We knew more computers were coming that would feature a native version of Microsoft’s AI Copilot toolset, but we didn’t quite know how many were set to be announced. It’s practically an AI avalanche. Companies like Dell, Acer and HP have all just announced computers that have adopted Microsoft’s AI software and NVIDIA’s AI hardware. The age of the AI PC is upon us.

These Copilot+ PCs could really change how we interact with computers, bringing natural language nuance to a bevy of everyday tasks. The PCs all feature a dedicated key to bring up Copilot and are stuffed with Arm-based Snapdragon X CPUs, which include powerful onboard neural processing units (NPUs) for AI tasks. While similar in some ways, each of the following computers bring their own ideas to the AI table. Sorry Apple fans. These are all Windows 11 PCs. Let’s get to it.

Surface Laptop

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The new Surface Laptop was the first Copilot+ PC detailed at Microsoft’s event. The updated PC has all of the AI bells and whistles you would expect, as it’s a first-party device. It’s also got serious specs. The Surface Laptop’s touch display can hit 600 nits of brightness, with availability in 13 and 15-inch options, and there's a studio camera integrated into the bezel. Microsoft says the laptop is 80 percent faster than the previous generation, with a battery that can get over 22 hours per charge. There’s the Copilot key, of course, but also a haptic touchpad. The Surface Laptop starts at just $1,000, with shipments going out on June 18.

Surface Pro

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It looks like Microsoft has dropped the numerical naming convention with Surface hybrid devices. This updated version should be called the Surface Pro 10, but it’s called just the Surface Pro. Microsoft says the latest Surface Pro is a whopping 90 percent faster than the Surface 9, which was already fairly quick. There’s also an OLED version that boasts a “near-infinite” contrast ratio for deep blacks and brighter colors.

The company also brags that the front-facing camera is the best it has ever created, with fantastic low-light performance. The rear-facing camera can capture 4K video. The new Flex keyboard design can operate both attached and detached, so you can position things however you want. Other features include a customizable haptic touchpad, Wi-Fi 7 and increased multi-monitor support. The new Surface Pro starts at $1,000, with shipments starting on June 18.

Acer Swift 14 AI

Acer

This is Acer's spin on the company’s line of Swift-branded laptops. The Snapdragon X CPU allows for all manner of AI tomfoolery, with access to both the Recall and Cocreator tools. The AI is also used for game optimization and for improving live video in real time. These tools even allows for real-time translations and speech captions of any live or pre-recorded video, though this is true of many of these Copilot+ PCs.

On the specs side of things, the laptop boasts a 14.5-inch touch display, up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of solid-state storage. All of this is stuffed into a quite-fetching metal chassis. The Acer Swift 14 AI will be available in July, with a starting price of $1,100.

HP Omnibook X

HP

HP has revived its once-iconic Omnibook line of laptops and updated it for the age of AI. The Omnibook X ships with the uber-powerful Snapdragon X Elite CPU, with up to 12 cores and a top speed of 3.4 GHz. The Qualcomm Hexagon NPU powers all of those AI bells and whistles and the Adreno GPU should be able to handle even the most graphically-demanding games. You can spec out this laptop with up to 32GB of RAM and up to 2TB of solid-stage storage. 

The Omnibook X boasts the same Copilot key as the rest of these computers, allowing instantaneous access to Microsoft’s digital assistant. There’s also a multitouch-enabled 14-inch display, complete with Corning Gorilla Glass, dual speakers with HP audio boost technology and integration with Wi-Fi 7. The computer hits store shelves on June 18 with a starting price of $1,200. You can easily tell new HP AI PCs by the addition of a helix-shaped logo.

HP EliteBook Ultra G1q

HP

The Omnibook X wasn’t the only AI PC announced today. The company also unveiled the business-focused EliteBook Ultra G1q. This laptop also uses the Snapdragon X Elite CPU, along with an NPU capable of more than 40 trillion operations per second. That means it should whiz through AI tasks at a rapid clip. The new EliteBook Ultra can do all of the typical chatbot/digital assistant stuff, but the Poly Camera Pro software now runs on the NPU, so you won’t draw power from the CPU when using tools like background blur and virtual backgrounds during video calls.

