If you’re thinking ahead to some of the laptop deals that will help you when you head back to school soon, we’ve spotted some fantastic back-to-school laptop deals. To help you figure out what the best option is, we’ve rounded up the highlights and taken a look at what makes them tick. Read on while we guide you through everything you need to know, ensuring there are options covering various budgets and needs.
HP Chromebook 11.6 — $98, was $225
Why Buy:
- Very inexpensive
- 122cm drop tested
- Covers all the basics
- Ideal for young students
The HP Chromebook 11.6 goes further than that though. It’s also remarkably robust. Built to withstand clumsy hands and busy days, it can survive a fall of up to 122cm with drop testing ensuring it can cope with falls higher than most desks. Additionally, it’s capable of resisting spills of drinks along with any attempts to remove keys. It also has metal-reinforced corners to further ensure that your Chromebook is safe at all times.
While the HP Chromebook 11.6 isn’t the most exciting of Chromebooks, it’s built to last. Its 11.6-inch HD screen offers anti-glare properties along with 220 nits of brightness so it can cope with a bit of variety with where you work. It also has a long battery life and fast recharging so you can get back up to speed soon enough. Fast-booting thanks to ChromeOS, you’re sure of a smooth sailing experience here, proving useful if you need to keep costs low for a while.
Lenovo IdeaPad 1i — $250, was $375
Why Buy:
- Reliable brand
- Stylish look
- Lightweight design
- Great sound
Accompanying the core basics, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1i comes with 128GB of eMMC storage. We’d have preferred to have seen SSD storage but it does mean that the Lenovo IdeaPad 1i keeps pretty slimline. In addition, you also get a 14-inch full HD screen with anti-glare properties as well as 220nits of brightness. Above it is a 720p HD webcam that covers the basics and means you can take video calls reasonably easily here. Sound will also be great here thanks to the surprise addition of two Dolby Audio speakers that boosts your listening experience substantially.
Elsewhere, you also get some of the key benefits of a laptop. For instance, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1i promises what Lenovo is calling a razor-thin frame so it’s easier to carry around than most alternatives. You also get an all-day battery life which proves super useful when working, while the webcam offers smart noise canceling if you need to take a call while in a noisy environment. All these useful features soon add up so that the Lenovo IdeaPad 1i is more than just your regular Celeron-based laptop. It’s sure to be an appealing package for someone on a budget who still wants a touch of class to their experience.
HP Laptop 15z — $320, was $470
Why Buy:
- Stylish design
- SSD storage
- HP Fast Charge
- Large display
Hardware-wise, the HP Laptop 15z offers up an AMD Athlon Gold processor with 8GB of memory so it covers all that you could want. In addition, there’s 128GB of SSD storage so you’re sure of faster performance than if you were reliant on eMMC storage. The HP Laptop 15z uses Windows 11 Home so you get the full Windows experience too. Laptops typically rely on offering great battery life and fortunately, the HP Laptop 15z has a long-lasting battery while also using HP Fast Charge technology to ensure you can get back up to scratch with working on the move in less time than competitors.
Other useful features keep on coming too. For instance, the HP Laptop 15z has an integrated precision touchpad with multi-touch support so it’s easier to get stuff done with it. The HP Laptop 15z also bundles in an SD media card reader despite being quite slim, so if you need to plug in an SD card or similar, you can do so without a problem. Elsewhere, there’s an HP TrueVision HD camera with an integrated dual array digital microphone to help you be clearer on a call.
HP Pavilion x360 Convertible — $470, was $630
Why Buy:
- 2-in-1 functionality
- Looks great
- Dual speakers with audio by B&O
- Decent performance
Besides the great screen, the HP Pavilion x360 Convertible also has excellent hardware under the hood. It uses an Intel Core i3 processor along with 8GB of memory and 256GB of SSD storage. That’s exactly what you need to be able to work productively via Windows 11 Home so you’ll always feel in control. As well as that, besides the HP True Vision 720p HD camera with integrated dual array digital microphones, you also get speakers aided by B&O, a reputable name in the audio business. Add on HP Audio Boost technology and you get a superior experience than you would ordinarily get from a laptop.
Elsewhere, the HP Pavilion x360 Convertible has been designed with the environment in mind thanks to being constructed using sustainable, post-consumer recycled, and ocean-bound plastics. Also, there’s HP Fast Charge technology to ensure recharging is a breeze when you need it. A microSD media card reader rounds off the well-designed system.
Dell XPS 13 — $1,050, was $1,600
Why Buy:
- Excellent quality
- Gorgeous display
- Great hardware
- The best laptop around
Backing up that gorgeous display, the Dell XPS 13 Touch also has an 11th-generation Intel Core i7 processor with 8GB of memory and 512GB of SSD storage. That’s the perfect combo for working well on the move. The extra power that comes from an i7 processor compared to an i3 or i5 is great for multitasking while you have plenty of space to store every file imaginable. This is a system that will run Windows 11 Home very well indeed.
Of course, Dell is one of the best laptop brands around so it does so much more than offer the key hardware you need. Its 3-sided InfinityEdge display means that the 13.3-inch screen fits into an 11-inch form factor so it’s a much slimmer laptop than one would expect. The display offers a 1500:1 contrast ratio along with 100% sRGB color and wide-viewing angles. It also has 400 nits of brightness so you can use it outdoors without a problem. Even its webcam is smaller than before while also being better thanks to using more elements than a typical webcam. Advanced noise reduction means you always look good on a call. Stunningly small yet powerful, the Dell XPS 13 Touch is a delight to use in every way.
Apple MacBook Pro — $2,250, was $2,500
Why Buy:
- Great way to use macOS
- Powerful performance
- Stylish look
- Super long battery life
The Apple MacBook Pro now uses the Apple-designed M1 chip for performance and it makes a huge difference. It has a 10-core CPU along with 16-core GPU. The processor means you get twice as fast performance as previous models while the GPU offers the same boost for graphics-intensive apps and games. A 16-core Neural Engine ensures you benefit from up to five times faster machine learning performance as well. This is a seriously fast system and it’s helped by the 16GB of memory included along with 512GB of SSD storage. Everything about the Apple MacBook Pro has been designed to co-exist well, giving you the finest performance possible when using macOS.
Impressively, that’s not to the detriment of the Apple MacBook Pro’s battery life either. You get up to 21 hours of battery life here which is remarkable for any laptop. That’s far more than just all-day usage and hugely convenient if you travel regularly. As well as that, the Apple MacBook Pro offers up a 1080p FaceTime HD camera with advanced image signal processing so you gain sharper video calls. Also, it has a six-speaker sound system with force-canceling woofers so it sounds great for calls or watching Netflix.
Editors’ Recommendations
