The 10 Coolest Laptops Of 2016

Laptops To Love

The PC market may be continuing to decline, but that didn't stop major vendors from releasing plenty of interesting laptops in 2016. Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Lenovo, Microsoft and Samsung all debuted cool new Windows 10 laptops during the year, while Apple, of course, had a notable laptop launch of its own in the fall.

In the following slides, the CRN Test Center rounded up the 10 laptops that most caught our attention this year.

HP EliteBook 1040 G3

Starting price: $1,449

What's cool about it: A speedy Intel Core i7 processor that supports vPro, a 14-inch QHD touchscreen display and a well-designed keyboard and trackpad have meant that there isn't much to complain about with the laptop. The laptop also rates high on design (it features a CNC-machined aluminum body) and portability (with thickness of 0.65 of an inch and a weight of 3.4 pounds). In addition, the EliteBook 1040 G3 is now shipping with what HP is calling the "only integrated PC privacy screen." Known as Sure View, the feature allows users to provide visual protection of their display from onlookers by pressing Function + F2.

Dell XPS 13

Starting price: $799.99 (non-touch), $1,299.99 (touchscreen)

What's cool about it: Dell's 2016 update to its popular XPS 13 laptop adds the seventh generation of Intel's top-of-the-line Core processors (Kaby Lake) and includes Killer 1535 Wireless-AC technology for a faster, smoother Wi-Fi connection. Its 13.3-inch display barely has a bezel on the top and sides, making it a laptop that feels small and highly portable overall, but that still has plenty of screen space. And the battery is 7 percent larger than that of the previous XPS 13, allowing for all-day battery life. Lastly, the laptop maintains the same thin-and-light profile of the previous version with a thickness of 0.6 inches and a weight of 2.7 pounds for the non-touch version, 2.9 pounds for the touchscreen edition.

Lenovo Yoga 910

Starting price: $1,179.99

What's cool about it: The latest addition to the Yoga line offers a 13.9-inch, 4K resolution touchscreen display (which folds all the way back, of course) in a stylish and slim package (0.56 of an inch thick). The Yoga 910 also has a sizable battery for long battery life and comes with the seventh-generation Intel Core i7 processor.

Samsung Notebook 9

Starting price: $1,000 (13-inch), $1,200 (15-inch)

What's cool about it: First debuted early in 2016, Samsung in December launched updated versions of both sizes of the Notebook 9 with boosts to portability and power. The newly updated Notebook 9 comes with seventh-generation Intel Core i5/i7 processors, and both sizes are lighter than the initial version -- 1.8 pounds for the 13-inch version and 2.17 pounds for the 15-inch version. The laptop also rates high on durability as it's built from aluminum and magnesium alloy.

Apple MacBook Pro

Starting price: $1,499 (13-inch, no Touch Bar); $1,799 (13-inch, Touch Bar); $2,399 (15-inch, Touch Bar)

What's cool about it: The biggest differentiator for the 2016 update to the MacBook Pro 2016, of course, is the Touch Bar. This touch-sensitive display strip -- which takes the place of the function row of keys on the higher-end versions -- provides controls that adapt to whatever app is being used. The new MacBook Pro is also more portable than the previous version: The 13-inch version weighs 3 pounds and the 15-inch version 4 pounds, shaving off a half pound in both cases. Other sizes are also thinner than in the past, with the 13-inch version at 0.59 of an inch thick and the 15-inch MacBook Pro measuring 0.61 of an inch thick.

Microsoft Surface Book i7

Starting price: $2,399

What's cool about it: The lines between convertible tablet and laptop are perhaps nowhere blurrier than with Microsoft's Surface Book, which consists of a 13.5-inch touchscreen display with detachable keyboard. And this fall, the company launched an updated new version of the device, known as the Surface Book i7 (or alternatively, the Surface Book with Performance Base). The device features a sixth-gen Intel Core i7 processor, a GeForce GTX 965M for graphics and up to 16 hours of battery life on a charge.

HP EliteBook Folio

Starting price: $999 (non-touch) or $1,799 (touchscreen)

What's cool about it: In the market for business-class notebooks, the EliteBook Folio offers an unusual amount of portability, weighing just 2.14 pounds and measuring just 0.47 of an inch thick. It also aims to please on appearance with its aluminum-bodied design, and the Folio has a 180-degree hinge so the laptop can open completely flat.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga OLED

Starting price: $2,000

What's cool about it: The 14-inch OLED display is simply a stunner, with better colors and a brighter picture than on LCD displays. It's also a touchscreen, and it folds all the way back, offering a lot of flexibility around getting things done. And, as a ThinkPad, the laptop is durable and fast, while still ranking high on portability, weighing in at 2.8 pounds and with a thickness of two-thirds-of-an-inch.

Dell Latitude 3379

Starting price: $899

What's cool about it: The Latitude 3379 is Dell's first foray into the 2-in-1 convertible laptop. The machine features a touchscreen display and the ability to fold it all the way back. It's also got plenty of horsepower, with Intel Core i3/i5 processors available, and comes with a number of ports (USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0, HDMI and a Micro SD card reader). And it's worth noting that we've found the touchpad on the Latitude 3379 to be better than those on many Windows 10 laptops.

HP Spectre 13

Starting price: $1,169

What's cool about it: This is a laptop that, above all, impresses for the way it was designed. For starters, it ranks as the thinnest laptop on the market today at just 0.41 of an inch, and yet still finds room for one of Intel's powerful Core i5 or i7 processors (most ultra-thin laptops go with a slower processor). But the outside of the Spectre 13 may be even more notable than the inside; it’s got a luxury, black-and-gold design thanks to the involvement of jewelry designer Jess Hannah and industrial product designer Tord Boontje.