This PC also includes premium endpoint security to defend against phishing sites and malware attacks at the firmware level. There’s a 14-inch touch display and a battery that charges to 50 percent in just 30 minutes. You’ll be stuck with 16GB of soldered-on RAM, however, and the storage space maxes out at 1TB. The EliteBook Ultra G1q releases on June 18 with a starting price of $1,700.

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x

Engadget/Sam Rutherford

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x features the Snapdragon X Elite chip and some impressive specs. The screen boasts a color gamut that covers 100 percent of DCI-P3 with up to 500 nits of brightness. The bezels are thin, there’s a quad-mic setup and it’s actually lighter than the comparably-sized MacBook Air. Unlike the MBA, however, the Yoga Slim 7x features dedicated fans for cooling. Finally, there’s a robust 70 Wh battery that should easily last a full workday and beyond. The Yoga Slim 7x is due out later this year starting at $1,300, with exclusive availability at Best Buy.

The company has another AI PC coming, the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6. This also features a beefy NPU processor for AI tasks.

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge Series

Samsung

The Galaxy Book series is getting an AI-centric refresh. The forthcoming Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge series comes in a few varieties, with screen sizes ranging from 14-inches to 16-inches. They all feature AMOLED display panels with 3K resolution and Snapdragon X Elite processors. Each version also includes a full-size HDMI output, two USB-C ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack. In addition, the 16-inch model boasts a full-size USB-A port, a microSD card reader and a number pad.

There’s a pro version available with the most powerful Snapdragon X Elite variant and more RAM, though only in the 16-inch design. These laptops start at $1,350 and will hit stores on June 18. 

ASUS Vivobook S 15

ASUS

This ultrathin 15.6-inch laptop is powered by the Snapdragon X Elite processor and includes a collection of AI-centric apps developed by ASUS. The camera features something called AiSense that detects when someone is in front of the display and dims the screen when they look away to preserve juice. This system is also used to automatically lock and unlock the computer. It’s also the first ASUS laptop to feature StoryCube, which is a proprietary AI assistant that helps to “manage all digital assets.”

As for standard specs, it boasts a 15.6-inch OLED display, a Harman Kardon-certified audio system with multi-dimensional Dolby Atmos sound and a 70 Wh battery that gets 18 hours of use per charge. Preorders are available now and you can outfit these laptops with up to 1TB of internal storage and up to 32GB of RAM. It’s surprising the company didn’t have a Zenbook ready to go here, given last year’s model went pretty hard for AI.

A Whole Bunch of Dell PCs

Dell

Dell is diving in head-first here, announcing five laptops with built-in AI, all powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X line. There’s an AI-centric refresh of the iconic XPS 13 with a Snapdragon X Elite chip. This laptops boasts a sleek, minimalist design with a machined aluminum exterior and plenty of ultra-durable Gorilla Glass. There’s a touch function row and an option for a 3K touch display. The updated XPS 13 starts at $1,300 and preorders are open now, though shipments don’t begin until later in the year.

The company has also refreshed its Inspiron line of laptops. The Inspiron 14 and Inspiron 14 Plus both feature Snapdragon X Plus processors and instant access to Microsoft Copilot. The Inspiron Plus looks to be a bit more powerful on the CPU side of things, with ten cores and speeds up to 3.4GHz. The Plus starts at $1,100, with models shipping out later this year. Dell will release pricing and availability information regarding the standard Inspiron 14 in the coming months.

For enterprise customers, Dell will have the Latitude 5455 and the Latitude 7455, which are offshoots of the current Latitude 5450 and 7450 notebooks. The big change here is that both new models will be powered by Snapdragon X Plus chips, with the 7455 offering an option for the flagship Snapdragon X Elite. The 7450 boasts a 360-degree 2-in-1 design and is being advertised as the “thinnest Latitude laptop ever." We'll get pricing and availability informaton on these later this year.

What about other PC companies?

