Trying to choose the right laptop? It depends on what you want it for
Deciding which laptop to buy is a hell of a confusing task in 2025. Let alone the fact that you simply have too many choices out there, personal considerations reign supreme, and unlike smartphones, we tend to focus more on the features and specs rather than the brand when it comes to buying a new laptop (accepting that there are two camps – Macbook lovers and Windows afficionados – to begin with).
For most of us, the budget is the first consideration. Then it's whether you're a gamer, a student at a university, working in a corporate environment, or someone who edits movies on the fly. Laptops tend to last at least 4-5 years, and then the decision to upgrade from that can take another 6-12 months. The plethora of models and combinations, from chipsets to form factors and from display choices to types of keyboards, can confuse anyone.
I'm here to cut through the clutter and give you the best of the best from a range of categories. I won't delve into the MacOS vs. Windows debate, so there'll be a separate category for Apple laptops. Without further ado, let's get to it.
Laptops with the longest battery life
For many years, battery anxiety has been a serious concern for consumers. In recent years, smartphone manufacturers have beefed up their batteries (smartphones with battery capacities of 5,000mAh and over are now commonplace), and chipset manufacturers have optimised their SoCs. For 2025, it's the turn of laptop manufacturers to double down and ease consumers' battery anxiety concerns. That's something each one of us can get behind.
Asus Zenbook A14
When I got the Zenbook A14 for review, I wanted to test Asus' claims of 'up to 32 hours of battery life'. While I didn't get to that number (I tried replicating it in a few different scenarios), the laptop boasted 17-18 hours of battery life. It truly is a battery champion in a sea of laptops that disappoints. It's powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon X (or X Elite) processor and is one of the lightest CoPilot PCs on the market.
Price: ₹99,990
MacBook Pro 16 (M4 Pro)
Even though Windows manufacturers have caught up with Apple in the battery department and surpassed it (in some cases), the MacBook Pro 16 (M4 Pro) stands tall. Apple has always touted battery life (and chipset efficiency) as its USP, and the MacBook Pro 16 is no different.
Price: ₹2,49,990 (16-inch)
Best business laptops
Lenovo ThinkPad X9 15 Aura Edition
Lenovo's ThinkPad range has always been the top choice for business consumers. For 2025, you can't go wrong with the ThinkPad X9 Aura Edition. It's a 15-inch ultraportable with everything you need to be efficient and help you get through your day. Its thin and light design makes it a boon for travellers. It has many ports (one USB-A, two USB C/Thunderbolt 4s, and even a full-size HDMI). The gorgeous 120Hz 2.8K OLED display is the icing on the cake, as it provides vivid and punchy colours and crisp text. The keyboard, which is at the heart of every ThinkPad consumer, is comfortable, and there is a large haptic touchpad. With a brilliant 1440p webcam, all your video conferencing needs are taken care of.
Last but not least, Intel's Lunar Lake Chip is under the hood for a smooth experience no matter what task you throw at it.
Price: ₹1,44,067
HP EliteBook Ultra G1q
If you're an enterprise consumer looking to maximise battery life, look no further than the HP EliteBook Ultra G1q. Yes, it's on the expensive side, but we're sure you can convince your office to get a bulk order. The big USP of this laptop is HP Wolf Security for Business, which adds extra layers of protection (anti-malware, anti-phishing) and the HP AI Companion.
Price: ₹1,68,999
Best Ultrabooks
Dell XPS 13
The last of its ilk before the rebranding, the Dell XPS 13 (with the power of Intel's Lunar Lake) is one beast of a laptop. It's got a svelte design with an invisible trackpad. It's meant as a head-turner but can also wow consumers with its excellent performance. With a battery life of 12 hours in real-world usage, the Dell XPS 13 is no slouch.
Price: ₹1,82,389.
Asus Zenbook S 14 (UX5406)
The Asus Zenbook S 14, launched in September 2024, hits all the right notes. No one laptop ticks all the boxes, and user preferences vary. Nonetheless, the Zenbook S 14 comes mighty close. It's got an Intel Core Ultra 200V series processor, a 14-inch 3K OLED display, 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, and all the ports you'd need. It's made from scratch-resistant Ceraluminum, which also keeps the chassis lightweight. It comes in at just 1.1 cm thin and 1.2 kg light. One of the USPs of this laptop is its battery life. Yes, it's not the best in the business (and we'll get to that later), but it provides a real-world usage of around 14 hours.
