​HP Spectre x360 15

Not only is the latest version of the HP Spectre x360 hybrid laptop the first ever 15″ laptop with an OLED screen, it also comes with a feature that business travelers dealing with confidential information will love: A privacy mode. Simply tap F1 and the screen will “appear dark to everyone but you.”

It also has a camera kill switch that disables the webcam with one quick flip and a fingerprint reader touchscreen. This laptop is compatible with HP’s line of digital pens.

The new HP Spectre x360 costs around $1,700. 

SEE: Smartphones and mobile tech: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic on Flipboard)

​HP Elitebook x360 830 G6

HP didn’t design its Elitebook x360 830 G6 for those who want a fancy-looking machine–the company built it for professionals who want performance.

The stand-out feature of the new Elitebook is its 1,000-nit screen. To put that in context, most high-end smartphones top out in the mid-500 nit range, making the Elitebook more like looking at an HD television than a laptop.

The Elitebook also features a built-in privacy screen like that on the HP Spectre x360.

The HP Elitebook x360 830 G6 costs $1,300 to $2,200. 

SEE: Smartphones and mobile tech: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic on Flipboard)

​Acer Swift 7

The Acer Swift 7 appears to be trying to give the MacBook Air a run for its money. The Swift 7 has a screen-to-body ratio of 92%, weighs less than two pounds, and has an 8th-generation Intel Core i7-8500Y, just like the Air. 

The Acer Swift 7 costs $1,600 to $1,900.

SEE: Smartphones and mobile tech: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic on Flipboard)

​Asus Zenbook S13

The Zenbook S13 has what Asus claims is a world-leading 97% screen-to-body ratio. The bezel on this one is so small that Asus had to add a slight bump to fit the camera on the top of the screen.

The S13’s other hardware specs are impressive as well: It has an Nvidia GeForce MX150 graphics card, 8th-gen Intel Core processors, and up to 16 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD storage.

Pricing is available now and costs around $1,300.

SEE: Smartphones and mobile tech: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic on Flipboard)

​Asus Zenbook 14

If you don’t want the Zenbook S13, the Zenbook 14 might be what you’re looking for. It’s essentially a slightly larger S13 and has additional configuration options since there’s more space to squeeze in hardware.

The Zenbook 14 is priced to start at $750.

SEE: Smartphones and mobile tech: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic on Flipboard)

​Asus Studiobook S W700

Are you more concerned with workstation-like performance and less concerned with portability in your business laptop? If so, consider the Asus’ Studiobook S W700.

This 17″ monster of a laptop has impressive specs that our sister site CNET covers extensively in its CES 2019 Asus laptop article.

Asus’ Studiobook S W700 costs around $3,000.

SEE: Smartphones and mobile tech: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic on Flipboard)

​Gigabyte Aero 15-series

Gigabyte is known for making high-end gaming laptops, so it’s no surprise the Gigabyte Aero 15-X9 and 15-Y9 models are designed for gaming.

What makes Aero laptops good business machines is their interesting use of Microsoft Azure AI to optimize performance. Azure keeps an eye on computing needs and scales the use of GPU or CPU accordingly.

The Aero series has top-end hardware too; it can house up to an Intel i9, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080, and 64 GB of RAM. If you’re looking for a business machine that can handle heavy computing tasks, these models might be good options.

Pricing for the Aero 15 is $2,100 to $4,000. 

SEE: Smartphones and mobile tech: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic on Flipboard)

​Samsung Notebook Flash

Don’t let its toy-like appearance fool you–the Samsung Notebook Flash is perfectly capable of meeting your day-to-day work computing needs.

This fabric-textured laptop with rounded keys might look and feel more like a Chromebook concept model, but Samsung actually managed to run Windows 10 Home on this 4 GB RAM, 64 GB eMMC-sporting piece of hardware.

The price is especially nice: $350. 

SEE: Smartphones and mobile tech: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic on Flipboard)

​Samsung Notebook 9 Pen

If you’d prefer the more portable Samsung S Pen to go with your 2-in-1 Samsung hybrid laptop, the Notebook 9 Pen is your model.

Samsung is advertising the Notebook 9 Pen as having a 15-hour battery life and quick charging capabilities, which will make it great for on-the-go creative professionals who need a long-lasting, versatile laptop.

The Notebook 9 Pen is available in 13.3″ and 15″ versions. It starts at $1,599. 

SEE: Samsung unveils new Notebook 9 Pen 2-in-1: Bigger size, better battery (ZDNet)

​Huawei MateBook 13

Trying to reproduce the MacBook Air is something every laptop manufacturer seems to try at some point–the MateBook 13 is Chinese computer company Huawei’s attempt at doing just that.

Huawei has said the MateBook 13 is 6% smaller than the newest MacBook Air, and it compares in other hardware-related ways as well. The MateBook 13 is available in two models: An i7 version with a discrete graphics card and an i5 one without.

The i5 version starts at around $1,000, and the MateBook i7 starts at around $1,300.

