Best Ultraportable Laptop

(This article is one of 16 parts in our Tech Awards 2025: Editor's Choice content series.)

When we put together this year’s picks for ultraportable laptops, we decided to take a slightly different approach. Instead of casting the net across every thin-and-light notebook on the market, we’ve narrowed the spotlight to a very particular group: those powered by Qualcomm’s new mobile processor for laptops – the Snapdragon X Elite. It might seem unusual to filter the category this way, but there are two good reasons. First, these chips represent one of the biggest shake-ups in the laptop world in years, bringing ARM-based performance that’s designed from the ground up for Windows PCs – and breaking up the duopoly of Intel and AMD. And second, in the short space of a few months, nearly every major PC brand rolled out its own Snapdragon X Elite laptops, creating a wave of fresh ultraportables that deserve attention on their own terms.

It’s also worth clearing up a common misconception for readers who may not follow processors as closely: Snapdragon isn’t just for smartphones anymore. Qualcomm has been steadily pushing its silicon into laptops, and this new generation represents its most serious attempt yet to challenge the long-running incumbents in the ultraportable space. With new designs (well, mostly) from almost every big PC brand, the Snapdragon X Elite lineup has quickly become the most talked-about slice of the market. We’ve a full video primer here to better understand what’s happening and how the newcomer stacks up.

That’s why, for this year’s Tech Awards, our ultraportable laptop recommendations focus solely on Snapdragon X Elite machines – a field that we felt is both timely and crowded enough to stand on its own. There’s yet another factor to all of this, and it’s our qualifying period for this award segment, which is between April 2024 and April 2025. While many platforms have been updated in this time frame, only the Snapdragon X Elite met our criteria for this test segment with available options from all prominent vendors.

Nominees:

1. ASUS Vivobook S 15
2. Dell XPS 13
3. HP Omnibook X 14
4. Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x
5. Microsoft Surface Laptop 7

And the winner is …

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 - The Best Ultraportable Laptop

Sometimes, we forget that Microsoft makes some really good-looking hardware. In the Surface Laptop 7, the tech giant has delivered a laptop that balances sleek design, thoughtful engineering, and solid performance. The all-metal chassis exudes a very nice premium feel, and the battery life is nothing short of astounding. It’s a fantastic showcase of the Windows-on-ARM platform after years of misfires, and I can imagine subsequent generations of Snapdragon X chips will be an even more serious threat to Intel and AMD’s mobile platforms. Battery life performance like that we’ve seen on the Surface Laptop 7 is a game-changer.

However, pricing – especially for configurations with higher memory and storage – is a divisive point for me, and it’s here, despite everything else that I like about it, that the Surface Laptop 7 feels more like a luxury purchase than a value-oriented choice. There are still other great Snapdragon X-powered laptops out there that go for a lot less and offer better specifications, but none quite match the look and feel of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 nor its impressive battery life. Take a bow, Microsoft.

Read our full review here.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 is available at the Microsoft Store with prices starting from $1,599 for the 13.8-inch model and $2,348 for the 15-inch model (tested here).

How we rated the nominees

How the nominees performed

Next, we share some thoughts on the other tested contenders.

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x – Big on value but with caveats

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x makes a convincing case for value in this category. Priced below S$2,000, it offers a bright OLED display, a well-built chassis, and surprisingly capable day-to-day performance on the Snapdragon X Elite platform. Battery life is also a highlight, handling long workdays with ease.

That said, the cost savings show in a few areas. Connectivity is limited, with no USB-A port, headphone jack, or microSD reader, and gaming performance lags behind the competition here. Lenovo has managed to squeeze a lot of laptop into its price, but in doing so, it stops short of the kind of polish and user experience that pushed the Surface Laptop 7 ahead in our rankings. For buyers watching their budget, it’s a commendable effort – but the Yoga Slim 7x is not the standout of the pack.

Read our full review here.

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x is available at Lenovo's e-store, starting from S$1,830

ASUS Vivobook S 15 – Not the ASUS we had expected

The ASUS Vivobook S 15 is an intriguing addition to the Snapdragon X-powered Copilot+ PC line-up, especially as one of the first laptops to feature Qualcomm’s efficient processor. It offers a commendable mix of features, including a vibrant OLED display, a well-rounded array of ports, and lightweight portability. However, in my opinion it falls short of being a standout product.

Its design lacks the flair typically associated with ASUS’ premium laptops, and while performance is respectable in some areas, it lags in others, particularly in battery efficiency and optimisation during real-world productivity tasks. The Vivobook S 15 seems best suited for users prioritising a larger screen and a slim form factor over outright performance or battery longevity. While it holds its own against certain laptops from the competition, it doesn’t quite rise to the level of a must-have in its category. Read our full review here.

The ASUS Vivobook S 15 with 32GB of memory and 1TB of SSD storage (reviewed here) is available at the ASUS e-store for $2,199

Dell XPS 13 – Connectivity sacrificed for portability

The Dell XPS 13 (2024) is Dell’s flagship Snapdragon X-based ultraportable, and it certainly ticks the right boxes on paper. You can configure it all the way up to 64GB of RAM and 2TB of SSD storage, though those options push the price to a steep S$3,849. The model we tested came in at S$2,849, which still makes it one of the pricier machines in this category.

Performance and battery life are solid, and the compact chassis makes it a portable companion for work or travel. But there are quirks that hold it back. The pared-down port selection – with no headphone jack – feels restrictive, and both the keyboard and touchpad design won’t appeal to everyone. It’s the kind of laptop that looks impressive at first glance but may demand compromises in daily use.

That said, if you’re drawn to the design and are willing to adapt, the XPS 13 (2024) remains a capable ultraportable. It just doesn’t quite strike the same balance of usability and value as some of its peers, which is why it ultimately falls short of taking the crown this year. Read our full review here.

It is available at Dell's website, starting from S$2,349.

HP Omnibook X 14 – An all-rounder but plays it too safe

If the Yoga Slim 7x plays the value card, HP’s Omnibook X 14 instead aims to be the safe all-rounder. Its performance is steady, the battery life excellent, and the design sturdy enough to withstand daily knocks. At S$2,099, it also undercuts some of the pricier ultraportables in this field, while keeping up with most everyday productivity tasks.

Where it loses ground is in the finer details. The display lacks colour vibrancy and brightness compared to OLED-equipped rivals like the Lenovo, and the chassis design, while practical, doesn’t carry much flair. The result is a laptop that feels reliable rather than exciting – a laptop that gets the job done without necessarily standing out. Between the two, Lenovo edges ahead thanks to its screen quality and build, but HP’s balance of endurance and usability still makes it a solid contender. Read our full review here.

The HP Omnibook X 14 is available at HP's e-store for $2,099. Click here to buy.

References

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