From laptops claiming to have a 25-hour battery life to dual-screen PCs with E Ink displays — a medley of new computers were on show at this year’s IFA conference in Berlin.
Here’s a breakdown of the new laptops and what they have to offer.
Asus ZenBook 13, 14, 15
Available in three sizes, the ZenBook 13, ZenBook 14, and ZenBook 15 feature the latest Intel processors and a discrete graphics card — making them suitable for some graphics professionals.
The Windows 10 laptops should be tough and weather-resistant, as they are built to to military-grade (MIL-STD-810G) standard, as well as offering facial login via Windows Hello.
Available in Q4 2018.
Specs
Available as 13 and 15-inch machines, the Flip are 360-degree touchscreen laptop/tablet convertibles.
Both machines can be upgraded to a reasonably high spec, and the 15-inch model can be kitted out with a discrete graphics card and PANTONE-validated 4K display, enabling it to handle tasks for graphics professionals.
These Windows 10 laptops also sport facial log-in using an infrared camera and are robust, built to the MIL-STD-810G standard.
Available from mid-Q4 2018.
Specs
Designed for artists, designers and programmers, the ZenBook Pro laptop can be upgraded to use high performance CPUs and storage, while also sporting a mid-range GPU.
The most distinctive feature on the laptop is the ScreenPad, a 5.5-inch touchscreen that replaces the usual laptop touchpad. The ScreenPad functions as a touchpad, but can also run apps as well as control panels for various Windows software, such as Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
The Asus ZenBook Pro 14 (UX480) will be available from late October, with pricing to be confirmed.
Specs
CPU: 8th-generation Core i5 and i7 processors
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q
Memory: Up to 16GB of RAM
Storage: Up to 1TB PCIe x4 SSD and Intel Optane memory for boosting SATA drive performance.
Lenovo claims this Arm-based Windows 10 laptop offers more than 25 hours of battery life.
However, earlier Arm-based laptops suffered from uneven performance and spotty software compatibility compared to Intel-based machines. It remains to be seen whether the C630’s newer Arm-based hardware can resolve these performance issues.
Available from November with a starting price of $850.
Specs
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 850
Display: 1920 x 1080 resolution screen
Connectivity: Wi-Fi and cellular via 4.5G LTE Advanced Pro module
The standout feature of the YogaBook C930 is its dual display, featuring an E Ink touchscreen that serves as the keyboard but which can also be used for notes, sketching, or as an e-reader.
In tests, TechRepublic’s sister site CNET found the virtual keyboard to be better than on the first-generation YogaBook but still lacking the responsiveness and feedback of a physical keyboard.
Available from the end of September with a starting price of $999.
Specs
CPU: Intel Core m5 and i5 processors
Memory: 4GB
Storage: Up to 256GB SSD
Display: Primary – 2,560 x 1,600 resolution IPS touchscreen, secondary E Ink touchscreen
Ports: 2 x USB 3.1 Type-C ports
Weight: 1.71lbs / 775g
Dimensions: 10.25 x 7.06 x 0.38 inches
Battery: Up to 10 hours
Other: Wacom active pen with a magnetic attachment
A 2-in-1 Windows 10 laptop/PC convertible with a soundbar sporting Dolby Atmos support and microphones that can pick up voice commands from four meters away.
Available from the end of September with a starting price of $1,400.
Specs
CPU: Intel Core i5 or i7 processor
Display: 1920 x 1080 / 4K IPS touchscreen with Dolby Vision HDR support
Memory: Up to 16GB DDR4
Storage: Up to 2TB PCIe SSD
Weight: 3.04lbs
Dimensions: 12.68 x 8.94 x 0.57 inches
Just 11.9mm thick, this 13.3-inch slimline clamshell laptop runs Windows 10 and boasts Lenovo’s RapidCharge tech, which promises to deliver a meaningful charge in 30 minutes.
Available from the end of October starting at $1,000.
