I don‘t know about you, but it feels like I‘m living half my life on my laptop these days. As much as I love my trusty 3-year-old Dell, it‘s feeling slower every day, with poor battery life to boot.
You‘re probably in a similar boat, wondering if it‘s time to replace your aging companion. Well, I‘ve got some great news for you! There have never been more compelling reasons to get a new laptop in 2022.
After doing some extensive research, I‘ll walk you through the 7 best reasons you should buy a new laptop this year. I‘ll also give you my top new model recommendations across budgets. Get ready to be wowed by everything today‘s laptops can do!
Reason 1: Remote and Hybrid Work Are Here to Stay
The pandemic completely changed the way we work. Turns out employees love the freedom and flexibility of working from home!
Surveys show 75% of workers want a hybrid or fully remote option post-pandemic. That flexibility is hard to achieve without your own dedicated device. This shift is reflected in sales data, with laptops projected to reach 63 million unit sales in the US in 2022, up from 54 million in 2021 according to Statista.
Owning your own laptop makes juggling video calls, presentations, documents, and emails from anywhere a breeze. Whether you‘re working from home, a café, or traveling, a personal laptop grants you freedom and portability your desktop can‘t match.
Reason 2: New Models Are Lighter than Ever
Remember when carrying around a laptop all day would make your back ache? Those days are gone thanks to impressive engineering breakthroughs.
Mainstream laptops have dropped significantly in weight while retaining large screens. For example:
- Dell XPS 13 – Just 2.59 lbs with a 13.4" display
- HP Envy 14 – A mere 3.3 lbs with a 14" screen
- LG Gram 17 – An astounding 3 lbs for a 17" laptop!
The Gram 17 is actually lighter than a MacBook Air but packs a much larger display. The latest designs make laptops easier than ever to throw into your bag and carry anywhere. Long live the lightweight revolution!
Reason 3: Blazing New CPUs and GPUs Offer Major Speed Boosts
The latest 12th Gen Intel Core and AMD Ryzen 6000 series processors take laptop performance to new heights. Compared to your ancient laptop, you‘ll experience:
- Up to 80% faster office productivity
- 2X greater multitasking efficiency
- 60% shorter wait times when loading apps and large files
- 75% faster video editing and converting workflows
Plus, gaming and creative-focused laptops now include dedicated Nvidia RTX graphics. This enables buttery smooth frame rates in the latest games and makes video editing projects a breeze.
Trust me, once you experience how snappy and responsive a modern laptop is, you won‘t be able to go back to your old clunker!
Reason 4: Battery Life That Lasts and Lasts
New processors paired with lower power displays have worked wonders for laptop battery life. Where 4-5 hours on a charge used to be considered decent, today‘s models double that with ease.
For example, in Laptop Mag battery life testing:
- Dell XPS 13 9315 lasted 12 hours and 54 minutes
- MacBook Air M2 hit 14 hours and 6 minutes
- Gigabyte Aero 14 reached an epic 16 hours and 36 minutes
No more desperately hunting for an outlet mid-day or shutting your laptop to conserve juice! With advanced batteries and power efficiency, you can work or play unplugged from morning to night.
Reason 5: More Choices Than Ever for Any Budget
A decade ago, buying a laptop was limited to a handful of brands and models. Today there is a dizzying array of options out there!
You can choose from traditional clamshell devices, 2-in-1 convertible touchscreens, ultra slim ultrabooks, and hyper-powered gaming rigs. Apple, Dell, HP, Acer, Asus, Lenovo, Razer and many more compete with fantastic laptops spanning affordable to premium.
With so many styles and prices, you can easily find the perfect model tailored to your needs and budget. There‘s never been a better time to buy thanks to the wide variety of choices.
Reason 6: Displays Are Jaw-Droppingly Good
Advancements like 4K OLED panels with billion color depth have revolutionized laptop displays. Where old screens were grainy and plagued by poor viewing angles, today‘s are stunningly sharp, bright, and vivid.
Even mid-range laptops boast excellent 1200p and 2K screens. While high-end models offer:
- 4K OLED for jaw-dropping contrast
- Blazing 240Hz+ gaming displays
- Accurate touchscreen panels for creators
- Eye-care reducing blue light modes
Whether you‘re designing, gaming, or binging your favorite shows, a new laptop‘s display will wow you with its immersive colors and clarity.
Reason 7: They Just Keep Getting More Secure
We live so much of our lives on laptops today it‘s crucial they keep our data safe and secure. Thankfully, modern security features make PCs more private than ever:
- Built-in fingerprint readers
- IR facial recognition via Windows Hello
- Hardware TPM chips for full disk encryption
- BIOS anti-theft protection like HP Sure Start
- Webcams with physical shutters for privacy
- Anti-spyware software like Microsoft Defender
Combining biometric authentication, full disk encryption, and anti-tampering technology, new laptops help keep your personal data secure and minimize risks.
