MSI Nano Pen support
Ports and Connectivity	2x USB-A (3.2 Gen2), 2x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort, PD 3.0), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x combo audio; Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0
Battery	81Wh
Dimensions	12.4 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches (316 x 222 x 14mm)
Weight	3lbs / 1.37kg

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ review: Design

Close-up of touchpad on MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ — (Image credit: Future)

Thin and premium design
Plenty of USB ports
Discreet Nano Pen storage

Credit where credit’s due, MSI has done an admirable job of making the Flip AI+ a stylish machine. Its steely grey finish and minimal proportions impart an elegance not usually found in brand’s designs. What’s more, it’s impressively thin and free from extraneous bulges, even underneath (save from two full-width feet). All this helps to make it an easy device to travel with.

I also appreciated the rounded edges, which are curved more prominently than most. This makes it comfortable to hold and pick up. The thin bezel around the display is another facet of the laptop’s overall sleekness.

All the materials employed in the construction of the Flip AI+ feel premium, especially those of the keyboard and touchpad. They put me in mind of the best MacBooks, which are pretty much the standard bearers for laptop build quality.

Close-up of keyboard on MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ — (Image credit: Future)

However, the minimalist appearance of the Flip AI+ is somewhat upset by the lid hinges. They look a little cumbersome in relation to the rest of the unit, and create a somewhat unsightly gap between the lid and base. At least they operate smoothly, allowing for easy conversion when you want to use the touchscreen exclusively.

The included Nano Pen is just as compact as the laptop itself. It’s much smaller than many others, but no less upmarket in its design. It charges wirelessly, and the compartment to stow it is discreetly integrated into the underside of the Flip AI+, near the front edge.

This makes it easy to remove, requiring a slight tilt of the base of the Flip AI+ to access. You can even do this one-handed. However, it’s a little more awkward to put back: whenever I tried, the magnets inside the Nano Pen kept trying to flip it around from its correct orientation, requiring more encouragement than I would’ve liked to insert the right way up.

The Flip AI+ features all the essential outboard connections: there are two USB-A ports on the right and two USB-C on the left; the latter support charging of the Flip AI+ as well as external monitor signals. An HDMI port and a 3.5mm combo audio jack are also present, split across either side. Considering how thin and compact the unit is, including this many ports feels generous, although I always lament the omission of an SD card reader on a laptop designed for productivity.

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ review: Performance

Hand holding MSI Nano Pen with MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ and pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Impressive general performance
Loud under load
Action Touchpad misfire issue

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ benchmarks

3DMark: Night Raid: 31,643; Fire Strike: 6,517; Steel Nomad: 607; Solar Bay:12,337; Solar Bay Unlimited: 12,434; Solar Bay Extreme: 1,793; Solar Bay Extreme Unlimited: 1,793
Geekbench 6.5: Multicore: 11,670; Single-core: 2,752
Cinebench R23: Multi Core: 10,177; Cinebench R24: Single Core: 116; Multi Core: 628
Crossmark: Overall: 1,785; Productivity: 1,700; Creativity: 2,037; Responsiveness: 1,392
Passmark Overall: 6,809.7; CPU: 22,456.1; 2D Graphics: 780.2; 3D Graphics: 5,363; Memory: 3,581.1; Disk: 48,869.8
BlackMagicDisk: Read: 4,221MB/s; Write: 3,500MB/s
Total War: Warhammer III: 1080p, Medium: 30.2fps
Total War: Warhammer III: 1440p, Ultra: 19.2fps

The Flip AI+ performed well in most of the tasks I conducted. It handled light productivity and entertainment – including 4K streaming – without issue. It also proved to be a capable multitasker, although this was hardly a surprise given the 32GB of RAM my review unit was crammed with.

Even though the Flip AI+ doesn’t have a dedicated GPU, I was impressed with its gaming prowess. It ran Cyberpunk 2077 on the Ray Tracing: Low preset remarkably well. Granted, the visuals were rough around the edges and frame rates were well short of those delivered by the best gaming laptops, but it was still enjoyable enough for casual play.

Video editors and creators will be more disappointed with the Flip AI+, though. It failed to even complete PugetBench’s Adobe Premiere benchmark, despite repeated attempts, due to a certain GPU effect failing to render.

The Flip AI+ also has a tendency to emit a fair amount of fan noise when undertaking workloads, even those that could be described as moderate. This is usually accompanied by some prominent heat at the rear of the unit and on the top row of the keyboard. Mercifully, the temperatures are far from being intolerable, but you’ll certainly notice them.

Hand holding MSI Nano Pen against display of MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+, with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

As for the display of the Flip AI+, its 1920 x 1200 resolution is clear and sharp, and the OLED technology helps with contrast. It reveals reflections and fingermarks a little too easily, and I wish the maximum brightness setting was higher, but thankfully these grievances aren’t ruinous to the overall visual experience.

Another important aspect of the Flip AI+’s display is its touchscreen functionality. It’s precise and responsive, if a little grabby when used with fingers. However, it handles the included Nano Pen much better. This glides smoothly across the surface, making it ideal for navigation, handwriting, and drawing.

However, the sheer slenderness of the Nano Pen makes using the two side buttons — which are used to erase content, take screenshots, and activate the inbuilt microphone — very awkward when adopting a writing position. Those with daintier digits might have an easier time, but I struggled.

Another standout feature of the Flip AI+ is its Action Touchpad. I found this useful for controlling various parameters, such as volume and screen brightness, quickly. You can also double-tap the left and right corners to open Windows’ Calculator app and the MSI Center S respectively.

However, my initial experience with these functions was beset by various bugs, from the aforementioned quick controls failing to register, to the three custom slots refusing their assignments.

Three-quarter view of MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ open on white desk with MSI Nano Pen leaning on it, with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Thankfully, a manual download to update the MSI Center S to its latest version seemed to fix most of these issues. I was disappointed, though, that this update failed to initiate automatically, since I had this option toggled in the app settings.

I was also disappointed that there was still no way to customize the six default quick controls. But a bigger frustration was the frequent accidental triggering of the brightness quick control, caused by the palm of my thumb when typing. To prevent this I would have to disable all quick controls, since you can’t disable them individually.

This issue aside, typing with the Flip AI+ is mostly pleasant. The keyboard features plenty of useful shortcuts on the top row, including those for Bluetooth settings and Windows’ Snipping Tool. However, disappointingly for a productivity-focused machine, there’s no number pad or even a navigation cluster. There is backlighting, though, which is always cause for celebration in a laptop.

In action, the keys are snappy thanks to their short actuation, which makes for quick typing. However, they’re a little heavier than those in your average laptop, which, in my experience, results in the occasional hit failing to register. Dampening is minimal as well, which can make presses feel a little harsh. These are minor grievances, though, and only stand when compared to the best keyboards around.

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ review: Battery life

Close-up of MSI Nano Pen in compartment underneath MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+, with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Phenomenal endurance
Quick to charge

The battery life of the Flip AI+ is truly spectacular. MSI quotes a longevity of 30 hours, but according to my testing — which involved playing a movie on a continuous loop — it actually exceeded this already remarkable figure by a couple of hours.

To put this into perspective, the most enduring laptop I ever tested was the HP OmniBook 7 14-inch, but even this fell someway short of the Flip AI+ in the same test, mustering just under 26 hours. The Flip AI+ is also quick to charge, taking about two hours to replenish from total depletion.

Should I buy the MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+?

Scorecard

Category	Notes	Rating
Value	Aside from the lack of a dedicated GPU, the Flip AI+ offers a lot for the money.	4 / 5
Design	Super-thin and with a premium construction, the Flip AI+ ticks all the right boxes in terms of design. Port selection is also reasonable, given the compact form factor.	4.5 / 5
Performance	The Flip AI+ offers great all-round performance, although the absence of a dedicated GPU might disappoint creatives. The touchscreen and Nano Pen are both great, but the Action Touchpad can frustrate.	4 / 5
Battery Life	Pretty much unbeatable. It has a video playback time of over 30 hours, and it’s quick to charge, too.	5 / 5
Final Score	The MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ is a very competent, convertible laptop that represents good value when you consider its build and performance. Only a few minor gripes hold it back from a full-throated recommendation.	4 / 5

Buy it if…

You want an easy-to-use convertible laptop
Light, thin, and well made, the Flip AI+ is easy to use in its converted mode, and the touchscreen and pen function very well, too.

You want a strong spec
Integrated graphics aside, the spec of the Flip AI+ is certainly powerful enough for the needs of many productivity users.

You want to go all day unplugged
I haven’t come across a laptop with a better battery life: it comfortably lasts more than a full day’s worth of use.

Don't buy it if…

You want serious graphical power
Even though I was impressed by how well it ran AAA games, the Flip AI+ isn’t a patch on machines with dedicated GPUs.

You want a fuss-free touchpad
The Action Touchpad is most excellent, but the frequent misfiring of the brightness slider when typing was frustrating.

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ review: Also consider

HP Pavilion x360 14
Another 2-in-1 Windows laptop, the HP Pavilion x360 14 is a competent everyday machine with a premium design and a sharp display, but a much lower price tag than the Flip AI+. There are models without backlit keyboards, but I recommend steering clear of those, given how hard it is to make out the key symbols even in the light. Read our full HP Pavilion x360 14 review.

Acer Chromebook Spin 312
If you want a seriously budget convertible option, the Acer Chromebook Spin 312 is a solid choice. Since it’s a Chromebook, you’ll have to forgo the versatility of Windows, but it’s still a strong-performer with a great display and a compact design that’s suited for travel. Read our full Acer Chromebook Spin 312 review.

How I tested the MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+

Close-up of ports on left-hand side of MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+, on a white desk with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Tested for several days
Ran our series of benchmarks

I tested the MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ for several days, during which time I used it for all manner of tasks, from general browsing and productivity to streaming and gaming.

I also ran our extensive series of benchmarks, designed to assess every facet of a laptop’s performance. I also tested the battery life by running a movie on a continuous loop while the Flip AI+ was unplugged until it died.

I’ve been using laptops for decades and have reviewed a large number of them, from budget affairs and Chromebooks to mid-range productivity machines and high-end gaming models.

First reviewed: March 2026
Read more about how we test

Apple MacBook Neo review: the best budget laptop you can buy

4:00 pm | March 10, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops Macbooks | Tags: USB | Comments: Off

Apple MacBook Neo two-minute review

The MacBook Neo is one of the most interesting releases from Apple in a long time, and it comes at an important moment. Thanks to a global memory shortage, a tariffs-loving president in the White House, and other global conditions, consumer electronics are becoming ever more expensive, just as the cost of living has also risen, which means consumers have less money to spend on things like a new laptop.

Apple is generally regarded as a company that sells high-end and expensive devices, which isn’t entirely fair, as I think the Mac mini (M4) is one of the best-value products in the computing space. The MacBook Neo is interesting, as Apple is entering the budget and midrange laptop market for the first time. This is a market that's dominated by cheap Chromebooks and affordable Windows 11 laptops, and while Apple is joining the fray with the MacBook Neo, it’s doing so on its own terms.

That means, as the company is keen to emphasise, that while the MacBook Neo is a more affordable MacBook, it is in no way a cheap, pared-back or limited MacBook.

MacBook Neo laptop on a desk with plant in background — (Image credit: Future)

You’re still getting a solid and great-looking laptop made out of aluminum (and now in four new colors, harking back to the more fun days when Apple launched brightly-colored Macs), and a bright and vibrant screen with a retina resolution of 2408 x 1506, which is higher (and therefore sharper and more detailed) than the 1080p screens laptops at this price usually sport.

Audio from the built-in speakers is also excellent, the 1080p webcam means video calls look great, and perhaps best of all, the MacBook Neo runs the full version of macOS, and you can run pretty much any Mac app on it.

While its 8GB of unified memory means you won't see the best performance when running multiple apps at once, overall I had no issues at all running various apps for day-to-day tasks, making it ideal for students in particular.

@techradar
♬ original sound - TechRadar

Best of all is the price: $599 / £599 / AU$899. You’re going to be hard-pushed to find a Windows laptop or Chromebook around this price that can match the build quality and performance of the MacBook Neo; and if you're a student, you can get a further discount that brings it down to just $499 / £499 / AU$749. At that price, it really is a no-brainer.

Of course, there are compromises. As well as the limited amount of memory, the MacBook Neo doesn’t come with a backlight behind the keyboard, so finding the right keys in darker environments can be an issue, and the two USB-C ports use older and slower USB 3 and USB 2 tech.

Despite those compromises, Apple has made easily the best budget laptop you can buy in 2026. While it’s not the cheapest laptop out there, it’s well worth paying a little extra to get such a slick and accomplished laptop at this price. Windows 11 laptop and Chromebook makers have been put on notice, and they’ll need to up their games to match, let alone surpass, the MacBook Neo.

Apple MacBook Neo: Price & release date

Starts at $599 / £599 / AU$899
Went on sale March 11

The biggest selling point of the MacBook Neo is its price, with Apple seemingly pulling out all the stops to keep the price as low as possible.

With a starting price of just $599 / £599 / AU$899 (and a further $100 / £100 / AU$150 discount for education users), this is one of the cheapest Macs Apple has ever made. Sure, the Mac mini (M4) is more powerful, and launched at the same price, but it doesn’t come with a screen, mouse or keyboard, so for sheer out-of-the-box value for money, the MacBook Neo now reigns supreme.

For that starting price you get a 13-inch Liquid Retina display, 8GB of unified memory and a 256GB SSD. The Neo is powered by the Apple A18 Pro chip, with a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU. The A18 Pro debuted in 2024 in the iPhone 16 Pro, and the fact that the MacBook Neo is powered by an older mobile chip, rather than one of the M-series chips usually found in Macs, is one of the ways Apple has kept the overall price of the MacBook Neo down.

Customization options for the hardware are pretty limited as well, with just the option to double the storage to 512GB for an extra $100 / £100 / AU$200. Considering the current price of storage, this isn’t an obscene amount to pay for an extra 256GB of the stuff — and by going for the larger storage option you also get a Touch ID button on the keyboard that allows you to log in to macOS, pay for things via Apple Pay and more using your fingerprint. This is not an option with the base model of the MacBook Neo.

The $599 / £599 / AU$899 starting price firmly pits the MacBook Neo against the best budget laptops, such as the HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch and Acer Aspire Go 15 — the first time in a long, long, time that I can say that about a MacBook, and Apple’s build and design quality easily surpasses almost every budget laptop or Chromebook at this price point.

The arrival of the MacBook Neo also means the MacBook Air is no longer the cheapest MacBook model, which makes the new, more expensive, price of the just-announced MacBook Air (M5), which now starts at $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,799, a slightly less bitter pill to swallow. Slightly.

While I love the fact that you can now get a MacBook for $599 / £599 / AU$899, the value proposition of the Neo lives or dies on how many compromises Apple has had to make to keep the price low.

One last thing to note here is that in the UK and EU, the MacBook Neo does not come with a charger, just a USB-C cable, as is the case with the M5 MacBook Pro from last year and the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra. It’s likely we’ll see an increasing number of laptops in the UK and EU not ship with chargers in a bid to reduce e-waste — if you don't already have a USB-C charger you’ll need to buy one.

Price: 5/5

Apple MacBook Neo: Specs

	MacBook Neo base configuration	MacBook Neo top configuration
Price:	$599 / £599 / AU$899	$699 / £699 / AU$1,099
CPU:	Apple A18 Pro (6-core)	Apple A18 Pro (6-core)
Graphics:	5-core GPU	5-core GPU
Display	13-inch Liquid Retina Display, 2408 x 1506, 500 nits brightness, 1 billion colors	13-inch Liquid Retina Display, 2408 x 1506, 500 nits brightness, 1 billion colors
RAM:	8GB	8GB
Storage:	256GB	512GB
Keyboard:	Magic Keyboard	Magic Keyboard with Touch ID
Ports:	USB 3 (USB-C) port, USB 2 (USB-C) port, 3.5mm audio jack	USB 3 (USB-C) port, USB 2 (USB-C) port, 3.5mm audio jack
Wireless:	Wi-Fi 6E / Bluetooth 6	Wi-Fi 6E / Bluetooth 6
Weight:	2.7lbs (1.23kg)	2.7lbs (1.23kg)
Dimensions:	0.50 x 11.71 x 8.12 inches (1.27 x 29.75 x 20.64cm)	0.50 x 11.71 x 8.12 inches (1.27 x 29.75 x 20.64cm)

Apple MacBook Neo: Design

Available in four colors
No backlit keyboard
USB 2 and USB 3 ports

Apple has done an excellent job of ensuring that, despite its lower price, the MacBook Neo retains the look, feel and build quality that we’ve come to expect from Apple devices; and when it comes to design, the MacBook Neo blows pretty much all of the competition at this price point out of the water.

Thanks to its aluminum build the MacBook Neo feels solid, robust and impressively premium. It comes in four vibrant colors, and the review sample Apple sent me is the Citrus version, which is a nice bright-looking green. I also had the chance to check out the other colors at the launch event: Silver is the iconic Mac color, Blush is a lovely pinkish shade and Indigo is a dark blue.

As with the iMac redesign a few years ago, it’s great to see Apple return to releasing fun and colorful Macs, and while the MacBook Neo variants look bright, there’s a metallic sheen to them which means they don’t resemble toys.

The aluminum chassis means the MacBook Neo isn’t quite as light as you might imagine. At 2.7 pounds (1.23kg) it weighs the same as the MacBook Air, and while that’s certainly not a hefty laptop (hence the ‘Air’ moniker), students and kids lugging the MacBook Neo around might notice the weight. It’s also thicker than the MacBook Air.

The MacBook Neo’s Magic Keyboard is slightly colored to match the hue of the laptop, which, as Apple says, creates “a cohesive design aesthetic and [makes] MacBook Neo the most colorful MacBook yet.”

Speaking of the keyboard, it’s here where one of the big differences between the two models of the MacBook Neo can be found. If you go for the more expensive model with 512GB storage you also get a Touch ID button for signing into macOS using your fingerprint. It’s a shame that this is limited to the pricier model, as I find Touch ID to be really convenient — you can also use it to approve installations, insert passwords and make payments — and there are plenty of budget laptops out there that support biometric security.

The base model instead comes with a ‘lock’ button that you can press and hold to lock the MacBook Neo, which is far less useful.

While the keyboard of the MacBook Neo feels as comfortable to use and responsive as the Magic Keyboards on more expensive Macs, it does lack a very important feature: backlighting.

