The perfect hybrid machine that’s just as good a tablet as it is a laptop still doesn’t exist. But throughout last year, companies like Microsoft, Apple and Google continued to improve their operating systems for machines that do double duty. Windows 11 has features that make it friendlier for multi-screen devices, while Android has been better optimized for larger displays. Plus, with the rise of ARM-based chips for laptops, especially Apple’s impressive M series, prospects for a powerful 2-in-1 with a vast touch-friendly app ecosystem is at an all-time high.

Even the best 2-in-1 laptops still have their limits, of course. Since they’re smaller than proper laptops, they tend to have less-powerful processors. Keyboards are often less sturdy, with condensed layouts and shallower travel. Plus, they’re almost always tablets first, leaving you to buy a keyboard case separately. (And those ain’t cheap!) So, you can’t always assume the advertised price is what you’ll actually spend on the 2-in-1 you want.

Sometimes, getting a third-party keyboard might be just as good, and they’re often cheaper than first-party offerings. If you’re looking to save some money, Logitech’s Slim Folio is an affordable option, and if you don’t need your keyboard to attach to your tablet, Logitech’s K780 Multi-Device wireless keyboard is also a good pick.

While we’ve typically made sure to include a budget 2-in-1 laptop in previous years, this time there isn’t a great choice. We would usually pick a Surface Go, but the latest model is still too expensive. Other alternatives, like cheaper Android tablets, are underpowered and don’t offer a great multitasking interface. If you want something around $500 that’s thin, lightweight and long-lasting, you’re better off this year looking at a conventional laptop (like those on our best budget PCs list).

When you’re shopping for a 2-in-1, there are some basic criteria to keep in mind. First, look at the spec sheet to see how heavy the tablet is (alone, and with the keyboard). Most modern hybrids weigh less than 2 pounds, with the 1.94-pound Surface Pro 9 being one of the heaviest around. The iPad Pro 12.9 (2022) and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S8+ are both slightly lighter. If the overall weight of the tablet and its keyboard come close to 3 pounds, you’ll be better off just getting an ultraportable laptop.

See Also:

• Best Laptops for 2023

• Best Gaming Laptops

• Best Cheap Windows Laptops for 2023

• Best Chromebooks

• Best Laptops for College Students

You’ll also want to opt for an 11-inch or 12-inch screen instead of a smaller 10-inch model. The bigger displays will make multitasking easier, plus their companion keyboards will be much better spaced. Also, try to get 6GB of RAM if you can for better performance — you’ll find this in the base model of the Galaxy Tab S7+, while this year’s iPad Pro and the Surface Pro 8 start with 8GB of RAM.

Finally, while some convertible laptops offer built-in LTE or 5G connectivity, not everyone will want to pay the premium for it. An integrated cellular radio makes checking emails or replying to messages on the go far more convenient. But it also often costs more, and that’s not counting what you’ll pay for data. And, as for 5G — you can hold off on it unless you live within range of a mmWave beacon. Coverage is still spotty and existing nationwide networks use the slower sub-6 technology that’s barely faster than LTE.

Best overall: Surface Pro 9 (Intel)

There’s no beating the Surface series when it comes to 2-in-1s. They’re powerful, sleek tablets running an OS that’s actually designed for productivity. The Surface Pro 9 is Microsoft’s latest and great tablet, and it builds upon the already excellent Pro 8. It features speedy 12th-gen Intel CPUs and all of the major upgrades from last year, including a 120Hz display and a more modern design. It’s the best implementation of Microsoft’s tablet PC vision yet.

Don’t confuse this with the similarly named Surface Pro 9 with 5G, though, which has a slower ARM processor and inferior software compatibility. Built-in cellular is nice and all, but the Intel Pro 9 is a far better PC.

Like most of the other convertible laptops on this list, the Pro 9 doesn’t come with a keyboard cover — you’ll have to pay extra for that. That’s a shame, considering it starts at $1,000. Microsoft offers a variety of Type Covers for its Surface Pros ranging from $100 to $180, depending on whether you want a slot for a stylus. But at least they’re comfortable and well-spaced. You can also get the Surface Slim Pen 2 ($130) for sketching out your diagrams or artwork, which features haptic feedback for a more responsive experience.

