Best Touchscreen Laptops (Updated 2020)

The days when laptops were considered significantly less powerful than their elder cousin desktop computers are long gone. Now, thanks to shrink-ray technology, essentially the same components found in desktops are now being put into smaller and smaller laptops. And there is no better example of a small and powerful touchscreen laptop that is just as powerful as a desktop than the Dell XPS 13 7390.

The power of a touchscreen laptop starts with the CPU, and the XPS 13 7390 comes with a ridiculously core-packed (6 as opposed to the typical 2 or 4!) 10th gen Intel Core i7 CPU with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD storage. That is a lot of processing power and the XPS 13 7390 lives up to it with a lightning-fast performance that will satisfy any power user. The anti-glare, 13.3-inch display is a sharp and precise 4K UHD touchscreen panel. The touchscreen is responsive but can be a little slow, and the Dell Active Pen is not included. The keyboard has good travel though it may feel cramped to some users. Connectivity is somewhat sparse with two USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports and a microSD card reader. The speed and power of the XPS 13 7390 are packed into an aluminum body, and it has a dense feeling, which is a testament to the build quality.

A 6-core CPU may seem like overkill for a 13.3 inch, 2 in 1 convertible laptop, but that power allows the XPS to be a small form, productivity powerhouse. Though it can be pricey, it is a powerful choice as a touchscreen laptop.

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Today’s technology is good at giving us things we didn’t know we needed or wanted. Sure, a wi-fi connected washing machine is weird, but it is cool. When you think of laptops, dual-screen doesn’t come to mind. The compact design doesn’t seem to lend itself to what is a typical feature or capability of a desktop computer. The Asus ZenBook Pro Duo comes along to tell us we need a dual-screen laptop.

Featuring a 9th gen Intel Core i7 CPU, the ZenBook Pro Duo has 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD storage. It also has discrete graphics in the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GPU. The display setup of the ZenBook Pro Duo is where the magic happens. The main display is a 15.6 inch, 4K OLED. But, not stopping there, the ZenBook Pro Duo also features a second screen built into the body of the laptop. Dubbed ScreenPad Plus by Asus, it is a 14 inch, 4K display and can be used to either extend the main screen or split windows and apps on both displays, truly a multitasker’s dream. Both screens have excellent color quality, though items can seem a bit cramped going from the main screen to the secondary one. Both panels are touchscreen, and the Asus Stylus pen is included.

Innovation can come at a cost, and here that cost (along with the actual cost) is the weight of the ZenBook Pro Duo. It is well-built with its metal casing, but it is a bit weighty and chunky at about 5.5 pounds. The keyboard is shifted down and narrowed due to the ScreenPad Plus necessitating an included, detachable palm rest. Combine this with poor battery life, and the ZenBook Pro Duo is more of an alternative desktop than a true, portable laptop.

Despite the downsides, the ZenBook Pro Duo is a fast performing machine with a feature that you may not have realized you needed or wanted. Maybe dual-screen will be a standard feature on future laptops… only time will tell.

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Value without compromising performance that is something we all want out of whatever tech product we buy. Premium features like slim bezels, good battery life, and a great screen should not always equate to premium price. The Asus Chromebook Flip C434 is a budget touchscreen laptop but with premium features.

The Flip C434 is powered by an Intel Core m3-8100Y CPU with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, plenty of power and storage for a Chromebook even with multiple tabs open. It features a 14 inch Full HD 1080p display with tiny bezels that give a much bigger impression. Though the brightness could be better, the screen is sharp and vivid. The touchscreen was smooth and responsive. The keyboard is backlit, and the keys have decent travel and are nicely spaced. Connectivity includes 2 USB-C ports, 1 USB-A port, and a microSD reader.

Build-quality of the Flip C434 is premium as well with its aluminum construction and solid feel. Asus boasts that the Flip C434 is a 14-inch laptop in a 13-inch footprint, and its compactness bears that out. The convertibility of the Flip C434 is highlighted by the 360 hinge that allows a smooth transition from laptop mode to tent mode, and to tablet mode. A nice feature of the hinge is that it is dual-action, meaning it slightly lifts and tilts the keyboard into optimal typing position when in laptop mode.

If you opt for Chromebooks over Windows, you can’t go wrong with the Flip C434. It offers the premium features of a touchscreen laptop, but without the premium price.

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Laptops are becoming smaller and lighter, and unfortunately, that too often means some functionality is sacrificed. Notable deletions from ultra-thin laptops include no USB-A port, full-size, comfortable keyboards, battery-life, and loss of some Windows 10 functionality. HP scoffs at the idea of smaller and thinner equaling less with the Spectre x360-13t, which packs a surprising amount of features into a sizably small laptop.

