The 5 Best Touchscreen Laptops - Spring 2023 Reviews

The best touchscreen laptop we've tested is the Dell Precision 5570 (2022), a 15.6-inch Windows mobile workstation. This premium model has a sturdy build, a sleek and compact design, and plenty of processing power to handle demanding tasks like video editing and 3D graphics. Its 4K+ 16:10 display gives you plenty of room for split-screen multitasking, and of course, it supports touch input. It isn't a 2-in-1 convertible, so you can't flip the screen around and use it as a tablet. The keyboard feels spacious and tactile, and the touchpad is large and responsive. Port selection is okay; you only get three USB-Cs, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an SD card reader, but on the upside, the USB-Cs support Thunderbolt 4.

You can configure this laptop with an Intel 12th Gen. H-series Core i5, i7, or i9 CPU. You can choose to have integrated graphics only for the GPU or upgrade to an NVIDIA RTX A1000 or A2000. The NVIDIA GPUs aren't the most powerful you can get on the market, but they'll get the job done. Memory and storage max out at 64GB and 1TB, respectively, and they're user-upgradeable. Although the keyboard gets hot under load, the fans remain relatively quiet, so you don't need to worry about causing too much noise in a quiet office setting. Biometrics include a fingerprint sensor and a Windows Hello facial recognition IR camera.

If you have a lighter workload like text processing, web browsing, and video playback, get the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (2022) instead, a high-end clamshell model. Ultraportables like this one are cheaper because they have less powerful CPUs. However, you still get a premium user experience with a sharp, bright display, a comfortable keyboard, and a nice, smooth touchpad. By the way, the Surface Laptop 5 is available in a 13.5-inch or 15-inch size, so you can choose the one that best fits your needs.

Configuration-wise, you can choose between an Intel 12th Gen. Core i5 or i7 CPU and up to 32GB of memory and 1TB of storage. There are some limitations to the configurations, so make sure to check out our full review for more details. Battery life is okay; you can get around eight hours of light use, so depending on your usage, you might need to plug it in for a quick charge to get through the day. Port selection is pretty limited, but unlike previous Surface Laptops, the USB-C supports Thunderbolt 4. The webcam is excellent even though it's only 720p, and there's also an IR camera for quick logins via facial recognition.

If you prefer a 2-in-1 tablet form factor, get the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) instead. This form factor allows you to detach the keyboard to save space or make the device easier to hold, and you can pop it back on when you need to type something out. The display supports pen input—as does the Surface Laptop 5—although you need to buy the stylus separately, and the same goes for the keyboard. There's already a newer Microsoft Surface Pro 9; however, it's only a minor upgrade to Intel 12th Gen. CPUs and is more expensive. You can likely find a great deal on the Surface Pro 8 since it's an older device.

Our pick for the best touchscreen laptop in the mid-range category is the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022), a replacement for the very popular Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (2020), which we recommend if you want something cheaper. At 14 inches, it gives you slightly more screen real estate than its predecessor, and unlike the picks above, this is a 2-in-1 convertible, which means you can still flip the screen around and use it as a tablet. It also supports pen input and comes with a stylus that you can dock into its charging slot for transport. Ports include one USB-A, two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an HDMI port.

One thing to know about this laptop is that while it's available with various Intel 12th Gen. CPUs, it may be hard to find the configuration you want due to low availability. The Core i5 model with 8GB of memory and 128GB of storage is the easiest to find in stock and is more than adequate for people with a light workload. The battery lasts easily through a full day of use, and you can charge the laptop over USB-C. Unfortunately, there's no fingerprint sensor or a facial recognition IR camera for quick logins.

A Windows alternative would be the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 (2021), a 2-in-1 convertible designed for general productivity tasks. It's available with AMD Ryzen 5000 CPUs, which are getting long in the tooth but still plenty fast for light workloads. The battery lasts around nine hours of light use, so you can easily get through a typical workday on a full charge. The keyboard is decent, though not quite as good as the Spin 714's, and the display is slightly dimmer and a tad washed out. Also, there's no Thunderbolt 4 support since it's an AMD system.

Get the Lenovo Chromebook C340 15 (2020) for those on a tight budget. Despite its wallet-friendly price, this 2-in-1 convertible is easy to carry and feels well-built. It's available with an Intel Pentium Gold or Core i3 CPU, both fast enough to provide a smooth experience on Chrome OS. The downside is that you can only get a maximum of 4GB of memory, so you'll experience some stutters if you have many applications or Chrome tabs open simultaneously. Battery life is outstanding at around 12 hours of light use or eight hours of video playback.

The display looks decently sharp and provides plenty of space for multitasking. However, like most budget laptops, it doesn't get very bright and looks washed out. Washed-out colors aren't a problem if you only look at text documents, but if you're consuming media and/or are used to seeing higher-quality panels, like on an Apple iPad, you'll likely notice it more. The keyboard feels like a budget device, and while the touchpad is on the smaller side, it's responsive to all movements and gestures. Port selection is okay; you get one USB-A, two USB-Cs, an SD card reader, and a headphone jack. The USB-C ports support video output and charging.

If you need something that can get the job done and spend as little as possible, the Acer Chromebook 315 (2020) is our pick for the best touchscreen laptop in the cheap category. This clamshell model is very portable, and its battery lasts easily through a full day of light use with plenty to spare. It has a full-size keyboard with a Numpad, which is great for those working with numbers, and its touchpad is small but decently responsive. Ports include two USB-As, two USB-Cs, and an SD card reader. No biometrics for quick logins, unfortunately.

Of course, there are a few downsides. First, the Intel Celeron CPUs can only handle light productivity tasks, so don't expect to run anything intensive. Second, the screen doesn't get very bright, meaning you'll have some visibility issues in well-lit rooms. Third and last, you can only get 128GB of storage, although that isn't a big issue if you use cloud storage, and you can also expand your storage space with an SD card.