No fewer than 12 different laptops are launching with the new Snapdragon X Series processors from 7 different manufacturers, and we’re going to cover them all. We’ll start with an overview of the key features and what makes each different, their unique value propositions, and you’ll want to stay to the end where we bring it all together with some ranking lists by feature to help you make an informed decision, and a value comparison to determine which one is the best bang for the buck.
The ARMs War
The reason Apple’s laptops are so good these days is because they switched to Apple Silicon, which is based on the ARM architecture, letting them have crazy power efficiency compared to Intel chips. That means less heat and noise, longer battery life, and also the ability to tap into the full power of what you paid for while on battery and not just while plugged in like many Windows laptops.
This is finally changing with the launch of laptops powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X … or is it 10? … Plus and Elite chips, also based on ARM. It’s not the first ARM chip for Windows, but this time the power and performance per watt is comparable to Apple Silicon.
I won’t dive more into the chip details other than to note that there is one Snapdragon X Plus chip, and 3 X Elite chip versions, including the low-tier 78 model, the mid-tier 80, and the high-tier 84. That’s important because the laptops we’ll cover today could have 1 or more of these chip variations.
Alright, let’s get started in alphabetical order.
Acer Swift 14 AI
First up is the Acer Swift 14 AI, boasting a 14.5” 16:10 aspect ratio IPS display with 2560×1600 resolution and 120Hz refresh rates, but the touchscreen is optional. It also has a 1440p webcam, and a rather large 75 Wh battery, with battery life claimed at 26 hours. Acer says it weighs about 3 lbs.
The Acer Swift has an OK port selection, with 2 USB-C, 2 USB-A, and a headphone jack.
Pricing starts at $1100, likely for the X Plus CPU, but detailed specs are hard to find so it’s unclear how much memory and storage you get at that price, though it can be configured up to 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage.
Asus Vivobook S 15 (S5507)
Next in line is the Asus Vivobook S 15 (S5507). The largest laptop on this list with a 15.6” OLED display at 2880×1620 resolution and 120Hz refresh rates, but no mention of a touchscreen. The battery is 70 Wh, but the claimed battery life is on the lower side at 18 hours. However, the laptop has a pretty good weight for its size at 3.13 lbs.
Rounding out the Asus Vivobook are a plethora of ports, including 2 USB-A, 2 USB-C, an HDMI 2.1 port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a Micro SD card reader.
The price starts at $1300, but that gets you the low-tier X Elite processor as there’s no Plus CPU option. This base model also comes with 16GB of ram like most others, but 1TB of storage, which is on the higher side for a starting config.
Dell XPS 13
The next few laptops all come from Dell, covering their XPS, Inspiron, and Latitude lines. The XPS 13 that has the Snapdragon processor only comes in 1 configuration on Dell’s website, with a 13.4” 1920×1200, 120Hz, Non-Touch screen. However, you can pre-order the OLED touchscreen version with a much higher 2880×1800 resolution on other sites like Best Buy, so they’ll probably come to Dell’s website eventually.
The XPS 13 weighs 2.62 lbs, and has a 55 Wh battery with up to 27 hours of battery life claimed.
Expansion is the weak point with only 2 USB-C ports.
The $1300 configuration gives you the mid-tier X Elite processor, 16GB of memory, and 512 GB of storage. The OLED touchscreen version listed on Best Buy is $1500, so it costs $200 for the OLED upgrade, which seems well worth it.
Dell Inspiron 14 Plus
The Inspiron 14 Plus features a 14” 2560×1600 16:10 aspect ratio IPS display at only 60 Hz, though with a touchscreen. It’s a bit on the heavy side at 3.21 lbs, though the battery is slightly smaller at 54 Wh or 21 claimed hours.
Expansion is more impressive; in addition to the 2 USB-C ports, there’s also a USB-A port, 3.5mm audio jack, a Micro SD card reader, and the M.2 SSD slot means storage is upgradeable.
The only configuration for the Inspiron 14 Plus is $1100, and it comes with the Snapdragon X Plus processor with no option to upgrade to Elite. 16GB of memory and 512 GB of storage round out this machine.
Dell Latitude 7455 and 5455
Dell’s Latitude 7455 and 5455 are coming later this year, so there are few concrete details currently about pricing. However, it’s reported that the Latitude 7455 will have a 14” IPS touchscreen with QHD+ resolution in a 16:10 aspect ratio. The weight is still a bit high at 3.17 lbs, and will have a similar 54 Wh battery like the Inspiron 14 Plus.
Port selection is also similar to the Inspiron 14 Plus, with 2 USB-C, 1 USB-A, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a Micro SD card reader. It also has the replaceable M.2 SSD slot, but an extra is that it comes with the option of a SIM card.
You may have a choice in processor between the Snapdragon X Plus or the mid-tier X Elite, along with up to 32 GB of memory and 1 TB of storage.
