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Which Brand Is Best for a Touch-Screen Laptop?
There's no single answer to that question, as the "best" machine for you depends on your specific needs and budget. That said, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo, among other PC OEMs, have touch-screen models, but sometimes touch-screen panels and non-touch ones are offered in different configurations of the same machine, in the same family. Make sure you know what you're getting (or not getting) when you buy. Also, as mentioned, Apple is the one brand not to expect a touch screen from; all of its MacBooks use non-touch panels.
Ready to Buy the Right Touch-Screen Laptop for You?
That's where our reviews come in. Our rankings here line up our current-favorite clamshells, detachables, rotating 2-in-1s, and Chromebooks that support touch. Note that if you find one you like and decide to order from an e-tailer, we strongly recommend that you double-check that the specific model you're looking at (especially if it's a configurable clamshell) does include the touch-screen option.
In the case of a few models in our ranking, the specific model may support a touch-screen option, but we may have reviewed a non-touch version, and our online pricing links may point to that. Bear that in mind if you click through to an e-tailer: Be sure to check specifically for the presence of a touch panel in the model you are considering.
Which Laptops Have Touch Screens?
The tendency toward touch support will vary depending on the specific kind of laptop you're looking at. Let's examine the major types.
BUDGET CLAMSHELLS. Most low-cost machines that are straight-up laptops (that is, models that do not have 2-in-1-type hinges or tablet modes) will not have touch screens, but you'll run across the occasional exception. In under-$500 machines, a touch screen should be seen as a pleasant surprise, not a given. Exception: 2-in-1s, more about which in a moment. (For more, see our picks for the best budget laptops.)
MAINSTREAM AND BUSINESS CLAMSHELLS. You'll see the most varied mix of touch and non-touch models here. This is the category most likely to be fraught with touch versus non-touch models in the same system family. You may be able to specify one or the other type of screen at the time of purchase, or different configurations in the same line may feature different screen types. Look for this, especially in product lines like Lenovo's ThinkPad or Dell's Premium laptops. (For more, see our picks for the best business laptops.)
2-IN-1 CONVERTIBLES AND DETACHABLES. By their very nature, all 2-in-1 machines will have touch screens. When you're using a 360-degree rotating 2-in-1 in tent or tablet mode, you don't have access to the keyboard, so touch input is essential in those modes. Likewise, in a detachable 2-in-1: Remove the keyboard, and all you're left with for input is your tapping fingers or a stylus. Indeed, a key differentiator here is whether the 2-in-1 additionally supports stylus input, and if so, whether the stylus is included or costs extra. A high-profile example of the latter is the Microsoft Surface device family, which mandates $100 or more for a complementing Surface Pen stylus. (For more, see our picks for the best convertible laptops.)
GAMING LAPTOPS. Most gaming laptops have 14-inch, 16-inch, or 18-inch screens, and very few of these offer touch input. PC gamers don't have much use for touch input (PC games aren't written to support it), and implementing a touch screen would put even greater strain on an already-challenged battery. (For more, see our picks for the best gaming laptops.)
BIG-SCREEN MACHINES. It's uncommon to see a laptop with a 17- or 18-inch display that supports touch input, but they are out there (though 16-inch models are starting to replace 17-inch systems). Touch-panel implementations at that size are pricey and simply not cost-effective. They're also not practical: Many touch-screen laptops are 2-in-1s, and a 16-inch (or bigger) tablet can be mighty unwieldy. But 16-inch creative professional laptops, like the Asus ProArt P16 (H7606), support touch. (See our favorite 17-inch and 18-inch laptops.)
CHROMEBOOKS. Touch screens did not feature in early Chromebook models, but we're seeing them in more and more new ones. With the emergence of 2-in-1 convertible Chromebooks (most are 360-degree-rotating designs, though a few feature detachable displays), touch is becoming more common in this class, especially as support for Android apps has become the norm on these machines. (For more, see our picks for the best Chromebooks.)
APPLE MACBOOKS. Sorry! No Mac desktop or MacBook laptop supports touch-screen input unless you count the thin Touch Bar touch strip above the keyboard on a few now-discontinued MacBook Pro models. (The Touch Bar is merely a contextual shortcut strip that adapts to the program at hand.) The macOS operating system isn't optimized for touch. In the Apple sphere, full-touch displays are reserved for the company's iPhones and iPads.
preface: i know nothing about laptops, the only laptop i’ve ever really used is a chromebook and i am NOT tech savvy whatsoever. i am also going into the medical field and will be taking info-heavy courses, if that helps set some kind of standard (?) for what im looking for.
i’m an incoming college freshman and i’ve been looking at laptops for about 5 months. the one that most websites have recommended is the lenovo ideapad, which is touch screen.
my main reason for wanting a touch screen is to use it for writing notes, since handwriting my notes works better for me than typing them.
Grad student laptop
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Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:
Under 1250$ USD (preferably on Amazon because I have gift cards)
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Are you open to refurbs/used?
No
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How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?
I want it to be a foldable touchscreen laptop. High performance, but doesn't need to be crazy specs.
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How important is weight and thinness to you?
Important but not a deal breaker
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Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.
N/A
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Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.
I will be doing CAD and probably some fluid flow/FEA modeling. It would be nice if I could do this on my laptop, but I do have a desktop for more complex stuff.
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If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?
None
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Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?
Writing pen compatibility and usb-c that I can plug in a HDMI splitter/ USB hub into and connect to my double monitors in my office. My current laptop only has USBc charging and can't be used as an HDMI port.
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Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.
Ive been using a Lenovo flex 5 for the last few years and it's been pretty good. But just checking to see if there are any other options.
So I'm gonna be starting medschool this week. I was more inclined towards buying a touch screen laptop so that I can annotate easily on pdfs. It'd be a 2 in 1 cos I don't have a laptop or a tablet. I saw on some subreddits here in which ppl are saying that dell's touch screen laptop is a better option than hp. What do y'all think?What options for a good,long lasting touch screen laptop?Also does anyone know any sites where I can download free pdfs of most recent versions of textbooks? I do plan on buying some of the main t.bks but to keep the budget minimum, I'll download everything on the laptop.
Hi all,
I'm looking for a laptop (windows) within the following parameters:
Budget: in $800 to $1,000 USD range but would love to go cheaper if something good is available
Are you open to refurbs/used? No
Performance (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life? My current system is 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8565U, 16GB DDR4, 512GB, purchased in 2020, and I'd like a substantial upgrade in terms of speed, and also to be able to keep this one for five years or so, like my last one.
How important is weight and thinness to you? I travel quite a bit, so lighter is nice as is ability of batter to hold a charge
Do you have a preferred screen size? 14 inch or thereabouts
Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run. Only photo editing, Adobe suite
If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want? No gaming
Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)? Touch screen, USB inputs
Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion. I do a bit of research, writing and editing and often have a lot of websites open; I also watch lots of videos. I tend to keep my laptops for five years or so, so I don't really want to skimp on memory or processing power within limits. I would like the laptop to be available now for delivery within a week or so.
Thanks in advance for any recommendations.
I’m confused as to what kind of strength I would need when working with say 20-30 tabs open and several excel files. Don’t want to go overkill and pay too much for features I’m not interested in. The Lenovo yoga and ideapad series are a bit too expansive for me. Would something weaker with say 8gb RAM and an older i5 processor be enough?