Best for Apple users: 12.9-inch iPad Pro

If you’re already in the Apple ecosystem, the best option for you is obviously an iPad. The 12-inch Pro is our pick. Like older models, this iPad Pro has a stunning 12.9-inch screen with a speedy 120Hz refresh rate, as well as mini-LED backlighting. This year, it includes Apple’s incredibly fast M2 chip and more battery life than ever before.

Apple’s Magic Keyboard provides a satisfying typing experience, and its trackpad means you won’t have to reach for the screen to launch apps. But it’ll also cost you an extra $300, making it the most expensive case on this list by a lot. The iPad also lacks a headphone jack and its webcam is awkwardly positioned along the left bezel when you prop it up horizontally, so be aware that it’s still far from a perfect laptop replacement. Still, with its sleek design and respectable battery life, the iPad Pro 12.9 is a good 2-in-1 for Apple users.

Best for Android users: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+

While Windows is better than iPadOS and Android for productivity, it lags the other two when it comes to apps specifically designed for touchscreens. If you want a tablet that has all the apps you want, and only need it to occasionally double as a laptop, the Galaxy Tab S8+ is a solid option. You’ll enjoy watching movies and playing games on its gorgeous 12.4-inch 120Hz AMOLED screen, and Samsung includes the S Pen, which is great for sketching and taking notes. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip and 8GB of RAM keep things running smoothly, too.

Last year, Samsung dramatically improved its keyboard case, making the Tab an even better convertible laptop. You could type for hours on this thing and not hate yourself (or Samsung). The battery life is also excellent, so you won’t need to worry about staying close to an outlet. The main caveat is that Android isn’t great as a desktop OS, even with the benefits of Android 12L. And while Samsung’s DeX mode offers a somewhat workable solution, it has plenty of quirks.

Read our Full Review of Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+ 2-in-1 Laptop

Cherlynn Low contributed to this report.

LG has officially launched the SuperSlim, the new Gram laptop the company is calling the “thinnest LG Gram ever.” This is not just advertising hyperbole, as the SuperSlim is .43-inches thick and weighs two pounds. That definitely places the laptop in the realm of the ultra-portable. As a comparison, the 2022 Macbook Air is 0.44-inches thick and weighs 2.7 pounds.

The laptop was first teased at this year’s CES, back when it was called the Ultraslim. Not a lot has changed since the original announcement, aside from the name. The SuperSlim boasts decent specs, with an Intel Evo 13th Gen processor and Intel Iris Xe GPU. There is also a 15.6-inch anti-glare OLED display and LG touts a 100 percent DCI-P33 color gamut and VESA DisplayHDR True Black integration. It is worth noting that Apple is rumored to be launching its own 15-inch ultra-portable laptop in the near future. 

LG says the SuperSlim has passed seven tests to ensure military-grade durability, which is a good thing as we have noted some issues with previous Gram laptops surrounding flexibility and build quality. Other standout features include a more compact power adapter than previous Gram laptops, a full HD camera with integrated microphones and a trio of USB-C ports, two of which support Thunderbolt 4 connections.

This emaciated wonder is available now in two SKUs. You can purchase one with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD for $1,700 or a model with 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD for $2,000. As a bonus, LG is throwing in a free Gram +view portable monitor with every purchase until May 14th.

The Blade 18 is Razer's largest and most powerful laptop yet. It's got a big, gorgeous 240Hz display, a slick unibody frame and practically every port you might need. It can also be configured with the fastest silicon you can get on a laptop today, including an Intel Core i9 CPU and an NVIDIA RTX 4090 GPU. There's just one problem: a fully loaded config costs $5,000.