On other MacBooks, the keyboard backlights illuminate the letter or icon of each key, making them easy to see in low-light conditions. Without backlighting, typing can be more difficult if you’re not in a suitably lit environment, even if, like me, you’re a proficient typer who doesn’t usually need to look at the keyboard.

It’s arguably the biggest sacrifice Apple has made in order to keep the MacBook Neo’s price as low as possible, and while it's not a deal breaker, it’s definitely worth noting, and in dark and poorly lit classrooms and lecture halls the lack of backlighting could become an issue.

Along the left-hand side of the MacBook Neo are two USB-C ports, which are also used to charge the laptop (there’s no fancy magnetic MagSafe 3 port here). While the two USB-C ports are indistinguishable from each other, or from the USB-C ports found on other MacBooks, it’s important to note that both use different, and older, tech.

The USB port nearest the back of the MacBook Neo uses USB 3, which maxes out at 10Gb/s. For comparison, the new MacBook Air M5 comes with Thunderbolt 4 ports, which can handle up to 40Gb/s, and the most recent MacBook Pros with M5 Pro and M5 Max up that tech to Thunderbolt 5, which can handle 120GB/s.

So, while the USB 3 port on the MacBook Neo can handle modern peripherals (such as mice and keyboards), moving large files to and from an external hard drive will be noticeably slower than on many other modern laptops. You can at least plug in a USB-C monitor and use it as a second screen, with support for 4K and 60fps.

The second USB-C port uses the even older USB 2 interface, which limits speeds to just 60MB/s, which is far slower, and only really appropriate for wired keyboards and mice.

This is another big indicator of the MacBook Neo’s (relatively) low price, and while I can understand that Apple needed to make some sacrifices, it could have handled this a bit more elegantly. For a start, having two seemingly identical ports that use very different technology could cause confusion — you might wonder why your USB memory stick is suddenly very slow, or why a peripheral isn’t working correctly if you connect them via the wrong port.

Also, while using USB 3 technology is an understandable cost-cutting measure (Apple is likely banking on most people not noticing the low speeds compared to more modern USB technology), including USB 2 in a laptop in 2026 feels close to insulting, no matter how cheap the device is.

To be fair to Apple, the rest of the design of the MacBook Neo is free from those kind of compromises. As I’ve mentioned, the aluminum body makes it look and feel far more premium than pretty much any other laptop at this price point, and the screen is another highlight. At 13 inches, and with a resolution of 2408 x 1506, the display might not be the biggest or sharpest screen in Apple’s lineup, but on a laptop in this price range it’s a fantastic addition, considering that most Windows 11 and Chromebook rivals at this price will be limited to 1080p or even lower. The 13-inch screen also helps to make the MacBook Neo nicely portable, especially for kids and students. Perhaps the best thing about the Neo’s display is its brightness — it's able to hit the same 500 nits of peak brightness as the screen on the MacBook Air.

For anyone who's used a budget laptop and been disappointed by the dim or washed-out image quality, the MacBook Neo’s screen is impressively bright and vivid, and with support for one billion colors (and that higher-than-usual resolution), the MacBook Neo easily has one of the best, if not the best, displays on an affordable laptop — though, Apple being Apple, it’s not a touchscreen.

Design: 4/5

Apple MacBook Neo: Performance

Uses the same A18 Pro chip that powered the iPhone 16 Pro
Can run macOS apps
8GB of memory is a concern

The MacBook Neo is one of Apple’s most interesting releases in years, and while it uses a chip built by Apple, unlike the other modern MacBooks it’s not an M-class chip; instead it's the A18 Pro, which originally appeared in the iPhone 16 Pro.

Putting a smartphone chip into a laptop might seem odd, but the logic is sound. For a start, Apple has been making mobile chips for a lot longer than it’s been making computing chips (by around 10 years), and the mobile chips it makes these days, especially for its high-end Pro iPhones, are impressively powerful — and you could argue that a powerful mobile chip like the A18 Pro is more capable than a weak laptop chip like those found in many budget devices.

By going with an older iPhone chip, Apple is able to keep the price of the MacBook Neo lower without impacting the performance too much.

Apple MacBook Neo: Benchmarks

Here's how the Apple MacBook Neo performed in our suite of industry-standard benchmarks and game tests.
Geekbench 6.6:
Single - 3,535
Multi - 8,920
Blackmagic Disk Speed Test:
Read: 1,585 MB/s
Write: 1,440 MB/s

So why not use an older computer chip like the M1? As Apple explained to me, the A18 Pro features a 16-core Neural Engine that can handle on-device AI features, including Apple’s much-hyped Apple Intelligence, which is baked into macOS. The M1 chip, which debuted with the MacBook Air in 2020, isn’t able to handle those tasks as well – and the A18 also uses faster memory. So, despite my initial reservations about Apple using a mobile chip for the MacBook Neo, it’s actually quite a shrewd move.

As the A18 Pro is also a 64-bit Arm-based chip, you don’t have to worry about only being able to run iPhone apps on the MacBook Neo. Instead, you can run any Mac app that can run on modern MacBooks.

macOS itself runs well on the Neo, and while it doesn’t feel quite as snappy as when I’m using my MacBook Pro, considering the price difference I was impressed. Because of the less powerful hardware in the MacBook Neo, for the best results it’s worth sticking to the default apps as much as possible. So, rather than loading up Ableton Live 12 and launching a project full of various sounds and instruments, I stuck to the pre-installed Garage Band instead; while it’s a more basic music-making application, it’s still got plenty of great features, and it ran without an issue on the MacBook Neo. Other default apps, such as Keynote, used for presentations, also ran well.

If you want to try more intensive apps you certainly can. As I mentioned earlier, despite running on an iPhone chip, the MacBook Neo can run any Mac app — I even installed Steam, which requires Rosetta to run on non-Intel hardware. You get the same macOS experience as you’d get on the similarly priced Mac mini, as well as on ultra-expensive MacBook Pros or the Mac Studio.

So, there are no limits as there are with ChromeOS on Chromebooks, where you can only run limited Android apps, or a relatively small selection of Chrome apps. Some budget laptops also come with ‘Windows 11 in S mode’ – a typically terrible Microsoft name, and which is essentially a locked-down version of Windows 11 that can only run apps bought or downloaded through the Microsoft Store, and on which you’re stuck with using Edge as the default browser.

The MacBook Neo suffers from none of these limitations, so in theory you’ll be able to run any app that you could run on a more expensive Mac. This makes the Neo a far more versatile device than a Chromebook or Windows 11 S laptop, and I’d also argue that it’s more useful than the iPad Pro, which despite being far more powerful (and which uses the latest Apple M5 chip), can only run iPadOS apps, rather than full Mac applications.

You can also use your iPhone or iPad with the MacBook Neo, in the same way you can with more expensive MacBooks. So, you can mirror the screen of your iPhone, drag and drop files, make calls and messages, share the clipboard, and use an iPad as a second screen. I paired the MacBook Neo up with the latest M5-powered iPad Pro (an unlikely pairing, I’ll admit, given the price difference between them), and used the iPad Pro as a second monitor, and it worked brilliantly.

So I have to give Apple major props when it comes to ensuring that users of the MacBook Neo do not get a compromised or limited macOS experience — you enjoy the same experience that other Mac owners do, and that’s great to see on a more affordable device.

The only limits, then, are those of the MacBook Neo’s hardware itself, so while you could fire up Blender and work on complex 3D scenes, the Neo is going to struggle, so you'll need to keep your expectations in check.

While I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of the A18 Pro chip, I do worry about the 8GB of unified memory, which could limit how future-proof the MacBook Neo will be.

Due to the global memory shortage, which is raising the price of memory, it was an inevitability that the Neo would come with a limited amount in order to help keep the overall price down — and I was actually relieved that we got 8GB rather than 4GB, which some Chromebooks and even some budget Windows 11 laptops still come with.

However, 8GB of system memory doesn’t go very far these days, and there’s no option to upgrade to a MacBook Neo model with more — and you certainly can’t easily open up the laptop and install more memory yourself.

With my MacBook Neo running Safari, Keynote, Garage Band and downloading a game through Steam, around 6.48–7GB of memory was being used at once — that's pretty darn close to the 8GB limit. Once you max out the MacBook Neo’s memory, as with any laptop, things start slowing down considerably.

The MacBook Neo, like other modern Macs, uses unified memory, which means that 8GB of memory is shared between the system and graphics, so loading up more graphically-intensive tasks puts even more pressure on the memory.

If you’re going to be using a laptop for graphically intensive workloads, or you like to multitask and switch between numerous apps, you’d be much better off investing in the MacBook Air (M5) instead, the base configuration of which comes with 16GB of unified memory.

Again, the memory limits of the MacBook Neo can be avoided by keeping in mind what the MacBook Neo has been designed for, and what it hasn’t. Sticking to more basic apps, and only having a few of them open at once, will ensure you have a smooth and enjoyable experience.

If you’re not prepared to do that, then the MacBook Neo simply isn’t for you — but good luck finding at laptop at this price that will be able to keep up with your ambitions.

The MacBook Neo can also play games, though again you’ll need to keep your expectations in check. However, I got it to run Cyberpunk 2077 at a perfectly playable 30fps (frames per second) using the ‘For this Mac’ preset. Usually a stunning-looking game, on the MacBook Neo it wasn’t quite as impressive due to most graphical presets being set to ‘low’, or turned off entirely (such as advanced ray tracing lighting effects); but the fact that it was playable at all on a 13-inch laptop costing $599 was very impressive. You can also play iPhone and iPad games, and those are much better suited to the MacBook Neo’s hardware.

Overall, the performance of the MacBook Neo is very impressive for the price It excels at day-to-day tasks, and is flexible enough for you to run most Mac apps without an issue — but if you want a productivity powerhouse, look elsewhere.

One last thing to note here is that, like the MacBook Air, the MacBook Neo has a fanless design, which means it’s practically silent when in use — another big difference from budget Windows 11 laptops, which often get noisy when the fans whirr into life.

Performance: 4/5

Apple MacBook Neo: Battery life

Apple claims up to 16 hours of video streaming
11 hours of wireless web browsing
Hit 13 and a half hours in our tests

The MacBook Neo’s A18 Pro chip is an efficient bit of silicon, which isn’t surprising as it was designed to power a smartphone, and Apple promises up to 16 hours of video streaming on a single charge — that's two hours less than what it promises for the MacBook Air, but still an ambitious target.

In Future's battery life tests it managed to last 13 and a half hours before shutting down, which is more than enough for an entire work or school day, though there are Chromebooks out there that can go for a lot longer.

This makes it a great laptop for students who don’t want to have to hunt for a power socket between lessons, and charging the MacBook Neo is fast using the 20W power adapter that’s included in the box (unless you’re in the UK or EU, in which case you don’t get an adapter).

Battery: 4/5

Should I buy the Apple MacBook Neo?

Apple MacBook Neo scorecard
Attribute	Notes	Score
Price	The MacBook Neo offers exceptional value for money, especially if you're able to take advantage of the $100 / £100 student discount.	5/5
Design	It looks and feels a lot more premium than most laptops at this price, and its display is similarly impressive. The lack of a keyboard backlight and slow USB ports are a shame, however.	4/5
Performance	You get the full-fat macOS experience here, and day-to-day tasks pose no trouble at all — but the 8GB of memory means multitasking is less smooth.	4/5
Battery life	16 hours promised, and 13 and a half in our tests is more than enough for going a whole work or school day without needing a charge.	4/5

Buy it if…

You want an affordable laptop
These days, finding a laptop under $600 that’s worth buying is extremely difficult, but the MacBook Neo makes it easy — this is a brilliant laptop for the price.View Deal

You want to get into the Mac ecosystem
Many people with iPhones or iPads don’t have a MacBook, and the Neo’s low price means this is a brilliant choice for your first Mac.View Deal

You're a student
I really don’t think I can recommend any laptop over the MacBook Neo for students. It’s solidly built, has a long battery life, and performs well, and with the student discount offered by Apple it’s even better value for money.View Deal

Don’t buy it if…

You’re a creative professional
The MacBook Neo is aimed squarely at students, small-business owners, and regular folk. If you need a laptop for some heavy-duty creative work, get a MacBook Pro instead.View Deal

You want to stick with Windows 11
If you really don’t want to use macOS, then there are some very good Windows 11 alternatives, but none at this price feel quite as good as the MacBook Neo.View Deal

How I tested the MacBook Neo

I used it for almost a week
I ran various apps
I used it alongside an iPad Pro and other Macs

After seeing the MacBook Neo at Apple’s launch event I was given a unit to thoroughly test. I’ve been using the laptop every day during my review period, using it for a variety of day-to-day tasks such as document creation and browsing the internet.

I also used various apps, including Garage Band, to push the MacBook Neo, and played a bit of Cyberpunk 2077. I also linked the MacBook Neo up to an iPad Pro and my Mac Studio to test out how the MacBook integrates with other Apple products.

I’ve reviewed almost every modern MacBook during my time at TechRadar, as well as other Macs and iPads, plus plenty of Chromebooks and Windows 11 laptops as well, and I've used this experience to help me judge whether or not the MacBook Neo is worth buying for different kinds of user depending on their requirements.

Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
First reviewed: March 2026

The Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) is still the best ultraportable I’ve ever used — and I wrote this review on it

5:00 pm | March 9, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops Macbooks | Tags: AI | Comments: Off

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5): Two-minute review

It's safe to say the MacBook Air 13-inch M5 is every bit as good as its M4 predecessor, but a little faster. The differences are so few, in fact, that I could simply direct you to my now year-old MacBook Air M4 review, and just note here that the M5 chip makes Apple's latest, and sure to be quite popular, ultraportable both faster and more efficient.However, I'm not that lazy. I've spent considerable time with this attractive, well-built, ready-for-almost-anything (and a solid day of it) ultraportable laptop, and I have some thoughts.The MacBook Air is one of the most popular laptops out there for a reason. Apple has found a winning aluminum slab design that mixes a lightweight (2.7lbs) chassis with a stunning 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, and 18 hours of battery life (promised for streaming video only). While Apple didn't touch the design, or any external materials and components, it was inevitable that its fastest class of Apple silicon would find its way into the new Air, along with the new N1 chip, which readies the MacBook Air for the growing proliferation of WiFi 7 hubs and brings it up to speed with the latest Bluetooth 6 capabilities.If there is a downside to this update, it's the new starting price. Over the years, the MacBook Air has bounced around the $1,000 mark, dropping just below and then rising up a hundred dollars or so. Now it's back to $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,799, but I'm actually okay with this change, because the Air finally starts with a half terabyte of storage (for the record, my test system arrived with 1TB 👀); that's double the 256GB we've been getting, without a huge leap in price. And, as a bonus, the storage speed is faster than on the M4 MacBook Air.So, while having to pay a little more for the best ultraportable you can buy is not good news, the upsides far outweigh the hit to your bank balance.The MacBook Air 13-inch M5 does have several other notable, though not new, features, like the 12MP Center Stage camera, a backlit keyboard that feels wonderful to use, the highly responsive ForceTouch trackpad, Thunderbolt 4 ports, and macOS 26 (a.k.a. Tahoe). I know Liquid Glass divides opinion, but I think it's elegant and I like it. Yes, there's also Apple Intelligence, but I'm still not fully sold on its utility.All in all, while I don't think you need to trade in your M4 Air for this new model, it's a worthwhile upgrade from your clamshell MacBook Air M1; and it will, like its predecessor sit atop our best ultraportables list.

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) review: Price and availability

Starts at $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,799
Costs more than the M4, but there's hidden value

Apple MacBook Air M5 review — (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Apple unveiled the MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) on March 3, 2025, and the laptop starts shipping on March 11.Those shopping for the latest MacBook Air will likely notice the price hike on this 13-inch model and wonder what gives. Yes, it has an incrementally faster piece of Apple silicon (M5), but I'd attribute the $100 / £100 / AU$100 hike to the new base storage level. The 13-inch MacBook Air M5 starts with 512GB of storage, double the starting SSD of previous models. It's a non-insignificant change and, as I've written, 256GB was simply not enough in what for many users is a workhorse portable.In addition to the option of buying a larger, 15-inch MacBook Air (heavier and more expensive, but with a substantially larger screen), the 13-inch MacBook Air M5 comes in a variety of configurations, including my 10-core GPU test model, up to 32GB of memory, and up to 4TB of storage (the previous limit was 2TB).It’s available in Sky Blue, Midnight, Starlight, and Silver. Sadly, there are no new colors this year, although that may only be an issue if you let the new day-glo Citrus MacBook Neo turn your head.

Price score: 4.5/5

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) review: Specs

The Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) comes in three pre-configured options.

	MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) base configuration (reviewed):	MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) mid configuration (reviewed):	MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) top configuration:
Price:	$1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,799	$1,199 / £1,199	$1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,399
CPU:	Apple M5 (10-core)	Apple M5 (10-core)	Apple M5 (10-core)
Graphics:	Integrated 8-core GPU	Integrated 10-core GPU	Integrated 10-core GPU
RAM:	16GB unified memory (up to 32GB)	16GB unified memory (up to 32GB)	24GB unified memory (Up to 32GB)
Screen:	13.6-inch, 2560 x 1664 Liquid Retina display (500 nits sustained brightness, wide color P3 gamut, True Tone technology)	13.6-inch, 2560 x 1664 Liquid Retina display (500 nits sustained brightness, wide color P3 gamut, True Tone technology)	13.6-inch, 2560 x 1664 Liquid Retina display (500 nits sustained brightness, wide color P3 gamut, True Tone technology)
Storage:	512GB SSD (up to 4TB)	1TB SDD (up to 4TB)	512GB SDD (Up to 4TB)
Ports:	2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), 3.5mm headphone jack, MagSafe 3	2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), 3.5mm headphone jack, MagSafe 3	2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), 3.5mm headphone jack, MagSafe 3
Wireless:	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6
Camera:	12MP Center Stage Camera 1080p HD video	12MP Center Stage Camera 1080p HD video	12MP Center Stage Camera 1080p HD video
Weight:	2.7lbs / 1.24kg	2.7lbs / 1.24kg	2.7lbs / 1.24kg
Dimensions:	11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches (304 x 215 x 11.3mm)	11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches (304 x 215 x 11.3mm)	11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches (304 x 215 x 11.3mm)

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) review: Design

No major redesign
Excellent construction, materials, keyboard, and trackpad

You could be forgiven if you had trouble telling the difference between this new 13-inch MacBook Air M5 and the M4 model. They are, for all intents and purposes, identical. Still, this is a winning design. The body is made of recycled aluminum that feels premium and smooth to the touch, but also strong enough to get dumped in your backpack or slapped onto a desktop without suffering any damage. My 1TB review unit arrived in Starlight, which is not my favorite color (I'd have chosen Sky Blue), but then the chassis hue is not the primary reason why you'd buy a MacBook Air.MacBook Airs will never be the cheapest laptop (there's now the Neo to hit that spot), but they all have the same premium design and build. The backlit keyboard is expansive, and with good, satisfying travel. I love typing on it; in fact, I'm using it right now to write this review. Included in the keyboard is the Touch ID sleep button, a useful biometric device for unlocking the laptop, signing into services and apps, and making purchases. It took me just a moment to register my index finger (though I can register more). The Force Touch trackpad offers an expansive, almost 6-inch, canvas for interaction without ever getting in the way. As a haptic device, it doesn't actually move, but it does a remarkable job of fooling you into thinking it does.The ports and speakers are also unchanged from the previous model. On the left side are a pair of Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, which are great for extending the screen to a new Studio Display or other monitor, or for high-speed data transfer (the Pro model gets you Thunderbolt 5 ports).Next to those ports is the MagSafe charger, a magnetic port that makes it almost impossible to accidentally drag the laptop off a desk by kicking the charging cable. Opposite those ports is the 3.5mm audio jack. The four-speaker system sits in the hinge, and provides loud and clear audio that supports spatial audio and Dolby Atmos. The 15-inch model ups the speaker count to six.Perhaps the best demonstration of the MacBook Air's elegance and design is how you can open it with just a fingertip. The laptop is so perfectly machined and balanced that all I have to do is place a fingertip under the lip and above the 1.5-inch-wide-carve-out in the base and lift — even without me holding it, the base stays put.

Design score: 5/5

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) review: Display and Center Stage

Apple MacBook Air M5 — (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Over the years, I've gotten used to the notch at the top of the MacBook Air's lovely 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display. When using most apps, the space, which is used to house the Center Stage Camera, a light sensor, and an LED Indicator, only breaks into the menu system. Streaming content, games, and the majority of apps, are displayed in the rectangular space below it. If you really feel like you're losing a lot of space, you might consider the 15-inch MacBook Air instead.

Apple MacBook Air Review — (Image credit: Future)

Overall, though, this is an excellent LED-backlit, high-resolution (2560 x 1664) display, full of rich colors (a promised one billion, though I can't say that I counted), rich contrast, and 500 nits of brightness. I've used MacBook Air outdoors, and while it might struggle in direct sunlight, using it in shade is no problem at all.The 13.6 -inch display is ample space for one or more apps, and everything from macOS apps to movies and games, which look great on it. Images and text are crisp and clear, blacks are inky, and colors pop. I spend most of my work days looking at this screen, and I'm never disappointed.

Speaking of that notch, it does give you a decent webcam, the 12MP, 1080p Center Stage camera. It's called Center Stage because it can, if you allow, follow you around during your video conference. So if you like to stand up and walk around during your FaceTime calls, this camera is for you. The camera can also recognize gestures, and can launch reactions and emojis during the call.

Unlike many modern Windows 11 ultraportables, and also unlike some more affordable laptops, the MacBook Air screen does not support touch. If you want to use a touchscreen within Apple's ecosystem, but still plan on doing desktop-style computing, I suggest you look at an iPad Air or iPad Pro running iPadOS 26 and paired with a Magic keyboard.

Display score: 4.5/5

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) review: macOS and Apple Intelligence

macOS Tahoe is a rich, deep, and well-organized platform
A MacBook take on Liquid Glass
Apple Intelligence is of limited use

macOS Tahoe 26 is not only a rich, well-organized, and deeply thought-out operating system, it's a doorway to Apple's wide and varied ecosystem — the more Apple products you own, the more powerful it becomes. With Liquid Glass, there's a consistent look and feel across everything from the MacBook Air 13 I'm testing to the iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPad Pro. However, the glassiness feels somewhat less aggressive on the MacBook Air, likely because it still has to look like a traditional Mac desktop.

The desktop is customizable, easy to manage (stacks are incredibly useful), and I like the widgets, especially the fact that you can keep them black-and-white to reduce distractions.Still, I love how I can mirror my iPhone and get notifications from it on my MacBook Air desktop, and with Universal Control, my trackpad and keyboard easily hop from one Apple screen to another. I found that not only could I control a neighboring iPad with the mouse and keyboard on my 13-inch MacBook Air, but I could do the same with two MacBooks sitting side by side.

MacBook Air M5 — Genmojis are fun, letting you create all kinds of customized emojisFuture

Apple Intelligence does add some useful features, like Writing tools to help you sound, say, more intelligent or friendlier, including in Messages. For those who aren't as confident with their writing, this might be of some use. I can imagine other features like Live Translation might come in handy, especially if you work with global teams.Clean Up in Photos is also a valuable enhancement, especially if you need to remove distractions from photos you want to share, post on social media, or print. Apple Intelligence can't, say, add a lifelike puppy to your photos (or really anything for that matter), but it will do its best to make sure that when you remove something the revealed background still makes sense. One caveat here: this replacement only works if the object you remove isn't too big — it did a pretty good job when I removed a pie and some whipped cream from my photo of a holiday spread.I do not get what the big deal is with Genmojis — basic emojis are still good enough for me. I was similarly disenchanted with Image Playground. Despite providing Image Playground with a good headshot of me, its output does not look much like me (it put hair on my head!). Also, Apple's insistence on sticking with cartoonish content creation seems ridiculous when you consider the image-generation capabilities now found on even the best smartphones.Siri is obviously part of the system, but still lacks the long-promised AI brain transplant. You can get wider answers via the ChatGPT integration, but Siri is still not the master of all things (inside the system and relating to you) that Apple's been promising. I, like many others, await the promised Gemini integration that will likely transform Siri on this MacBook Air and all other Siri-supporting Apple devices.

Software score: 4/5

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) review: Performance

M5 chip brings the same levels of power showcased in the 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 released in October 2025
More and faster storage is a very welcome update
The MacBook Air M5 is truly a workhorse in ultraportable clothing

MacBook Air M5 vs MacBook Air M4 — The MacBook Air M5 on the left and the MacBook Air M4 on the right. Both are running Geekbench (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Benchmarks

Here’s how the MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

Geekbench 6 Single-Core: 4190; multi-core: 17073
Geekbench Metal score (8-core GPU): 49557
Cinebench 2026 single-core: 729; multi-core: 2921
Cinebench 2026 GPU: 16872
Battery life (web surfing): 15.5 hours

Apple's MacBook Air line now lives between the new A18 Pro MacBook Neo and the high-performance, heavy-workload M5 Pro (or M5 Max) MacBook Pro. It's meant to be the laptop for every student and office worker who prioritizes portability and battery life over raw power.(Note: my test system shipped with the 10-core CPU and 10-core GU, so your GPU performance may vary if you have an 8-core GPU.)

MacBook Air M5 vs MacBook Air M4 with Lightroom — Running light room on the MacBook Air M5 (left) and the MacBook Air M4 (right) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

However, even in my early performance tests, I found the new 13-inch MacBook Air M5 more than capable of some pretty heavy-duty tasks. I started by opening Lightroom and loading in some raw images. Then I launched Final Cut Pro and imported an 8K 30 fps video, and then made three copies and started editing a video in which all four videos could play at once. Next, I loaded Pixelmater Pro and edited a photo. I also installed Chrome and opened 25 tabs (tuned to TechRadar, of course). After that, I installed and started playing Lies of P. Finally, I installed Steam and downloaded Inzoi, a rich, open-world SIM that sort of overwhelmed me with its choices and scope.

The MacBook Air just kept going. At one point, I got a system message indicating that Inzoi was eating a lot of system processes and battery, and that I should consider switching to low power, but when I exited the game the battery was still near 90%. Overall, I found it difficult to stress the M5 and its 16GB of RAM.

Perhaps more exciting for your day-to-day efforts, the MacBook Air line now starts with 512GB of storage, and faster storage at that. I ran the BlackMagic Disk Speed Test on the new M5 MacBook Air and on the MacBook Air 13-inch with an M4 chip. My M5 test system has a 1TB drive, and the M4 only came with a 256GB SSD; however, I do not believe storage capacity has any bearing on these tests.

Black Magic Disk Speed Test
	Write (MB/s)	Read (MB/s)
MacBook Air M5	6459.2	6701.8
MacBook Air M4	845.2	288.2

As you can see, the differences are stark. The new MacBook Air M5 SSD is faster on both read and write tasks. The payoff should be in system launch, app performance, and other operations.Overall, the M5 chip, ample RAM, and a larger and faster SSD mean this is a powerful and efficient system that will satisfy most users, and may be enough for quite a few pro users, too.Connectivity got an upgrade, as well, with Apple's N1 chip bringing WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6 support, two moves that help set itup for the foreseeable future of wireless communication.

Performance score: 5/5

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) review: Battery life

15 and a half hours of battery life (web activities)
Effectively lasts all day (mixed use)
Charges to 50% in 30 minutes with the included 40W charger; 100% in just over two hours

The 3-nanometer M5 inside my new 13-inch MacBook Air isn't just faster, it's more efficient, squeezing another hour and a half of battery life out of the system over what the M4 MacBook Air achieved in our Future Labs tests.What's more, in mixed use, I got closer to the promised 18 hours of video streaming that Apple claims. No matter how you slice it, this is an ultraportable that can sip power and let you leave your 'ABC' (Always Be Charging) worries behind.When it was time to charge, I used the included 40W charger and MagSafe cable to charge the Air to almost 50% in 30 minutes. It took about two hours to reach 100%.

Battery score: 5/5

Should you buy the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5)?

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4)
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Price	The MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) is a little more expensive than the M4 before it, but with twice the storage it's still a good deal	4.5/5
Design	Close to a perfect laptop design, with quality materials, excellent build and Apple's exquisite attention to detail.	5/5
Display and Center Stage	Excellent screen with great color, brightness and sharpness. We've learned to live with the notch, and Center Stage makes for high-quality video conferencing and calls.	4.5/5
macOS and Apple Intelligence	macOS Tahoe is the complete package, a rich and comprehensive platform that ties in nicely to the Apple ecosystem. I wish Apple Intelligence was more useful, but there's great utility in every other area.	4/5
Performance	The M5 brings the level of performance we've previously seen in the MacBook Pro — I had trouble finding anything the laptop couldn't do. The faster and more substantial storage paired with 16GB of RAM make this a high-performance ultraportable that you'll love using every day.	5/5
Battery life	Mixed battery life improved, and I got closer to the possible 18 hours Apple promises if you only stream video.	5/5

Buy it if...

You want the best ultraportable
The MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it does raise the bar for ultraportable performance.

You demand real portability
At 2.7lbs / 1.24kg, the MacBook Air still lives up to its name.

You need a good blend of power and efficiency
The MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) packs more than enough power for most users, and you can bank on all-day battery life.

Don't buy it if...

You still want a touchscreen
Some think this might be the year of a touchscreen MacBook, but I doubt it. The MacBook Air is a perfect, classic laptop, and for touchscreen lovers there's always the iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard.

You want more useful AI
Apple Intelligence is not the kind of integrated AI we expect from our mobile systems, but changes are on the horizon in the form of Siri with Gemini integration.

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) review: Also consider

	MacBook Air 15-inch M5 (2026)	Dell XPS 13 Plus
Price:	$1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,199	$1,999.99 / £2,049 / AU$3,998
CPU:	Apple M5 (10-core)	Up to Intel Core Ultra 9 288V
Graphics:	Integrated 10-core GPU	Intel Arc Graphics
RAM:	16GB unified memory	Up to 32GB LPDDR5X
Screen:	15.3-inch, 2880 x 1864 Liquid Retina display, 500 nits brightness, wide color P3 gamut	Up to 13.4-inch 3K (2880 x 1800) OLED, 60Hz
Storage:	512GB SSD	Up to 2TB SSD
Ports:	2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), 3.5mm headphone jack, MagSafe 3	2 x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C)
Wireless:	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Camera:	Center Stage Camera (12MP, 1080p)	720p, 30 FPS HD
Weight:	3.3lbs / 1.51kg	2.70lbs / 1.21kg
Dimensions:	13.40 x 9.35 x 0.45 inches / 34 x 21.2 x 1.56cm	11.6 x 7.8 x 0.58 inches / 29.5 x 19.9 x 1.48cm

If our Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) review has you considering other options, here are two laptops to consider...

Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5)
The MacBook Air 15-inch (M5) is virtually the same as the 13-inch model in every respect except size (and screen size), but the base model does start with two extra GPU cores.

Dell XPS 13 Plus
The latest Dell XPS 13 brings Intel's Lunar Lake chips to the iconic laptop line, delivering truly all-day battery life and strong performance across the board in a sleek and stylish MacBook-esque design. However, issues with the XPS redesign remain, with its edgeless trackpad and adaptive function bar creating some problems with usability that prevent it from reaching true greatness.

Read more: Dell XPS 13 Plus review

How I tested the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5)

I used the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) for five days
I worked, played, listened, edited, and wrote this review on it
I usually ran multiple apps at once

The 13-inch Apple MacBook Air M5 was been my constant companion for several days. I worked, played, edited (photos and videos), and gamed on it.I ran a wide variety of benchmarks, installed Steam, and ran heavy-duty games. I watched some streaming video, and did my best to tax the M5 chip. I also spent time comparing its performance to that of the M4 chip on my Sky Blue MacBook Air.I browsed the web, played with Apple Intelligence (it didn't help me write this review), and enjoyed every minute of my time with this splendid machine.I've been reviewing technology for over 30 years, and I've tested everything from DOS-based word processors to Apple's Vision Pro. I've reviewed laptops of all stripes, including traditional clamshells and convertibles. I regularly work on macOS, but also use the Windows platform almost every day — I like to keep my hands in all the ecosystems.Read more about how we test

First reviewed March 2026

After a few weeks with the HP OmniBook 7 Aero, I was impressed by its performance and portability

6:08 pm | February 26, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops Windows Laptops | Tags: AI, Dell Inspiron, Indiana Jones | Comments: Off

HP OmniBook 7 Aero two-minute review

There’s a lot to like with the HP OmniBook 7 Aero, from its portability and somewhat unique look to its surprisingly robust performance. I would definitely recommend it as one of the best laptops out there for anyone wanting a lightweight Windows laptop to take on the road.

I also appreciate the port selection offered, as the best Ultrabooks typically come pretty limited in this department, usually limiting you to two USB-C ports. Digital nomads will like the quality of the webcam as well as the fact that it has a physical shutter. Really, it doesn’t feel like the thin and light nature of the HP OmniBook 7 Aero compromises on too much to get to its size or price point.

That said, there are a few things I'm not overly fond of. The keyboard is adequate, but with its low travel, it can get fatiguing during long writing sessions.

HP OmniBook 7 Aero laptop on a wooden desk — (Image credit: Future)

And even though the port selection is pretty good, HP decided to put both USB-C ports on one side, which is a little annoying when you need to plug into the wall on the other side. That might be a nitpick, but it's something that’s been a concern for many a laptop, including some iterations of the MacBook Air, and it’s a concern here.

Still, the pros make the HP OmniBook 7 Aero a good laptop to recommend for those looking for a lightweight, Windows laptop that works well, and it isn’t trying to look like a MacBook.

HP OmniBook 7 Aero: Price and availability

How much does it cost? Starting at $949.99 (about £710 / AU$1,420)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US and Australia

The HP OmniBook 7 Aero’s price tag is reasonable, if a little high, for what’s on offer. If I weren’t impressed by its light weight and solid performance, I would think this would be more of a $600 computer, but a starting price of $949.99 (about £710 / AU$1,420) seems appropriate. Upgrading the CPU, RAM, storage, and screen ends up with a slightly harder to stomach $1,399.99 / AU$2,998 (about £1,040) price tag.

Looking at the competition, these prices aren’t outrageous, though it’s worth noting that, first, HP will regularly discount their laptops so it’s worth waiting for a sale (it’s 44% off the base configuration at the time of writing, for instance), and that, second, other comparable laptops are around the same price or even a little less, not to mention also regularly discount their laptops.

The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus, which impressed me with its solid performance and portability, starts at $949.99 (about £760 / AU$1,470). That’s a laptop with a better battery life and higher resolution at the lowest configuration that I actually felt was a little overpriced.

And if you’re not married to the Windows ecosystem, the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) is not only a strong choice thanks to its strong performance and great battery life, but the fact that at its base configuration is just a better computer than the base configuration of the HP OmniBook 7 Aero. Apple, however, does not offer quite the same discounts that HP does.

Value: 4 / 5

HP OmniBook 7 Aero: Specs

Internally, the HP OmniBook 7 Aero only offers a few options for customization. You get either a six core AMD AI 5 340 CPU with integrated AMD Radeon 840M graphics or an eight core AMD AI 7 350 CPU with integrated Radeon 860M graphics.

The choices for RAM are either 16 or 32 GB (and you can only choose the higher RAM with the higher CPU), while the storage also comes in just two flavors: 512GB and 1TB (though there are a few different choices in terms of specific type of SSD).

There’s also a choice between Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E wireless configurations, though the latter, more expensive option comes with Bluetooth 5.3 instead of 5.4.

	HP OmniBook 7 Aero base configuration	HP OmniBook 7 Aero review / max configuration
Price:	$949.99 (about £710/ AU$1,420)	$1,399.99 / AU$2,998 (about £1,040)
CPU:	AMD AI 5 340	AMD AI 7 350
Graphics:	AMD Radeon 840M Integrated graphics	AMD Radeon 860M Integrated graphics
RAM:	16GB	32GB
Screen:	13.3-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS, micro-edge, anti-glare, 400 nits	13.3-inch diagonal, WQXGA (2560 x 1600), IPS, micro-edge, anti-glare, 400 nits
Storage:	512GB M.2 SSD	1TB M.2 SSD
Ports:	1 USB Type-A 10Gbps signaling rate; 1 USB Type-A 5Gbps signaling rate; 1 HDMI-out 2.1; 1 headphone/microphone combo; 2 USB Type-C 10Gbps signaling rate (USB Power Delivery 3.1, DisplayPort 2.1, HP Sleep and Charge)	1 USB Type-A 10Gbps signaling rate; 1 USB Type-A 5Gbps signaling rate; 1 HDMI-out 2.1; 1 headphone/microphone combo; 2 USB Type-C 10Gbps signaling rate (USB Power Delivery 3.1, DisplayPort 2.1, HP Sleep and Charge)
Wireless:	Realtek Wi-Fi 6 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.4	Realtek Wi-Fi 6E (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.3
Camera:	5MP IR camera with temporal noise reduction and integrated dual array digital microphones	5MP IR camera with temporal noise reduction and integrated dual array digital microphones
Weight:	<2.2 lb	<2.2 lb
Dimensions:	11.70 x 8.31 x 0.65 in (front); 11.70 x 8.31 x 0.69 in (rear)	11.70 x 8.31 x 0.65 in (front); 11.70 x 8.31 x 0.69 in (rear)

The only spec-related option externally comes in terms of two screen options. Both displays are 13.3-inch anti-glare 400 nit screens, but one has a 1920x1200p WUXGA resolution while the other has a sharper 2560x1600p WQXGA resolution. You can get this laptop in either Ceramic White or Glacier Silver.

