The laptop market has seen a surge in sales ever since people were forced inside their homes back in 2020, because of the Covid pandemic. Now that the work-from-home structure is being adopted broadly, many manufacturers are investing their money towards offering a wide variety of laptops across price segments. From budget-centric mainstream laptops with a focus on providing good performance, an efficient battery, and a decent overall package to premium laptops that go absolutely wild with foldable screens, 2-in-1 laptops, and top-of-the-line specifications – 2022 has seen it all, and so have our tech experts. The jury of Indian Gadget Awards 2022 has handpicked some laptops that have proven their worth through thick and thin. Here are the ones that made the cut.
Best Mainstream Laptops of 2022 – Indian Gadget Awards Nominees
- Xiaomi Notebook Pro 120G
- Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i Intel 12th-gen 82SF004WIN
- Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 12th Gen (15, Intel)
- HP Pavilion Laptop 14-dv2014TU
- HP Pavilion x360 2-in-1 Laptop 14-ek0074TU
- ASUS Vivobook 14 (X1402, 12th Gen Intel)
- ASUS Vivobook S14 Flip (12th Gen Intel)
- ASUS Vivobook S14 Flip (AMD Ryzen 7 5800H)
- ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 OLED M3500QC-L1461WS
- Dell Inspiron 16-5620
- Acer Swift 5
- Acer Swift 3 SF314-512
Xiaomi Notebook Pro 120G
While Xiaomi may be well-known in the smartphone market for undercutting its competitors, it’s not changing its approach in the laptop market either. For its asking price, the Xiaomi Notebook Pro 120G packs in some enticing features — while also looking quite sleek. It sports a 14-inch 2.5K display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The laptop is powered by an Intel i5-12450H CPU paired with a GeForce MX550 GPU — along with 16GB LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB PCIe Gen 4.0 storage.
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i Intel 12th-gen 82SF004WIN
While the name may indicate a slim and sleek form factor, its 1.8kg weight may say something else. This laptop, in black color, maybe the epitome of subtlety. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i is powered by an Intel i5-1235U processor and is available with 16GB DDR4 RAM and 512GB M.2 storage. It sports a 15.6-inch FHD display with a peak brightness of 300 nits. It comes with Intel Iris Xe graphics and a bunch of I/O ports.
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i (12th Gen)
The IdeaPad Slim 3i is a widely known mainstream laptop in India. The 2022 edition also follows in the same footsteps with slight upgrades such as an Intel i5-1235U CPU, along with 8GB DDR4 RAM and 512GB M.2 storage. You also get a 15.6-inch FHD display, stereo speakers, a 720p webcam with shutter, and a backlit keyboard.
HP Pavilion Laptop 14
HP has also been a big player in the mainstream market, and the Pavilion 14 refreshes its lineup with the tried and tested lightweight design approach. You get the reliable i5-1235U CPU, along with 16GB of RAM and 512GB NVMe SSD. It has a 14-inch FHD display with a peak brightness of 250nits. You also get speakers by Bang & Olufsen, a 720p webcam, and a fingerprint reader.
HP Pavilion x360 2-in-1 Laptop 14-ek0074TU
Yet another contender from the HP Pavilion series, but this time, with a little more pizzazz. The HP Pavilion x360’s 14-inch FHD display can also double up as a tablet. It’s powered by the tried and tested i5-1235U, along with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. In typical HP style, it comes with speakers powered by Bang & Olufsen, a 5MP webcam, a fingerprint reader, and a backlit keyboard.
ASUS Vivobook 14 (X1402, 12th Gen Intel)
No mainstream laptop list is complete without the inclusion of Asus’ Vivobook series. The Vivobook 14 comes in three refreshing colors, sporting a 14-inch FHD display with a peak brightness of 200 nits. It has 8GB of onboard RAM with 512GB of storage, and CPU options of up to i5-1240P. It also includes a 720p webcam with a privacy shutter, a 42Whr battery, and built-in speakers.