These are all of the big announcements from the Microsoft Surface event, but that doesn’t mean they will be the only available laptops with Snapdragon X processors and Copilot integration. Rumors swirl that many other manufacturers are prepping their own computers for release in the near future. This is, after all, the decade of AI… so they say. 

Microsoft just couldn't wait until its Build developer conference properly starts tomorrow to drop some knowledge bombs. The company held a pre-Build event on Monday that wasn't livestreamed for the public, but it made some major announcements on the AI and Surface fronts.

Its vision for so-called AI PCs is taking shape with Copilot+ PCs, which are designed to run many generative AI processes locally instead of in the cloud. Along with its own Surface systems that will adopt this format, several other manufacturers are making Copilot+ PCs too. Microsoft also detailed some of the upcoming AI features for Windows 11.

Copilot+ PCs

The big news coming out of this event is Microsoft's vision for AI-centric PCs. Microsoft's take on this is the Copilot+ PC. 

To qualify as a Copilot+ PC, a system will need to have neural processing unit (NPU) performance of at least 40 TOPs (trillions of operations per second) and have 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage at minimum. This is so the PC can run generative AI processes locally rather than via the cloud. That's a strategy we've seen in some recent flagship smartphones, such as Google Pixel devices.

Microsoft says it has completely reimagined the Windows PC to run on a new infrastructure that combines the CPU, GPU and NPU. It's working with several partners to make this happen, including chipmakers AMD, Intel and Qualcomm as well as laptop manufacturers.

The company claims Copilot+ PCs are 58 percent faster than the M3-powered MacBook Air. The systems will be able to run dozens of multi-modal small language models locally, which will power features like a new standalone Copilot app. 

New Surface models

Microsoft unveiled new business-focused Surface devices a couple of months ago and now the latest consumer models are just about here. Of course, these are among the first Copilot+ PCs.

The new Surface Laptop has thinner bezels and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chipset. It comes in 13.8-inch and 15-inch sizes. Microsoft says it's over 86 percent faster than the Surface Pro 5 and comes with up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage. 

The switch to Arm architecture should help make the laptop more power efficient. Microsoft claims the 15-inch model will run for up to 22 hours on a single charge while playing videos locally and up to 15 hours while actively browsing the web. The Surface Laptop starts at $999 and will ship on June 18.

Meanwhile, the Surface Pro will have a snazzy OLED display option for the first time. It's said to be 90 percent faster than the previous generation and you seemingly get up to 14 hours of local video playback on a single charge. Sadly, the only ports you'll get are two USB-C ones.

A version with an LCD screen starts at $1,000 and it comes with a Snapdragon X Plus chip, 256GB of storage and 16GB of RAM. If you want the OLED display, pricing starts at $1,500. Bear in mind that if you want a physical keyboard, you'll need to buy that separately. The new Flex Keyboard costs $350, or $450 if you want to bundle in a Surface Pen.

Catch up on all the news from Microsoft's Copilot AI and Surface event today!

As part of Microsoft’s big push into AI, Lenovo is releasing two new Windows 11 laptops featuring Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chip. First up is the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6, which is essentially Lenovo’s most popular enterprise notebook with an Arm-based chip with a beefy NPU instead of an x86 processor from Intel or AMD. But the more interesting of the two is the Yoga Slim 7x, which features an all-new chassis that’s designed to take better advantage of the X Elite’s blend of performance and power efficiency. And while Lenovo won’t say it outright, the latter is basically the company’s attempt at making a MacBook Air rival for Windows.

Before we get too deep into the specifics, it’s important to note that I tried out a pre-production version of the Slim 7x that didn’t have any of Microsoft’s new Copilot+ features, so this is strictly an early look at the laptop’s hardware. But from what I saw, there’s a lot to like.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

The laptop’s highlight features are its 14-inch 3K 90Hz OLED display and its sleek aluminum chassis. The screen features a color gamut that covers 100 percent of DCI-P3 while delivering up to 500 nits of brightness. Above the display, there’s Lenovo’s signature communication tab, which allows the Slim 7x to support an FHD webcam plus IR sensors for Windows Hello along with quad mics, but without needing to have super thick bezels.

