The Best CES 2021 Laptops

The annual CES 2021 event—earlier called the Consumer Electronics Show—is one of the best forums around the world to witness technological innovation. Owned by the US-based Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the festival was kickstarted back in 1967. From televisions and phones to laptops and home-security devices, CES is a huge canvas with a magnificent display of consumer electronics.

The primary commitment of the show is on transformative technology spanning marketplaces like artificial intelligence, smart homes and augmented and virtual reality. Through keynote addresses by high-profile speakers and new realms opened up by unique exhibitions, the festival drives home just how powerful technology can be.

The days of the event are also a wonderful opportunity for business people to conduct meetings, engage in networking with members of allied industries, and cement new partnerships. The CES is a good platform for both B2B and B2C brands since the audience it attracts is diverse and multifaceted.

While earlier versions of the event have been organized elsewhere (New York), CES is now held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Usually, considering the massive scale of the event, the exhibition is spread across multiple venues.

Lately, an Asian version of the festival has also been introduced. In 2019 and 2020, CES Asia was held in June in Shanghai. If this offshoot is any indicator, it is likely that the years to come could see more global avatars of CES, presenting opportunities for technological innovations in far-flung places.

Every year since its inauguration, the scope of CES has grown. With time, it has become synonymous with phenomenal, industry-wide participation for the technology sector. This is no wonder, considering the CTA is the trade association that represents the massive consumer technology industry in the US.

The numbers on the official website stand for just how staggering in scale the event is: 4,500 exhibitors, over 250 conference sessions and over 170,000 attendees across the globe. Since its inception, CES has grown manifold to cover newer industries in the technology sector, even non-traditional ones. This includes companies like BMW, Daimler, Proctor & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson.

The focus of the event changes year on year, in tune with the sentiment of the times. For instance, in 2021, the overarching focus is data analytics and customer experiences. Themes are usually carefully thought out and intended to concert efforts from major players in the corresponding sectors. The end motive, however, remains consistent: enhanced customer experiences and simplified living.

Laptops that may launch at CES 2021 Las Vegas

This year at CES Las Vegas, some particularly standout laptops are expected to be launched. Acer, ASUS and LG are among the major brands that might announce new laptops at CES 2021. Among the expected announcements are mobile laptops, gaming devices and computers for everyday use with a keen eye on innovation.

1. Dell CES 2021 Laptops

1. Dell Latitude 9420
2. Dell Latitude 9520
3. Dell Latitude 7520
4. Dell Latitude 5420
5. Dell Precision 3560

2. Lenovo CES 2021 Laptops

1. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga
2. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9
3. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6
4. Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable
5. Lenovo Legion 5 Pro
6. Lenovo Legion 7
7. Lenovo Legion Slim 7
8. Lenovo ThinkBook 13x
9. Lenovo ThinkBook 14p
10. Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 2
11. Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 2
12. Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Pro (OLED)
13. Lenovo IdeaPad 5G+4G LTE
14. Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Pro (Intel 14-inch + 16-inch)
15. Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro (AMD 14-inch + 16-inch)
16. Lenovo Tab P11

3. ASUS CES 2021 Laptops

1. ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 SE
2. ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14
3. ASUS ROG Flow 13
4. ASUS ROG Strix G15
5. ASUS ROG Strix G17
6. ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15
7. ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17
8. ASUS TUF FX516
9. ASUS TUF FX506p
10. ASUS TUF FX706
11. ASUS ZenBook Pro 15 (UX535)
12. ASUS ZenBook Flip 15 (Q528/Q538)

Another leading manufacturer that might announce new laptops at the CES 2021 is ASUS. The launches are expected to strengthen the brand’s gaming lineup, especially the ROG Zephyrus series, ASUS TUF, and ROG Strix Scar. Audiences can look forward to even more powerful gaming and immersive displays in the ROG Zephyrus G, M and S series. It is likely that the company will prioritize portable computing while maintaining its penchant for engaging multimedia experiences.

4. Acer CES 2021 Laptops

1. Acer Predator Triton 300 SE (PT314-51s)
2. Acer Predator Helios 300 (PH315-53)
3. Acer Nitro 5 (AN515-56)
4. Acer Nitro 5 (AN517-53)
5. Acer Nitro 5 (AN517-41)
6. Acer Nitro 5 (AN515-45)
7. Acer Aspire 7 (A715-42G)
8. Acer Aspire 5 (A515-45)
9. Acer Chromebook Spin 514

Leading from the front is Acer, one of the honorees in computer hardware, peripherals and accessories. The manufacturer is all geared up to announce the Swift 5—a hyper-portable 14” notebook that is astonishingly lightweight at only 2.1lbs. This laptop is clearly targeted at those on-the-go, for it boasts of the entire mobility armory: a long battery life, a thin profile (measuring only 0.5”), and fingerprint-based login via Windows Hello.

