Best laptops at CES 2020: Top notebooks, 2-in-1s, and ultraportables
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To help you sift through the deluge of CES 2020 announcements, ZDNet is rounding up what we believe are the best new laptops and hybrids from the annual consumer electronics show in Las Vegas, so you can get a look at the latest notebook tech arriving in the year ahead.
Also: More CES laptop coverage at CNET
We're specifically gathering all premium rigs designed for getting work done. We might include some gaming laptops, however, as they're high-powered PCs that are perfect for intensive daily tasks such as video editing or web development. Keep checking back, too, because we plan to update this guide throughout the week.
Best CES 2020 laptops
Disclosure: ZDNet may earn a commission from the products featured on this page. ZDNet and the author were not compensated for this independent review.
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook
- Release date: First quarter of 2020
- Pricing: Starts at $1,000
- See it now: Samsung
Samsung's latest Chromebook is a premium laptop designed to rival Google's Pixelbook as the top Chrome OS device to buy. It features a 13.3-inch 4K UHD-resolution AMOLED display and is only .4 inches thick. It also features a 10th-gen Intel Core i5 processor, up to 16GB of memory, and is Intel Project Athena-certified.
Samsung Galaxy Book Flex Alpha
- Release date: First half of 2020
- Price: Starts at $829
- See it now: Samsung
The new Samsung Galaxy Book Flex Alpha is a convertible Windows 10 laptop with a 13.3-inch QLED screen, runs on Intel's 10th-gen Comet Lake CPUs, and comes with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage.
HP Elite Dragonfly
- Release date: N/A
- Price: N/A
- See it now: HP
The HP Elite Dragonfly first released in September 2019, but HP already unveiled an upgraded version that includes 5G capability and built-in Tile tracking, making it the first Windows 10 laptop with integrated, device-tracking technology from Tile.
HP Spectre x360 15
- Release date: March
- Price: Starts at $1,599
- See it now: HP
HP showed off an updated version of the Spectre x360 15, as it does every year. This Windows 10-powered model comes with a lighter body and features reduced bezels, plus a fancy 15.6-inch 4K OLED display.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold
- Release Date: Second half of 2020
- Price: Starts at $2,500
- See it now: Lenovo
Lenovo has been teasing a foldable laptop since at least 2017, and it finally showed one at CES 2020. The ThinkPad X1 Fold will have multiple modes for users to choose, including the ability to completely open up to a 13.3-inch laptop. It runs Windows 10, uses Intel Core processors, and weighs 2.2 pounds.
Lenovo X1 Carbon
- Release date: Sometime in 2020
- Price: Starts at $1,499
- See it now: Lenovo
Lenovo once again updated its X1 Carbon Laptop. This time, the Windows 10 laptop comes with more choices for the display -- but expect to pay more for the high-end option, which offers 4K HDR capabilities.
Lenovo Legion Y740S
- Release date: May 2020
- Price: Starts at $1,100
- See it now: Lenovo
The latest laptop part of Lenovo's gaming-centric Legion series is the Y740S. It was announced alongside a new external graphics dock. It's supposed to be the lightest and thinnest gaming laptop from Lenovo, offering eight hours of battery life.
Lenovo Lavie Pro Mobile
- Release date: March 2020
- Price: Starts at $1,599
- See it now: Lenovo
Lenovo showed off the newest version of the lightweight Lavie Laptop. This new model has a 13.3-inch display and weighs a super light 1.85 pounds. It also runs Windows 10.
Acer Spin 5
- Release date: June 2020
- Price: Starts at $899
- See it now: Acer
Acer unveiled new models of the Spin 5 and Spin 3 convertible Windows 10 laptops at CES 2020. The Spin 5 is slightly lighter than the Spin 3 while also having a longer-lasting battery life.
Acer Concept D7 Ezel
- Release date: N/A
- Price: Starts at $2,700
- See it now: Acer
The new Acer Concept D7 Ezel laptops have unique designs that allow users to position the display nearly anywhere they want. Acer also announced a high-end version of the convertible laptop, called the Concept D7 Ezel Pro. All of them run Windows 10.
