The Best Ultra-Portable Notebooks

Apple refreshed its MacBook Pro series. Visually, the differences are minor but the 13-inch laptop (see review here) now features Intel’s Ice Lake CPUs, which means four real cores. The processor works slightly better than before. The power supply remains barely adequately dimensioned. The error-prone Butterfly keyboard has now been removed from all MacBooks.

After years of rumors Apple finally took the plunge and updated its MacBook Air with its own brand-new in-house M1 processor (see review here). The new M1 SoC is based on an ARM architecture and was already able to show its true colors in the MacBook Air 2020, and even the entry-level SKU turned out to be capable enough to easily outperform comparable Intel and AMD processors. However, the switch to a new CPU architecture also means that not all applications will continue to run, which is where Apple’s Rosetta 2 emulation steps in and ensures compatibility. The case and display are identical to its Intel predecessor. 

Apple’s new M1 chip is a great fit for the MacBook Air 2020. 

The display remains excellent. It runs at a native resolution of 2560 x 1600 (227 PPI), referred to as Retina by Apple. Its passive cooling ensures quiet operation at all times, and yet the device remained surprisingly cool with very low surface temperatures overall. 

It continues to feature the same good speakers as well as two full bandwidth Thunderbolt 3 ports. At 16 hours in our Wi-Fi test battery life was very good, even better than on the previous Core i5 model.  

After last year’s update to the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon this year all we get is a minor refresh (see review here). Performance improvements brought by the new SoC are minor at best, and practically unnoticeable. In return, the Wi-Fi 6 modem manages much higher data transfer rates.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon continues to forgo AMD processors, and accordingly we only see a minor update this year.

Despite the minor update this year’s Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon remains a great business notebook with a lightweight high-quality case that does not sacrifice rigidity for the sake of lightness. The low power display remains a gamble as there is still no way to tell what you are going to get – not particularly consumer friendly.

Whether or not the 2020 ThinkPad X1 Carbon is worth the switch can be discovered in our full review.

The ThinkPad X1 Nano is another 13-inch ThinkPad by Lenovo. It is a powerful and at the same time very compact subnotebook with a weight of less than 1 kg and features a high-quality 16:10 display with full sRGB coverage. Good speakers and long battery life improve its portability even further.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 G2 offers a fast Tiger Lake-series processor and thus 4 cores and 8 threads. It continues to offer Lenovo’s well-known input devices that will satisfy avid typists, albeit we preferred its predecessor’s keyboard. In our review, this 13.3-inch subnotebook offered a decent system performance, high-quality materials, and various connectivity options.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 G2 offers a 16:10 display and long battery life.

Various SKUs starting at $1,200 are available through Lenovo’s own web store.

The Schenker Vision 14 weighs in at slightly over 1 kg (2.2 lbs) and offers a powerful CPU paired with a very fast iGPU thanks to Intel’s latest Tiger Lake SoC. Schenker equips the Vision 14 with 16 GB of RAM and a 1 TB large SSD, which turns this device into a productivity beast. Instead of the usual FHD panel this particular display features a 3K option. Plentiful connectivity, an optional secondary M2 SSD, and high-quality premium material justify its high overall rating.

Schenker’s Vision 14 offers plentiful connectivity and modular components.

Schenker devices are not sold in North America.

The HP EliteBook 830 G7 is a great subnotebook for business users.

Availability is somewhat limited right now with a single SKU available on Amazon or $2,200.

The Asus ZenBook 13 UM325S is a powerful subnotebook based on AMD’s Ryzen 7 5800U with an excellent display.

Our Ryzen 7-equipped review unit is currently unavailable. A lesser-equipped Ryzen 5-based SKU is listed on Amazon for $800. 

The HP EliteBook 845 G7 (see review here) is aimed primarily at businesses for whom the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750U is a great basis to build on. The SoC features an AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 GPU, and with a runtime of more than 13 hours in our Wi-Fi test the EliteBook 845 G7 shows that AMD APUs are no longer synonymous with poor battery life. The device should thus easily last a full workday. Its input devices are comfortable to use, a comfort that is quickly thwarted by the annoying high-pitched fan noise. Unfortunately, the device lacks Thunderbolt 3. In return, it supports LTE connectivity and offers decent upgradability of RAM, Wi-Fi modem, and SSD. 

HP’s EliteBook 845 G7 is the fastest 14-inch business laptop we have ever reviewed. 

When it comes to the display one should seriously consider the optional 400 nits panel. In addition to its higher maximum brightness it also offers more accurate colors at almost no cost to battery life.