It is easy to see from the exemplary design why this notebook is one of the honorees at CES this year. The chassis is built using alloys of magnesium-lithium and magnesium-aluminum and is one of the lightest in its class.

Despite its compact build, this laptop is exemplary at audio-visual experiences. It is possible to choose between NVIDIA GeForce MX250 graphics and Intel Iris Pro. Either way, you get a narrow-bezel monitor with a screen-to-body ratio of 86.4 percent.

The long battery life is another bonus of this contemporary device. It supports unplugged usage up to 12.5 hours as well as fast-charging (4.5 hours of usage with a 30-minute charge). The Swift 5 is expected to become available later in December 2020 for a price of $899.99.

5. MSI CES 2021 Laptops

1. MSI GE76 Raider Dragon Edition
2. MSI GE76 & GE66 Raider
3. MSI GS66 Stealth
4. MSI GP66 & GP76 Leopard
5. MSI Stealth 15M
6. MSI GF75 & GF65 Thin
7. MSI Creator 15
8. MSI Summit E15
9. MSI Summit E16 Flip
10. MSI GS76 Stealth 17-inch Gaming Laptop

6. HP CES Laptops 2021

1. HP Elite Folio
2. HP Elite Dragonfly Max
3. HP ENVY 14
4. HP Elite Dragonfly G2
5. HP EliteBook 840 G8 Aero
6. HP EliteBook x360 1030 G8 & HP EliteBook x360 1040 G8
7. HP Elite x2 G8

7. LG CES 2021 Laptops

1. LG gram 17 17Z90P
2. LG Gram 16 16Z90P
3. LG gram 14 14Z90P
4. LG gram 16 16T90P
5. LG gram 14 2-in-1 14T90P

	LG gram 17 (17Z90P)	LG gram 16 (16Z90P)	LG gram 14 (14Z90P)	LG gram 16 (16T90P)	LG gram 14 2-in-1 (14T90P)
Display Size	17-inch	16-inch	14-inch	16-inch	14-inch
LCD	WQXGA (2560 x 1600) IPS, DCI-P3 99 percent (Typical)	WQXGA (2560 x 1600) IPS, DCI-P3 99 percent (Typical)	WQXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS, DCI-P3 99 percent (Typical)	WQXGA (2560 x 1600), Touch IPS Display, Corning® Gorilla® Glass 6	WUXGA (1920 x 1200), Touch IPS Display, Corning® Gorilla® Glass 6
Aspect Ratio	16:10	16:10	16:10	16:10	16:10
Weight	1350g (2.98lbs)	1190g (2.62lbs)	999g (2.2lbs)	1480g (3.26lbs)	1250g (2.76lbs)
Size	380.2 x 260.1 x 17.8mm (14.97 x 10.24 x 0.70 inches)	355.9 x 243.4 x 16.8mm (14.01 x 9.58 x 0.66 inches)	313.4 x 215.2 x 16.8mm (12.34 x 8.47 x 0.66 inches)	356.6 x 248.3 x 16.95mm (14.04 x 9.78 x 0.67 inches)	314 x 219.5 x 16.75mm (12.36 x 8.64 x 0.66 inches)
Battery	80Wh	80Wh	72Wh	80Wh	72Wh
CPU	11th Gen Intel® Core™ Processor	11th Gen Intel® Core™ Processor	11th Gen Intel® Core™ Processor	11th Gen Intel® Core™ Processor	11th Gen Intel® Core™ Processor
GPU	Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics Intel® UHD Graphics	Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics Intel® UHD Graphics	Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics Intel® UHD Graphics	Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics Intel® UHD Graphics	Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics Intel® UHD Graphics
Memory	8/16GB (LPDDR4x)	8/16GB (LPDDR4x)	8/16GB (LPDDR4x)	8/16GB (LPDDR4x)	8/16GB (LPDDR4x)
Storage	M.2 Dual SSD slots (NVMeTM)	M.2 Dual SSD slots (NVMeTM)	M.2 Dual SSD slots (NVMeTM)	M.2 Dual SSD slots (NVMeTM)	M.2 Dual SSD slots (NVMeTM)
Color	White, Silver, Black	White, Silver, Black	White, Silver, Black	Silver, Black, Green	Silver, Black, Green
Keyboard	Backlit	Backlit	Backlit	Backlit	Backlit
I/O Port	USB 4 Gen3x2(x2, USB PD, ThunderboltTM 4), USB 3.2 Gen2x1(x2), HDMI, microSD/UFS, HP-Out	USB 4 Gen3x2(x2, USB PD, ThunderboltTM 4), USB 3.2 Gen2x1(x2), HDMI, microSD/UFS, HP-Out	USB 4 Gen3x2(x2, USB PD, ThunderboltTM 4), USB 3.2 Gen2x1(x2), HDMI, microSD/UFS, HP-Out	USB 4 Gen3x2(x2, USB PD, ThunderboltTM 4), USB 3.2 Gen2x1, HDMI, microSD/UFS, HP-Out	USB 4 Gen3x2(x2, USB PD, ThunderboltTM 4), USB 3.2 Gen2x1, HDMI, microSD/UFS, HP-Out
USP	Fingerprint Reader, US Military Standard 810G Compliance, DTS X Ultra, Wi-Fi 6	Fingerprint Reader, US Military Standard 810G Compliance, DTS X Ultra, Wi-Fi 6	Fingerprint Reader, US Military Standard 810G Compliance, DTS X Ultra, Wi-Fi 6	Fingerprint Reader, Stylus Pen (Wacom AES 2.0), US Military Standard 810G Compliance, DTS X Ultra, Wi-Fi 6	Fingerprint Reader, Stylus Pen (Wacom AES 2.0), US Military Standard 810G Compliance, DTS X Ultra, Wi-Fi 6

