10 Cool Laptops Unveiled At CES 2019

Laptop Innovation

While the gigantic CES tech show may have a consumer slant, leading Windows PC makers including HP Inc., Dell and Lenovo used the show to launch major new laptops focused on business. HP, for instance, launched its first convertible EliteBook model aimed at mainstream workers, while Dell reimagined the design of its Latitude business notebook line in with a new release at CES. Among the other laptop highlights at CES 2019, Lenovo debuted a smaller new form factor for its flagship business convertible, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga. Along with HP, Dell and Lenovo, other PC makers that launched noteworthy new laptops at CES 2019 included Acer, Samsung and Huawei.

We were on hand in Las Vegas to check out the new models, and so in the following slides we've rounded up 10 of the cool new laptops that launched at CES 2019.

Acer Swift 7

Acer used CES 2019 to reveal its updated Swift 7 notebook, which stands out from the laptop pack with impressive portability and super slim bezels. The new Swift 7 weighs just 2 pounds and measures 0.39 of an inch thick, and the minimal bezels around its 14-inch FHD display enable an "industry-leading" 92 percent screen-to-body ratio, according to Acer. The Swift 7 remains durable in spite of its lightness, however, by using magnesium-lithium and magnesium-aluminum alloys for its exterior body. On performance, the updated Swift 7 includes low-power processors from Intel's eighth-gen Y-series, up to 16 GB of RAM and up to 10 hours of battery life.

The updated Acer Swift 7 will be available in May in North America, with pricing starting at $1,699.

Dell Latitude 7400 2-in-1

At CES 2019, Dell signaled where it's heading next in its Latitude business notebook line: metallic bodies, slim display bezels and stunning battery life. Those are among the key advancements in the newly announced Latitude 7400 2-in-1, a convertible that ditches the usual black carbon-fiber body for brushed aluminum. The screen on the Latitude 7400 2-in-1 has narrow bezels on all four sides for a nearly "edge to edge" display. That slim-bezel design goes a long way toward helping to reduce the overall size of the notebook, which Dell is touting as the smallest 14-inch 2-in-1 on the market by volume (and as 25 percent smaller than predecessor models). Dell's other biggest accolade for the Latitude 7400 2-in-1 is its battery life, which can reach up to 24 hours on a charge (with base-level specs and a 78 WHr battery). That gives the notebook the longest battery life for a 14-inch 2-in-1 right now, according to Dell.

Meanwhile, the Latitude 7400 2-in-1 offers an option for LTE connectivity, with speedy mobile broadband that the leverages the Qualcomm Snapdragon X20 LTE-A modem. The notebook also comes with a new feature called "ExpressSign-In," which detects when users are near and automatically wakes up the PC.

The Dell Latitude 7400 2-in-1 will be available in March for a starting price of $1,599.

Dell XPS 13

With Dell's update to the XPS 13 for 2019, the webcam is finally situated above the display where it belongs (instead of underneath the display, as in the past). The new XPS 13 sports a much smaller camera—at just 2.25mm in size—that can fit more easily above the display while still keeping the top bezel thin. The notebook offers options for FHD or UHD/4K resolution for its 13.3-inch display, along with choices between touch screen and non-touch displays. The updated XPS 13 also moves up to faster new processors from Intel's eighth-gen "Whiskey Lake" series, and Dell is staking a claim that the notebook is the "most powerful 13-inch in its class." Dell is touting strong battery life for the new XPS 13, as well, with a promise of up to 21 hours on a charge.

Dell hasn't tinkered with the form factor this year. While the bezel is now slightly bigger above the display, the bezel below the display is a bit smaller to accommodate, enabling the same overall size for the XPS 13. That means the thickness stays at 0.46 of an inch—to remain as one of the thinnest laptops out there—while the weight stays at a very manageable 2.7 pounds.

The starting price for Dell's new XPS 13 for 2019 is $899.99. The release date for the new XPS 13 depends on the color and display configuration. Available now are the UHD touch screen models in silver or rose gold.

HP EliteBook x360 830 G1

After several years of offering EliteBook x360 convertible notebooks for its premium business segment, HP is expanding the x360 concept to EliteBook models used by mainstream corporate workers for the first time. At CES 2019, HP unveiled the EliteBook x360 830, the first-ever convertible model in the EliteBook 800 series. Along with the ability to use the 13.3-inch display in multiple modes, key features include an option for HP's Sure View integrated privacy screen; a built-in webcam cover (the HP Privacy Camera); and an optional high-brightness display (up to 1,000 nits, compared to a maximum of 700 nits previously). That makes it the brightest EliteBook x360 so far, HP said.

Looking at the specs, the notebook offers FHD (1,920 x 1,080) display resolution, eighth-gen Intel Core U series processors and up to 32 GB of RAM. The convertible is also highly portable at about 3 pounds and 0.66 of an inch thick, and features both USB-C and USB-A ports along with HDMI and nano-SIM. For biometric authentication, the EliteBook x360 830 offers an IR webcam for facial recognition and can be configured with a fingerprint sensor (sold separately).