To put that into perspective, that’s 10 times more expensive than the average price of a new laptop or tablet in the US, which is around $495 according to Indexbox. That basically makes the Blade 18 the Rolls Royce of gaming notebooks. Suffice it to say, unless you’re the offspring of an oil baron, you’re probably not going to buy one. So in an attempt to figure out who the Blade 18 is really for, I asked Razer to send over a base model of the laptop, which goes for a slightly more affordable price of $2,900 to see how much you're really getting for all that money.

Design and display

If you can look past its price, there's very little dislike about the Blade 18's design. Razer's aluminum body is super sturdy, with almost no flex on its lid and deck. Its keyboard also feels great and comes with per-key RGB lighting, though some may be a bit dismayed that Razer couldn't find room for a numpad even on a laptop this big. And thanks to support for tons of ports including an HDMI 2.1 jack, Ethernet, a full-size SD card reader and multiple USB Type-A and Type-C connectors, you'll never have to worry about carrying a dongle or dock around — which is a good thing because at 6.8 pounds the Blade 18 is heavy enough on its own.  

While it's not that much larger than the Blade 17, Razer’s biggest laptop ever definitely doesn’t fit in my normal messenger bag, and it damn near bursts the seams on my everyday backpack too. So if I want to carry it around (not that I really want to), I have to break out my big travel backpack, which is probably for the best because its padded straps are kind of a must if you plan on carrying around the Blade 18 and its 1.7-pound power brick for any length of time. That said, for a desktop replacement, actually using the Blade 18 on your lap isn't as awkward as you might imagine. Despite its size, the notebook is balanced well and it tends to keep thermals in check during regular use, though if you're gaming you're still going to want to find a table or desk. 

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

My one gripe with the Blade 18 is the lack of additional display options. On the old Blade 17, Razer provided a choice between a 240Hz QHD panel or a 144Hz UHD screen, the latter of which would be great for content creators who want a mobile workstation for editing 4K videos. Plus, when you factor in that an SD card reader comes standard, transitioning from shooting footage to editing is as simple as yanking a card out of your camera and slamming it in the Blade. And unlike the Blade 15, there’s no option for an OLED panel either. Now it’s quite possible that Razer is saving some of these upgrades for a forthcoming Studio version of the Blade 18 designed expressly for content creators, but that’s not much of a consolation to people looking for a new machine today.

Performance

A base Blade 19 definitely isn't a slouch with an Intel Core i9-13950HX chip and an RTX 4060 GPU. But once again, it's really the value proposition I'm questioning. That's because if you do want a laptop with big performance but in a slightly smaller package, ASUS’ Zephryous M16 can be configured with an i9 CPU and an RTX 4090 for $1,000 less than the Blade 18, while the base version of the M16 features an RTX 4070 GPU starting at just $1,950.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

The one small issue is that if you're pairing an RTX 4060 with a 240Hz display, you can't really take full advantage of that fast refresh rate unless you're playing lower-spec esports games like CS:GO or League of Legends. For example, in Cyberpunk 2077, the Blade 18 posted an average frame rate of just 62 fps at 1920 x 1080 on Ultra. And when I tweaked the game’s settings to try to get the best out of that 240Hz display, the Razer only managed 122 fps with high textures and NVIDIA’s DLSS set to Ultra Performance mode. That said, even with the base model, there isn't really any title the Blade 18 can't handle, so you can easily take your games on the road.

Battery Life

Speaking of traveling, while it would be nice to be able to just grab the laptop and go, leaving the Blade 18’s power adapter at home is basically never an option. On PCMark 10’s Modern Office battery test, it lasted just two hours and 57 minutes, which is a full hour and a half less than ASUS’ ROG Zephyrus M16. And while it shouldn’t be a big surprise, if you’re playing games without being plugged into the wall, you can expect runtimes of two hours or less.

Wrap-up

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Ok, so back to my original question: Who is this thing really for? If you’re coming from a smaller system, moving to the Blade 18 is almost like that episode of Seinfeld where Jerry nearly blunders his way into a menage a trois before backing out. Living with a laptop this big isn’t merely upgrading your machine. You have to change the way you travel, you need to buy more expensive peripherals that won’t look shabby next to your fancy laptop, and you’ll probably want to get some rich friends who don’t mind sending a driver to pick you up when you want to have a LAN session. It’s not just a more powerful way to game, it’s a whole new lifestyle choice.