HP OmniBook X 14
HP has a few offerings as well, starting with the HP OmniBook X AI PC, which features a 14” 2240×1400 IPS screen with touch, which is a lower resolution than most other 14” models. The weight is 2.97 lbs, and it has a 59 Wh battery advertised as 26 hours of battery life.
Expansion is not quite a good as the Dells, with 2 USB-C, 1 USB-A, and a headphone jack, but no SD card reader.
The price starts at $1150 for the silver color or $1160 for white, and you get the low-tier X Elite processor along with 16GB of memory and 512 GB of storage. While you can upgrade to 32 GB of memory, 1 TB of storage, and Windows 11 Pro as well, HP also offers a $1200 model with 1 TB of storage included and no cost difference for the white color, so it appears to be $50 cheaper if all you needed is the extra storage.
HP EliteBook Ultra G1q
HP also offers a more expensive laptop in the HP EliteBook Ultra G1q. Other than a midnight color scheme that improves durability with a smudge-resistant coating and a 3 year warranty, it has very similar specs to the OmniBook. It’s got the same 14” 2240×1400 IPS screen but touch functionality seems omitted, is the same weight at 2.97 lbs, the same 59 Wh battery, and the same set of ports.
Even though it costs $1700, you get the same low-tier X Elite processor and can’t customize it beyond the standard 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage. The only reason to pick up an EliteBook Ultra over the OmniBook is if you’re a business doing corporate purchasing and pricing.
Ok, we’re just over halfway through the list now. If you’ve been finding this video helpful, please hit that like button to let me know. I appreciate it! Alright, back to the list.
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x
Lenovo has a rather unique offering with the Yoga Slim 7x, which has a 14.5” OLED touch display at 2944×1840 resolution, one of the highest on this list. Unfortunately, it only goes up to 90Hz and not 120Hz, though. At 2.82 lbs, it’s also really lightweight, but features a pretty large 70 Wh battery that can last for almost 22 hours.
The port arrangement is unlike other laptops. It’s got 3 USB-C ports, a power button on the side, and also a webcam privacy e-shutter switch.
The Slim 7x starts at $1290, which gets you the low-tier X Elite processor, 16GB of memory, and 1 TB of storage. There doesn’t seem to be any customization options at the moment.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6
Lenovo also has a more expensive business-focused offering in the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6, which features 3 14” display options ranging from IPS screens with 1920×1200 resolution and 60 Hz refresh rates with or without touch support, to an OLED 2880×1800 screen with 120 Hz refresh rates but without touch.
The ThinkPad is still lightweight, starting at 2.72 lbs, but although the battery is smaller at 58 Wh, it claims more battery life at up to nearly 30 or 26 hours depending on configuration.
Expansion is a bit unique, with 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports, 2 USB-A, an HDMI that is probably NOT 2.1 since it only supports up to 4K@60Hz, a 3.5mm audio jack, a Kensington Nano security slot, and even an optional Nano-SIM card slot.
Prices for the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 are kind of ridiculous though, topping this list at a whopping $2700 just to start. For that, you still get the low-tier X Elite processor, 32GB of memory, and 1 TB of storage, along with the lower resolution IPS screen. No upgrade options exist just yet, but expect to pay upwards of $3000 or more for the OLED screen version. I’d suggest avoiding the ThinkPad as an option unless money is literally no object.
Microsoft Surface Pro 11
The only non-laptop on this list comes directly from Microsoft in the Surface Pro 11th Edition, which sounds slightly cooler than just Surface Pro 11. Like previous Surface Pros, it can serve as a tablet or a laptop with an additional keyboard accessory.
The Surface Pro 11 has a 13” 2880×1920 touchscreen with 120Hz refresh rates and a unique 3:2 aspect ratio that gives more vertical real estate. The screen comes in either IPS or OLED flavors as well.
The tablet is only 1.97 lbs, but don’t forget that attaching the new Surface Pro Flex keyboard adds on another 0.75 lbs, making a total of 2.72 lbs, in line with the lighter 14” laptops on this list.
The battery size is 48 or 53 Wh. But oddly enough, estimated battery life is only 14 hours, which is much lower than most on this list, and also lower than the Surface Pro 10’s 19 hours with Intel processor. What’s the deal? I thought the Snapdragon was supposed to be MORE efficient?
Expansion is somewhat limited, with only 2 USB-C ports, but they have DisplayPort 2.1 support. There’s also the Surface Connect charging port, and the Keyboard attachment port, along with a 5G Nano SIM option coming in Fall 2024.
Price is good and bad, with a low starting price of $1000, but that gets you the X Plus processor and IPS display, along with 16GB of RAM and only 256GB of storage, the lowest on this list. You’ll have to shell out at least $1500 if you want the X Elite processor (not sure which version) and OLED display, but doing so also upgrades the storage to 512GB. That means it’s not as expensive an upgrade for OLED as it first appears.