Another honoree at the CES 2021 is LG, all set to announce its new Gram line-up featuring 16”, 15” and 14” models as well as a 2-in-1 laptop. Coming in January 2021, the recent launches are expected to deliver immense portability along with performance and speed. This line-up will employ tenth-gen Intel Core processors, Iris Plus graphics, and a “Mega Cooling System” for efficient heat dissipation. Some of the models (16Z90P and 15Z95N) will also be fitted with larger batteries (80Wh) for longer unplugged usage. This should work out excellently for frequent travelers and those with a soft spot for being on the move.

The 2-in-1 laptop further pushes the envelope on portability with its weight of 2.5lbs and battery life of over 20 hours. It also includes a built-in Thunderbolt 3 port for top-notch connectivity and rapid data transfer. LG’s core mission with the latest line-up is to provide a winsome blend of performance and portability. Looking at the laptops slated to be announced, one can assume that this mission seems well-founded.

8. Samsung CES 2021 Laptop

1. Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 2-in-1

9. Razer

10. Dynabook

1. Portégé X30W-J
2. Portégé X30L-J
3. Portégé X40-J
4. Tecra A30-J
5. Satellite Pro C40
6. Satellite Pro C50
7. Satellite Pro L50

Broad Themes Covered at CES

Since CES is such a large-scale event, it attracts participation from the entire network of consumer technology, including manufacturers, developers and suppliers. The list of product categories is wide and extensive, covering everything from 3D printing to self-driving vehicles, wearables to drones. Computer hardware and laptops are also popular categories, as is cyber security and privacy.

The conferences held during the festival are home to a number of pioneering discussions aimed at improving technology around the world. While the broad focus is on consumer technology, the level of detail is deep enough to get things moving at the grassroots level. For instance, a conference on automotives could well pertain to self-driving cars and vehicle technology. Topics such as digital health and smart cities have previously been covered at the event.

New Launches at CES

For technology majors, CES is a brilliant platform to announce and showcase new products. Leading manufacturers of laptops, desktops, televisions, etc., from around the world frequently time new launches around this festival. In the years gone by, top companies such as Sony, LG and Dell have launched new offerings in the consumer electronics space at CES.

In fact, some revolutionary innovations that have shaped our perception of the modern world have also been launched at CES. Today, the grandeur of High Definition Television (HDTV) seems ubiquitous, but it was first announced at CES back in 1998. Camcorders and compact disc players were also first introduced to the world at CES (in 1981). More recently, the 4K UHD display technology that has since graced several laptops and high-end gaming devices was brought forth at CES in 2015.

In the run-up to the event every year, both the media and technology players await the announcements and launches to be unveiled. The excitement is well-founded since it sets the wheel in motion for the rest of the year.

CES Innovation Awards

A particularly exciting section of CES is the Innovation Awards that are announced every year. These awards are much-anticipated across several industries, with major players hoping to be recognized for their stellar work in design and engineering. The awards have a wide scope—from individuals to organizations, authorized agents to promoters. Besides the prestige that is associated with the recognition, the winners also enjoy massive media coverage. This covers the official CES website, the Innovation Awards Showcase at the event, and the i3 magazine. (The i3 or ‘It Is Innovation’ magazine is CTA’s flagship publication that enjoys a wide readership across multiple industries.).

Under the CES Innovation Awards, two levels are recognized: honoree and ‘Best of Innovation.’ The former is given to a product which scores greater than the threshold. The latter is awarded to the highest-rated product (or products, in case of a tie). As many as 28 categories relating to consumer technology are recognized as honorees by the CTA.

Part of the charm of these awards is in the elaborate judgment system. Not only do the products have to meet extensive evaluation criteria, but they must also pass muster with a panel of industry experts.

The parameters span interesting and relevant buckets such as sustainability, eco-design, smart energy, and technology for a better world. For instance, does the product contribute to a positive global impact? Are its design and construction aligned ecological responsibilities, smart resource management and energy conservation? Factors such as these play a pivotal role in determining who takes the trophy at CES.