HP OmniBook 7 Aero: Design

Attractive, light, and petite
Keyboard has a pretty short travel
Good port selection, though placement could be better

I have to say… I really like the way the HP OmniBook7 Aero looks. The Ceramic White colorway of my test unit is attractive in a way that doesn’t automatically make it look like HP was trying to copy Apple.

While the material is not machined metal, it is a very durable-feeling plastic that is still sturdy, and probably helps with the cost of the laptop. I can’t comment on the silver colorway other than to mention that HP does not mention that it uses machined aluminum for it, so it might look a little more like a MacBook, but it will still feel different.

I also appreciate how absolutely petite this laptop is. It has a 13.3-inch screen, weighs in at just over two pounds, and is a little over half an inch thick at its thinnest. Throwing it in a backpack to cart around doesn’t put any pressure on my back, not to mention it’s often the lightest device in my backpack.

Speaking of the screen, it has a very impressive accuracy of 0.29 delta E (closer to zero is better and under 2 is considered accurate) as well as a 112% sRGB color coverage. Its 79% DCI-P3 color coverage is not quite as good, though, so keep that in mind if you plan on doing any photo editing with HDR.

As such a diminutive laptop, I do find that the keyboard is more serviceable than amazing. This is particularly true for the keyboard as it has a fairly short travel – short enough that I notice it when typing out more than just an email. The trackpad is at least a little better as it is as responsive as one could ask. It handles gestures well as well.

With a 5MP IR camera, I do find the webcam to reproduce a sharp, smooth image – I don’t get any choppiness as long as I have a strong internet connection – plus it has those useful effects on hand, such as blurring the background, reorienting the eyes so that they seem to look at the recipient and not the camera, and automatically reframing when one moves their head. More importantly, it comes with a physical privacy shutter.

One thing that smaller laptops like the HP OmniBook 7 Aero often sacrifice are the ports, usually offering just a handful of USB-C. Luckily, this laptop bucks that trend. There are, of course, two USB-C ports that support power delivery and DisplayPort 2.1, though they are unfortunately on just one side of the laptop. But there are also two regular USB-A ports, a headphone jack, and an HDMI port. Not bad for such a little guy.

Design: 4.5 / 5

HP OmniBook 7 Aero: Performance

Surprisingly robust performance
Has enough power for AI
Audio quality is just okay

Despite the fact that the HP OmniBook 7 Aero fits more into the light and portable category of laptops, aka Ultrabooks, its performance is surprisingly robust. There’s no discrete graphics, but the integrated Radeon Graphics were enough to run some computer games, not that you should really consider this for a gaming laptop.

I managed to run Indiana Jones and the Great Circle off Game Pass at low settings without any latency, lags, or stutters. I also managed to run Cyberpunk 2077, though that got low enough frame rates to not want to use this laptop to play it.

HP OmniBook 7 Aero: Benchmarks

Here's how the HP OmniBook 7 Aero performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Fire Strike: 6078; Time Spy: 2732; Night Raid: 24031; Steel Nomad: 396

GeekBench 6.5: 2825 (single-core); 12137 (multi-core)

25GB File Copy: 13.26

Handbrake 1.9.2: 6:08

CrossMark: Overall: 1837 Productivity: 1695 Creativity: 2141 Responsiveness: 1477

Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm (1080p high): 25.368 fps; (2560x1600p high) 15.895 fps; Storm (1080p medium): 42.843 fps; (2560x1600p medium) 26.997 fps

Web Surfing (Battery Informant): 8:51:07

Of course, the fans go full blast when running any demanding task, and the keyboard does pass on some of the internal heat. But again, this really isn’t a laptop meant for these kinds of heavy-duty tasks, even if there’s more power here than expected.

Also, be aware that it can get a little hot if pushed hard. This is a fairly thin laptop after all. We registered temperatures of up to 103.8F between the G and H keys when really pushed into overdrive.

For productivity work, this means that the HP OmniBook 7 Aero can keep up with internet hounds and research junkies. If you need 20 tabs open at once, you won’t have to worry about slowing this laptop down. I found it to switch tabs instantaneously even with that many tabs open.

On the AI side of things, whether you find CoPilot+ useful or not, it’s here and works relatively quickly. I was more limited by the speed of the server the laptop was engaging with more so than the laptop itself when generating an AI image thanks to the CPU’s 50 NPU TOPS.

Lastly, the audio quality is not bad for a lightweight laptop like this, though nothing to write home about. There’s no low-end so audio can come off as a little thin, but the detail is decent. I do recommend using some headphones for any serious listening.

Performance: 4.5 / 5

HP OmniBook 7 Aero: Battery life

Battery life is long enough for a full day’s work, but just barely
Fast charging capabilities make up for smaller battery

With a battery life of 8:51:07 (according to our battery benchmark), the HP OmniBook 7 Aero is both underwhelming compared to many of the light and thin laptops out there – some are reaching times of over 15 hours – and still more than enough battery life for most people.

Since it can reach almost nine hours on a single charge, it still has plenty of juice to get one through an entire day of work without needing to find an outlet.

Once you do find an outlet though, its fast charging capabilities make up for that small 3-cell, 43 Wh battery. If turned off, the laptop will recharge up to 50% of its battery in 30 minutes. That’s pretty impressive.

Battery life: 4 / 5

Should I buy the HP OmniBook 7 Aero?

Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	The price is about what one would expect for this kind of laptop, though its value goes way up when on sale.	4 / 5
Design	It’s thin, light, comes with a privacy shutter, and, most importantly, looks a bit unique.	4.5 / 5
Performance	This lightweight laptop can somewhat overdeliver when it comes to performance.	4.5 / 5
Battery	The battery life is good enough, but underwhelming when compared to the competition.	4 / 5
Average rating	Its portability and performance set it apart from the more middle-of-the-road act-like-a-MacBook laptop that comprise its competition.	4.5 / 5

Buy it if…

You want a very portable laptop

The HP OmniBook 7 Aero is so light and thin that when I throw it in a backpack, I barely notice that it’s there. If you want a laptop that travels easily, this one will more than do.View Deal

You want robust performance in small package

While this isn’t going to go head-to-head with a gaming laptop for any kind of heavy-duty performance, it does better than one would expect on what looks to be a lightweight laptop (in terms of specs).View Deal

You want a laptop that looks a little different

The white version of this laptop at the very least is a somewhat unique-looking laptop, making it attractive for anyone tired of the machined metal laptops all trying to look like but not be a MacBook.View Deal

Don’t buy it if…

You want a really long battery life

The almost nine hour battery life is enough to get through the day, but it’s underwhelming compared to the other options out there.View Deal

You type all day

The shallow keyboard does fine for basic use, but if you’re typing up reports or articles all day long, it can get fatiguing. There are other portable laptops with better keyboards.View Deal

Also Consider

If our HP OmniBook 7 Aero review has you considering other options, here are two laptops to consider...

Dell Inspiron 14 Plus

The Dell Inspiron 14 Plus is a little bigger than the OmniBook 7 Aero with its 14-inch screen, but it’s just as portable. It also comes with a 1600p screen, snappy performance thanks to its Snapdragon CPU, and quite the long battery life.

Read our full Dell Inspiron 14 Plus reviewView Deal

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4)

The Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) is, like just about every MacBook Air before it, the trendsetter for Ultrabooks, setting the standard in laptops trying to strike a balance between performance and portability. It also has a very long battery life and is cheaper than its previous iterations.

Read our full Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) review View Deal

How I tested the HP OmniBook 7 Aero

Tested for a couple weeks
Used it for work, gaming, and streaming
Messed with its AI capabilities

I used the HP OmniBook 7 Aero for a couple weeks. I used it for work, including typing up this review (along with the requisite online research). I used it to stream video. I even did some semi-serious gaming. I played around with the AI as well.

After spending time with the HP OmniBook 7 Aero, it’s clear that this is meant for those that want a Windows laptop that works great on the road.

I’ve spent the last few years reviewing tech gear for gaming and otherwise, where I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation.

First reviewed February 2026

The Galaxy Book6 Ultra proves Samsung can make a MacBook killer – it’s just a shame about the price

8:00 pm | February 11, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops Windows Laptops | Tags: Battery Life, Total War | Comments: Off

Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra: Two-minute review

The Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra is the very latest premium laptop from the South Korean tech giant. While Samsung is better known for its TVs, smartphones, and home appliances, in recent years it’s been steadily releasing some of the best laptops we’ve ever tested through its Galaxy Book lineup, and the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra was launched at CES 2026 alongside the Book6 Pro and more affordable Galaxy Book6.

They all come with Intel’s brand-new Core Ultra Series 3 mobile processors (also known as Panther Lake), which have been seriously impressing us, as well as Samsung’s increasingly sophisticated ecosystem that allows these laptops to interact with other Samsung devices, especially smartphones and tablets, and gives, in my mind, the closest experience to Apple’s slick Mac/iPhone/iPad integration for Windows 11 and Android devices. More on that later.

As a Galaxy product, this is naturally a high-end flagship device, and with a price tag of £2,999 (around $4,000 / AU$6,000) for the base model, this isn't going to be a laptop for everyone.

However, if you can afford it, you should be pretty happy with what you get for your money. The latest hardware from Intel and Nvidia means this is a brilliant performer for basically any task you require, and Samsung has made sure this is a solidly-built laptop with excellent build quality - and comes with one of the best screens you can get.

But that high price and abundance of power mean a lot of people simply won't need the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra, and a more affordable laptop (such as the standard Galaxy Book6) will be a much better choice.

Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra laptop in an office environment — (Image credit: Future)

Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra: Price & Availability

Starts at $2,449.99 / £2,999 (around AU$6,000)
Launch seems to have been delayed

As with Samsung’s other Galaxy products, the Galaxy Book6 series of laptops are premium devices with designs, specs, and price tags to match. The Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra, as the name suggests, is the highest-end model, and starts at $2,449.99 / £2,999 (around AU$6,000) for the model that comes with an Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU and 1TB of storage.

That’s expensive for a laptop. Very expensive. It makes the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5) from last year seem like a bargain at $1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,499, and while you can argue that the Galaxy Book6 Ultra is a much more powerful laptop, mainly thanks to its high-end CPU, discrete GPU and more RAM, if you’re making a product that’s a more expensive rival to an Apple device, you’ll need to justify the extra cash.

Arguably, comparing the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra to the more powerful 16-inch MacBook Pro with either M4 Pro or M4 Max chips (which, despite being last-generation, are more powerful than the M5) is more fair. The MacBook Pro 16-inch with M4 Pro and 24GB of unified memory is $2,499 / £2,499 / AU$3,999, while the model with an M4 Max chip and 36GB of unified memory is $3,499 / £3,499 / AU$5,699.

Value: 2.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra review: Specs

Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra Specs
	Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra Base Config	Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra Review Config	Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra High end Config
Price	$2,449.99 / £2,999 (around AU$6,000)	TBA	TBA
CPU	Intel Core Ultra 7 series 3	Intel Core Ultra 7 series 3	Intel Core Ultra 9 series 3
GPU	Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060	Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070	Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070
RAM	32GB LPDDR5X	32GB LPDDR5X	64GB LPDDR5X
Storage	1TB PCI Express NVMe 4.0 (M.2)	1TB PCI Express NVMe 4.0 (M.2)	1TB PCI Express NVMe 4.0 (M.2)
Display	16-inch Touch AMOLED, Anti-Reflective, WQXGA+ (2880×1800), 1000nits	16-inch Touch AMOLED, Anti-Reflective, WQXGA+ (2880×1800), 1000nits	16-inch Touch AMOLED, Anti-Reflective, WQXGA+ (2880×1800), 1000nits
Ports and Connectivity	Thunderbolt 4 (2), USB Type-A, HDMI 2.1 port (Supports 8K@60, 5K@120), SD, Headphone/Microphone	Thunderbolt 4 (2), USB Type-A, HDMI 2.1 port (Supports 8K@60, 5K@120), SD, Headphone/Microphone	Thunderbolt 4 (2), USB Type-A, HDMI 2.1 port (Supports 8K@60, 5K@120), SD, Headphone/Microphone
Battery	80.20Wh	80.20Wh	80.20Wh
Dimensions	14.05 x 9.76 x 0.6 inches / 356.9 x 248 x 15.4mm	14.05 x 9.76 x 0.6 inches / 356.9 x 248 x 15.4mm	14.05 x 9.76 x 0.6 inches / 356.9 x 248 x 15.4mm
Weight	4.2lbs / 1.89kg	4.2lbs / 1.89kg	4.2lbs / 1.89kg

Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra review: Design

Very smart looking
Excellent display
Manages to be slim

As with previous Galaxy Book laptops, the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra is a great-looking product, with a sleek, understated design in silver that is reminiscent of Apple’s Intel-based MacBook Pros (before they underwent noticeable redesigns with the switch to Apple’s own M-series processors). This won’t be the last time I’ll mention the Book6 Ultra’s similarities to a MacBook.

Unlike the Galaxy Book6 Pro and Galaxy Book6, which come in both 14-inch and 16-inch sizes, the Galaxy Book6 Ultra comes in a single 16-inch size. While this might mean that if portability is your biggest concern when buying a new laptop, you might not want a large-screen device like the Book6 Ultra, Samsung has done a good job of keeping this laptop feeling thin and relatively light.

It measures 14.05 x 9.76 x 0.6 inches (356.9 x 248 x 15.4mm) and weighs up to 4.2lbs (1.89kg). This means it’s slightly thinner than the 14-inch MacBook Pro (M5), despite its larger screen and discrete GPU, although because this is a 16-inch laptop, the overall footprint is larger than the M5 MacBook Pro.

Despite the thin design, there’s a decent selection of ports, including two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, a standard USB Type-A port, HDMI 2.1, and an SD card reader. Thankfully, Samsung’s decision to drop the headphone jacks from its smartphones hasn’t made it to its laptop division, as the Galaxy Book6 Ultra comes with a port for plugging in headsets and microphones.

Fans of USB-C formats (come on, there must be some) will note that the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra’s two ports are Thunderbolt 4, rather than the newer (and faster) Thunderbolt 5. While this means the Book6 Ultra isn’t quite packed with the very latest components, it’s worth noting that its main competitor, the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025), also comes with Thunderbolt 4 ports.

The keyboard, which again invites comparisons with the MacBook Pro, is decent, and while the keys themselves are rather shallow, they still feel responsive and comfortable to use. As with Apple’s laptops, there’s a dedicated button on the top-right of the keyboard that’s used to scan your fingerprint. This allows you to securely log into Windows 11 with just a touch, and it also means you can use features such as the controversial Recall tool that require advanced biometric security.

The main appeal, design-wise, of the Galaxy Book6 Ultra, however, is its screen. Samsung is known for using excellent screens for its devices, especially TVs and smartphones, and the Galaxy Book6 Ultra continues that tradition.

The 16-inch touchscreen comes with a sharp WQXGA+ (2880 x 1800) resolution, and AMOLED screen technology that results in an incredibly vibrant and detailed image quality. That, combined with a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz, makes Windows 11, its apps, and pretty much any media you play on the Galaxy Book6 Ultra look absolutely fantastic.

The display is surrounded by a thin, modern bezel, which means Samsung can maximize the screen size without bulking up the rest of the laptop, and there’s no controversial ‘notch’ that modern MacBooks have around the webcam.

Design: 4.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra review: Performance

Excellent Windows 11 performance
Can even play games
Gets very hot

Coming with Intel’s latest, and very impressive, Panther Lake processors, and able to be configured with up to an Nvidia RTX 5070 graphics card, the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra offers an exemplary Windows 11 experience, with the operating system and apps all running smoothly.

Whilst testing the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra, I had no problem at all running various apps, and with plenty of RAM, multitasking between apps is smooth and responsive.

The model I reviewed comes with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 laptop GPU, something that’s often found in the best gaming laptops. The inclusion of this high-end GPU doesn’t mean the Galaxy Book6 Ultra is a gaming laptop, however, as it can be used for graphically-intensive workloads, such as ultra-high-definition video editing, 3D animation, and advanced AI tasks. So, this model of the Galaxy Book6 Ultra is a great choice for creative professionals, especially thanks to its gorgeous OLED screen.

The Galaxy Book6 Ultra certainly had no issues while I was editing a 4K movie in Adobe Premiere, with clips loading quickly, and scrubbing through the video’s timeline was instant. This was also while I had numerous apps and websites open at once, and Windows 11 felt incredibly fast and smooth.

Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra: Benchmarks

Here's how the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
3DMark: Fire Strike: 26,767; Time Spy: 12,309; Steel Nomad: 2,758; Port Royal: 7,687
Geekbench 6.5: Multicore: 16,655; Single-core: 2,852
PCMark 10: 6,827
Crossmark: Overall: 1,880; Productivity: 1,669; Creativity: 2,275; Responsiveness: 1,514
Cyberpunk 2077: (1080p, High, DLSS Quality): 111.86fps
Assassin's Creed Shadows: 1080p, Medium: 54fps; 1080p, Ultra High: 32fps, 1080p, Medium, DLSS Quality: 65; 1080p, Ultra High, DLSS Quality: 39fps
Total War: Warhammer III: 1080p, High: 101.3fps
Battery Life (TechRadar video test): 13 hours, 39 minutes
Battery Life (Battery Informant): 15 hours, 11 minutes

Also, while the RTX 5070-toting Galaxy Book6 Ultra is not a gaming laptop, it can still play games, though you’ll want to enable DLSS upscaling where possible. At 1080p with DLSS on and graphics set to ‘High’, I got Cyberpunk 2077 running at a very impressive 111.86fps. Meanwhile, Assassin's Creed Shadows at ‘Medium’ settings with DLSS switched on hit 65fps.

