What's the Best Laptop in 2026?

Updated: 21/05/2026

If you're in the market for a new laptop in the UK, you're in luck. The last 12 months have brought us an array of machines that are lighter, faster, longer-lasting, and much more focused on AI features than ever before.

If you’re looking for something cutting edge for work, one of the best laptops overall, a powerful gaming laptop, or where to find the best laptop deals, read on to find out which of our top picks is the best fit for you.

At a glance

• Best overall: Apple MacBook Pro (M5)
• Best premium Windows laptop: Dell XPS 16
• Best gaming laptop: Asus ROG Zephyrus G16
• Best business laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition
• Best repairable laptop: Framework Laptop 16
• Best 2-in-1 laptop: HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14
• Best Samsung laptop: Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra
• Best budget laptop: Acer Aspire 14 AI

1. Apple MacBook Pro (M5)

The MacBook Pro remains one of the top-rated laptops, much to the dismay of your bank account. The most recent version boasts the M5 chip family, which is so powerful it might actually finish rendering your video before you’ve even clicked "export".

The Liquid Retina XDR display is still gorgeous, battery life is longer than a British winter, and macOS is smoother than something smooth. What’s not to like?

Pros: Blazing fast, gorgeous display, exceptional battery life. The best Apple MacBook.

Cons: Expensive enough to make you consider a side hustle, especially once you start adding more storage or stepping up to M5 Pro or M5 Max.

UK Starting Price: Around £1,699, depending on chip, size and configuration.

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2. Dell XPS 16

The XPS line continues its tradition of being the "MacBook for people who don't want a MacBook".

The latest XPS 16 brings a sleek design, Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors, a premium build, and a choice of crisp 2K or 3.2K OLED display options. The base model is more sensible than the all-out OLED versions, while the higher-spec models are better suited to creators who want a big, beautiful Windows laptop without straying into full gaming laptop territory.

Pros: Premium design, strong performance, excellent display options. One of Dell’s best premium laptops.

Cons: Still expensive, and the most tempting display and performance upgrades push the price up quickly.

UK Starting Price: £1,949

3. Asus ROG Zephyrus G16

For the gamers who pretend they need a laptop for “work”, this one’s for you. The latest ROG Zephyrus G16 is a seriously powerful gaming laptop in a surprisingly sleek chassis, with Intel Core Ultra 9 power and up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU graphics depending on configuration.

It also offers a stunning OLED ROG Nebula display, making games, films and creative projects look properly spectacular. So yes, you can still take it to that café and pretend to be writing a novel while actually playing Cyberpunk 2077.

Pros: Ridiculous power, excellent OLED display, premium design, and far less chunky than many gaming laptops. It’s one of the best gaming laptops available, and one of the best Asus laptops.

Cons: The highest-spec versions are very expensive, and battery life still depends heavily on how hard you push it.

UK Starting Price: Around £2,000 and up, depending on graphics card and configuration.

4. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition

The corporate favourite is back, and it’s still the best laptop if you like your machines to be more hard-wearing than a Nokia 3310.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition keeps the classic ThinkPad appeal, with a lightweight design, excellent keyboard, strong business features, and modern Intel Core Ultra performance. It remains the laptop of choice for people who like spreadsheets just a little too much.

Pros: Lightweight, durable, excellent keyboard, strong business features. The best Lenovo laptop for work.

Cons: Perhaps a tad uninspiring aesthetically for such an expensive laptop.

UK Starting Price: Around £2,050 to £2,650 depending on configuration and offers.

5. Framework Laptop 16

If you’re tired of disposable tech, the Framework Laptop 16 is here to restore your faith in humanity.

The latest Framework Laptop 16 keeps the modular, repairable appeal of the original, but now adds more current performance options, including AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series processors and upgradeable Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 graphics. You can still swap out key parts such as memory, storage, ports and modules, making it one of the most flexible laptops around.

It’s the best laptop for tinkerers, techies, and people who secretly miss the days of building their own PCs.

Pros: Repairable, upgradeable, sustainable, and endlessly customisable.

Cons: You might spend more time upgrading it than actually using it.

UK Starting Price: Configuration-dependent, with DIY and pre-built versions varying significantly.

6. HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14

HP’s OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 takes over the premium convertible role previously associated with the Spectre x360 line, proving that laptops can still be both powerful and ridiculously good-looking.

With its rotating OLED touchscreen, premium build, bundled pen on selected models, and modern Intel Core Ultra chipset, it's ideal for creators, businesspeople, and anyone who enjoys making colleagues jealous.

Pros: Gorgeous OLED touchscreen, premium 2-in-1 design, modern AI-focused performance, and a more polished setup than the older Spectre x360. Arguably the best HP laptop for premium convertible fans.

Cons: Expensive, limited port selection, and not the best choice for heavy gaming or demanding video editing.

UK Starting Price: Around £1,199 and up, depending on model and retailer.

7. Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra

Samsung brings smartphone sleekness to the laptop world with the Galaxy Book6 Ultra. Featuring a stunning Dynamic AMOLED 2X touchscreen, Intel Core Ultra Series 3 performance, and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 or RTX 5060 Laptop GPU options, it is built for users who want a premium Windows laptop that can handle creative work, multitasking and a bit of gaming.

Its Galaxy AI integration is cutting edge, and it works beautifully if you’re already deep in the Samsung ecosystem and want your laptop to play nicely with your Galaxy phone, tablet and earbuds. It also has an absolutely eyewatering price tag, which, while justified by its brilliance, must be considered in our rating.

Pros: Incredible display, powerful graphics options, premium design, and seamless ecosystem integration with Samsung Galaxy devices. The best Samsung laptop.

Cons: Massive price tag. You might start talking to your laptop more than your friends.

UK Price: Around £3,619 for the listed Core Ultra 7, 32GB, 1TB model, with pricing varying by configuration and offers.

8. Acer Aspire 14 AI

Cheap doesn’t have to mean clunky, and the Acer Aspire 14 AI proves it. This budget-friendly laptop offers modern AI PC features, efficient processor options, strong everyday performance, and enough power for students, everyday work, streaming and general productivity.

It’s perfect for students, bargain-hunters, and anyone who thinks spending four figures on a laptop should be illegal.

Pros: Wallet-friendly, stylish enough, strong everyday performance, and Copilot+ PC options on selected configurations. One of the best value laptops for students and everyday users.

Cons: Not as premium as the high-end laptops above, and display quality, performance and app compatibility can vary depending on configuration.

UK Starting Price: Around £470 to £700, depending on retailer and configuration.

Final Verdict

If you want raw power, the best Apple MacBook and can afford it, go for the MacBook Pro. If you need a premium Windows alternative, Dell’s XPS 16 is a strong contender. If you want one of the best gaming laptops, go for the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16.

Business users? ThinkPad. For those who value sustainability and repairability, Framework is a game-changer. If you want a stylish premium 2-in-1, the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 is a great choice. If you’re deep in the Samsung ecosystem, the Galaxy Book6 Ultra is hard to ignore. And if you want one of the best cheap laptops for students or everyday use, go for the Acer Aspire 14 AI.

In the end, the best laptop is the one that suits your needs, and, ideally, doesn’t overheat so much it doubles as a portable radiator. All of the laptops above are great choices for people looking for excellent laptops in their respective categories.

Where’s best to get cheap laptop deals?

You may find places like AO.com, Amazon, Argos and John Lewis offer some of the best laptop deals, however, we do recommend you check out discount aggregators and price-comparison sites like hotukdeals and PriceSpy first and check a number of different sources before you commit to a purchase.***

It’s also worth checking manufacturer sites directly, as Apple, Dell, Lenovo, HP, Samsung, Acer and Framework often run student discounts, trade-in offers, bundle deals or limited-time sales.

Happy shopping!

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- iPhone Insurance: Get cover for your Apple handset.

Prices are reflective of the research conducted at the time of writing and are subject to change, as of 21.05.2026.

* Underwriter Assurant General Insurance Limited. Gadget age restrictions, T&Cs and excesses apply. Customer UK 18+.

** Trustpilot Score 4.4, 22,632 total reviews as of 21st May 2026.

*** We do not earn any commission from sites or links within this article. Our reviews and advice are based wholly on impartial desk research.