Specs
CPU: 8th-gen Intel Core i5 or i7 processor
Memory: Up to 16GB
Storage: Up to 1TB SSD
Display 13.3-inch, 1920 x 1080 resolution IPS screen
Battery life: Up to 10 hours
Designed to suit midweight tasks such as video and photo editing, as well as some light graphics rendering, this Windows 10 laptop also boats security features like facial log-in, a fingerprint reader and a built-in camera cover.
Available from September starting at $1,859.
Specs
CPU: Up to 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor
GPU: Nvidia 1050 Ti 4GB
Memory: Up to 32GB DDR4
Storage: Up to 1TB SSD
Display: 1920 x 1080 / 4K (3840 x 2160) IPS screen with Dolby Vision support
Ports: Includes 2 x USB 3.1, 2 x USB-C, HDMI 2.0
Connectivity: Wireless ac Wi-Fi
Battery life: Up to 14 hours (80Wh), with RapidCharge support that allows the battery to be charged to 80% power in one hour.
Weight: HD (3.76lbs) / 4K (4.06lbs)
Dimensions: HD (14.24 x 9.67 x .72-inches) / 4K (14.24 x 9.67 x .74)
A high-end 15-inch Chromebook available from the end of October with a starting price of $600.
Specs
Display: 15.6-inch 1920 x 1080 or 4K (3840\u00d72160) IPS screen
CPU: 8th-gen Intel Core i5 processor
Storage: 64 / 128GB SSD
Memory: 8GBDDR4
Display: Up to 4K display
Battery life: Up to 10 hours
Other: 360-degree hinge
These 14-inch devices are designed to be affordable, lower-end 2-in-1 Windows 10 PCs, with the option to add fast processors, storage and a higher resolution display.
Available from October 2nd, starting at $459.99.
Specs
CPU: 8th generation Intel Core processors
GPU: Optional Nvidia MX130
Display: 1366 x 768 or 1920 x 1080 resolution IPS touchscreen
Memory: Up to 16GB DDR4
Storage: Various options including fast NVMe SSDs, dual drive configurations and Intel Optane Memory.
Ports: Include USB-C with power delivery and DisplayPort support
Other: The IPS touchscreen supports a digital Active Pen
The refreshed Inspiron 7000 series are Windows 10 laptops available as a 13, 15, or 17-inch machines, with a machined aluminium chassis and with a wide range of specs, although all models sport fast storage.
Available from, starting at $879.99
Specs
CPU: 8th-generation Intel Core processors
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce MX150
Memory: 8GB / 16GB of DDR4
Display: 17.3-inch 1920 x 1080 resolution IPS touchscreen. Optional 4K display.
Storage: NVMe SSDs as standard.
Ports: Include USB-C with power delivery and DisplayPort support
Other: 2.7mm miniaturized webcam that captures clearer and less noisy images in low light.
Dell’s “first premium Chromebook”, the 2-in-1 laptop/tablet sports higher specs than your average Chromebook, with up to 15 hours of battery life.
Available from October 23rd, starting at $599.
Specs
CPU: 8th-generation Intel Core i3-8130U
Memory: 4GB DDR4
Display: 14-inch 1920 x 1080 resolution IPS screen
Storage: Up to 128GB of onboard eMMC.
Connectivity: 802.11ac (2.4GHz and 5GHz) Wi-Fi
Ports: 2 x USB-C, 1 x USB Type-A, microSD card slot, headphone/mic jack
Battery life: Up to 15 hours
Weight: from 4lbs/1.8kg
Other: Standard EMR pen with a built-in holder in the laptop’s base
The world’s lightest PC notebook, according to Acer, with the 15-inch machine weighing just 2.2 pounds, while its magnesium-lithium alloy chassis is only 0.63-inches thick.
Available in the US from January 2019 starting at $1,100.
Specs
CPU: 8th-gen Intel Core i5 or i7 processor
Battery life: Up to 10 hours
Other: Facial log-in via Windows Hello
Nick Heath is a computer science student and was formerly a journalist at TechRepublic and ZDNet.