At just 2.84 pounds, the Slim 7x is only a tenth of a pound heavier than a 13-inch MacBook Air and half a pound lighter than a 15-inch MBA. Though at around 0.51 inches thick, it’s not quite as sleek as either of Apple’s rivals. And despite the Snapdragon X Elite chip’s emphasis on power efficiency, unlike a MacBook Air, the Slim 7x still has dedicated fans for cooling.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Elsewhere, the system features three USB-C 4 ports, Wi-Fi 7 and a surprisingly punchy quad speaker setup. I was also quite surprised with the Slim 7x’s keyboard, which sports 1.5mm of key travel, which is a lot longer than you typically get on a system this thin. Finally, powering everything is a 70Wh battery, which is significantly larger than the 58Wh cell on the ThinkPad T14s.

Unfortunately, without knowing more about the Snapdragon X Elite’s performance in Windows 11 (not to mention stuff like app compatibility) or how impactful Microsoft’s Copilot+ features will be, this is a somewhat incomplete peek at the Yoga Slim 7x’s capabilities. But even so, for all the people who want to see slimmer notebooks that offer good performance and battery life, it’s encouraging to see what companies like Lenovo are doing with a new generation of Arm-based processors for Windows.

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

The Yoga Slim 7x is expected to go on sale sometime in June starting at $1,199 and will be available exclusively from Best Buy.

Acer just announced a new laptop that takes full advantage of Microsoft’s Copilot AI technology, the Swift 14 AI. This is one of the first PCs with Copilot built directly into the system, so you can expect some serious AI bells and whistles.

To that end, there are plenty of new system-wide tools that could radically change how we interact with personal computers. The Recall tool is an amplified search function that lets users find missing files via natural conversation. It’s sort of like an AI Sherlock Holmes, only for misplaced Word documents and the like. You describe any clues you remember about the file and Recall starts sleuthing. That certainly beats typing in the first letter and hoping autocorrect does the rest.

That isn’t the only new way to find stuff. The Swift 14 AI features an explorable timeline, allowing users to scroll through time to get back to apps, documents and messages they previously used. The computer’s built-in AI also allows for real-time translations and speech captions of any live or pre-recorded video. As for the translations, it can turn 44 languages into English.

Being an AI computer, the Acer Swift 14 AI features a built-in way to generate images and text via written prompt. This Cocreator service should be much faster than current methods, as the query won’t have to go to the cloud and back.

All of that stuff is well and good, but built-in AI really shines when it comes to optimization. This computer includes a feature called Auto Super Resolution that automatically upscales graphics resolution and frame refresh rates of games all “without taking a hit on performance.” The Windows Studio Effects toolset uses AI to improve lighting conditions and cancel out unwanted noise during video calls. Finally, there’s a dedicated Copilot key for accessing a myriad of other AI-adjacent features.

Acer

Of course, this isn’t just a larger version of Humane’s beleaguered AI pin. It’s an actual laptop with the specs to prove it. The Acer Swift 14 AI ships in a light metal chassis and boasts a Qualcomm Snapdragon X processor, an integrated NPU that promises up to 45 trillion operations per second and a 14.5-inch WQXGA touch display. Acer also promises all-day battery life, despite the added power. 

The laptop will be available in July, with a starting price of $1,100. You can spec it out with up to 32GB of RAM and and up to 1TB of solid-state storage. It joins a bevy of other Acer laptop models announced or released this year. 

To kick off Build 2024, Microsoft announced new Surface devices at its hardware and AI event. Among the new gear is the new Surface Laptop : a redesigned PC with thinner bezels in 13.8- and 15-inch sizes and Qualcomm’s Arm-based Snapdragon X Elite chip. Of course, AI plays a key role on the new device as this is one of the newly-named Copilot+ PCs that run over 40 models locally thanks to updates to Windows 11.  