Price: ₹1,34,990.
Best Apple laptop
MacBook Air M4
If you've already decided on a MacOS laptop, you've only got one manufacturer to choose from. For me, and most people, the MacBook Air M4 (more portable while sacrificing some power) is the way to go. It's got a new chipset, more memory and a much better webcam than its predecessor.
Price: ₹99,900.
MacBook Pro M4
If you need more power (for complex tasks) or are a video editor, the MacBook Pro M4 is your default choice. That's it.
Price: ₹1,69,900 (14-inch)
Best budget laptops
Acer Swift Go 14 (2024)
The Swift Go 14 from Acer has to be one of the most value-for-money offerings in the market currently. It has an excellent OLED display, is lightweight and portable, and has enough computing power for daily tasks. The only downside is that battery life is a tad bit short of what we expect today.
Price: ₹59,990.
Infinix Zero Book Ultra AI PC
You're getting a lot of bang for your buck at the current price (on Flipkart) of ₹59,990 and an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor. It has a 15.6-inch display and weighs in at 1.8kg. It isn't the sleekest or lightest, but it's powerful enough for everything but gaming and video editing. This could be the best buy for a student or even someone who needs to make presentations and showcase them daily.
Price: ₹59,990.
Best mid-range laptops
ASUS Vivobook S14 (M5406)
At just ₹89,990, you're getting an AMD HX 370 processor that completely steals the show here. With a stunning OLED display (14-inch and 3K resolution), an RGB keyboard, powerful performance, and excellent battery life (upwards of 11 hours on a single charge), you can't go wrong at this price.
Price: ₹89,990.
Moto Book 60
Yes, I'm recommending a Motorola product in the laptop category—the Moto Book 60. It's got an Intel Core 7 series processor, 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage for just ₹78,990. Add to that the gorgeous OLED display, and it's an outstanding laptop for those with a light workload. The display steals the show, and you can binge the Indian Premier League with your friends without anyone complaining.
Price: ₹78,990
Best 2-In-1 Tablet
Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024)
Microsoft has been the king of this segment ever since the first Surface device was released. The 11th edition features a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor, a sleek design, a detachable display, and the best battery life of any Surface product. This device has many AI features and many more ARM-compatible apps than before. The only downside is that the Flex Keyboard must be separately purchased.
Price: ₹1,13,990.
Best 2-in-1 Laptops
Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 (14-Inch, 2024)
Lenovo practically came up with, and subsequently dominated, the 2-in-1 laptop category. I remember buying, owning, and then returning the original model back in the day. Lenovo's come a long way and the Yoga 9i (14-inch, 2024) model is my pick for this category. That's only because the Aura Edition (unveiled at MWC in Barcelona) hasn't come to India yet. It's got top notch performance, an improved webcam, and great speakers.
Price: ₹1,81,990
HP Spectre x360 14 (2024)
The HP Spectre x360 is another 2-in-1 that has been on the scene for quite some time. The design has been reined it, but it's still a handsome fellow. The 14-inch display is gorgeous and the icing on the cake. You get an Intel Core Ultra processor, some AI features, up to 32GB and 2 TB of storage.
Price: 1,62,499.
Best gaming laptops
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
For this category the winner has to be an Asus ROG laptop. Yes, the Republic of Gamers line from Asus has some of the best products money can buy for the professional gamers out there. The ROG Zephyrus G16 is a professional-meets-casual gamer heaven. It's got the looks to be used when out and about and the guts to amp up your gaming needs. It's surprisingly compact and lightweight. Just don't go and play games when on battery power. It's built on AMD Ryzen AI Strix Point hardware and comes with Nvidia RTX 5000 series graphics card (up to RTX 5080 on the highest-tier model).
Price: ₹2,79,990
Razer Blade 16 (2025)
The Razer Blade 16 is a close second when it comes to the gaming category. This one hasn't yet launched in India but should arrive within the next few months. It's more powerful than the Asus ROG model listed above and has a beautiful design that'll win you over.
Price: N/A
Also read: Lumio Vision 9 review: Does it live up to its 'fast TV' claims?
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