However, keep in mind that you’ll need to pay between $180 for a Surface Pro Keyboard to a whopping $450 for the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard with Slim Pen, so the full cost of a Surface Pro 11 as a laptop isn’t that cheap either.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7
Luckily, those looking for a more traditional laptop from Microsoft can choose the Surface Laptop 7th Edition, which comes in 2 sizes, with a 13.8” 2304×1536 resolution display, or a 15” 2496×1664 display. Both support 120Hz refresh rates, multi-touch, and are the signature 3:2 aspect ratio.
The 13.8” laptop comes in at 2.96 lbs, while the 15” is 24% heavier at 3.67 lbs. The 13.8” model reportedly has a 54 Wh battery with a claimed life of 20 hours, compared to the 15” model’s 66 Wh battery and 22 hours runtime, both of which are significantly longer than the Surface Pro 11’s 14 hours.
Ports are also improved, with 2 USB-C ports, 1 USB-A, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and the Surface Connect port for charging. The 15” model has MicroSD as well.
Like the Surface Pro, the Surface Laptop 7’s starting price is also just $1000 for the 13.8” size with X Plus processor, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. Upgrading to the X Elite raises the price by $400, but you actually get 512GB of storage as well, which is $200 separately. So the actual cost of the X Elite processor upgrade is $200.
The cheapest Surface Laptop 7 with an X Elite processor is actually the 15” model that starts at $1300. There is no Plus processor option for the 15” size, so the cost of the larger display and battery is really $100, which isn’t too bad.
Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge
The final contender on our list is the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge, which comes in 2 screen sizes: 14” or 16”. Both sizes seem to have the same 2880×1800 resolution AMOLED display that supports 120Hz refresh rates and touch. The 14” model is only 2.6 lbs, while the 16” is 3.4 lbs. The battery is reportedly 55.9 Wh in the 14” and 61.8 Wh in the 16”. Samsung claims up to 22 hours of battery life.
They are also proud of the ports, with 2 USB-C, 1 USB-A, a port they claim is HDMI 2.1 but also only supports 4K@60Hz so it’s not HDMI 2.1?, a headphone jack, and a Micro SD card reader.
The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge starts at $1350 for the 14” model and mid-tier Snapdragon X Elite processor with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. An extra $100 gets you the larger 16” model, while an extra $400 lets you upgrade to both the 16” size and the high-tier X Elite processor, the only offering on this list that lets you do so. That means the processor upgrade is really $300, but it’s not likely to be a good value.
What might be a good value is if you pre-order the Galaxy Book4 Edge, Samsung will give you a 50-inch 4K TV supposedly worth $380 for free.
Ranking by Features and Value
Whew, that was a long list. Now let’s rank these laptops by some key features and then do an overall value comparison.
If you’re looking for the most portable and lightest laptops, you’ll want to check out the 14” Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge, which is even lighter than the 13.4” Dell XPS 13 in second place. You can also consider Lenovo’s offerings and the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 if you prefer the flexibility of a tablet.
If you’re looking for the best expansion ports, check out the Asus Vivobook, Dell’s Inspiron and Latitude options, and Samsung’s Galaxy Book. Avoid the Dell XPS 13 and the Surface Pro 11.
If you’re looking for the largest screens, then the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge 16” leads the pack, followed by the Asus Vivobook S 15 at 15.6” and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 15” model. The Surface Pro 11 is the smallest of the bunch by far at only 13 inches.
If you love OLED screens as much as I do, then the least expensive choice is the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x, but at only 90Hz refresh rates instead of 120 like the rest. The cheapest 120Hz OLED is the Asus Vivobook S 15 at $1300, but it doesn’t have a touchscreen. The next best value is the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge with an AMOLED 120Hz screen at $1350.
And finally, if you really want a touchscreen, then you’ll need to eliminate the Asus Vivobook S 15, non-OLED Dell XPS 13, the HP EliteBook Ultra, and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s OLED version.
If you’re on a budget, the least expensive starting prices put the Surface Laptop 7 on top, but storage is limited to 256GB. While the Surface Pro 11 may seem to also start at $1000, paying extra for the keyboard means it’s actually more expensive than most others on this list.
If we equalize the specs to the Snapdragon X Plus processor, 16GB of memory, and 512GB of storage, the cheapest X Plus machines are the Acer Swift 14 AI and Dell Inspiron 14 Plus. For most people, the 120Hz and larger 14.5” display of the Acer is preferable.
Next, if we treat the low and mid-tier Snapdragon X Elite processors the same and equalize on 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage, the cheapest X Elite you can get is the HP OmniBook X 14 at only $1150, while everyone else basically starts around $1300.
So after all this, if I were to buy a a Snapdragon X series laptop, which one would I choose? I’m actually leaning toward the 15” Surface Laptop 7 for its large 3:2 aspect ratio screen, pure Microsoft software and build quality, though it is on the heavier side. It doesn’t have OLED, which is a bummer, though the HDR screen should still be pretty decent. If I really can’t resist the OLED itch, then the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x or the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge would likely be my choice.