Alternatively, if you like playing games and making videos, the Blade 18 certainly has the size and the performance to do both well, though its screen isn’t ideal for content creation. Honestly, the main use case for the Blade 18 is if you’re on the road a lot or if you’re someone like a game developer and you want a portable workstation that you can lug around to show off your upcoming title. Back in the day, that honor often went to systems like MSI’s huge 17-inch Dragon and Dominator laptops, which were even thicker and heavier, regularly weighing in at over 10 pounds. But as part of a new breed of desktop replacements, the Blade 18 offers support for the fastest laptop components out right now, but in a relatively less bulky, though still big chassis.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

That said, the reality is that for most people, the Blade 18 doesn’t make a ton of sense. There are a number of other desktop replacements that aren’t quite as fancy for hundreds (or even thousands) less. And if you still want a machine with serious performance that’s easier to carry around, there are rivals like the Zephyrus M16 too. Ok, so what’s left? Luxury and prestige, because if you have a sky-high budget and want a super premium gaming laptop, there isn't much that can top a fully loaded Blade 18. But for everyone else thinking about getting in on the ground level with a base model, your money would go a lot further elsewhere.

Acer reliably makes some of the best Chromebooks on the market, and today it's announcing an update to the Chromebook Spin 714 as part of a slew of PC news. Like last year's model, the Chromebook Spin 714 is a premium laptop that's thin (0.7 inches), light (about three pounds) and powerful. 

Unsurprisingly, the new model users Intel's 13th-generation Core processors — either the i3-1315U, i5-1335U or i7-1355U. Acer also offers a high-end model geared at enterprise use with Intel's vPro platform with an i7-1365U processor. Combine that with up to 32GB of RAM and up to a 1TB SSD and you're looking at far more power than most ChromeOS tasks need, but that's kind of the point when you're looking at a premium Chromebook.

Another notable change is the webcam — Acer put a "QHD 2K" camera in the Spin 714. It feels like companies are finally adjusting to the realities of work-from-home life and giving us webcams that offer notable improvements, so I'm glad to see that here. 

Otherwise, the Spin 714 sticks to the usual premium Chomebook script that we know from Acer, not that that's a bad thing. As usual, Acer is using a durable anodized aluminum chassis which the company says meets the US MIL-STD 810 durability spec. As the name suggests, the 14-inch 1,920 x 1,200 touchscreen has a 360-degree hinge so you can prop the laptop up in tent mode or use it as a tablet. I say this every year: this trick means nothing to me. 

Acer

But Acer and plenty of other companies are still keen on convertible laptops, so I'm sure someone out there appreciates it. The touchscreen does work well with a USI stylus, offering 4,096 levels of pressure and tilt sensitivity — so if you're interested in drawing on the relatively large canvas this screen afford you, it should work pretty well. There's nothing new about the keyboard or trackpad this year, though Acer once again thoughtfully includes an optional fingerprint sensor for security. And past keyboards and trackpads on the high-end Spin models have been very good.

Finally, Acer says the battery on this laptop will last for about 10 hours. Unfortunately, most high-end Chromebooks I've used lately seem to max out in the six-to-seven hour range. Not terrible, but not ideal for a relatively expensive device. Hopefully the new Spin 714 will get closer to matching its promised battery life than last year's model. 

The Chromebook Spin 714 starts at $699 and will be available in North America in May. It'll then come to Europe, Middle East and African markets in July. As usual, Acer says it'll offer a wide variety of configurations, with prices differing by spec and region. 

As much as we all love our gadgets, they all contribute to a growing e-waste problem. Knowing where to recycle your used electronics can help mitigate that — but if you want to take it a step further, you could seek out more sustainable products like Acer's Vero line of "eco-friendly" laptops. Not only is the latest model of Acer's Aspire Vero 15 more powerful, but the company says it's built with more sustainable materials than ever, too.