To go along with the thinner bezels, and upgraded PixelSense touchscreen display offers HDR and Dolby Vision IQ. Microsoft says this is the brightest display it has ever shipped at 600 nits and it offers a wide color range supporting the P3 gamut. What's more, new Studio Cameras are now in the bezel, to there's no visible notch. As expected, there's now a dedicated Copilot key and the touchpad is equipped with haptics, plus there are two new colors: Sapphire and Dune. And it sounds like Microsoft has decided to drop the numbers as it's referring to this new machine simply as Surface Laptop. 

Microsoft says the new Surface Laptop is over 86 percent faster than the Surface Pro 5. In an onstage demo, this new model was batch processing photos almost twice as fast as a MacBook Air. Adobe's flagship apps — Photoshop, Lightroom and Photoshop Express — are coming to Copilot+ PCs today, so they'll also work with existing Arm Windows machines. The company says the 15-inch Surface Laptop lasted "far longer" than the Surface Laptop 5 and MacBook Air with over 22 hours of local video playback. 

This is actually the second "Surface Laptop 6." Microsoft revealed the first one back in March, but that model is basically a Laptop 5 with updated internals for business use. Intel's Core Ultra CPUs deliver AI smarts though, and the 13.5- and 15-inch models are available with with up to 64GB of RAM and a 1TB. There's also a dedicated Copilot key like we've seen on machines from other companies, aiming to get you to use Microsoft's AI more easily and more often at work. Since these are meant for enterprise customers, they aren't available in stores, leaving everyone waiting for the proper Laptop 6 the company unveiled today. 

Developing...

Catch up on all the news from Microsoft's Copilot AI and Surface event today!

If you can't tell by now, just about every tech company is eager to pray at the altar of AI, for better or worse. Google's recent I/O developer conference was dominated by AI features, like its seemingly life-like Project Astra assistant. Just before that, OpenAI debuted GPT 4o, a free and conversational AI model that's disturbingly flirty. Next up is Microsoft Build 2024, the company's developer conference that's kicking off next week in Seattle.

Normally, Build is a fairly straightforward celebration of Microsoft's devotion to productivity, with a dash of on-stage coding to excite the developer crowd. But this year, the company is gearing up to make some more huge AI moves, following its debut of the ChatGPT-powered Bing Chat in early 2023. Take that together with rumors around new Surface hardware, and Build 2024 could potentially be one of the most important events Microsoft has ever held.

But prior to Build, Microsoft is hosting a showcase for new Surfaces and AI in Windows 11 on May 20. Build kicks off a day later on May 21. For the average Joe, the Surface event is shaping up to be the more impactful of the two, as rumors suggest we will see some of the first systems featuring Qualcomm’s Arm-based Snapdragon X Elite chip alongside new features coming in the next major Windows 11 update.

That's not to say it's all rosy for the Windows maker. Build 2024 is the point where we'll see if AI will make or break Microsoft. Will the billions in funding towards OpenAI and Copilot projects actually pay off with useful tools for consumers? Or is the push for AI, and the fabled idea of "artificial general intelligence," inherently foolhardy as it makes computers more opaque and potentially untrustworthy? (How, exactly, do generative AI models come up with their answers? It's not always clear.)

Here are a few things we expect to see at Build 2024:

New Surface hardware

While Microsoft did push out updates to the Surface family earlier this spring, those machines were more meant for enterprise customers, so they aren’t available for purchase in regular retail stores. A Microsoft spokesperson told us at the time that it "absolutely remain[s] committed to consumer devices," and that the commercial focused announcement was "only the first part of this effort."

Instead, the company's upcoming refresh for its consumer PCs is expected to consist of new 13 and 15-inch Surface Laptop 6 models with thinner bezels, larger trackpads, improved port selection and the aforementioned X Elite chip. There’s a good chance that at the May 20th showcase, we’ll also see an Arm-based version of the Surface Pro 10, which will sport a similar design to the business model that came out in March, but with revamped accessories including a Type Cover with a dedicated Copilot key.

According to The Verge, Microsoft is confident that these new systems could outmatch Apple's M3-powered MacBook Air in raw speed and AI performance.

