The Consumer Electronics Show brought us a fresh crop of new laptops this week, and I was on the ground in Las Vegas getting to know them all. (Final step count: 69,142.)
Naturally, new processors were on the docket. This year’s batch of Windows PCs will be powered by updated AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm chips that promise better AI performance, better integrated graphics performance, and multi-day battery life. Good stuff, but pretty standard next-gen fare.
Best of CES 2026 awards announced: See all the winners and nominees
What’s more interesting is the kinds of laptops these chips will be powering. It seems like every PC maker is pushing its consumer and commercial models to be thinner and lighter than ever before, upping the number of MacBook Air dupes on the market. I think everyone saw how much attention the 2.18-pound Asus Zenbook A14 got at last year’s CES and wanted a piece of the pie.
Modularity was another trend I noticed among enterprise machines at CES 2026. Dell, HP, and Lenovo are making it easier for you (or your IT department) to bust open your PC for easy repairs or replacements. None of them have taken it to the level of right-to-repair champ Framework just yet — Lenovo gets close — but it’s heartening to see mainstream manufacturers take this more seriously.
Finally, Asus and Lenovo are continuing to explore and refine screen innovations that they introduced in years past. The former revisited its two dual-screen laptops, while Lenovo further dabbled in rollable displays and actualized a twisting one. They’re the sorts of new-fangled form factors that make CES so exciting year after year.
I can’t help but wonder what happens when CES attendees and tech enthusiasts all leave Vegas and get back to reality. An AI-induced RAM famine is expected to make laptops get more expensive in the coming months. That’s probably why Acer and Asus have yet to reveal any prices for their lineups, and why Lenovo and HP are only providing “estimated” or “expected” costs. There’s a good chance their numbers will climb before launch.
Let’s take a look at my top laptops of CES 2026 before the comedown hits. Spoiler: Lenovo and Asus had banner weeks at tech’s biggest showcase.
Best laptop overall: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition
Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable
What a mouthful, huh? Don’t let the convoluted name throw you off: Lenovo’s latest business laptop has a brand-new “Space Frame” internal design, which puts components on both sides of its motherboard for simpler DIY fixes. You can swap out its keyboard, speakers, fans, battery, and USB ports if something conks out. Big-name PC makers have historically spurned such extensive modularity (and Lenovo is the biggest name in PCs), so this one earns our Best of CES gold medal in the laptop category. Hopefully it’ll be a trendsetter. It’s set for release in Q1 at an estimated starting price of $1,999.
Best ultraportable: Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Ultra Aura Edition
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable
At 2.15 pounds, the Yoga Slim 7i Ultra Aura Edition is officially the lightest laptop I’ve ever held — yet it doesn’t feel fragile or cheap. It’s equipped with a beautiful 2.8K 120Hz “POLED” (flexible Plastic OLED) display and maxes out with a high-end Intel Core Ultra X9 Series 3 chip. Lenovo has it pegged at a starting price of $1,499.99 with a Q2 release timeframe.
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Best dual-screen laptop: Asus Zenbook Duo
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The dazzling dual-screen Zenbook Duo has a slimmer “hideaway” hinge, brighter and smoother 3K OLED displays, and lighter Ceraluminum chassis. That doesn’t seem like an inspired update on paper, but when you look at the laptop next to its predecessor in person, its sleekness is truly striking. Asus also reworked the ROG Zephyrus Duo, its gaming-forward counterpart, but it’s mainly playing catchup.
Best sequel: Asus Zenbook A16
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable
Asus’ new Zenbook A16 is the supersized version of the Zenbook A14, our ultralight Best of CES winner last year. It’s impressively feathery for a 16-incher, weighing in at 2.65 pounds, or nearly an ounce lighter than the 13-inch MacBook Air. Big fan of its 3K 120Hz OLED touchscreen, too. It’ll be the first laptop to launch with Qualcomm’s new top-tier Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme chip.
Read more about the new Asus Zenbook A16.
Best gimmick: Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 7 Auto Twist
Lenovo’s twisting business laptop has made the jump from concept to reality. The top half of it swivels between laptop and tablet modes on a motorized hinge, and you can control its position using voice commands. Additionally, its 10MP webcam has a face-tracking feature that automatically repositions its lid so it’s always facing you. I can see it becoming an office regular: It’s perfect for presentations. Look for it in June with an estimated starting price of $1,649.
Read more about the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 7 Auto Twist.
Best redemption arc: Dell XPS 14 and 16
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable
In a dramatic plot twist, Dell resurrected its popular XPS laptop line a year after killing it off as part of a confusing rebrand. Not only that, but the company fixed some of the series’ most controversial features along the way. The new XPS 14 and XPS 16 have lighter, thinner designs with physical function rows, subtly outlined touchpads, and modular USB-C ports. This whole ordeal never needed to happen, but in the end, Dell gave the people what they wanted and then some. (It’s me, I’m the people.) Select configurations of the 2026 XPS 14 and XPS 16 are now available starting at $2,049.99 and $2,199.99, respectively, with cheaper variants launching next month.
Read more about Dell’s XPS revival.
Most intriguing MacBook rival: Asus ExpertBook Ultra
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable
This 14-inch enterprise laptop wasn’t on my radar initially, but after seeing it in Asus’ showroom, I can’t wait to get my hands on it for testing. The Asus ExpertBook Ultra is thinner and lighter than a MacBook Air, weighing as little 2.18 pounds and measuring 13.9 millimeters thin. (It’s the thinnest laptop I saw at CES.) Yet it’s also reminiscent of a MacBook Pro. It’ll pair a powerful Intel Core Ultra X9 Series 3 processor with an “ExpertCool Pro” thermal solution, which an Asus rep described to me as a wind tunnel-like design with quiet, oversized fans. It has a 3K tandem OLED touchscreen with an anti-glare finish that comes standard; MacBook Pros might get OLED this year or next, and their nano-texture display upgrade costs extra. What’s the catch? And maybe relatedly, how much will Asus charge for this thing?
Honorable mention: Lenovo’s rollable concept laptops
Lenovo loves experimenting with unconventional designs that incorporate bendy OLED panels, and this week it showcased two new laptops with OLED screens that roll up and out. The ThinkPad Rollable XD is an enterprise model with an extendable double-sided display, while the Legion Pro Rollable is a gaming laptop whose display grows wider. They’re only concepts right now, but don’t lose hope that they’ll hit shelves eventually. Lenovo sent a fully realized rollable laptop to market last summer, more than two years after it debuted as a prototype.
Read more about Lenovo’s rollable concept laptops.
Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.