The x360-13t is a convertible 2 in 1 laptop with an Intel 10th gen quad-core Core i7-1065G7 CPU, 16GB RAM, 1TB of storage (replaceable M.2 SSD), and a 13.3 inch, 4K AMOLED display panel. Despite the display losing much of the bezel from the previous x360 generation, the x360 has a ridiculously small camera at the top of the display that can take advantage of the security of Windows Hello. The keyboard has a comfortable, more tactile feel with the increased travel in the keys. The x360-13t also comes with an HP claimed 22 hours of battery life, something certainly not expected out of today’s ever-shrinking laptops, especially ones with touchscreens. And speaking of touchscreens, x360-13t’s is quick and responsive. As a bonus, the x360-13t comes with the HP Stylus Pen, which is great for more precise use of the touchscreen.

Some of the few shortcomings of the x360-13t include the 16:9 resolution, which is seemingly dated with displays increasingly coming in at 16:10 and the typical HP bloatware. However, these should not detract from what is an excellent touchscreen laptop.

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Not everyone needs a touchscreen laptop with every high-end feature available. For most of us, we use our laptops for everyday tasks like web surfing, music or video playback, and using online tools and services. The Microsoft Surface Go may not feature all the performance bells and whistles of other touchscreen options, but it nevertheless is a very capable touchscreen laptop. Much like the Microsoft Surface Pro, the Surface Go is first and foremost a tablet, but it also functions just fine as a laptop.

The Surface Go is a smaller version of the Surface Pro. And with that decrease in size, comes a decrease in what’s packed inside. The Surface Go features an Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y CPU with 8 GB RAM and 128GB SSD storage. The well-built Surface Go is highlighted by a 10 inch, crisp 3:2 aspect ratio display. The touchscreen is responsive, whether scrolling or pinching-to-zoom. With the smaller screen, there can be some difficulty in touching some icons as they are tiny. The connectivity is good with features that some tablets don’t include, like a USB-C 3.1 port, MicroSDXC card reader, Surface Connect port, and a headset jack. The keyboard for the Surface Go may be a bit cramped, but it is backlit and comfortable to use. However, as is typical of Microsoft, the keyboard has to be purchased separately. The same downside applies to the Surface Pen, which does add more functionality to the Surface Go as a laptop.

With the lower tech specs, the Surface Go may not be a performance screamer, but it knows its place well. Probably the best feature of the Surface Go is the price, it is quite a bit cheaper than other touchscreen options, whether 2 in 1 or not. For what it can be used for, typical everyday use, the Surface Go makes sense as a touchscreen laptop.

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If you’re going to put one of the smallest measurements into the name of your touchscreen laptop, you have a lot of expectations to live up to. Not only does LG live up to weight expectations, but it also delivers a very capable touchscreen laptop in the LG Gram.

Coming in at only 2.5 pounds, the Gram is the epitome of lightweight. But, don’t be fooled, the Gram packs a lot in a light frame. It has a 10th Gen Intel Core i7 1065G7 CPU, 16GB RAM, and a huge 1TB M.2 SSD. The Gram has a bold and crisp 15.6 inch IPS touchscreen display, which looks even bigger thanks to the minuscule bezels. The touchscreen is responsive and accurate. The keyboard is comfortable to use with good key travel and spacing between letters. Connectivity includes three USB-A ports, HDMI, a USB-C port with Thunderbolt 3, a MicroSD slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Battery life is impressive at a claimed 17 hours from the 80Wh lithium battery. It is incredible all that tech fits in such a small and light body. LG claims the Gram has military-grade durability even though the lightness and feel of the Gram belies the claim. Durability claims aside, the good build quality of the Gram can certainly withstand typical, day to day use.

The LG Gram is a solid performer as a touchscreen laptop. If one of your main requirements out of a touchscreen laptop is that it is lightweight, you can’t go wrong with the Gram. Just be prepared for that preference to be an expensive one.

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Many times, the alternative (i.e., lower-priced) version of a model can mean having to settle for far less than the premium edition. When it comes to laptops, that can mean doing without quality build materials, slower performance, reduced functionality, and the like. The Google Pixelbook Go M3 eschews that line of thought and presents itself as an alternative just as capable as its elder siblings.

The Pixelbook Go M3 is the entry-level model of the Pixelbook Go line and comes with an 8th gen Intel Core M3 CPU and 8GB of RAM. Those specs may not seem very impressive, but considering Chrome OS does not use huge amounts of RAM, it is more than adequate for peppy performance on the Pixelbook Go M3. Connectivity consists of two USB-C ports that can handle charging and display output and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The 13.3-inch screen of the Pixelbook Go M3 is a vibrant 16:9 aspect ratio, 1080p display. The touchscreen is responsive, and using it is familiar if you are used to the touchscreen on Android phones. Unfortunately, the display does not support using a stylus. The backlit keyboard on the Pixelbook Go M3 is a highlight and routinely lauded as one of the best keyboards on a laptop. The keyboard features a combination of silence and feedback culminating in a comfortable, use-all-day feel. And amazing for any laptop at any price, the Pixelbook Go M3 has a 1080p front-facing camera.