Sure, these aren’t the most mind-blowing numbers, and there will be plenty of PC gamers who turn their noses up at the need to use DLSS, but the fact that such a thin and light laptop can play these games at all, let alone at those kind of frame rates, is really impressive, and again thanks to the OLED screen, they look incredible.

The Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra also remains impressively quiet. Even when performing intensive tasks, fan noise was kept to a minimum. The lack of distracting whirring is nice, but it does mean that at some points, primarily just above the keyboard, the laptop can get very hot to the touch. Using it for prolonged periods of heavy workloads (including gaming) could lead to the performance getting throttled to stop the Galaxy Book6 Ultra from overheating, though it didn’t happen during my tests. Packing such powerful components into such a slim chassis does mean that this is a risk, however.

One of the key features of the Galaxy Book6 Ultra is how it can work with other Samsung devices, much like how MacBooks can work with iPhones, iPads, and other Apple devices.

Screenshot showing Samsung's apps in Windows 11 on the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra — (Image credit: Microsoft / Samsung)

I connected the Galaxy Book6 Ultra to my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, and with a bit of tweaking, I was able to easily share documents between the laptop and the smartphone. 'Multicontrol' is a particularly impressive feature, whereby dragging the mouse cursor to the edge of the Galaxy Book6 Ultra’s screen, the cursor will jump to the smartphone, and you can use the Galaxy Book6 Ultra’s trackpad and keyboard to interact with the phone.

I used this to type out some long messages that would have been a pain to write using the phone’s touchscreen. You can also use Samsung’s tablets as a second display for the Galaxy Book6 Ultra, a nice touch if you have invested in Samsung’s ecosystem.

If the Galaxy Book6 Ultra is going to be your first and only Samsung device, then sadly you won’t be able to make use of most of these features, though Windows 11’s Phone Link feature remains a great way to access your phone via your laptop, and it’ll work on the Galaxy Book6 Ultra without the phone needing to be a Samsung model.

You’re missing out on some really useful features, though, many of which make life easier – and Samsung has made it the furthest out of any of its rivals when it comes to providing an Apple-like experience with its ecosystem.

This is all the more impressive as Apple has complete control over its ecosystem: it builds both the hardware (including many components) in its Macs, iPhones, and tablets, as well as the software those devices run on. That means making everything interact with each other is a lot easier (relatively speaking, I mean. I’m certainly not downplaying the hard work and effort that’s still required).

Meanwhile, Samsung’s laptops and smartphones are mainly made of components made by other companies, such as Intel, and the software they run (Windows 11 for laptops, Android for smartphones and tablets) is also made by other companies (Microsoft and Google, respectively).

Samsung apps in Windows 11 — (Image credit: Microsoft / Samsung)

So, making its various products all work together is an impressive feat, and for the most part works well. It does mean that you need to use Samsung’s own apps for a lot of things, and you need to sign into your Samsung account (on top of your Microsoft account, Google account), so if you’re not a fan of extra apps (sometimes uncharitably called ‘bloatware’) on your laptop or smartphone, then you’ll be frustrated with Samsung’s penchant of preinstalling its own apps.

Also, it’s not quite as slick as Apple’s implementation, and there are a few performance niggles. While using Multcontrol to use the trackpad and keyboard of the Galaxy Book6 Ultra on my Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphone was helpful, it prevented the onscreen keyboard on the phone from appearing when I moved control back over to the laptop. Not the end of the world, but a bit annoying if you forget and then wonder why you can’t type out a message. It’s easy to fix by reenabling the touch keyboard, but it’s an example of how Apple’s ecosystem works so much better.

As well as the excellent OLED screen, which offers beautifully dark blacks, high contrast, and vibrant colors, the Galaxy Book6 Ultra comes with six Dolby Atmos speakers with four force-cancelling woofers and two tweeters, which allows the laptop to handle both deep bases and high details. It can reach loud volumes without the audio distorting, and there are no annoying vibrations thanks to the speaker design.

As a Copilot+ PC, it’s also been designed with on-device AI in mind, but even though both Microsoft and Samsung seem fully committed to AI, I’ve yet to find a compelling case for it in a laptop. Sure, it’s nice to have and means this laptop is certainly future-proof, but it’s the least exciting part of the Galaxy Book6 Ultra.

Performance: 4.5 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra review: Battery Life

Over 15 hours
Gaming drains it in 2 hours

Despite what many companies, including Microsoft, insist, AI is not the most interesting or exciting feature of this new generation of Copilot+ PC laptops (ugh, I hate that name) – but rather, it's the battery life.

The processors powering these laptops are getting ever more efficient, which means they can offer excellent performance as well as longer times between charging, and the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra is an excellent example of this, managing over 15 hours in our benchmark tests. That’s not the longest we’ve seen, and the MacBook Pro comfortably beats it by about five hours in the same test. It’s still very good for a laptop that offers this kind of performance.

I was able to use it for multiple workdays without needing to plug it in, and when I did, the battery charged quickly. I used the included power adaptor, but any USB-C charger should do the trick – and it’s worth noting that in the UK and EU, the Galaxy Book6 Ultra does not come with a power adaptor, similar to the MacBook. This is supposed to help reduce e-waste, and while that’s an admirable goal, it does add to the expense if you’ve not got a spare charger already.

Battery Life: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Acer Aspire 16 AI?

Acer Aspire 16 AI Scorecard
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	This is a stylish and very powerful laptop that predictably comes at a very high price that will likely put off a lot of people.	2.5 / 5
Design	The Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra is one of the nicest-looking laptops on the market right now, and its AMOLED screen is a particular highlight.	4.5 / 5
Performance	Windows 11 is incredibly fast, and even the most intensive workloads are handled with ease. It can also play games.	4.5 / 5
Battery Life	Scoring over 15 hours in our tests, this is very impressive for a laptop that offers this level of performance.	4.5 / 5
Total	The Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra is one of the best laptops you can buy right now thanks to its awesome performance and stunning design. It's especially great if paired with a Samsung phone, though the high price means it won't be for everyone.	4.5 / 5

Buy the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra if...

You have other Samsung devices
The Galaxy Book6 Ultra really comes into its own when you pair it with a Samsung smartphone, tablet or headphones.

You want a thin and light creative workstation
Intel’s latest chips and the ability to configure the Galaxy Book6 Ultra with an RTX 5070 GPU mean this is an incredibly powerful laptop that’s ideal for creative workloads, all wrapped up in a thin and light chassis.

You want a fantastic screen to work on
The 16-inch AMOLED screen of the Galaxy Book6 Ultra is one of the best displays you can currently get in a laptop.

Don't buy it if...

You have a tight budget
The Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra is a flagship laptop with cutting-edge components and features, which makes it very expensive.

You want a gaming laptop
Despite coming with an RTX 5070 GPU, this is not a gaming laptop, and while it certainly can play games, you’d be better off buying a machine specifically designed for gaming, as they will offer better cooling and other gaming features.

How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra

Tested for several weeks
Used for various tasks
Connected it to my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphone

I tested the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra over the course of several weeks, using it for work and writing the bulk of this review on it. I also played a few games on it to see how the dedicated GPU copes.

I also edited a 4K video using Adobe Premiere Pro and streamed several movies and listened to music. I've been reviewing laptops for nearly 20 years, and I've used my extensive experience to rate this device.

First reviewed: February 2026
Read more about how we test

This HP laptop I tested has a sleek and compact form, but rivals offer better value for money

1:37 pm | February 4, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops Windows Laptops | Tags: Battery Life, CPU | Comments: Off

HP Laptop 14: Two-minute review

The HP Laptop 14 is a budget laptop that aims to combine a compact form factor with just enough performance for everyday use. Its appearance won’t exactly set the world alight, especially when it’s finished in the anodyne gray colorway. However, it looks smart enough, with the clean lines and unsullied contours lending a subtle elegance.

These aspects are complemented by a thin and light chassis, which makes the HP Laptop 14 easy to ferry around. However, the price paid for this lithesome build is the cheap-feeling construction, which falls short of the best laptop builds.

Having said that, I was pleased to find the lid hinge operated smoothly and provided plenty of stability. It also allows the display to recline quite far, but stops short of 180 degrees.

The HP Laptop 14 has a sparse selection of ports. The two USB-A ports are welcome, but there’s only one USB-C interface, and it doesn’t support power or display signals (there’s an HDMI port for the latter, at least).

Rear three-quarter view of HP Laptop 14 partially open on white desk with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

My unit was equipped with an Intel Core i5, which provided adequate performance. It could handle light browsing and productivity, as well as high-quality video streaming — but not much more. With 8GB of RAM on board, the HP Laptop 14 struggled to cope with multiple tabs open, especially when the content involved media, as I experienced frequent stutters and momentary freezes in such instances.

Given the lack of a dedicated GPU, it’s also no surprise that the HP Laptop 14 doesn’t handle games well, either. Cyberpunk 2077 was virtually unplayable, even on the lowest preset. Fortunately, there isn’t much heat or noise when heavy workloads such as this are conducted.

The 1080p display is just about sharp enough for UI elements and the like to appear crisp, but in truth the resolution is starting to feel its age on laptops. Worse, however, is the tendency for shadows or reflections to obscure the visuals if the viewing angle isn’t perfect, which is frustrating.

I was much less frustrated with the keyboard in the HP Laptop 14. The comfortable spacing and light actuation of the keys makes them ideal for quick typing, and although there’s less dampening than I would’ve liked, the resultant harshness wasn’t too detrimental.

The touchpad is also effective, providing a smooth surface and precise inputs. It’s not particularly large, which might hamper navigation somewhat, but for basic use it suffices.

Less effective is the battery life of the HP Laptop 14. It managed just under eight hours in our movie playback test, which puts it on the lower end of the spectrum for laptops of this class. There are many mid-range offerings capable of enduring for a full day and beyond.

The starting price of the HP Laptop 14 might seem very reasonable, but the base spec would struggle with even rudimentary tasks by modern standards. And the more powerful models are still too weak to truly compete with others in the mid-range, which leaves the HP Laptop 14 lagging behind the times.

HP Laptop 14 review: Price & Availability

Starts from $539.99 / £299 (about AU$585)
Base spec is cheap
Expensive higher-spec models

The HP Laptop 14 starts from $539.99 / £299 (about AU$585) and is available now. Interestingly, in the UK, it seems to be marketed under a different name — the HP Pavilion SE — and there doesn’t appear to be an equivalent model in Australia.

The base spec is undeniably cheap for a Windows laptop, especially in the UK, but the Intel Core i3 it’s equipped with is unlikely to offer smooth sailing for modern workloads. The spec I tested isn’t particularly cheap, either, dashing its hopes of being one of the best budget laptops around.

Value: 3 / 5

HP Laptop 14 review: Specs

	Base configuration	Review configuration
Price	$539.99 / £299 (about AU$585)	$629.99 / £599 (about AU$900)
CPU	US: Intel Core 3 100U (up to 4.7GHz, 6 cores) / UK: Intel Core i3-N305 (up to 3.8GHz, 8 cores)	US: Intel Core 5 120U (up to 5.0GHz, 10 cores) / UK: Intel Core i5-1334U (up to 4.6GHz, 10 cores)
GPU	Intel UHD Graphics (integrated)	Intel Iris Xe Graphics (integrated)
RAM	8GB DDR4	8GB DDR4
Storage	US: 256GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD / UK: 128GB UFS	256GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
Display	US: 14-inch HD (1366 x 768), IPS, micro-edge, anti-glare / UK: 14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080), IPS, micro-edge, anti-glare	14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080), IPS, micro-edge, anti-glare
Ports and Connectivity	1x USB-C (5Gbps), 2x USB-A (5Gbps), 1x HDMI 1.4b, 1x combo audio; Wi-Fi 6, US: Bluetooth 5.3 / UK: Bluetooth 5.4	1x USB-C (5Gbps), 2x USB-A (5Gbps), 1x HDMI 1.4b, 1x combo audio; Wi-Fi 6, US: Bluetooth 5.3 / UK: Bluetooth 5.4
Battery	41Wh	41Wh
Dimensions	12.7 x 8.5 x 1.3 inches (323.7 x 215 x 32.5mm)	12.7 x 8.5 x 1.3 inches (323.7 x 215 x 32.5mm)
Weight	3.1lbs / 1.41kg	3.1lbs / 1.41kg

HP Laptop 14 review: Design

Close-up of webcam on HP Laptop 14 — (Image credit: Future)

Minimal looks and weight
No keyboard backlighting
Limited USB-C functionality

The HP Laptop 14 has a sensible yet sleek style. It doesn’t inspire much excitement, with the dull gray colorway of my unit hardly helping matters, but the subtle elegance of the body becomes apparent the deeper you look. The clean lines and angles, coupled with the absence of any unnecessary contours, all help to elevate it beyond the utilitarian fare often found in this sector.

In keeping with its minimal appearance is the compact form factor. The base and lid are pleasingly thin, and the overall unit is quite light. The materials don’t feel particularly premium though; the plastics are smooth enough, but they lack solidity. Despite trying to look like some of the best MacBooks, the HP Laptop 14 fails to match their formidable construction.

That said, the hinge for the lid offers reassuring stability, preventing the display from wobbling when hammering away on the keyboard and touchpad. The recline angle is quite generous as well, although unfortunately, it doesn’t extend all the way to 180 degrees.

Close-up of keyboard on HP Laptop 14 — (Image credit: Future)

The keycaps feature prominently embossed lettering, so you really feel them under your fingertips. I’m not sure whether this is an intended design choice or merely unrefined design; regardless, I like their tactility, even if they don’t feel particularly premium. However, I was decidedly less impressed with the lack of backlighting, which is an egregious omission for any laptop keyboard in my view.

Despite the truncated layout, you get navigation keys on the right, which helps with productivity tasks. But the lack of a number pad, coupled with the shortened up and down arrow keys, are a hindrance for such work.

There aren’t many ports on the HP Laptop 14, but the essential ones are present. There are two USB-A ports, one either side, which is something I welcome. However, there’s only type-C, and it can’t deliver enough power to charge the HP Laptop 14, or support external monitor connections. At least you get an HDMI port for the latter purpose; it’s an interface that’s an increasingly rare sight on modern laptops.

Design: 3.5 / 5

HP Laptop 14 review: Performance

Close-up of touchpad on HP Laptop 14 — (Image credit: Future)

Shoddy multitasking abilities
Non-existent gaming capability
Poor display viewing angles

HP Laptop 14 benchmarks

3DMark: Night Raid: 8,971; Fire Strike: 2,132
Geekbench 6.5 (Single Core): 2,230; (Multi Core): 5,468; GPU (Vulkan): 11,161; GPU (OpenCL): 9,169
Geekbench AI (Single Precision): 1,741; (Half Precision): 761; (Quantized): 3,583
Cinebench R23 (Multi Core): 5,580
Cinebench R24 (Single Core): 98; (Multi Core): 358
Crossmark: Overall: 1,295; Productivity: 1,373; Responsiveness: 1,132; Creativity: 1,279
Passmark: Overall: 2,904; CPU: 12,395; 2D Graphics: 509; 3D Graphics: 1,985; Memory: 2,217; Disk: 13,797
BlackMagicDisk: Read: 348MB/s; Write: 2,493MB/s
Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 7 hours and 46 minutes

The HP Laptop 14 was a mediocre performer during much of my testing. It can handle light workloads, such as word processing and streaming video. However, it’s prone to slowdowns and momentary freezes when multiple browser tabs are open, so this isn’t the best machine for those seeking multitasking capabilities.

As expected given the modest spec of my unit, high-end gaming is out of the question for the HP Laptop 14. Even with the lowest graphical preset selected, it failed to run Cyberpunk 2077 in any sort of playable state, blighted by copious amounts of stutter and horrendous frame rates as it was. Suffice to say, it’s not going to trouble the best gaming laptop models, but at least there’s little heat or noise generated in the process.

What’s more, the 1080p resolution feels a little outdated on a laptop display this size. The UI elements are crisp enough, and I certainly wouldn’t say it was unpleasant to look at, but when you consider many mid-range laptops now have 2K resolutions and above, the HP Laptop 14 falls behind the competition. The worst aspect of the display, though, is its very limited viewing angles. If it’s not set perfectly, on-screen content will darken to the point of obscurity, or reveal prominent reflections.

Close-up of ports on left-hand side of HP Laptop 14, on desk with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

On a more positive note, the keyboard of the HP Laptop 14 is largely pleasant to use. The keys have a very light actuation and react quickly, while at the same time having a generous amount of travel. Altogether, these aspects make for easy and snappy typing. The spacing of the keys is comfortable, too. There’s just about enough dampening to reduce harsh feedback, although I did feel the keyboard enclosure compressing inwards as I typed away – a constant reminder of the HP Laptop 14’s subpar construction. Fortunately, this didn’t negatively affect the typing experience.

The touchpad is sufficient, offering smooth and precise inputs for the most part. There were, however, occasions where stuttering seemed to occur, as the inputs of my swipes failed to register properly, which was mildly frustrating. It’s also a little on the small side, but I didn’t find this compromised basic navigation. And while my right thumb palm frequently made contact with the touchpad while typing, such instances didn’t result in any misplaced taps or cursor swipes.

Performance: 3 / 5

HP Laptop 14 review: Battery Life

Close-up of ports on right-hand side of HP Laptop 14, on desk with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Middling battery life
Not very quick to charge

The battery life of the HP Laptop 14 is mediocre for this class of laptop. It lasted just under eight hours in our movie playback test – a score many of its rivals can beat. This includes other HP models, such as the OmniBook 7 14-inch, which achieved an astonishing 26 hours in the same test, showing just how high the bar is for modern laptop longevity – though, of course, that's a much more expensive laptop.

Charging isn’t as fast as other laptops, either. It took over three hours to fully recharge from empty; many of its rivals can achieve the same at least an hour quicker.

Battery Life: 3 / 5

Should I buy the HP Laptop 14?