The company has also reportedly revamped emulation for x86 software in its Arm-based version of Windows 11. That's a good thing, since poor emulation was one of the main reasons we hated the Surface Pro 9 5G, a confounding system powered by Microsoft's SQ3 Arm chip. That mobile processor was based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, which was unproven in laptops at the time. Using the Surface Pro 9 5G was so frustrating we felt genuinely offended that Microsoft was selling it as a "Pro" device. So you can be sure we're skeptical about any amazing performance gains from another batch of Qualcomm Arm chips.

It'll also be interesting to see if Microsoft's new consumer devices look any different than their enterprise counterparts, which were basically just chip swaps inside of the cases from the Surface Pro 9 and Laptop 5. If Microsoft is actually betting on mobile chips for its consumer Surfaces, there's room for a complete rethinking of its designs, just like how Apple refashioned its entire laptop lineup around its M-series chips.

AI Explorer

Aside from updated hardware, one of the biggest upgrades on these new Surfaces should be vastly improved on-device AI and machine learning performance thanks to the Snapdragon X Elite chip, which can deliver up to 45 TOPS (trillions of operations per second) from its neural processing unit (NPU). This is key because Microsoft has previously said PCs will need at least 40 TOPs in order to run Windows AI features locally. This leads us to some of the additions coming in the next major build of Microsoft’s OS, including something the company is calling its AI Explorer, expanded Studio effects and more.

According to Windows Central, AI Explorer is going to be Microsoft’s catch-all term covering a range of machine learning-based features. This is expected to include a revamped search tool that lets users look up everything from websites to files using natural language input. There may also be a new timeline that will allow people to scroll back through anything they've done recently on their computer and the addition of contextual suggestions that appear based on whatever they're currently looking at. And building off of some of the Copilot features we’ve seen previously, it seems Microsoft is planning to add support for tools like live captions, expanded Studio effects (including real-time filters) and local generative AI tools that can help create photos and more on the spot.

Smarter and more local Copilots

Microsoft wants an AI Copilot in everything. The company first launched Github Copilot in 2021 as a way to let programmers use AI to deal with mundane coding tasks. At this point, all of the company's other AI tools have also been rebranded as "Microsoft Copilot" (that includes Bing Chat, and Microsoft 365 Copilot for productivity apps). With Copilot Pro, a $20 monthly offering launched earlier this year, the company provides access to the latest GPT models from OpenAI, along with other premium features.

But there's still one downside to all of Microsoft's Copilot tools: They require an internet connection. Very little work is actually happening locally, on your device. That could change soon, though, as Intel confirmed that Microsoft is already working on ways to make Copilot local. That means it may be able to answer simpler questions, like basic math or queries about files on your system, more quickly without hitting the internet at all. As impressive as Microsoft's AI assistant can be, it still typically takes a few seconds to deal with your questions.

More from Microsoft at Build 2024

After all the new hardware and software are announced, Build is positioned to help developers lay even more groundwork to better support those new AI and expanded Copilot features. Microsoft has already teased things like Copilot on Edge and Copilot Plugins for 365 apps, so we’re expecting to hear more on how those will work. And by taking a look at some of the sessions already scheduled for Build, we can see there’s a massive focus on everything AI-related, with breakouts for Customizing Microsoft Copilot, Copilot in Teams, Copilot Extensions and more.

What else to look out for?

While Microsoft will surely draw a lot of attention, it’s important to mention that it won’t be the only manufacturer coming out with new AI PCs. That’s because alongside revamped Surfaces, we’re expecting to see a whole host of other laptops featuring Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite Chip (or possibly the X Plus) from other major vendors like Dell, Lenovo and more.

Admittedly, following the intense focus Google put on AI at I/O 2024, the last thing people may want to hear about is yet more AI. But at this point, like most of its rivals, Microsoft is betting big on machine learning to grow and expand the capabilities of Windows PCs.

Intel has launched a new software application called Thunderbolt Share that will make controlling two or more PCs a more seamless experience. It will allow you to sync files between PCs through its interface, or see multiple computers' folders so you can drag and drop and specific documents, images and other file types. That makes collaborations easy if you're transferring particularly hefty files, say raw photos or unedited videos, between you and a colleague. You can also use the app to transfer data from an old PC to a new one, so you don't have to use an external drive to facilitate the move. 

