Forget the RAM crisis: the best laptops of CES 2026 have made me excited for the future
SOURCE:TechRadar|BY: Matt Hanson
We've spent the week at CES 2026 in Las Vegas checking out the future of laptops – and these are the most exciting products we've seen.
(Image credit: Future)
We're on the ground at CES 2026, the world's biggest consumer tech show, where some of the top brands in laptops have been showing off their upcoming products.
The likes of Lenovo, Dell, Asus, and Acer have all showcased some great-looking products that I'm pretty sure will end up on our best laptops list when they're released (and have been thoroughly tested by us), and it looks like the main trend for laptops in 2026 will be sleek thin and light designs, and even longer battery lives.
Dell XPS 14
(Image credit: Dell)
Dell revives its iconic XPS brand
Stunning design
To say we were baffled last year when Dell announced it was rebranding its laptop lineup and dropping the iconic XPS name would be an understatement.
Outside of Apple's MacBooks, very few manufacturers have managed to make their laptop naming conventions recognizable to the mainstream, but Dell's XPS brand came closest; you don't have to be a dedicated follower of tech to know that the Dell XPS 13, for example, was a premium thin and light 13-inch laptop. So, Dell throwing away the name recognition a lot of its competitors would kill for was certainly a head-scratcher.
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So, we were pleasantly surprised when at CES 2026 Dell announced that it was reviving the XPS brand, showing off the Dell XPS 14 and XPS 16, both of which are powered by Intel's impressive new Core Ultra 300 series processors. John Loeffler got some hands-on time at CES with both laptops, and he was suitably impressed, calling them "two of the most exciting laptops I've put hands on to start the year," and highlighting their new modern-feeling redesigns. We both think that of the two, the smaller and (slightly) more affordable XPS 14 is the real star of the show, and we can't wait to fully test it out soon - especially considering 's lofty claims about its new chip that's beating at the heart of these laptops.
16-inch laptop that expands to 23.8 inches of screen space
Also a powerful gaming laptop
Lenovo seems to always bring weird and wonderful ideas to CES, and this year is no different. The Lenovo Legion Pro Rollable is an eye-catching proof-of-concept. At first it seems like a normal 16-inch gaming laptop from Lenovo. However, it features a rollable 16-inch PureSight OLED display that when a keyboard shortcut is pressed, expands to a 21.5 inches.
Impressively, pressing the keyboard shortcut again expands the screen further to an ultra-wide 23.8 inches, giving you an immersive gaming experience without needing to plug in an external monitor or making the laptop too bulky.
Our computing editor Marcus Mears III has seen the Lenovo Legion Pro Rollable in action at CES 2026, and states: "At its 16-inch minimum screen size, it's a sleek Legion laptop with Lenovo's usual high level of polish. When at full expansion, it looks like a computer you'd see in a Sci-Fi movie's spaceship, with fascinating proportions and ultra-thin bezels."
The whole process seems pretty slick – the screen doesn't even flicker or reset while it's expanding, and the laptop as a whole has Lenovo's usual polish. You can see it in action in our video below:
As it's just a concept I wouldn't expect to see any laptops with this tech in the near future, and if they do make it to market I worry the price will be astronomical. However, it's always great seeing brands attempt something new, and to Lenovo's credit, the company seems more willing to innovate than many of its peers. Long may that continue!
Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra
(Image credit: Blue Pixl Media)
Powered by Intel's latest Core Ultra Series 3 processors
Great for Samsung phone owners
As I mentioned when reporting on Samsung's new range of Galaxy Book6 laptops, the South Korean tech giant's laptops have recently really impressed us at TechRadar, so I can't wait to properly check out the latest models, which are all powered by Intel's Ultra Series 3 processors.
Not only will these thin and light laptops come with Samsung's premium build quality and designs – they'll also work well with other Samsung products, especially the company's smartphones, tablets and earbuds.
Samsung has been slowly building up an ecosystem that comes close to matching Apple's. If you like the way MacBooks can use nearby iPads as an extra screen, or allow users to view and reply to messages and phone calls on their iPhones, but prefer using Windows 11 and Android, then Samsung has done a very good job of offering similar features when using Galaxy Book laptops with Samsung phones and tablets. I expect this to continue, and work even better, with the very latest Book6 models, and the flagship Galaxy Book6 Ultra could give Apple a run for its money.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition
(Image credit: Lenovo)
Weighs just 996g
Extremely powerful with Intel Core Ultra X7 Series 3 processors
Not only is this an incredibly powerful laptop for professionals, powered by Intel Core Ultra X7 Series 3 processors with up to 50TOPS NPU and optional 12Xe graphics, it comes with a choice of 14-inch WUXGA IPS or 2.8K OLED displays, Wi-Fi 7 and up to 64GB of LPDDR5x memory.
Most impressively, it weighs under 1kg, making for a ridiculously lightweight laptop considering the performance on offer here. Lenovo is also boasting about the laptop's green credentials thanks to its extensive use of recycled components in the cover, keyboard, battery frame, and packaging. For business users looking for a powerful workstation laptop that can be easily taken on work trips, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition is definitely worth keeping an eye on.
Asus Zenbook DUO (2026)
(Image credit: Asus)
Dual 14-inch OLED displays
Thinner than ever
Fair play to Asus: when the company first launched its dual-screen laptops many years ago, many people (including myself) wrote them off as simply a gimmick. However, over the years Asus has evolved and refined the design (including changing the second screen from an awkward rectangle that ran across the top of the keyboard into a fully-fledged touchscreen that's as large as the main display).
In fact, recent Zenbook DUOs have often made their way on to our best laptops list. The second, larger screen is now genuinely useful, and thanks to the clever magnetic keyboard, it can sit on top of the second screen, turning the device into a standard laptop.
The new model comes with the new Intel Core Ultra X9 Series 3 processors, so expect excellent performance, and a 99Wh dual-battery layout that should mean you're not sacrificing battery life for the second screen. The gap between the two screens has been made 70% smaller, and the six-speaker audio has been upgraded. Impressively, the overall size of the new Zenbook DUO is 5% smaller. I'm really looking forward to giving this innovative and unique laptop a try.
TechRadar will be extensively covering this year'sCES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to ourCES 2026 live newspage for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.
You can also ask us a question about the show in ourCES 2026 live Q&Aand we’ll do our best to answer it.
Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there's no aspect of technology that Matt isn't passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. He’s personally reviewed and used most of the laptops in our best laptops guide - and since joining TechRadar in 2014, he's reviewed over 250 laptops and computing accessories personally.
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