HP Laptop 14 Scorecard
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	The base model is cheap, but I wouldn't recommend it. Higher spec models are too expensive.	3.5 / 5
Design	The compact form and tidy looks are commendable, but the cheap-feeling materials and limited connectivity options are drawbacks.	3.5 / 5
Performance	Disappointing for the price. The display is also poor at keeping reflections and shadows at bay.	3 / 5
Battery life	Not great; many rivals can outlast it by a long way.	3 / 5
Total Score	The small footprint and minimalist design of the HP Laptop 14 are strengths, but it's too expensive given the mediocre performance. Many rivals offer better value for money.	3 / 5

Buy it if...

You’ll be doing a lot of typing
The generous spacing, light actuation, and relatively deep travel of the keys make for an easy-going typing experience.

You want a sleek design
It won’t melt your heart, but the subtle elegance and compact form factor are sufficiently appealing.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best performance
Even light multitasking can cause the HP Laptop 14 to come unstuck, and any form of gaming is pretty much out of the question.

You want the best display
Many other laptop displays in this class have higher resolutions and don’t suffer from the same viewing angle problems.

HP Laptop 14 review: Also consider

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025)
It might have a higher starting price than the HP Laptop 14, but we’ve seen some serious discounts on this excellent laptop. It beats the HP Laptop 14 hands down in just about every category, making it one of the best mid-range laptops you can buy right now.

HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch
If you’re looking for high-performance but don’t mind forgoing the Windows environment, then a Chromebook Plus model, such as this HP Chromebook Plus, might be ideal for you. It’s a great performer across many areas and has a decent display offering much better viewing angles than the HP Laptop 14. All these attributes make it not just one of the best Chromebooks, but also one of the best student laptop picks. Read our full HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch review.

How I tested the HP Laptop 14

Rear three-quarter view of HP Laptop 14 open on white desk with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Tested for several days
Used for a variety of tasks
Ran numerous benchmarks

I tested the HP Laptop 14 for several days, during which time I used it for general browsing, light productivity, and streaming videos.

I also put it through TechRadar’s series of benchmark tests, designed to assess every aspect of a laptop’s performance. I tested the battery life by running a movie on a continuous loop until it shut down.

I have reviewed a large number of laptops across a wide range, from small budget-friendly models to large gaming-oriented behemoths. I’ve also reviewed other computing devices, including tablets, Chromebooks, and desktop PCs.

First reviewed: February 2026
Read more about how we test

I tested the HP OmniBook 7 and I don’t think there’s a better mid-range laptop — but it’s not exactly cheap

3:08 pm | February 2, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops Windows Laptops | Tags: Australia, Battery Life, UK, US | Comments: Off

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch: Two-minute review

The HP OmniBook 7 14-inch AI Laptop, to give it its full name, is an everyday workhorse with an elegant and upmarket design, setting it apart from much of the competition.

Its minimalist appearance is certainly fetching. The absence of any superfluous details makes it better-looking than your average workaday laptop, as does the light gray body, which contrasts well with the darker keycaps.

Not only does the OmniBook 7 look good, but it also feels good. The finish of both the entire unit and the keys is super smooth, and contributes to the laptop rivalling some of the best laptops out there.

Build quality is also impressive: both the base and the lid are sturdier than those on many other laptops I’ve tested. This feat is all the more impressive given just how light and thin the OmniBook 7 is — although it's a little thicker underneath than its slender sides might lead you to believe.

Most of the essential ports are present and correct. There are two USB-A and two USB-C ports. The latter are used for charging the OmniBook 7, and they also support external monitor connections. An HDMI port is also available for this purpose, and is an increasingly rare sight on modern laptops. However, I wasn’t thrilled with the ordering of many of the OmniBook 7’s ports, with the locations of the USB and HDMI ports being particularly inconvenient.

Three-quarter view of HP OmniBook 7 14-inch open on black desk with white wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

The general performance of the OmniBook 7 is impressive. It can handle light productivity and multi-tab browsing with ease, and can stream ultra-HD content without stuttering or buffering. I did notice a few minor slowdowns when performing certain media actions, but these were negligible.

For a laptop with no dedicated GPU, the OmniBook 7 surprised me with just how competent it is at gaming. You certainly won’t be getting high frame rates in AAA titles, even at modest settings, but Cyberpunk 2077 ran in a passable state that allowed for some casual playtime. I’ve certainly experienced my fair share laptops with similar integrated graphics that fail to reach even this low bar.

Some fan noise was apparent at times, even when moderate loads were undertaken. However, I didn’t find it loud to the point of distraction, and temperatures never exceeded lukewarm.

The display is also excellent. Its 1920 x 1200 resolution complements the 14-inch canvas very well, with the interface being clear and sharp. Colors are vibrantly rendered, too, and the deep contrast was very welcoming. I noticed some reflections on screen, but they didn’t obscure content prohibitively.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the OmniBook 7, though, is its battery life. It lasted an incredible 26 hours during our movie playback test, a time that ranks among the very best in the sector. It was also quick to fully recharge, taking just over two hours.

The starting price of the OmniBook 7 is high, in some territories more than others, but we’ve seen it on sale for significantly less (in UK markets, at least). And considering how it just about gets everything right, even exceeding expectations in some areas, the OmniBook 7 is one the best mid-range laptops around right now.

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch review: Price & Availability

Close-up of webcam on HP OmniBook 7 14-inch with white wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Starts from $949 / £699 / AU$2,499
Prices vary according to region
Expensive compared to some rivals

The HP OmniBook 7 14-inch starts from $949 / £699 / AU$2,499 and is available now. Configurability varies across regions, with the US seemingly only getting one model, which features an Intel Core Ultra 5, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage.

This certainly isn’t cheap; however, we’ve seen sizable reductions on variants in the UK and Australia which make them much better value. It’s more expensive than the HP OmniBook 5, but that model is significantly down on power compared to the 7.

It’s also cheaper, at least in some regions, than the Dell 16 Plus. This is another fine laptop, featuring a similarly lightweight yet sturdy design, as well as great performance and a high-quality display. It’s a larger device with a full-size keyboard, so it might be a better choice for those looking for more productivity pedigree. Like the OmniBook 7, though, it has integrated graphics, which means weak gaming and creative performance compared to laptops with dedicated GPUs.

Value: 4 / 5

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025) review: Specs

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025) Specs
HP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025)	US	UK	Australia
Price:	$949	£699	AU$2,499
CPU:	Intel Core Ultra 5 225U (up to 4.8GHz, 12 cores)	Intel Core 5 220H (up to 4.9GHz, 12 cores)	Intel Core Ultra 5 225H (up to 4.9GHz, 14 cores)
GPU:	Intel Graphics (integrated)	Intel Graphics (integrated)	Intel Arc 130T (integrated)
Memory:	16GB LPDDR5	24GB LPDDR5	32GB LPDDR5
Storage:	512 GB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD	1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD	512 GB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD
Display:	14-inch 2K (1920 x 1200), IPS, anti-glare	14-inch 2K (1920 x 1200), IPS, anti-glare	14-inch 3K (2880 x 1800), UWVA
Ports:	2x USB-C (1x Thunderbolt 4, 40Gbps, Power Delivery 3.1, DisplayPort 2.1; 1x 10Gbps, USB Power Delivery 3.1, DisplayPort 1.4a), 2x 1 USB-A (1x 10Gbps, 1x 5Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x combo audio	2x USB-C (1x Thunderbolt 4, 40Gbps, Power Delivery 3.1, DisplayPort 2.1; 1x 10Gbps, USB Power Delivery 3.1, DisplayPort 1.4a), 2x 1 USB-A (1x 10Gbps, 1x 5Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x combo audio	2x USB-C (1x Thunderbolt 4, 40Gbps, Power Delivery 3.1, DisplayPort 2.1; 1x 10Gbps, USB Power Delivery 3.1, DisplayPort 1.4a), 2x 1 USB-A (1x 10Gbps, 1x 5Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x combo audio
Battery (WHr):	68Wh	68Wh	68Wh
Wireless:	Intel Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3	Intel Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Camera:	5MP IR with privacy shutter	5MP IR with privacy shutter	5MP IR with privacy shutter
Weight:	3.12lbs (1.42kg)	3.12lbs (1.42kg)	3.12lbs (1.42kg)
Dimensions:	12.36 x 8.92 x 0.59in (314 x 226.6 x 15mm)	12.36 x 8.92 x 0.59in (314 x 226.6 x 15mm)	12.36 x 8.92 x 0.59in (314 x 226.6 x 15mm)

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch review: Design

Close-up of keyboard on HP OmniBook 7 14-inch with white wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Premium, elegant design
Strong build quality
Impractical port locations

In line with many of HP’s modern laptops, the design of the OmniBook 7 is best described as minimalist. The light silver colorway is sensible but less austere than other monochromatic rivals, while the darker keyboard shade provides a pleasing contrast. And like a great deal of Windows laptops in general, the OmniBook 7 emulates the pristine appeal of the best Macbooks — and I have to say, it’s largely successful on this front.

Complimenting its light colorway are its thin dimensions. This is especially evident on the sides of the unit, which help to disguise the somewhat thicker underside. Ultimately, though, the OmniBook 7 is still thinner and lighter than many other 14-inch laptops.

Strange as it is to say, I also admired the corners of the OmniBook 7, which are rounder than most. The same is true of the keycaps, and together these elements help to soften the OmniBook 7’s appearance even further.

Build quality is commendable, too. Despite the lightweight construction, both the body and the lid are remarkably sturdy. The hinge of the latter operates smoothly, and I experienced next to no wobbling when open. However, I wish it reclined a little further; the somewhat limited angle might be a problem for those wishing to place the OmniBook 7 on a stand.

Close-up of touchpad on HP OmniBook 7 14-inch — (Image credit: Future)

While the materials used in the OmniBook 7 aren’t as premium as those employed in high-end laptops, they don’t feel cheap; the body has a silky smooth finish, while the keycaps have a slightly grainy texture that enhances their tactility. They’re also backlit, which I pretty much consider an essential feature in a laptop keyboard.

You’ll find the usual connectivity options on the OmniBook 7. There’s a USB-A port on each side and two USB-C ports on the right. Also on the right is an HDMI port, while on the left you’ll find a 3.5mm combo audio jack as well.

The ordering of these ports is somewhat inconvenient. The USB-C ports are close to the middle of the unit — not an ideal place for the power cable to extend from. Also, the HDMI port is placed ahead of the USB-A port, which could result in crossing cables if both are occupied simultaneously.

It’s also a shame that the OmniBook 7 misses out on extra ports, such as an SD card reader, but given the compact nature of the unit, this is somewhat forgivable.

Design: 4.5 / 5

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch review: Performance

Close-up of left-side ports on HP OmniBook 7 14-inch, on a black desk with white wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Excellent general performance
Surprisingly capable for light gaming
Vivid, high-contrast display

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025) benchmarks:

3DMark Night Raid: 16,266; Fire Strike: 3,692; Steel Nomad: 345; Solar Bay 6,232; Solar Bay Unlimited: 6,281; Solar Bay Extreme: 748; Solar Bay Extreme Unlimited: 753;
GeekBench 6.5 (Single-core): 2,324; (Multi-core): 10,247; GPU (Vulkan): 19,853; GPU (OpenCL): 19,874
Geekbench AI (Single Precision): 2,753; (Half Precision): 1,206; (Quantized): 5,732
Cinebench R23 (Multi Core): 9,305
Cinebench R24 (Single Core): 99; (Multi Core): 555
CrossMark: Overall: 1,604; Productivity: 1,536; Creativity: 1,779; Responsiveness: 1,341;
Passmark: Overall: 4,778; CPU: 21,287; 2D Graphics: 699; 3D Graphics: 3,443; Memory: 2,393; Disk: 35,104
BlackMagicDisk: Read: 3,927MB/s; Write: 3,311MB/s
Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 25 hours and 57 minutes

The OmniBook 7 is a very capable all-round performer. It can handle the kinds of tasks you’d typically demand from a mid-range laptop. Light productivity is dispatched with aplomb, while the 16GB of RAM helps to facilitate browsing with multiple tabs open.

It streamed video at high resolutions with little buffering, although I did experience a small amount of lag when performing common actions, such as playing and pausing content, or when toggling full screen mode. However, such instances were too minor to cause frustration.

What surprised me most of all about the OmniBook 7 was its gaming performance. Despite lacking a dedicated GPU, it managed to run demanding titles, such as Cyberpunk 2077. Granted, it was far from the smoothest experience, hitting less than 30fps on average at the High preset with Ray Tracing disabled. But it sufficed for a quick and casual session. What’s more, it remained admirably cool and quiet throughout.

Close-up of right-side ports on HP OmniBook 7 14-inch, on a black desk with white wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

More impressive was the WUXGA display. It might fall short of many other laptops with sharper resolutions, but given the 14 inches of real estate on offer, is beautifully crisp and clear. Brightness and color reproduction are also excellent, as is the deep contrast. I did notice some reflections, but these were never prominent enough to disrupt the viewing experience.

The keyboard in the OmniBook 7 is mostly competent. The spacing between the keys is generous, while the short travel and light actuation allow for quick, snappy typing. However, while I found them satisfying to hit, they lack the dampening of some of the best keyboards around. Also, the lack of extra keys, such as a navigation cluster and a number pad, might hamper those looking for serious productivity pedigree.

I found no such drawbacks with the touchpad in the OmniBook 7. It feels superb and translates inputs precisely. I also found it to be the perfect size: small enough to avoid encroaching on wrist space when typing, yet large enough to make navigation and gesturing easy.

Performance: 4.5 / 5

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch review: Battery Life

Rear three-quarter view of HP OmniBook 7 14-inch open on black desk with white wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Best-in-class battery life
Quick to charge

The battery life of the OmniBook 7 is remarkable. When I ran a movie on a continuous loop unplugged, it lasted just shy of 26 hours. This is one of the best scores we’ve seen, and eclipses other laptops known for their longevity.

The charging time is also impressive, taking just over two hours to go from empty to full.

Battery Life: 5 / 5

Should I buy the HP OmniBook 7 14-inch?

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025) Scorecard
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	Starting prices are high, especially in some regions. We have, however, seen some huge discounts.	4 / 5
Design	Super light and thin, with sleek looks and a premium feel. Port locations are a little impractical, though.	4.5 / 5
Performance	Brilliant general and multitasking performance, and the excellent display makes content pop. It's even capable of some light gaming.	4.5 / 5
Battery Life	Simply unbeatable; it can playback a video for over a full day. It's also quite quick to charge.	5 / 5
Total	The HP OmniBook 7 does everything you could want from a mid-range laptop, and more. If you find it on sale (as we have), it's hard to beat for value.	4.5 / 5

Buy the HP OmniBook 7 14-inch if...

You want great everyday performance
The OmniBook 7 is quick enough for all your general tasking and entertainment needs. It’s even capable of some light gaming, despite not having a dedicated GPU.

You want a great battery life
The OmniBook 7 can last for hours and hours before it runs out of juice. It’s among the most enduring laptops on the market.

Don't buy it if...

You want serious gaming performance
Although I was impressed by how well it ran AAA titles, its lack of dedicated graphics inevitably puts it leagues behind what the best gaming laptops can achieve.

You’re particular about cable management
The ordering of the ports along both sides of the OmniBook 7 is somewhat impractical, especially when the power adapter is connected to one of the USB-C ports.

HP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025) review: Also Consider

HP OmniBook 5 14-inch (2025)
It might be a step down from the OmniBook 7, but we were very impressed with the OmniBook 5 when we reviewed it. In particular, we were enthralled by its display and battery life — two areas where the OmniBook 7 shines even brighter. Its overall performance was somewhat disappointing, but considering its very competitive pricing, these flaws are somewhat forgiven.

Read our full HP OmniBook 5 14-inch (2025) review.

Dell 16 Plus
The Dell 16 Plus shares many of the same traits with the OmniBook 7, including a lightweight yet solid design, great performance, and a pleasing display. However, since it's larger, it has the advantage of a full-size keyboard which includes a number pad, handy for those with productivity in mind. Again, like the OmniBook 7, it lacks graphical prowess due to the integrated graphics it’s saddled with, so avid gamers and creators should look elsewhere.

Read our full Dell 16 Plus review.

How I tested the HP OmniBook 7 14-inch (2025)

Top-down view of HP OmniBook 7 14-inch closed on black desk — (Image credit: Future)

Tested for several days
Used for productivity, entertainment, browsing
Plentiful laptop reviewing experience

I tested the HP OmniBook 7 for several days, during which time I used it for light productivity tasks, streaming content, gaming, and general browsing.

I ran our suite of benchmarks, which test every facet of a laptop's performance. I also ran a movie on a continuous loop to test battery life.

I have reviewed countless laptops in my time, ranging from budget and mid-range efforts to top-tier machines designed for high-end gaming and other intensive workloads. I've also reviewed a plethora of other computing devices, including desktops and tablets.

First reviewed: January 2026
Read more about how we test

I spent days testing Acer’s new 16-inch laptop — and sadly AI remains just a gimmick

12:50 pm | January 27, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops Windows Laptops | Tags: AI, Battery Life | Comments: Off

Acer Aspire 16 AI: Two-minute review

The Acer Aspire 16 AI is a large laptop promising powerful AI features in an elegant body. It certainly looks the part, thanks to the premium materials and finish, as well as the impressively thin chassis. It’s also surprisingly light for a laptop of this size, which further improves its portability.

However, the price paid for this litheness is the somewhat flimsy build quality, falling below the standards of the best laptop constructions. There’s a fair amount of flex to the chassis, while the lid hinge doesn’t offer the greatest stability – although it at least managed to stay planted while I typed.

There are a good number of ports on the Aspire 16 AI, including two USB-C and two USB-A ports. However, the former are located closest to you, a choice I usually lament since it means your power adapter has to cross over with any cable you have plugged in to the USB-A port. It’s also a shame that the card reader is only fit for microSDs.

For day-to-day use, the Aspire 16 AI is very capable. It can handle light productivity and 4K streaming without missing a beat. However, the included AI features are disappointing: they’re either too basic in their functionality or fail to work altogether.

Gaming also proved to be a lackluster experience. Its shared memory GPU can just about handle AAA titles on the lowest settings, and even then you won’t exactly be treated to the smoothest frame rates.

Close-up of camera on Acer Aspire 16 AI on pink background — (Image credit: Future)

Under these kinds of intensive workloads, the Aspire 16 AI can generate a fair amount of heat, but thankfully it’s concentrated underneath, towards the back. Coupled with the hushed fans, the Aspire 16 AI remains comfortable to use in such scenarios.

The display in my review unit, with its OLED technology and 2048 x 1280 resolution, provided a crystal-clear image, rendering colors vividly and delivering high brightness levels. This latter aspect is especially useful for combating reflections, which can be quite prominent.