Boiled down to the specs, the new Acer Aspire Vero 15 is a pretty standard spec upgrade — outfitting the notebook with an 13th generation Intel Core processor available in i3, i5 and i7 configurations, up to 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and as much as 1TB of storage. The latest revision also has an upgraded 1440p QHD webcam with AI noise reduction and voice enhancement features, two thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C ports, as well as two typical USB connectors, HDMI out and an audio jack.

The product line's eco-friendly credentials stem from a chassis built partially from post-consumer recycled plastics all cardboard packaging — and Acer says it's upgraded that aspect of the machine too. The new Aspire 15 Vero is now built from 40 percent PCR plastics (up from 30). The company also says the production process used 30% less CO2 than previous models. The laptop's circuit board is smaller too.

If that sounds like the machine for you, it won't be long before you can get your hands on it. The Acer Aspire Vero 15 launches in June, starting at $699.99.

HP is once again revamping its Envy laptop line, but this time it's more about who the company is working with than the raw specs. The headliner, the Envy x360 15.6-inch convertible, is billed as the first IMAX Enhanced-certified PC. Buy the version with an OLED screen (only 1080p, oddly enough) and you can watch Disney+ movies in the taller ratio with DTS:X spatial audio. There are also promises of exclusive remastered HDR content, although we wouldn't buy a computer just to revisit movies.

There are other reasons to consider HP's latest models, of course. Both the 15.6-inch and new 14-inch Envy x360 have improved screen-to-body ratios, the latest processors (13th-gen Intel Core for either, and AMD's Ryzen for the 15.6-inch) and upgraded webcams with manual privacy shutters and auto lock/wake features that secure your machine while you're away. The larger two-in-one also has the option of GeForce RTX 3050 graphics versus the RTX 2050 in the older model (sorry, no RTX 4050 here) and wrings out up to 15 hours of battery life versus 10 for its predecessor. The two x360s top out at 16GB of RAM.

HP

The lone conventional laptop update, the Envy 17.3-inch (pictured at middle), shares the camera, 13th-gen Core and available RTX 3050 graphics of the x360 15.6-inch. You only get an extra half-hour of battery life (nine total). but the 32GB RAM ceiling and optional 4K LCD should help if you're juggling heavy-duty apps.

The Envy x360 14-inch is shipping now with a starting price of $850. Its 15.6-inch counterpart arrives before the end of April with a $950 entry point. You'll have to wait until May to get Envy 17, which starts at $1,150. These aren't radical revisions, but the IMAX-certified laptop may be worth considering if you just have to watch the latest Marvel movies in the best-possible quality — so long as you don't need 4K, at least.

This is a prime moment to buy a high-powered Mac laptop for a grad, or as a treat for yourself. Amazon is offering steep discounts for 14-inch MacBook Pro models with the M2 Pro chip. The base version with a 10-core CPU and 512GB of storage is available at an all-time low price of $1,799, or $200 off. The biggest bargain, however, is a 12-core CPU variant with 1TB of storage that's selling for $2,249, or a sizeable $250 off. At these prices, there's little reason to get a MacBook Air — the Pro delivers considerably more features for a slightly larger outlay.

The 2023 revision of the 14-inch MacBook Pro is an iterative upgrade, but that still makes it an excellent laptop. It maintains the superb display, speakers, input and connectivity of its predecessor, but the M2 Pro improves performance and extends battery life. This is a compact powerhouse for creative work, particularly if you tend to work away from a wall outlet — Apple Silicon-based Macs sustain their speed while on battery power, unlike many competitors. It's quiet, too.

This is still an expensive computer that may be pricier than some competitors, and you'll want a Windows-based machine if you either crave a gaming rig or have certain must-run apps that aren't Mac-native. If those aren't issues, though, this is a very well-rounded portable with few shortcomings.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Apple's Mac Mini M2 gives you more speed and connectivity than you'd guess in such a small package, and for surprisingly little money, too. Now, it's dropped back down to the lowest price we've ever seen, starting at just $500 ($100 off the regular price) for the 256GB version. If more internal storage is needed, you can also buy the 512GB model for $690, for a discount of $110 (14 percent).