SEE: CES 2019: Huawei challenges Apple’s MacBook Pro with the ultra-slim touchscreen MateBook 13 (ZDNet)

​Lenovo Yoga S940

The Lenovo Yoga S940 doesn’t beat other ultraportables in terms of hardware, but it does offer interesting features that make it stand out.

First, it’s the only laptop in the world to have a curved glass screen that disappears right into the bezel. This doesn’t add functionality, but it does make the screen edge vanish instead of abruptly ending at the bezel.

The Yoga S940 also has an integrated AI designed to be used when the laptop is connected to external monitors. When enabled, the AI can reportedly tell where you’re glancing, and it will move relevant windows to match your eyeline.

The Lenovo Yoga S940 costs around $1,500.

SEE: Smartphones and mobile tech: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic on Flipboard)

​Lenovo Legion series

Although Lenovo’s Legion laptops are designed for gaming, the devices aren’t restricted to that use. Legion laptops are packed with the latest Nvidia GeForce mobile graphics processors, with the RTX 2060, RTX 2070 Max-Q, and RTX 2018 Max-Q all available as options.

With a lot of processing power and a lower price than some other high-performance laptops, a Lenovo Legion might be a great buy for those who want to squeeze GPU performance out of their laptop without having to pay a premium.

The Legion comes in two models: The Y740 (available in 15″ and 17″ options) and the Y540 (only available in 15″ with an Nvidia RTX 2060). The Y740 is pricey–its 15″ model starts start at $1,750. The Y540 costs $930.

SEE: Smartphones and mobile tech: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic on Flipboard)

​Dell Inspiron 7000

Two-in-one laptops with pen support are increasingly popular, but with those devices comes a struggle that is all too familiar to stylus users: Where did it go?

The Dell Inspiron 7000 presents a novel solution that’s sure to thrill stylus-using business professionals: A magnetic pen “garage” positioned right below the screen.

The garage stores and protects the pen when not in use, and also puts it in a noticeable place–as opposed to a recessed slot–so you’ll know if it isn’t where it belongs.

The Dell Inspiron 7000 costs $1,000-$1,400.

SEE: Smartphones and mobile tech: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic on Flipboard)

​Dell Latitude 5420 Rugged

If field work is in your wheelhouse, you could use a laptop like Dell’s Latitude 5420 Rugged. This well-protected machine is housed in a magnesium alloy case with a carry handle, has a bevy of ports that are all protected by dust covers, is IP52 protected, and can handle a 3-ft. drop without issue.

The Dell Latitude 5420 Rugged comes with an Intel Core i3-7130U processor, 8 GB RAM, and a 128 GB SSD. The laptop has a starting price of $1,399. It can be upgraded to include a faster Intel i5, 32 GB RAM, and a 2 TB SSD, but expect to pay a lot more for that model.

Regardless of the specs you choose, the Dell Latitude 5420 Rugged comes with space for two hot-swappable batteries, so it should stay alive long enough to do whatever field work you need.

SEE: Smartphones and mobile tech: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic on Flipboard)

Dell Latitude 7200 2-in-1

The Dell Latitude 7200 2-in-1 features a detachable keyboard, a kickstand for when using it as a tablet, is just 9.35mm thick, and has a battery that can charge 80% of its capacity in just one hour.

All of those features make it a great work laptop, and its other specs aren’t anything to write off either: It can be configured with up to an 8th gen Intel i7 4-Core vPro processor, 16 GB RAM, and a 128 GB SSD. The Dell Latitude 7200 2-in-1 is priced starting at $1,017, which is a pretty good deal for such a feature-packed machine.

SEE: Dell reaffirms it’s still a PC vendor with new fast-charging Latitude portfolio (ZDNet)

Dell Vostro 15 7000

Dell’s Vostro line of desktops and laptops has long been a business standard for computing, and the company keeps it up with the new Dell Vostro 15 7000 series.

This business-centric laptop is geared toward content creators and other high-performance business needs and can be configured for up to a 1TB SSD, 32 GB RAM, an Nvidia GeForce 1650, and a Core i7 Intel Coffee Lake-H 6-core processor.

It also can be configured with a single sign-on fingerprint reader and a triple drive expandability storage option, so it will always have the space you need for large projects.

The new Vostro laptop also comes in a smaller option, the Vostro 13 5000. The 7000 series starts at $1,149, while the 5000 series starts as low as $599.

SEE: Smartphones and mobile tech: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic on Flipboard)

​Dell Latitude 5000 and 7000 series

Marketed as entry-level business laptops, the new machines in the Dell Latitude series are available in 13-, 14-, and 15-inch models.

The new Dell Latitude models have a variety of configuration options and choices to outfit a variety of computing needs. Best of all, the 2019 Dell Latitude lineup starts at just $599.

Check out Dell’s site for more details about the Latitude 5000 series and the Latitude 7000 series.

Also see

• Photos: The best smartphones for tech experts in 2019 (TechRepublic)
• Mobile device security: Tips for IT pros (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
• CES 2019: HP, Acer, and Asus unveil new laptops (ZDNet)
• Best laptops for 2019 (CNET)
• Best mobile VPN services for 2018 (CNET)
• Smartphones and mobile tech: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic on Flipboard)