Thanks to the spacing and satisfying feel of its keys, the keyboard on the Aspire 16 AI is easy to use. However, the number pad keys are too small for my liking, and I wished there was a right Control key, as I find this useful for productivity purposes.

The touchpad is smooth and large, which helps with navigation, but it can get in the way when typing. Also, the one in my review unit felt loose and rattled when clicking, making it awkward to use and suggests signs of poor quality control.

Battery life is somewhat disappointing, and isn’t a patch on that of the smaller 14 AI. In fact, many of its key rivals can outlast it. I only managed to get roughly nine hours from it when playing a movie on a continuous loop.

On the face of it, the Aspire 16 AI might look like good value, but it doesn’t deliver enough to justify its cost. Its slender form and mostly great display aren’t enough to make up for its drawbacks, while other laptops at this price point offer more complete packages.

Acer Aspire 16 AI review: Price & Availability

$649.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,499
Available now in various configurations
Better value rivals exist

The Aspire 16 AI starts from $649.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,499 and is available now. It can be configured with various processors, including Intel and Qualcomm (ARM) chips, with a couple of storage and RAM options to choose from.

Unfortunately, there are better value laptops out there with more power and performance, better suited to heavier workloads. The Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) is one such example. Starting prices aren’t as low, but they’re similar to the higher spec models of the Aspire 16 AI. They also have excellent build quality, making them a better value proposition all things considered.

If you want to stick with Windows, the Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition is another alternative. Again, it’s similarly priced to the higher-spec variants of the Aspire 16 AI, but offers much better gaming performance, chiefly thanks to its AMD Radeon RX 7600S GPU. It’s no surprise we think it’s one of the best cheap gaming laptops around right now.

Value: 3 / 5

Acer Aspire 16 AI review: Specs

Acer Aspire 16 AI Specs
	Acer Aspire 16 AI Base Config	Acer Aspire 16 AI Review Config
Price	$649.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,499	£949 (about $1,280, AU$1,960)
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (8 cores), 3GHz	AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, 2.0GHz (8 cores)
GPU	Qualcomm Adreno GPU (shared memory)	AMD Radeon 860M (shared memory)
RAM	16GB LPDDR5X	16GB LPDDR5X
Storage	512GB PCI Express NVMe 4.0 (M.2)	1TB PCI Express NVMe 4.0 (M.2)
Display	16-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) 16:10 ComfyView (Matte) 120Hz, IPS	16-inch WUXGA+ (2048 x 1280) OLED, 16:10, 120Hz
Ports and Connectivity	2x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4), 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x headset jack, 1x microSD, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4	2x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4), 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x headset jack, 1x microSD, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Battery	65Wh	65Wh
Dimensions	14 x 9.8 x 0.6 inch / 355 x 250 x 16mm	14 x 9.8 x 0.6 inch / 355 x 250 x 16mm
Weight	3.4lbs / 1.55kg	3.4lbs / 1.55kg

Acer Aspire 16 AI review: Design

Close-up of keyboard on Acer Aspire 16 AI — (Image credit: Future)

Brilliantly thin and light
Not the sturdiest
Touchpad issues

Thanks to its minimal design, the Aspire 16 AI has sleek looks. The low-shine metallic lid also adds to its elegance, befitting its premium price tag.

It’s pleasingly light and slender, too, making it more portable than you might expect for a 16-inch laptop. The bezel for the display is minuscule as well, which helps to maximize its full potential.

There’s a satisfying click when you close the lid on the Aspire 16 AI, something I haven’t encountered on any other laptop before. The hinge also allows for the screen to recline all the back by 180 degrees, something I’m always happy to see.

However, lid stability isn’t the best, as it’s prone to wobbling, although, thankfully, it remains stable while typing on the keyboard. The overall construction of the Aspire 16 AI isn’t especially impressive, either, with the chassis having a fair amount of flex.

Close-up of touchpad on Acer Aspire 16 AI — (Image credit: Future)

Worse still, the touchpad in my review unit had a horrible rattle, as if some part was loose at the bottom section. It’s possible this issue is confined to my review unit alone – perhaps it had been passed around several journalists before it got to me – but the issue still doesn’t speak highly of its build quality or Acer's quality control.

There’s a varied selection of ports on the Aspire 16 AI, spread evenly across both sides. On the left are two USB-C ports, one USB-A port, and an HDMI port. However, I found it inconvenient that the USB-C ports are placed nearest to you, since one has to be used for the power adapter; I much prefer the thick cable for this to trail from the back of the laptop, rather than from the middle, as it does with the Aspire 16 AI.

On the right you’ll find another USB-A port, followed by a combo audio jack and a microSD card reader. It’s a shame the latter can’t accommodate standard SD card sizes, but this is a small grievance.

Design: 3.5 / 5

Acer Aspire 16 AI review: Performance

Close-up of left-side ports on Acer Aspire 16 AI, on desk with pink background — (Image credit: Future)

Good productivity and streaming performance
Poor for gaming
Useless AI features

The Aspire 16 AI offers great general performance. It takes light productivity in its stride, from word processing to spreadsheet creation, and multiple browser tabs didn’t cause a problem for me, thanks to the 16GB of RAM in my review unit. Streaming 4K content is well within its grasp, too. I experienced little buffering or slow down, providing a seamless viewing experience in the main.

However, despite what Acer claims, the gaming performance of the Aspire 16 AI is quite poor. With its shared memory, the AMD Radeon GPU didn’t handle AAA titles very well. When I played Cyberpunk 2077 with the default Ray Tracing: Low preset and resolution scaling set to Performance mode, I was getting 20fps on average – not what you’d call playable.

The best I could achieve with the game was about 38fps, but that was at the lowest possible graphics preset and the resolution dropped to 1080p. This at least made it playable, but if you’re expecting to get even moderately close to the performance of the best gaming laptops, you’ll be sorely disappointed.

During my playtime, the Aspire 16 AI generated a fair amount of heat. Fortunately, this was heavily concentrated underneath and at the back, thus steering clear of any parts you might actually touch. Fan noise is also pleasantly subdued.

As when I tested the 14 AI, the AI features the Aspire 16 AI sports are disappointing. The centerpiece appears to be Acer LiveSense, a photo editing and webcam suite with very basic functionality, not to mention a poor UI and frequent glitches.

For more AI features, you’ll have to download Acer Intelligence Space, the brand’s hub. Contrary to when I tested the 14 AI, I managed to install it successfully. However, it didn’t get off to an auspicious start, as a dialog box warned me that I had insufficient memory resources, explaining that it needed 6.5GB free and a total of at least 16GB to execute smoothly.

Close-up of right-hand ports on Acer Aspire 16 AI on table — (Image credit: Future)

I proceeded anyway and was greeted with a clear user interface that revealed the various AI apps I could install. However, a large portion of them seem to be incompatible with the Aspire 16 AI, and those that are were once more very limited in their functionality.

On a more positive note, the 2K OLED display in my review unit was as clear and as vibrant as you might expect. The very shiny coating can cause prominent reflections, but these can be mitigated by the screen’s brightness values (especially if you disable the ‘change brightness based on content’ setting).

The keyboard feels premium, too, thanks to the subtle texture and tight fit of the keys themselves. They’re also light, tactile, and reasonably spaced, although perhaps not to the extent of other laptop keyboards. I didn’t find this aspect to be a problem when typing, but I did while gaming, as it made adopting the WASD more uncomfortable for me.

At least the number pad doesn’t eat into the layout space. However, contrary to many full-sized laptop keyboards I’ve experienced, it’s the number pad itself that feels cramped, with its keys being too narrow to be used easily. Another small but notable gripe I have with the keyboard is the absence of a right Control key, which can be frustrating when performing productivity tasks.

The touchpad performs well enough, with its large and smooth surface making for easy navigation. However, thanks to the aforementioned rattle in its bottom portion, clicks felt unpleasant. It can also get in the way while typing: on occasion, the palm of my thumbs would activate the cursor, although thankfully not clicks or taps.

Performance: 3.5 / 5

Acer Aspire 16 AI review: Battery Life

Back of Acer Aspire 16 AI open on table with pink background — (Image credit: Future)

Average battery life
14 AI battery life much better
Other rivals are better, too

The battery life of the Aspire 16 AI isn’t particularly impressive. It lasted just over nine hours in our movie playback test, which is a middling result. This is a far cry from the time achieved by the 14 AI, which lasted over twice as long, making the Aspire 16 AI even more disappointing by comparison.

What’s more, plenty of its rivals can beat this score, including the Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch, which managed over 17 hours, and the Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition, which lasted 11 hours.

Battery Life: 3.5 / 5

Should I buy the Acer Aspire 16 AI?

Acer Aspire 16 AI Scorecard
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	Starting prices are low, but climb up the specs and the value starts to diminish.	3 / 5
Design	Build quality isn’t the best, but it’s impressively thin and light. It looks good, too.	3.5 / 5
Performance	Everyday tasks are dispatched without a hitch, but it can’t cope well with heavier demands, such as gaming. The display is very good, though.	3.5 / 5
Battery Life	Only average, and the smaller 14 AI absolutely obliterates it on this front.	3 / 5
Total	The Aspire 16 AI is a capable workhorse, but its poor GPU, underwhelming AI features, and suspect build quality result in a middling machine.	3 / 5

Buy the Acer Aspire 16 AI if...

You want a large and bright display
The 16-inch OLED on my model looked great, its powerful backlight can overcome its reflective nature.

You want something portable
Despite its large size, the Aspire 16 AI is impressively light and thin, making it easy to carry around.

Don't buy it if...

You’ll be running graphics-intensive apps
The Aspire 16 AI could barely handle AAA gaming at modest settings, saddled as it is with a shared memory GPU.

You want a super-sturdy machine
There’s plenty of flex in the body, and the seemingly broken touchpad on my particular unit was disconcerting.

Acer Aspire 16 AI review: Also Consider

Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition
If you’re after more graphical power but don’t want to spend more for it, the TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition might be the solution. It comes equipped with an AMD Radeon RX 7600S GPU, which is capable of handling AAA titles smoothly, although you may have to forgo Ray Tracing. Read our full Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition review.

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4)
Unusually for an Apple product, this MacBook Air is actually a great budget pick if you’re after a powerful machine, being among the best laptops for video editing for this reason. Its sumptuous design and display are additional feathers in its creative cap. Read our full Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) review.

How I tested the Acer Aspire 16 AI

Tested for several days
Used for various tasks
Plentiful laptop reviewing experience

I tested the Aspire 16 AI for several days, during which time I used it for various tasks, from productivity and browsing to streaming and gaming.

I also ran our series of benchmark tests to assess its all-round performance more concretely, and played a movie on a continuous loop while unplugged to see how long its battery lasted.

I have been using laptops for decades, and have reviewed a large and varied selection of them too, ranging in their form factors, price points, and intended purposes.

First reviewed: January 2026
Read more about how we test

This HP 2-in-1 laptop I tested might not be a powerhouse, but it’s well made and capable enough for everyday tasks

7:51 pm | January 21, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops Windows Laptops | Tags: Acer Chromebook Spin, Battery Life, FPS | Comments: Off

HP Pavilion x360 14: Two-minute review

The HP Pavilion x360 14 is a compact 2-in-1 laptop that aims to offer both performance and versatility in a single package.

True to most of HP’s lineup, the Pavilion x360 14 has a smart and understated appearance. The light grey colorway and sleek contours imbue it with elegance, while its 14-inch size helps with portability.

However, this latter aspect is undermined somewhat by its relatively thick and heavy construction, so it’s not the best laptop for frequent travelers who want a device with as minimal a footprint as possible.

The upshot of this weight, though, is that it adds some reassuring solidity. Both the base and the display enclosure of the Pavilion x360 14 have very little give, while the materials used all over the unit feel premium. The hinge for the lid is also sturdy, if a little clunky in action when you're pushing the screen beyond 90 degrees, as I often do whenever I use a 2-in-1 laptop.

Despite its small size, there are a good number of ports on the Pavilion x360 14. Along with two USB-A and one USB-C port, there’s also an HDMI port, a microSD slot, and a combo audio jack, all of which I welcome. What’s more, they’re conveniently located.

The general performance of the Pavilion x360 14 is pretty good. It can handle light productivity and stream 4K content with ease. However, it can suffer from micro-stutters when moving quickly from task to task. Also, gaming performance is average-to-poor, owing to the absence of a dedicated GPU. Of course, this isn't a gaming laptop, so you shouldn't really expect impressive game performance.

Rear three-quarter view of HP Pavilion x360 14 open on desk with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

I noticed that even under moderate loads, a fair amount of heat radiates from the left side of the Pavilion x360 14, as well as the top keyboard rows. Thankfully, temperatures aren’t alarmingly high. The fans generate some noise, but remain pleasingly quiet relative to many other laptops under stress.

The display is pleasingly sharp and vibrant, and although reflections are prominent at times, I usually found the maximum brightness setting could mitigate their presence to an acceptable degree.

Despite the small size of the Pavilion x360 14, its keyboard has a pleasingly spacious layout, which, combined with the snappiness of the keys themselves, makes it satisfying to type on. However, there was no backlighting in my particular review unit – a grave omission given how hard it was to make out the lettering most of the time.

The touchpad is usable, if a little small, and has a smooth surface. It’s also quite solid, although I did notice a slight rattle when tapping and clicking, which can hamper feel and feedback.

The touchscreen on the Pavilion x360 14 is responsive and accurate, however, those keen on illustration might be disappointed with the small – but still noticeable – levels of friction, which can lead to slightly rough swipes, whether a stylus or a finger is used.

The battery life of the Pavilion x360 14 is quite good. It lasted over 11 hours when I ran our movie playback test, which is similar to some of its more expensive rivals. However, it pales in comparison to the highest performing laptops on this front, which can endure twice as long in some cases.

All things considered, though, the Pavilion x360 14 is a strong option in the 2-in-1 sector, thanks to its decent everyday performance and impressive design. It’s a shame that it’s not as portable as other convertible models, and there may be better value alternatives depending on what you require from a laptop, but at the very least the Pavilion x360 14 deserves a place on your shortlist.

HP Pavilion x360 14 review: Price & Availability

Close-up of right-hand ports on HP Pavilion x360 14, with desk and pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Starts from £699 (about $920 / AU$1,400)
Available now
Expensive compared to some rivals

The HP Pavilion x360 14 is available now and starts from £699 (about $920 / AU$1,400). For that, you get an Intel Core i3, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. However, we have seen it on sale for half this price from HP’s own website, which obviously makes it much better value.

The unit I review here is the top-spec model and costs around £1,000. It features an Intel Core i7, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage (although you can upgrade to a 1TB drive instead). Again, we’ve seen a hefty discount on this variant, but its usual price is quite dear.

If you don't need a truly convertible laptop, but still want a touchscreen, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i is a fine alternative. It’s decidedly more expensive, but it’s a truly premium machine, featuring an OLED display and a pleasingly portable design.

However, if your heart is set on a 2-in-1 but you want a more budget-friendly option, the Acer Chromebook Spin 312 is worth considering. Thanks to its compact form factor, great display, and usable touchscreen, it’s one of the best Chromebooks currently around.

Value: 3.5 / 5

HP Pavilion x360 14 review: Specs

HP Pavilion x360 14 Specs
	Base configuration	Review configuration
Price	£699 (about $920 / AU$1,400)	£1,000 (about $1,300 / AU$2,000)
CPU	Intel Core i3 1315U (1.2GHz, 6 cores)	Intel Core i7 1355U (1.7GHz, 10 cores)
GPU	Intel UHD Graphics (integrated)	Intel Iris Xe Graphics (integrated)
RAM	8GB DDR4	16GB DDR4
Storage	256GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD	512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
Display	14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080), IPS, Touch screen	14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080), IPS, Touch screen
Ports and Connectivity	1x USB-C (Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4), 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x combo audio; Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3	1x USB-C (Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4), 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x combo audio; Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3
Battery	43Wh	43Wh
Dimensions	12.7 x 8.3 x 0.8in (322 x 210 x 20mm)	12.7 x 8.3 x 0.8in (322 x 210 x 20mm)
Weight	3.3lbs / 1.51kg	3.3lbs / 1.51kg

HP Pavilion x360 14 review: Design

Three-quarter view of HP Pavilion x360 14 open on desk, flipped upside down in touchscreen mode, with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Heavier and bulkier than expected
Solid construction
Impressive port selection

The Pavilion x360 14 looks smart, with its pristine light gray finish, rounded edges, and flat surfaces. All these aspects reflect HP’s desire to emulate the best MacBook designs.

Despite initial impressions, though, the Pavilion x360 14 is actually less slender and light than you might expect. Not only does this heft hamper portability, it’s doubly disappointing to see in a convertible laptop, since you’ll likely be picking it up and flipping it upside down frequently to use the touchscreen. The best 2-in-1 laptop options are all lighter than this.

On the plus side, the weight does contribute to the overall sturdiness of the HP Pavilion x360 14, as there’s virtually no flex to any of its panels. The materials employed seem quite premium as well, more akin to metal than plastic.

Also, the lid hinge is stable enough to prevent the display from wobbling under most circumstances. It operates smoothly, too, although I found it took a bit more effort to adjust the display angle compared to other laptops I’ve used.

More irksome, however, was the fact that once it’s reclined beyond 90 degrees, the rear of the base lifts clean off the underlying surface. This is a design choice some other laptops employ, but it’s not one I’m fond of. It always felt awkward adjusting the display to this point, and results in less stability when using the keyboard.

Close-up of webcam on HP Pavilion x360 14, with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Speaking of which, my review unit had no backlighting for the keyboard. I always lament this omission in any laptop, but it’s especially disappointing in the case of the Pavilion x360 14. The characters are dark and contrast marginally with the finish of the keys themselves, making them hard to see in many instances; at certain angles, they were totally invisible.

Even though the Pavilion x360 14 is a small laptop, it has an admirable selection of interfaces. There are two USB-A ports and one USB-C, the latter of which supports both Power Delivery and DisplayPort 1.4 standards.

Additionally, there’s an HDMI port, a combo audio jack, and a microSD card reader. It’s a small shame the latter isn’t fit for standard SD cards, but I can forgive this omission given the form factor of the Pavilion x360 14.

The ports are spread quite evenly across both sides, which improves convenience. They’re also ordered in a logical way: for instance, the power connector is furthest away from the user, while the microSD reader and combo audio jack are closest.