We gave the Mac Mini a solid 86 score in our Engadget review, praising the performance and classic aluminum design. While it's small enough to hide away on your desktop, the M2 processor is easily powerful enough for productivity chores and multitasking. The chip combines computing operations, like CPU, GPU, input/output interfaces and certain memory processes into one "system on a chip," allowing for faster processing speeds.

On top of that, you get killer connectivity, with two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C connections, HDMI 2.0 (with 4K 240Hz and 8K 60Hz output), two USB-A ports, a headphone jack and gigabit Ethernet (upgradeable to 10 gigabit). That lets you connect multiple screens along with storage and other accessories. 

The Mac Mini M2 won't replace your gaming machine, but it can handle nearly everything else you throw at it. The cheaper configurations are fine for most people, too — we wouldn't recommend the overpriced storage or RAM upgrades, as the M2 is much more efficient with RAM than typical PCs. All told, if you're looking for a cheap but powerful Mac, this is the way to go, especially at these prices.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Apple’s forthcoming 15-inch MacBook Air will feature a processor “on par” with the company’s current M2 chip. According to Bloomberg, Apple recently began testing the laptop to ensure its compatibility with third-party App Store apps, something the company does in the lead-up to the release of a new device.

Developer logs shared with the outlet show the machine was configured with a chipset that featured an eight-core CPU and 10-core GPU, along with 8GB of RAM. Those specs suggest the 15-inch MacBook Air, referred to as “Mac 15,3” in the logs, will ship with an M2 chipset, not Apple’s next-generation chip, as some past reports had suggested. “Bigger changes to the Mac will come later with the release of an M3 chip,” Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman notes. The new machine was spotted running macOS 14, which Apple is expected to announce at WWDC 2023

About the most interesting detail revealed by the logs is that the 15-inch MacBook Air features a display resolution “equal” to that of the 14-inch MacBook Pro. That means the new MacBook Air features a less dense display. It’s unclear when Apple plans to release the new laptop. The company announced the M2 MacBook Air at WWDC 2022. Gurman previously reported the 15-inch MacBook Air would arrive sometime between late spring and this summer.

Samsung's T7 Shield is a ruggedized version of our favorite portable SSD, offering IP65-rated water and dust resistance and a durable rubber casing on top of steady data transfer speeds. As part of the company's latest round of discounts on its various storage devices, both the 1TB and 2TB versions of the drive are priced lower-than-usual at Amazon, Best Buy and Samsung's own online store. The former is down to $80, which matches its all-time low, while the latter is on sale for $130, which is the best price we've seen outside of a very brief drop to $120 last August. For reference, the 1TB model has sat at this price for the last couple of weeks, but it's still about $10 below the average going rate we've seen in recent months. The 2TB model, meanwhile, has typically retailed around $150 as of late.

The T7 Shield isn't the only good portable SSD in this price range, as other USB 3.2 Gen 2 drives like the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD and WD My Passport SSD can squeeze out a bit more performance and have longer five-year warranties (Samsung gives a three-year warranty). But the speed differences aren't huge, and while all SSDs are more durable than older HDDs, the T7 Shield's rugged shell should provide extra peace of mind if you often bring your laptop on the road and need to transfer or backup files. For many, the best option is whatever's cheapest at the time; right now, that's the T7 Shield.

Samsung has a few other noteworthy deals on storage gear. The 256GB Samsung Evo Select is down to $19, which is an all-time low for a quick and reliable microSD card. If you don't need as much space, the 128GB Pro Plus microSD card is a bit faster and down to a low of $14. And while the ultrafast speeds of a PCIe 4.0 SSD like the 990 Pro aren't necessary for most, the 1TB version of that drive is available for a low of $100 for those building a higher-end PC (just make sure its firmware is up-to-date).

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.