The HP EliteBook x360 830 will be available in March. Pricing has not been disclosed.

HP Chromebook x360 14

HP also used CES 2019 to launch its first Chromebook x360 model aimed at business users, with the Chromebook x360 14. The Chrome OS notebook offers premium design elements and stronger performance than the typical Chromebook, and ultimately is targeting enterprise customers that rely on G Suite apps. Security and manageability capabilities for businesses are provided for the notebook via Google's Chrome Enterprise offering.

The Chromebook x360 14 features a 14-inch FHD display with up to 220 nits of brightness, and includes an aluminum cover and keyboard deck as well as a diamond-cut trackpad. Notably, the laptop is HP's first Chromebook to offer an Intel Core i7 processor, with options up to the Core i7-8650U (up to 4.2 GHz). The HP Chromebook x360 14 also provides strong battery life of up 13 hours on a charge, a backlit keyboard and a thin form factor of 0.63 of an inch thick. For connectivity, the notebook offers two USB-C ports and one USB-A port.

The HP Chromebook x360 14 will be available in January. Pricing has not been disclosed.

HP Chromebook 14 (With AMD Processor)

In another "first" for HP that launched at CES 2019, the company debuted what it's calling the "world's first AMD Chromebook"—featuring an AMD CPU and integrated AMD Radeon graphics. The notebook includes a 14-inch display with HD (1,366 x 768) resolution, dual speakers from Bang & Olufsen, up to 32 GB of storage and battery life of up to 9 hours and 15 minutes on a charge.

The HP Chromebook 14 with AMD processor is available in January for a starting price of $269.

Huawei MateBook 13

Huawei used CES 2019 to debut its latest challenger to the MacBook Air, the MateBook 13. The 13-inch notebook features an aluminum body with a glossy finish, and offers slim bezels around its display for an 88 percent screen-to-body ratio. The display itself offers resolution of 2,160 x 1,440 and brightness of 300 nits. The MateBook 13 is fairly portable with a weight of 2.86 pounds and thickness of 0.59 of an inch, and offers major performance with eighth-gen Intel Core "Whiskey Lake" processors and an option for Nvidia GeForce MX150 graphics.

The Huawei MateBook 13 will be available Jan. 29 for a starting price of $999.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, 7th Gen

Already one of our favorite business notebooks at the CRN Test Center, Lenovo is enhancing the ThinkPad X1 Carbon for its seventh-generation update including with a new ePrivacy integrated privacy screen option. The 14-inch display also offers a new 4K/UHD resolution model with brightness of up to 500 nits, along with WQHD and FHD touch and non-touch models. For the body, the seventh-gen X1 Carbon features a new woven carbon fiber finish, and the notebook includes a built-in webcam shutter. Other new features include a Dolby Atmos four-speaker sound system, and the notebook gets a performance boost by moving up to Intel's "Whiskey Lake" eighth-gen Core i processors. The X1 Carbon also remains highly portable at 2.46 pounds, and measures 0.58 of an inch thick, making it a bit thinner than the previous 0.63-of-an-inch model. Battery life remains strong as well, with a promise of up to 15 hours on a charge.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, 7th gen, will be available in June for a starting price of $1,709.99.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga, 4th Gen

For its fourth-generation update, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga convertible is also getting an option for UHD resolution on its 14-inch display with 500 nits of brightness. For improved privacy and security, the 2-in-1 notebook will offer the built-in webcam cover and an option for the ePrivacy integrated privacy screen. Lenovo has focused on reducing the size of the X1 Yoga with the fourth-gen update, which has a 17 percent smaller footprint overall than the previous model thanks to reduced bezels around the display and a thinner form factor. The new X1 Yoga measures 0.59 of an inch thick, making it 11 percent thinner than the third-gen model. Like the new X1 Carbon, the updated ThinkPad X1 Yoga gets improved performance by moving to Intel's "Whiskey Lake" eighth-gen Core i processors, and gets enhanced audio from a Dolby Atmos four-speaker sound system. The new X1 Yoga offers long battery life of up to 15 hours on a charge, and will be offered in a new "iron grey" color, as well.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga, 4th gen, will be available in June for a starting price of $1,929.99.

Samsung Notebook 9 Pro

While a lot of Samsung's attention at CES 2019 was on TVs, displays and robots, the company didn't neglect its PC business. Samsung dedicated part of its massive CES booth to show off the refreshed Notebook 9 Pro, which is aimed at bringing together performance and premium design with features for creative professionals such as the included Active Pen. The updated Notebook 9 Pro sports a 13.3-inch FHD touch display with 350 nits of brightness, and features slimmed-down bezels around the display along with an aluminum exterior body and an improved keyboard. The notebook is also convertible, and aims to offer strong performance with an eighth-gen Intel "Whiskey Lake" processor (the Core i7-8565U) and up to 14 hours of battery life. In addition, the Notebook 9 Pro rates well on portability with a thickness of 0.55 of an inch and a weight of 2.84 pounds.

Samsung said the Notebook 9 Pro will be available in "early 2019." Pricing has not been disclosed.