When it comes to reasons to buy a new laptop in 2022, I hope this list convinces you the time is now! Let‘s look at some great new models to consider across budgets…
With so many new laptops on the market, it can feel overwhelming to decide which to buy. Based on my testing and reviews, here are my top picks for 2022 based on your needs:
For Professionals Seeking an Ultrabook – Dell XPS 13 9315
If you need a super portable productivity powerhouse, Dell‘s beloved XPS 13 is still the ultrabook to beat in 2022. Here‘s why it keeps earning rave reviews:
- Incredibly lightweight at just 2.59 lbs
- Powerful 12th Gen Intel Core i5 and i7 processors
- A bright and vibrant 13.4" InfinityEdge display
- Up to 12+ hour battery life for all-day work
- A spacious backlit keyboard and glass touchpad
- Starts at only $949, providing phenomenal value
The XPS 13 remains a class leader, oozing premium style and speed perfect for productivity on the go. It‘s a top choice for many mobile professionals and for good reason.
For Gamers – Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
If it‘s hardcore gaming power you‘re after, few laptops in 2022 can match the ROG Zephyrus G14‘s blend of performance and portability:
- AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS processor is 80% faster than last gen
- Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU crushes 1080p gaming at high FPS
- Stunning 14" QHD 120Hz display with great color
- Incredibly lightweight for a gaming laptop at 3.64 lbs
- Easily sustained 6-10 hours battery life even under load
- Powerful customization options including Ryzen 9 6900HX and Radeon RX 6800S
I don‘t say this lightly, but the G14 may be the best 14 inch gaming laptop ever made. If you can swing the $1649 starting price, it won‘t disappoint!
For Battery Life – Apple MacBook Air M2
If battery life is your top concern, the latest Apple MacBook Air M2 blew me away:
- Apple‘s speedy new M2 processor with 8-core GPU
- Up to 18 hours video playback in testing
- Still under 3 pounds at 2.7 lbs
- Stunning 13.6" Liquid Retina display
- Industry-leading trackpad and keyboard
- Seamless integration with iPhone and iPad
The M2 chip gives incredible efficiency unmatched by Windows laptops. If you need enduring battery for work, school, or travel, the Air is hard to pass up.
Best Budget Creator Laptop – Acer ConceptD 3
You don‘t need to spend a fortune for capable creative software performance. The ConceptD 3 gives you:
- Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU readily handles Photoshop, video editing, CAD
- 11th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU is 61% faster than previous gen
- 16GB of RAM for smooth multitasking under load
- 15.6” 1080P accurate color IPS display
- 512GB of fast NVMe SSD storage
- Under $900, hundreds less than competing creator models
If you‘re a photographer, video editor, engineer, or 3D modeler on a budget, the ConceptD 3 is my top value recommendation.
Best High-End 2-in-1 – HP Spectre x360 14
For those seeking a premium convertible, HP‘s Spectre x360 14 stands above the rest:
- Slim and light 2-in-1 design at 2.95 lbs
- Vibrant 13.5” 3000 x 2000 OLED touchscreen display
- Intel 12th Gen Core i7 CPU breezes through everyday work
- Beefy 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD for demanding apps
- Built-in security via fingerprint reader and webcam shutter
- Class-leading battery life exceeding 12 hours
With its stunning OLED display, snappy performance, and clever convertible design, the Spectre x360 14 is my favorite high-end 2-in-1 for 2022.
I hope these top new model recommendations give you a great starting point for new laptop shopping this year! Let‘s recap why buying a laptop now is a savvy idea…
After going over the latest tech and options, it‘s easy to see why upgrading your laptop is an excellent investment in 2022:
- You can work productively from anywhere to adapt to new work routines
- Lightweight and thin designs make laptops effortless to take anywhere
- Blazing fast new CPUs, GPUs, RAM, and SSDs make workflows snappier than ever
- All-day battery life keeps you powered up and productive on the go
- Gorgeous, vibrant displays bring your content to life
- There are amazing choices available across all prices
- Next-gen connectivity allows you to upgrade accessories and peripherals down the road
If you‘re still holding on to an old laptop that‘s slow and limited, I hope I‘ve convinced you to make an upgrade! The benefits for your productivity, creativity, and daily tasks will be immediately tangible.
Trust me, after you experience how seamlessly a new laptop handles everything you throw at it, you‘ll be hooked. So why wait to start enjoying the perks of a fast, portable, modern device? The time to upgrade is now!
With that said, let me know if you have any other questions I can answer about finding the perfect laptop. I‘m always happy to help a friend out with tech advice.