The performance, build quality, and feature set of the Pixelbook Go M3 are on par with similar touchscreen Chromebooks. The Pixelbook Go M3 may not be top of the line spec-wise, but it is a great and useful choice as a touchscreen laptop.

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The inclusion of a touchscreen usually means a higher price when it comes to laptops. Adding in a touchscreen to a 2-in-1 can make the price even higher. The Lenovo Flex 14 is a 2-in-1 with a touchscreen that breaks the high-price mold proving that affordability is not a death knell for a feature-packed, solid performing touchscreen laptop.

When one thinks of laptop processors, it usually comes to mind first, but AMD is also a player in the field. The Flex 14 is packed with a quad-core, eight-thread AMD Ryzen 7-3700U CPU with 12GB RAM. The result is a touchscreen laptop with snappy performance. Storage is a 256GB M.2 SSD, and the large-ish, 14-inch colorful display is 1080p and powered by Radeon Vega Graphics. The touchscreen is smooth and precise. The touchscreen also supports the Lenovo Active Pen 2.

“Flex” is certainly an appropriate name for this touchscreen laptop as the 360-degree hinge makes converting from laptop to tablet quick and easy. Though it may be slightly heavier than comparable models, the Flex 14 is still lightweight and portable at just over 3.5 pounds inside its thin chassis. A large and responsive touchpad accompanies the slightly cupped, good travel keyboard keys. Connectability is good with the included single USB 3.0 port, two USB 2.0 ports, and a full-size HDMI port.

Even with its thin bezels, the Flex is not as flashy as competing touchscreen laptops. Also, the battery life leaves something to be desired. The Flex 14 is a fast performer and a solid alternative as a touchscreen laptop.

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As with most tech gadgets, there are mid-range options for touchscreen laptops. What usually happens with mid-range is that some features of the higher-end options are sacrificed to attain the lower price. The Acer Spin 3 is a mid-range touchscreen laptop that demonstrates mid-range sacrifices don’t necessarily mean lower performance.

A convertible 2 in 1, the Spin 3 is powered by a mid-range, 8th gen Intel Core i5 CPU with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. The display is expressive at 14 inches and a 16:9 aspect ratio that is ideal for videos and reading in portrait mode. The 10-finger, touch-sensitive screen is quick in responding to swipes and gestures. An added bonus is the rechargeable Active Stylus that docks on the laptop. The unlit keyboard has short-travel and functions well. There is good connectivity with the two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a 3.5mm headphone-and-microphone combo port, and a full-size SD card slot. The versatility of the Spin 3 is highlighted by the 360-degree hinge that allows for easy transition from laptop to tablet.

Performance is good with the powerful, albeit mid-range Core i5. Where the mid-range tag becomes most apparent is in the build quality of the Spin 3. The build design of the Spin 3 is plastic, which makes it feel somewhat cheap. Again, mid-range more often than not means sacrifice.

Despite the build quality, the Spin 3 is a good performer as a touchscreen laptop. It has a great screen, includes a stylus pen and a mid-range price tag.

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The category of touchscreen laptops usually includes 2-in-1 convertibles and traditional laptops, but there is another configuration that should be considered. The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is first and foremost a tablet, but with the optional, detachable keyboard, it becomes a very capable touchscreen laptop, thereby deserving consideration here. For the sake of this review, the focus centers on Surface Pro 7 as a laptop.

Under the hood, the Surface Pro 7 sports a 10th gen Intel Core i5 CPU with 8GB of RAM. The display is a crisp 12.3-inch PixelSense display (2736×1824). The part that makes the Surface Pro 7 a laptop, unfortunately, has to be purchased separately. The Microsoft Type Cover is an excellent keyboard with good travel keys, backlighting, and a touchpad that tracks smoothly. The touchscreen on the Surface Pro 7 is typical of the Surface line in that it is quick and responsive. For those that want to write and doodle, there is the Surface Pen, also unfortunately not bundled with the Surface Pro 7. The built-in kickstand adds to the laptop usability of the Surface Pro 7. Unlike previous versions, the Surface Pro 7 includes a USB-C port.

The downsides of the Surface Pro 7 include the rather large bezels which may be functional for its use as a tablet, but make it look dated as a laptop. And, it doesn’t support Thunderbolt 3 for faster transfer and charging speeds. However, as a tablet that can also be a laptop, the Surface 7 Pro is a great selection as a touchscreen laptop.

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