When it comes to screen sharing, Intel says the software can retain the resolution of the source PC without compression, so long as the maximum specs only reach Full HD at up to 60 frames per second. The mouse cursor and keyboard also remain smooth and responsive between PCs, thanks to the Thunderbolt technology's high bandwidth and low latency. 

The company says it's licensing Thunderbolt Share to OEMs as a value-add feature for their upcoming PCs and accessories. You will need Windows computers with Thunderbolt 4 or 5 ports to be able to use it, and they have to be directly connected with a Thunderbolt cable, or connected to the same Thunderbolt dock or monitor. The first devices that support the application will be available in the second half of 2024 and will be coming from various manufacturers, including Lenovo, Acer, MSI, Razer, Kensington and Belkin.

The Alienware m16 R2 is a rarity among modern laptops. That’s because normally after a major revamp, gadget makers like to keep new models on the market for as long as possible to minimize manufacturing costs. However, after its predecessor launched last year sporting a fresh design, the company reengineered the entire system again for 2024 while also limiting how big of a GPU can fit inside. So what gives? The trick is that by looking at the configurations people actually bought, Alienware was able to rework the m16 into a gaming laptop with a sleeker design, better battery life and a more approachable starting price, which is a great recipe for a well-balanced notebook.

Design

There are so many changes on the m16 R2’s chassis it’s hard to believe it’s from the same line. Not only has Alienware gotten rid of the big bezels and chin from the R1, but the machine is also way more portable now. Weight is down more than 20 percent to 5.75 pounds (from 7.28 pounds) and it’s also significantly more compact with a depth of 9.8 inches (versus 11.4 inches before). For some style points, Alienware added RGB lighting around the perimeter of the touchpad. This result is a major upgrade for anyone who wants to take the laptop on the go. It fundamentally changes the system from something more like a desktop replacement to a portable all-rounder.

Critically, despite being smaller, the m16 R2 still has a great array of connectivity options. On its sides are two USB 3.2 Type-A ports, a microSD card reader, an Ethernet jack and a 3.5mm audio socket. Around back, there are two USB-C slots (one supports Thunderbolt 4 while the other has DisplayPort 1.4), a full-size HDMI 2.1 connector and a proprietary barrel plug for power. Generally, I like this arrangement as moving some ports to the rear of the laptop helps keep clutter down. That said, I wish Alienware had switched the placement of the Ethernet jack and one of the USB-C ports, as I find myself reaching for the latter much more often.

Display

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

The m16 R2 has a single display option: a 16-inch 240Hz panel with a QHD+ resolution (2,560 x 1,600). It’s totally serviceable and for competitive gamers, that high refresh rate could be valuable during matches where potential advantage matters. But you don’t get any support for HDR, so colors don’t pop as much as they would on a system with an OLED screen. Furthermore, brightness is just OK at around 300 nits, which might not be a big deal if you prefer gaming at night or in darker environments. But if you plan on lugging this around to a place with big windows or a lot of sunlight, games and movies may look a bit subdued. That said, it’s not a deal breaker, I just wish this model had some other display options like the previous one.

Performance

While the m16 R2’s sleeker design is a major plus, the trade-off is less space for a beefy GPU. So unlike its predecessor, the biggest card that fits is an NVIDIA RTX 4070. This may come as a downer for performance enthusiasts, but Alienware said it made this change after seeing only a small fraction of buyers opt for RTX 4080 graphics on the old model. Even so, the R2 can still hold its own when playing AAA titles. In Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p and ultra graphics, it hit 94 fps, barely behind what we saw from the ASUS ROG G16 (95 fps) with a more powerful 4080. And while the performance gap grew slightly when I turned ray tracing on, the m16 still pumped out a very playable framerate of 62 fps (versus 69 fps for the G16).

