CES is always a good opportunity to see what technology is set to dominate the year ahead – and 2026 seems like a big one for the humble laptop.
Judging by the CES previews and countless internet rumours, 2026 should see huge laptop upgrades from faster chips, brighter displays and interesting features that could change how we use our computers.
With this in mind, we’ve collated six of the most exciting laptop upgrades that we’re both expecting and hoping to see in 2026
For more on CES, make sure you visit our best gadgets of CES 2026 round-up and four of the biggest trends that have derived from the annual show.
Snapdragon X2 Plus chips
Although unsurprisingly there tends to be a lot more focus on top-end chips and the amount of power they provide, we should remember that most people will likely make do with a decent (and cheaper) mid-range option instead. That’s where Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Plus comes in.
Despite not being quite as powerful as Snapdragon X2 Elite, Plus promises to be a solid choice for most users. In fact, Qualcomm says the chip is designed to empower professionals and aspiring creators too.
With the promise of speedy performance and “fluid multitasking”, Snapdragon X2 Plus is an ideal choice for powering busy workdays and balancing workloads too. The chip is also fitted with an integrated Hexagon NPU that delivers 80 TOPS for on-device AI performance, while promising better power efficiency too.
Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors
Even with the above in mind, if you are someone who needs uninterrupted and all-round mighty performance, then you’ll definitely have the Intel Core Ultra Series 3 on your radar. Announced at CES 2026, the Intel Core Ultra Series 3 is promised to be the most “broadly adopted and globally available AI PC platform” that Intel has ever provided.
In fact, Intel states that the top processors will feature up to 16 CPU cores and 50 NPU TOPs. This should result in 60% better multithreaded performance, over 77% faster gaming and up to 27 hours of battery life.
More OLED panels
Processors aside, we’re expecting to see more laptops embrace OLED panels rather than cheaper LEDs. Plus if the countless internet rumours are to be believed, we’re especially hopeful that 2026 will be the year that MacBooks finally see the introduction of an OLED screen.
But why is an OLED so impressive? Essentially, OLED panels are a more appealing choice than LEDs as they provide better viewing angles, vivid contrast and better refresh rates too. However, these benefits come at a price, with OLEDs usually costing much more than LEDs.
We should also disclaim that it isn’t all doom and gloom with an LED, as they’re usually brighter and don’t carry the same (albeit low) risk of image retention too. For more on the differences between the two, visit our OLED vs LED guide.
Gorilla Matte Pro
Despite not technically being a new feature, as it was first revealed in 2025, Corning’s latest edition of Gorilla Glass still took pride of place at CES 2026. Coined Matte Pro, the display treatment for both LCD and OLED displays promises to reduce reflection by up to a whopping 95% and reduce glare by up to 80% too, which means a laptop sporting the feature will be visible in bright sunlight.
Not only that, but in true Corning and Gorilla Glass fashion, Matte Pro is durable too and promises to demonstrate “superior scratch resistance” compared to alternatives.
Touchscreen MacBooks
Much like the OLED rumours, there’s been a healthy amount of speculation about whether MacBooks are finally set to get a touchscreen. If those rumours are to be believed, 2026 could be the year we see the upgrade.
Although a touchscreen MacBook has been divisive, as it was said that Steve Jobs reportedly hated the idea, it definitely feels like a strange omission – especially considering so many Windows laptops sport a touchscreen.
Onlooker Detection
Although it’s currently only found on certain Windows laptops, Onlooker Detection is a feature we hope to see rolled out across more devices over the next year. When toggled on, Onlooker Detection is able to determine when someone is snooping at your laptop screen and subsequently dims the display.
For this feature to work, your laptop will need a vision-based sensor and a Time-of-Flight sensor too.
It’s not just laptops who get the screen updates, as it’s also rumoured that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will sport a similar privacy display which will dim or hide the screen altogether at certain angles.