Dell Latitude 9510
- Release date: March 26, 2020
- Price: Starts at $1,799
- See it now: Dell
The Latitude 9510 and the Latitude 9510 2-in-1 are the first 9000 series in the business PC Latitude line from Dell. They're meant to be cream-of-the-crop devices, which is reflected in the price. They run Windows 10.
Dell XPS 13
- Release date: Jan. 7, 2020
- Price: Starts at $999
- See it now: Dell
Dell also showed off the latest version of its XPS 13 Windows 10 laptop. It touts new 10th-generation Intel Core 10nm mobile processors, a longer battery life, Windows 10, and Intel Project Athena certification -- making it the ultimate ultraportable.
Asus Zenbook Duo
- Release date: First quarter of 2020
- Price: N/A
- See it now: Asus
The Zenbook is known for its second screen above the keyboard. Asus is showing off a slimmed-down model of the Zenbook Duo Pro at CES 2020. It's lighter than the Pro model, at 3.3 pounds, and has a 10th-gen Intel processor with 16GB of RAM.
Asus Chromebook Flip C436
- Release date: First half of 2020
- Pricing: N/A
- See it now: Asus
Asus also unveiled the new 2-in-1 Chromebook Flip C436 at CES 2020. It, too, offers a 10th Gen Intel processors with 16GB of RAM, as well as 512GB SSD. The rotating screen is 13 inches, and the device itself weighs 2.4 pounds.
Asus Vivobook S15
- Release date: March 2020
- Price: N/A
- See it now: Asus
Asus unveiled updates to its Vivobook S15 laptop, as well as the smaller Vivobook S13 and Vivobook S14. The new features are headlined by the latest 10th-generation Intel processors and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. Also, these Windows 10 the laptops will be offered in new colors: Resolute Red, Gaia Green, Dreamy White, and Indie Black.
Dynabook Portege X30L-G
- Release date: February 2020
- Price: Starts at $1,600
- See it now: Dynabook
The Portege X30L-G has been a surprising headline-stealer from CES 2020, and that's for one reason: It's the lightest 13.3-inch laptop in the world, at 1.92 pounds. It packs 10th-gen Intel Core U-series processors, too.
Dell Concept Ori
- Release date: N/A
- Price: N/A
- See it now: Dell
Dell showed off some of its devices for the future at CES 2020, including the Ori and its folding screen. Short for Origami, the Ori has a foldable 13-inch screen. But, because it's only a concept at this stage, Dell has revealed little else about it.
Dell Concept Duet
- Release date: N/A
- Price: N/A
- See it now: Dell
Like the Concept Ori, the Concept Duet is a device Dell showed as a hint of what's to come for consumers. It's a lot like a normal laptop, except the keyboard has been completely replaced by another screen, giving it two 13.4-inch FHD displays. Again, this is a concept device, so there's no telling if it will ever come to market.
Intel Horseshoe Bend
- Release date: N/A
- Price: N/A
- See it now: Intel
Intel showed a foldable concept, too. Called the Horseshoe Bend, the device can bend so it functions as a laptop, with the lower half of the screen acting as a keyboard, or it can be unfolded and propped up with a kickstand to use the full 17.3-inch screen.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
- Release date: April 2020
- Price: N/A
- See it now: Asus
Asus announced the ROG Zepyrus G14, and it has all the things you'd expect in a gaming laptop, like the latest Ryzen 4000 chips, up to 32 G=B of RAM, and a Nvidia RTX 2060 GPU. It also added something you wouldn't expect as well: A LED dot matrix display on the lid of the laptop that's capable of displaying the time or showing your favorite GIF.
Lenovo Ducati 5
- Release date: April 2020
- Price: Starts at $1,000
- See it now: Lenovo
Lenovo partnered with Italian motorbike maker Ducati to create a super-fast laptop at an affordable price. It has a 14-inch screen and features design elements meant to mimic Ducati racing bikes, like a sleek red strip and honeycomb-shaped air vents.