Battery life

One of the biggest benefits of the m16 R2’s redesign is that it allowed Alienware to install a larger 90Wh battery versus the 84Wh pack in its predecessor. When you combine that with components and fans better tailored to the kind of performance this machine delivers, you get improved longevity. On our rundown test, the m16 R2 lasted 7 hours and 51 minutes, which is longer than both the Razer Blade 14 (6:46) and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (7:29) and just shy of what we got from a similarly specced XPS 16 (8:31). That said, it’s still not as good as the ASUS G16’s time of 9:17. Regardless, the ability to go longer between charges is never a bad thing. Meanwhile, for those who want to pack super light, one of the m16 R2’s USB-C ports in the back supports power input, though you won’t get the full 240 watts like you do with Alienware’s included brick.

Wrap-up

Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget

For 2024, it would have been so easy for Alienware to give the m16 a basic spec refresh and call it a day. But it didn’t. Instead, the company looked at its customers' preferences and gave it a revamp to match. So despite not having the same top-end performance as before, the R2 is still a very capable gaming laptop with a more compact chassis, improved battery life and a lower starting price of $1,500 with an RTX 4050. Sure, I wish its display was brighter and that there was another panel option, but getting 240Hz standard is pretty nice.

Really, the biggest argument against the m16 R2 is that for higher-specced systems like our $1,850 review unit with an RTX 4070, you can spend another $150 for an ASUS ROG G16 with the same GPU, a brighter and more colorful OLED display and an even lighter design that weighs a full pound less. But for people seeking a well-priced gaming machine that can do a bit of everything, there’s a lot of value in the m16 R2.

It's been a busy day of Apple news thanks to some new iPads, but the company has plenty of other M-series devices, including the iMac. Apple slotted M3 chips into its desktop computers late last year, and now the base version of the 2023 iMac is cheaper than ever. Thanks to a coupon at Amazon (make sure to clip it!), you can snap up an iMac with an M3 chip, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage for $1,149. The deal is available for the silver, pink, green and blue versions of the system.

A word of warning: while this is a decent deal on the surface, we do feel that the specs of the base 2023 iMac aren't quite up to scratch. It's difficult in this day and age to earnestly recommend a computer with just 8GB of RAM as apps become more and more demanding. That's why the iMac didn't score higher than 86 in our review.

On the plus side, the M3 chipset is very fast and the iMac's display remains terrific. Although this is a desktop system, it's lightweight, so it's not too difficult to move from one room to another or prop it up on something — the inability to adjust the screen vertically is a little disappointing.

There are some caveats to keep in mind here, but if you're looking for a nice, pretty new computer for relatively basic tasks (you're not going to be doing much gaming or video editing on a system with these specs) and don't mind splashing some cash, then this iMac might do the trick for you.

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The latest and greatest 15-inch M3 MacBook Air is on sale right now for $1,150 via Amazon. This includes a sale discount of $100 plus a clipped coupon for $50, bringing the total price drop to $150. That’s not a bad deal for a laptop that just came out a couple of months ago. 

We were surprised by just how much we enjoyed this computer, as the larger screen truly makes a significant difference when compared to the standard MacBook Air. We found that the big display allowed for longer periods of use before getting fatigued, which was aided by truly excellent battery life. This thing easily lasts an entire workday, with Apple suggesting 18 hours of battery life before requiring a charge.

One of our only complaints about the M2 MacBook Air was regarding the chip itself, as the computer could struggle with certain intensive tasks. That’s been fixed with the inclusion of the M3 chip. It’s not as powerful as the M3 Pro, of course, but it certainly gets the job done, and then some.

This is also a fairly light computer, despite the size increase. It weighs around three pounds and can easily slip into a tote bag. However, the added size does make it a bit more cumbersome to carry than the 13-inch model. But that’s the trade off with any 15-inch laptop. There’s really only one serious downside to this model, and that’s with regard to port placement. The charging and USB-C ports are only on one side, which can get annoying when you have plenty of accessories to connect on a crowded desk.

This particular deal is for the base model, with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of solid-state storage. Every available iteration on Amazon, however, has been discounted. Don’t forget to clip that coupon.

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