ASUS Vivobook S14 Flip (12th Gen Intel)
The Asus Vivobook S14 Flips is yet another 2-in-1 laptop in this list with a 14-inch WUXGA display. It has a panel that refreshes at 60Hz, and a peak brightness of 300 nits — all protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. You get 8GB RAM (upgradeable to 16GB) with 512GB of storage and an Intel i5-12500H paired with Iris Xe graphics. It has a 1080p webcam with a privacy shutter, a backlit chiclet keyboard, a 50Whr battery, and a stylus pen.
ASUS Vivobook S14 Flip (AMD Ryzen 7 5800H)
The Asus Vivobook S14 Flip also has an AMD alternative that is powered by a Ryzen 7 5800H processor, paired with Radeon graphics. It has an IPS-level panel with a 14-inch FHD display and a 16:10 aspect ratio. You get 8GB of RAM (upgradeable to 16GB) and 1TB of NVMe SSD storage. It also has a backlit chiclet keyboard, in-built speakers, a 50Whr battery, and a decent selection of I/O ports.
ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 OLED M3500QC-L1461WS
Asus’ Vivobook Pro 15 sports a 15.6-inch OLED display that supports 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, and is also Pantone Validated — this makes it stand out from the rest of the laptops. You get a Ryzen 5 5600H coupled with an Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU that can fuel your gaming needs. It gets 16GB of RAM and 512GB of NVMe SSD. The Vivobook Pro 15 OLED also gets the basics right with a backlit chiclet keyboard, a 720p webcam with a privacy shutter, and a 63Whr battery.
Dell Inspiron 16-5620
The Dell Inspiron 16, as its name suggests, comes with a 16-inch FHD+ display with a peak brightness of 250 nits. You also get an Intel i5-1235U CPU with Iris Xe graphics. It has 16GB of RAM running on dual-channel memory, it also comes with a 512GB SSD for storage. The laptop weighs 1.87kg and comes with a 1080p webcam and stereo speakers.
Acer Swift 5
The Acer Swift 5 is a modern and premium take on mainstream laptops with an aerospace-grade aluminum chassis with the power button doubling as a fingerprint reader. The Intel i7-1165G7 powers the Swift 5, paired with Iris Xe graphics, 1TB SSD, 16GB LPDDR4X RAM, and a 14-inch FHD display with a peak brightness of 340 nits. You also get a stereo speaker setup and a 720p webcam. The laptop packs a 56Wh battery.
Acer Swift 3 SF314-512
The Acer Swift 3 looks quite classy and minimalistic, a good combo for a mainstream laptop. Not just that, it also packs some heat — the Intel i5-1240P sits at the helm with Iris Xe Graphics. You get a 14-inch QHD display and 8GB of RAM with 512GB of storage. It weighs 1.25kg and comes with a decent set of I/O ports, including a Kensington lock.
Best Premium Laptops of 2022 – Indian Gadget Awards Nominees
- Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360
- ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold OLED
- ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X OLED
- Dell XPS 13 Plus
- Apple MacBook Pro M2
- HP Specter x360 2-in-1 Laptop OLED Touch 13.5-ef0054TU
- Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 7
- Acer Swift X
- Microsoft Surface Laptop 5
- Microsoft Surface Pro 9
Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360
The Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 is probably one of the most sleek-looking laptops available in the market. The Intel i7-1260P sits inside a 11.9mm chassis that weighs 1.41kg. The 15.6-inch AMOLED display has a resolution of 1920×1080 — and yes, it’s a touchscreen. It comes with 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB NVMe SSD for storage, with an extra slot for upgradability. AKG powers the dual-stereo speaker, and you also get a 1080p webcam for video calls. As for accessories, an S Pen and a backlit Pro keyboard is also available.
ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold OLED
Foldable phones are too mainstream, Asus has come up with foldable laptops. It sports a 17.3-inch OLED display that folds up to a 12.5-inch screen and acts as a laptop instead of a fully built workstation. The Intel i5-1250U powers the insides along with 16GB of RAM and 1 TB of NVMe SSD. It gets a 5MP front camera with IR. It weighs 1.50kg and packs a 75Whr battery.
ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X OLED
The Asus Zenbook Pro 16X OLED is quite the unique product — to start with, it comes with a physical dial that can aid creators, an elevated keyboard layout helps with providing a better typing experience, and the enlarged haptic touchpad with numpad just acts as a cherry on the cake It’s powered by an Intel i9-12900H paired with an Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU. You can get up to 32GB of RAM and 2TB of NVMe SSD for storage. The 4K OLED display with a peak brightness of 550 nits completes the package.
Dell XPS 13 Plus
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is a beautiful laptop with a very attractive keyboard and touchpad layout. The laptop looks sleek and modern, with a 13-inch UHD+ display that has a peak brightness of 500 nits. Intel i7-1260P sits at the throne with Iris Xe graphics and 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 1TB of NVMe SSD. It comes with a backlit keyboard and a fingerprint reader for easy access. The 720p webcam upfront can help you attend zoom meetings, while the quad speaker setup on the laptop can help you out with jam sessions.
Apple MacBook Pro M2
Apple has been making even more strides ever since they switched to making their own silicon. The MacBook Pro M2 is a prime example of this. The updated M2 chip sees a performance boost with a 10-core GPU, 8GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. You also get the 13.3-inch Retina display with True Tone. The loved, and not so loved touch bar can be seen alongside a touch ID. A backlit keyboard and a force touchpad complete the package.
HP Specter x360 2-in-1 Laptop OLED Touch 13.5-ef0054TU
The HP Specter x360 joins the bandwagon of devices that have nailed their designs. While it does not sway away from its predecessor, in terms of looks — it gets an Intel i7-1255U CPU with 16GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 1TB of SSD for storage. A 13.5-inch 3K2K OLED display sits at the front with a peak brightness of 500 nits. It has a full-size keyboard and also comes with a fingerprint reader. A 5MP IR camera with a privacy shutter and a quad-speaker setup tuned by Bang & Olufsen makes it a tempting offer.
Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 7
The ‘Yoga’ in the Lenovo Yoga series literally means that the laptop can perform all sorts of tasks in the most flexible manner – the Yoga 9i is no different. It’s based on the Intel Evo platform and runs an Intel i7-1260P CPU paired with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB SSD for storage. A 14-inch WUXGA display with a peak brightness of 400 nits and a speaker system by Bowers & Wilkins aids the viewing experience. It has a 1080p IR camera up front with a privacy shutter, and it comes with a Precision pen too.
Acer Swift X
The Acer Swift X is proven to be one of the few ultrathin laptops with good performance and with the Ryzen 5 5600U, it seems to up the ante even more. While the laptop may not go for a flauntable design approach, it certainly gets its basics right with a 14-inch FHD display and an aspect ratio of 16:9. The Ryzen 5000 series is paired with an Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, 16GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 512GB SSD for storage.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5
The Microsoft Surface lineup has proven to be some of the sleekest and super lightweight laptops. It has a 15-inch PixelSense display with a resolution of 2496 x 1664, an aspect ratio of 3:2, and Gorilla Glass 5 protection. Intel’s i7-1255U sits at the heart of the laptop along with Iris Xe graphics and up to 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM and 1TB SSD for storage. It has a 720p webcam and weighs 1.5kg. It has a select set of I/O port speakers with support for Dolby Atmos.
Microsoft Surface Pro 9
The Surface Pro 9 is quite a powerful device with an Intel i7-1255U processor — 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 1TB of SSD for storage. The workstation-cum-laptop looks like a slate with a very sleek body, perfect for minimalists. The 13-inch PixelSense Flow display has relatively minimal bezels on all sides, except for the top portion that houses a 1080p webcam. You get a 2W stereo speaker setup tuned by Dolby Atmos and a Surface Slim Pen 2 for your creatives.