Design: 4 / 5

HP Pavilion x360 14 review: Performance

Close-up of keyboard on HP Pavilion x360 14, with desk and pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Reasonable everyday performance
Heat and noise even under moderate loads
Responsive but uninspiring touchscreen

HP Pavilion x360 14 benchmarks:

3DMark Night Raid 13,367; Fire Strike: 3,646; Steel Nomad: 139
GeekBench 6.5 Single-core: 2,535; Multi-core: 7,729
CrossMark Overall: 1,480; Productivity: 1,517; Creativity: 1,528; Responsiveness: 1,247;
HandBrake - 4K to 1080p average FPS: 30.27

The general performance of the Pavilion x360 14 is reasonable, if not spectacular. It can handle light productivity and entertainment tasks well, even streaming 4K content without disruption.

However, despite my review unit having an Intel Core i7 installed, it wasn’t as swift as I was expecting. When switching between browser tabs or loading new web pages, it frequently stuttered. These stutters were momentary, so were minor infractions in the main, but they added up to become more disruptive when I tried to accomplish multiple (but not especially demanding) tasks in quick succession.

Being the top spec model, my review unit also had Intel Iris Xe Graphics. In theory, this offers improved performance over Intel UHD Graphics, but it’s still integrated to the CPU. This means that the Pavilion x360 14 is only capable of very light gaming. I managed to run Cyberpunk 2077 on Medium graphics, but it wasn’t a smooth experience, in terms of frame rate and visual fidelity.

A noticeable amount of heat emanated from the left vent of the Pavilion x360 14, as well as from the top keyboard rows and the section above. This was the case even when I conducted moderate workloads. Thankfully, the temperatures were never uncomfortable or concerning. Fan noise accompanied such moments, but it was pleasingly quiet relative to some other laptops under load.

Close-up of touchpad on HP Pavilion x360 14 — (Image credit: Future)

The 1080p resolution of the Pavilion x360 14 provides plenty of sharpness, which is doubtless helped by the compact 14-inch display. Colors also appear vibrant. It can be quite reflective at times, but thankfully there’s enough brightness to keep them from being distracting.

The touchscreen functions well, responding to inputs made by either a finger or a stylus quickly and accurately. However, the surface isn’t the smoothest, so more intricate usage, such as drawing or handwriting, can result in a dragging sensation. The effect isn’t as egregious as it is on some other touchscreens, but if you’re after one of the best touchscreen laptops, the Pavilion x360 14 might not cut it.

If you’ll mainly be typing, though, you’ll be pleased with the keyboard on the HP Pavilion x360 14. The keys are comfortably spaced despite the compact layout, and there’s a surprising amount of travel to presses, which makes them satisfying to use. They’re still snappy enough to type quickly, though.

The touchpad is less impressive. It operates well enough, but the small size and numb-feeling taps and clicks – in part due to the slight rattle I noticed – result in a less tactile experience.

Performance: 4 / 5

HP Pavilion x360 14 review: Battery Life

Close-up of left-side ports on HP Pavilion x360 14, with desk and pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Respectable by 2-in-1 standards
Some longer-lasting rivals
Quick to recharge

The Pavilion x360 14 has a decent battery life. It lasted about 11 hours in our movie playback test, which is close to the same score achieved by the Acer Chromebook Spin 312.

However, it can’t beat the Microsoft Surface Pro 11, another fantastic 2-in-1 laptop, which managed over 14 and a half hours. Also, more conventional laptops can last longer, sometimes up to 20 hours or more. The Pavilion x360 14 is quick to charge, though. It took about two hours to fully replenish.

Battery Life: 4 / 5

Should I buy the HP Pavilion x360 14?

HP Pavilion x360 14 Scorecard
	Notes	Rating
Value	The HP Pavilion x360 14 has a reasonable starting price, although prices rise steeply with higher-spec models. We’ve seen big discounts on it recently, though.	3.5 / 5
Design	The HP Pavilion x360 14 looks smart and is well made, but it’s heavier and bulkier than you might expect. My unit was crying out for keyboard backlighting, too.	4 / 5
Performance	Not blistering, but still efficient for workaday use. The 1080p display looks crisp, while the keyboard and touchscreen are effective.	4 / 5
Battery life	Decent for a convertible laptop, although some rivals can beat it. It’s quick to recharge, though.	4 / 5
Total Score	The HP Pavilion x360 14 is a premium-feeling machine with a compact form, but one that's less portable and maneuverable than you might expect. There are also some better-value rivals, but it still offers enough to deserve consideration.	4 / 5

Buy the HP Pavilion x360 14 if...

You’ll be doing a lot of typing
The keyboard is a joy to use, thanks to the comfortable and snappy keys.

You want a premium build
Not only does it look smart, the Pavilion x360 14 is solidly constructed, and the materials employed feel more upmarket than your usual flimsy plastics.

Don't buy it if...

You’ll be conducting demanding workloads
Since it lacks integrated graphics, more strenuous tasks, such as gaming, are a struggle for the Pavilion x360 14.

You want the best usability
Despite its small size, its thickness and weight hamper tablet-style use, as well as portability.

HP Pavilion x360 14 review: Also Consider

Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i
It might not be convertible, but the Yoga Slim 9i still has a touchscreen. What’s more, if you want the ultimate in portability, you can’t do much better. It’s a far more premium option than the Pavilion x360 14, but we found that its build quality and performance lived up to its commanding price tag. Shame there’s no audio jack, though.

Read our full Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i review.View Deal

Acer Chromebook Spin 312
If you’re on a tighter budget and can forgo the Windows operating system, the Acer Chromebook Spin 312 is a strong choice. It has a great display, keyboard, and touchscreen, all of which make it one of the best budget laptop picks. Its performance is also respectable – although it won’t handle heavy multitasking with the composure of more powerful machines.

Read our full Acer Chromebook Spin 312 review.

How I tested the HP Pavilion x360 14

Tested for a few days
Used for a variety of tasks
Laptop testing experience

I tested the HP Pavilion x360 14 for a few days, during which time I used it for multiple tasks, including productivity, streaming, and gaming.

I also ran our series of benchmark tests for laptops, which are designed to assess every facet of performance. I also tested the battery life by running a movie on a continuous loop.

I have plenty of experience both using and reviewing laptops. I have covered many models, ranging in their form factors, use cases, and price points.

First reviewed: November 2025
Read more about how we test

I tested the HP Pavilion 16 and it feels more premium than its price suggests – but don’t expect a powerhouse performer

5:42 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops Windows Laptops | Tags: Battery Life, Total War | Comments: Off

HP Pavilion 16: Two-minute review

The HP Pavilion 16 is aimed at those looking for a capable everyday machine for a reasonable price.

It’s clear that HP has paid attention to the aesthetics of the Pavilion 16. Not only does the Sky Blue colorway add more interest than the monochromatic tones typical of mid-range laptops, but the materials employed look premium as well.

Its elegance is further emphasized by its sheer slenderness; I don’t recall having seen a thinner 16-inch laptop, making it one of the best laptop designs around. While this aspect helps with portability, the deceptively hefty weight doesn’t.

I can’t complain about the build quality of the Pavilion 16, though. There’s little flex to any part of it, despite its aforementioned lean form, while the parts that are plastic are pleasing to the touch. This is especially true of the keys, which have a slight texture for added tactility.

There are some useful ports on the Pavilion 16, including two USB-A, two USB-C (which support both Power Delivery and DisplayPort standards), and an HDMI port. However, most are loaded on the right-hand side, and the two USB-C ports are placed closest to the user, which can be inconvenient as the power cable has to be plugged into one of them.

Three-quarter view of HP Pavilion 16 open on desk with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

The Pavilion 16 handles general tasks rather well, from light productivity to 4K video streaming. However, since it lacks a dedicated GPU, graphics-heavy workloads are handled with less aplomb. Some light gaming is still possible, but you’ll have to dial back the settings and settle for unremarkable frame rates and visuals.

Fan noise is noticeable, even when the Pavilion 16 is running at a moderate intensity, but I would still describe it as being within acceptable bounds. Nearly all of the heat is confined to the very rear of the underside, which I also appreciated.

The 1200p WUGXA display is sufficient for this size of laptop, providing a clear and sharp image. Color reproduction and brightness levels are also commendable, although reflections can be a little too prominent at times.

If you’ll be doing a lot of typing, the Pavilion 16 is likely to meet your needs. The wide spacing of the keys, coupled with their deep travel and dampening, makes them satisfying to use. And if you’ll be dealing with lots of numbers in your work, you’ll be pleased with the inclusion of a numpad, too.

However, the touchpad is less impressive. It’s quite small for this size of laptop, yet at the same time manages to intrude while typing; I would often trigger cursor movement with my thumb palm. In the main, though, it’s still sufficient enough for everyday use.

An area where the Pavilion 16 excels is battery life. It lasted over 20 hours in our movie playback test, and charging times are very fast as well. On this front, it beats most of its similarly-priced rivals.

When you combine this aspect with its other plus points, the Pavilion 16 adds up to an enticing proposition, given its reasonable starting price. There are certainly other great laptops at this end of the market, some of which may have the edge in terms of performance, but the Pavilion 16 remains one to consider if you’re after a mid-range, workaday machine.

HP Pavilion 16 review: Price & Availability

Close-up of webcam on HP Pavilion 16, with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Starts from $459 / £569 (about AU$700)
Available now in various configurations
Reasonable price point

The HP Pavilion 16 starts from $459 / £569 (about AU$700) and is available now. Models with different Intel and AMD processors are available, as are models with touchscreens. RAM configurations also vary from 8GB to 16GB.

This is a reasonable price for a large laptop of this spec. For a similar price, you could also get the Acer Aspire Go 15. I was impressed with its performance when I reviewed it, which is perhaps marginally better than that of Pavilion 16. However, its display is less impressive than the Pavilion 16’s.

If you’re looking for another budget alternative, the HP OmniBook 5 14-inch (2025) could be one to look out for. It features a cutting-edge and vibrant OLED display, and impressively long battery life.

Value: 4 / 5

HP Pavilion 16 review: Specs

HP Pavilion 16 review configuration
Price	£569 (about $745 / AU$1,140)
CPU	Intel Core Ultra 5 125U (3.6GHz, 12 cores)
GPU	Intel Graphics (integrated)
RAM	16GB LPDDR5
Storage	512GB PCIe 5.0 NVMe M.2 SSD
Display	16-inch (1920 x 1200), 16:10, IPS, micro-edge, anti-glare
Ports and Connectivity	2x USB-A, 2x USB-C (Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.4a), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm combo audio; Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3
Battery	59Wh
Dimensions	14 x 10 x 0.7in (358 x 255 x 18mm)
Weight	3.9lbs / 1.77kg

HP Pavilion 16 review: Design

Close-up of keyboard on HP Pavilion 16, on desk with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Exceptionally thin
Premium feel
Mixed connectivity options

The Pavilion 16 cuts an elegant figure, thanks to its minimalist design that’s free from fuss and unsightly bulges. The Sky Blue colorway also helps to distinguish it from many others in this sector, endowing the unit with enough interest while maintaining a professional appearance.

More impressive is just how slender the Pavilion 16 is. For a 16-inch laptop, it’s remarkably thin, which certainly helps with transportation. Its weight, on the other hand, is more of a hindrance, since it’s heavier than I expected it to be.

The plastics used in the Pavilion 16 feel premium, especially that of the keys, which are finished with a subtle texture that offers a pleasing amount of traction. They’re also secured firmly in place, without a hint of looseness.

Close-up of touchpad on HP Pavilion 16, on a desk — (Image credit: Future)

This same level of solidity applies to the overall construction of the Pavilion 16, too. There’s remarkably little flex to the chassis or the lid, despite how thin both are. What’s more, the hinge holds the display in place with impressively little wobble, no matter the angle, while being very easy to adjust at the same time.

There are two USB-A and two USB-C ports on the Pavilion 16, as well as an HDMI port – an increasingly rare sight on modern laptops. There’s no SD card reader, though, which is a small shame.

A bigger point of contention is the placement of the ports. All but two are on the right, which might prove inconvenient for some. And while I was glad to see the USB-A ports split across both sides, the two USB-C ports are both on the right.

What’s more, they’re located in front of all other ports, nearly mid-way along the chassis, which can cause issues when connecting the USB-C power adapter. Personally, I always prefer the power port to be the furthest away, in order to prevent the power cable from trailing over others or being obstructed by things you may have next to your laptop.

Design: 4.5 / 5

HP Pavilion 16 review: Performance

Close-up of left-side ports on HP Pavilion 16, on desk with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Reasonable everyday performance
Not ideal for gamers or creative pros
Tactile keyboard

HP Pavilion 16 benchmarks

Geekbench 6 (Single Core): 2,166; (Multi Core): 9,496
Cinebench R23 (Multi Core): 7,730
Cinebench R24 (Single Core): 94 (Multi Core): 411
Crossmark Overall: 1,433
3DMark Night Raid: 18,673; Fire Strike: 4,717; Steel Nomad: 352; Solar Bay: 6,519; Solar Bay Unlimited: 6,993; Solar Bay Extreme: 737; Solar Bay Extreme Unlimited: 734
BlackMagicDisk Read: 2,639MB/s; Write: 2,494MB/s
Total War: Warhammer III: Mirrors of Madness (1080p, Low): 22.7fps

The everyday performance of the Pavilion 16 is commendable. It handles light productivity, browsing, and entertainment tasks well, which is what one would expect from this grade of laptop. More impressively, it can stream ultra-HD video without issue.

Such content is enhanced by the large display, which is allowed to make full use of its space thanks to the thin bezel. There’s enough brightness and vibrancy to make the viewing experience an enjoyable one, and while reflections can reveal themselves at points, for the most part the Pavilion 16 does an admirable job of keeping them at bay.

Even when performing moderately intense workloads, the fans in the Pavilion 16 were audible. However, the noise never rose above a muted whir, so I didn’t find them disruptive. Most of the heat was confined to the rear underside, with commonly-touched surfaces remaining cool.

Since it has no dedicated GPU, the Pavilion 16 isn’t the best choice for gamers or creative types. Cyberpunk 2077 was just about playable on Medium settings, but even here I experienced some stuttering and the occasional slowdown. Naturally, it wasn’t very pleasant to look at, either. You'd be better off checking out our list of the best gaming laptops instead.

Close-up of right-side ports on HP Pavilion 16, on desk with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Thanks to the wide chassis, the keyboard fits comfortably in the Pavilion 16, even with its number pad. However, while the keys have plenty of space between them, they don’t seem as large as those on other laptops. I had to adapt my typing accordingly, but as the size difference is that great, this didn’t take long.

Better is the considerable amount of travel and dampening they have, especially by laptop standards. This makes them more tactile and engaging to use.

Despite its relatively small size, the touchpad got in the way as I typed. The palm of my right thumb frequently triggered cursor movement; thankfully, no clicks or taps registered, which would’ve been much more disruptive.

Its small size also means navigation isn’t as expansive as it could’ve been. What’s more, it lacks the smoothness of some of the best in class, and I felt a slight rattle whenever I tapped or clicked, which made such actions feel awkward. Having said all this, I’ve certainly experienced more frustrating laptop touchpads, and it’s perfectly usable in the main.

Performance: 3.5 / 5

HP Pavilion 16 review: Battery Life

Three-quarter rear view of HP Pavilion 16, open on a desk with pink wall in background — (Image credit: Future)

Lasts long
Beats many rivals
Quick to charge, too

The battery life of the Pavilion 16 is very impressive. It lasted a mighty 20 hours and 15 minutes during our movie playback test, a score that bests many of its rivals by a large margin. The Acer Aspire Go 15, for example, only managed close to 12 hours.

Equally as impressive is just how quickly the Pavilion 16 can fully recharge, taking about 90 minutes.

Battery Life: 5 / 5

Should I buy the HP Pavilion 16?

HP Pavilion 16 Scorecard
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	The HP Pavilion 16 offers a lot for the money, but it stands alongside some equally-capable rivals.	4 / 5
Design	The HP Pavilion 16 is remarkably thin for its size, while the looks and build quality are admirable at this price point.	4.5 / 5
Performance	For general tasking, the HP Pavilion 16 suffices. The display and keyboard are great, but gaming and creative applications suffer from the absence of dedicated graphics.	3.5 / 5
Battery Life	The HP Pavilion 16 can outlast many of its rivals by a long way, and it’s quick to recharge, too.	5 / 5
Total	The HP Pavilion 16 represents good value considering what it offers, but you’ll have to settle for poor graphical performance.	4 / 5

Buy the HP Pavilion 16 if...

You’ll be doing a lot of typing
The tactile keyboard is a cut above many others at this price point, owing to its deep travel and comfortable layout.

You want all-day battery life
Its impressive score in our battery test means the HP Pavilion 16 should last you a full day or more unplugged.

Don't buy it if...

You want to game or create
Since it doesn’t have a dedicated GPU, the Pavilion 16 can only handle very light gaming and creative tasks.

You want the best touchpad
The touchpad on the HP Pavilion 16 is quite small for a 16-inch laptop, and it’s not the smoothest operator. It can also get in the way when typing.

HP Pavilion 16 review: Also Consider

Acer Aspire Go 15
The starting price of the Acer Aspire Go 15 is much lower than that of the Pavilion 16, but you’d be wise to ignore this base model, since its spec is frankly unfit for modern use. The model that most closely matches the Pavilion 16 is also similarly priced. But while it performs well, its display is far less impressive, so I wouldn’t recommend the Aspire Go to those wanting the best visual experience.

Read our full Acer Aspire Go 15 review.

HP OmniBook 5 14-inch (2025)
Another HP laptop, the OmniBook 5 is a little more expensive than the Pavilion 16, but it features an OLED display, which impressed us with its vibrancy. Its light build and enjoyable keyboard and touchpad were further highlights. Build quality and top-tier performance are somewhat lacking, but the OmniBook 5 is a solid offering all the same.

Read our full HP OmniBook 5 14-inch (2025) review.

How I tested the HP Pavilion 16

Tested for a few days
Used for multiple purposes and benchmarked
Experienced laptop reviewer

I tested the HP Pavilion 16 for a couple of days. I used it for a variety of tasks, from productivity and browsing to streaming video and gaming.

I also ran our series of benchmark tests, designed to comprehensively assess every aspect of a laptop's performance. This included a battery life test, where I ran a movie on a continuous loop until the HP Pavilion 16 shut down.

I am an experienced laptop reviewer, having tested a large number across a broad range of price points, form factors, and specifications.