Windows

Slow leader. With the Lumia 950 and its sister model Lumia 950 XL, Microsoft has renewed its Windows Phone flagship models. They are powered by the latest Windows 10 OS. The appearance is restrained, but the equipment is worthy of a top model. Our review explains why this is not enough for a place up front in our top list.

Don't expect too much! Lenovo's Yoga 500 is another 2-in-1 convertible with a 14-inch screen on the market. It is supposed to continue the success of the Yoga series from last year. The Lenovo Yoga 500 is equipped with a Skylake Intel Core i5, and there are also configurations with a GeForce 920M GPU.

There is strength in tranquility. The Zenbook UX303 series has been available since 2014 and Asus now ships the devices with Skylake processors from Intel. Our review unit with an i7 CPU can score with quiet operation and low temperatures, but can the performance convince as well?

Stone Age with modern technology. While the fourth iteration was placed in an imaginary region somewhere close to the Himalayas, “Far Cry Primal” jumps back more than 10000 years. We checked the hardware requirements for surviving in the wilderness.

Disappointing. It has been a while since we have had a laptop based on a dual graphics solution by AMD. However, Lenovo seemingly does everything to let the IdeaPad look as bad as possible in our tests.

Solid office notebook. The F516 Flex from Schenker Technologies is a configurable office notebook. Besides a 15.6-inch IPS display, it uses desktop processors, which can be easily replaced if necessary.

Hot laptop. Gigabyte refreshes its thin 17.3-inch gaming notebook and equips it with a modern Skylake CPU. The cooling does, however, have problems with the fast components and the processor in particular warms up quite a bit.

Faster, higher, stronger? Lenovo's new ThinkPad T560 convinces with a wide viewing angle IPS display and promises more performance and longer battery runtimes thanks to the Skylake platform. However, the other changes of the 15-inch device are very subtle – is it still enough for the victory in its class?

Without competition. It is certainly powerful and does not make any compromises in terms of performance, and now even with a surprisingly good runtime of 10 hours. The Book easily beats the competition. But: Surface Pro 4 Core i7 and the i5 sibling are in the same ballpark – except for the runtime, which is a surprise.

4K UHD update. The recently released Spectre x360 15 is available in FHD and UHD display options. Are those smaller pixels really worth the extra cost? We compare the two models to see what drawbacks and benefits one may have over the other.

Robust. HP's tablet is designed for use in educational institutions. It is accordingly robust. The equipment is also in line with the intended purpose: A bright, high-contrast IPS screen and 3G modem are installed.

No frills. Visually, the G50 doesn't stray from the typical look we've come to expect from Lenovo. The internal components are solid and while the notebook isn't what we'd call a highlight, it's a very decent package overall.

Windows 10 onboard. Microsoft sees its affordable (and with Windows 10) Lumia 550 positioned in the low-cost sector of around 100 Euros (~$109). However, the smartphone does not really stand out, and the operating system doesn't run smoothly, either.

Long lasting. A Skylake processor implies higher performance in the Zenbook UX305 without negative impact on the battery runtimes. The fast SSD, Full HD display and good keyboard remain unchanged.

Business hybrid. HP's 12.5-inch detachable is designed primarily for business users. It is designed to be tablet and notebook in one device, and it actually works pretty well. However, you will not get the latest components. The device has been available since the summer of 2014 and has not been updated.

Extra sharp. Razer has honed its ultra-thin design philosophy even further to provide the sleekest 12.5-inch Ultrabook yet for just under $1000 USD. It's a genuinely compact notebook from a gaming-centric company that even non-gamers will want to consider purchasing.

Interesting. An 8-inch Windows tablet that is furnished with Windows 8.1 and a Bay Trail processor is no longer awe-inspiring in 2016. Particularly since the device is aimed at professional users. Nevertheless, the tablet is compelling. Not least thanks to its good battery life and the integrated 3G modem plus a monthly data volume.

Well-equipped. Toshiba’s multimedia all-rounder Satellite L50-C-275 is priced at just under 750 Euros (~$826). Considering its good features and properties (including a Full HD IPS display, a fast SSD, good battery runtimes and GeForce graphics), the price is fair.

Skylake upgrade. The Zenbook still manages decent battery runtimes even with Skylake innards. However, that involves making compromises compared with the Broadwell models. The poor screen will not win any awards.

Well-rounded. With the XMG A516, Schenker Technologies extends their gaming portfolio with a compact 15-inch notebook. The 2016 edition of the GeForce GTX 965M GPU promises enough performance for current titles at Full-HD resolution. Our review examines the other aspects of the new notebook as well.

Maxed out. Our latest XPS 13 is equipped to the brim with a 3200x1800 resolution touchscreen, Core i7-6560U CPU, Iris Graphics 540, and a 512 GB NVMe SSD. Is this higher cost SKU worth the extra horsepower?

Marathon runner. There are many powerful gaming notebooks, but only a few provide long battery runtimes. The third revision of the Alienware 17 turns out to be surprisingly enduring.