If you are an international travel professional and require a high-powered yet lightweight laptop that’s easily portable, look no further than the Apple MacBook Air – packed with cutting-edge features and capable of supporting modern digital nomads.
Travellers seeking an enjoyable travel experience should make laptops part of their travel kit, from researching their trip and planning to streaming movies.
Dell XPS 15 2023
Dell’s XPS laptop line has long been known for delivering exceptional hardware, and its 2023 refresh of the XPS 15 continues this tradition by combining stunning display quality and robust performance into one versatile package – suitable for everything from daily tasks to PC gaming and photo/video editing.
The XPS 15 offers plenty of screen real estate despite its slim frame, with an optional 3.5K OLED display, which looks absolutely breathtaking – offering deep blacks and vibrant colours. Although this high-resolution panel is shy of the actual 4K resolution, its clarity still makes it suitable for photo/video editing, media consumption, and gaming.
Dell’s XPS 15 features an outstanding trackpad and keyboard, both of which are very ergonomic. While some keys may feel shallower than usual, their position and travel are ideal. Furthermore, its giant trackpad feels fantastic, with both firmness and travel in perfect balance.
Power users will appreciate how the XPS 15 can be configured with Intel 13th Gen H-series processors and Nvidia discrete GPUs that can handle demanding workloads like video editing and 3D modelling – yet you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to own one! Configuration options start from less than $1,300.
Overall, the Dell XPS 15 is one of the finest luxury laptops you can purchase. It is beautiful to look at, with its light silver chassis that glistens in sunlight. Furthermore, its thin and lightweight body weighs only 4.23 pounds without its OLED display (it adds about another pound or so). Carrying around this laptop will be fine; be proud to show it off when visiting cafes! Additionally, for running heavy software or games while travelling, this is one of the most potent travel laptops currently available!
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 is an ultraportable 14-inch business ultraportable that is slim, light, and durable. One of its distinguishing characteristics is being one of the lightest laptops capable of handling demanding software while boasting stunning Dolby Vision-capable displays and exceptional audio features.
The Carbon features an elegant magnesium-lithium chassis with a black matte finish and features an eye-catching “communications bar” or notch for a webcam above its 16:10 aspect ratio display. Its lid comes equipped with magnetic clasps to secure it securely shut, and its keyboard deck feels solid under typing. In terms of travel hazard testing, it has passed MIL-STD 810H standards while being protected by Gorilla Glass panels; furthermore, its thin profile means you may only be required to carry additional cables or adapters with you when needed for specific ports.
As with other premium laptops, the Carbon comes equipped with a one-year warranty and onsite service. In our lab test, its 57-watt hour battery lasted 13 hours and 11 minutes of runtime, ahead of both Dell XPS 13 and HP; however, it lagged behind Asus due to their larger 68-watt hour batteries and higher resolution display, achieving better results.
The X1 Carbon is equipped with an impressive selection of ports for such a lightweight machine. On its left side, a full-sized HDMI port provides video output while two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports support fast charging and data transfer, as well as fast data charging via an optional Kensington lock slot and two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports (one is accessible from the right side as well). Furthermore, the power button has been relocated, so it is easier to press the palm.
At our audio tests, the Carbon’s stereo speakers delivered loud, clear sound of unparalleled quality. Plus, its Dolby Atmos immersive audio feature makes movies, games, and videos more realistic and enjoyable! Plus, its screen design includes high resolution with Dolby Vision capability, ensuring you will make the most of all the content you watch or playback.
Our test unit featured an Intel Core i7 U-series processor, making it an ideal choice for productivity work and media playback. Although its H series counterparts found in Dell XPS 15 and Apple MacBook Air are more powerful, its speed still suffices for most tasks. In addition to Intel Unison for easy mobile pairing with Android and iOS devices for instant messaging, file sharing, video calling, etc, Lenovo provides Commercial Vantage View apps, which provide access to location tracking features, battery level notifications as well as a suite of utilities called Dolby Access for immersive sound quality enhancement.
Apple MacBook Air
Last time around, Apple’s last-generation MacBook Air was an obvious choice for anyone in search of a lightweight laptop capable of severe work and gaming – and its successor remains an excellent pick today if you value performance over weight. Although not quite as capable as before, its successor remains an outstanding lightweight option with exceptional battery life and performance capabilities.
The 13-inch Air begins at $1,099 (PS1,099, AU$1,799), while 15-inch models start at $1,299. Both come equipped with 8GB of unified memory and 256GB storage as standard; you can upgrade to either 512GB or 1TB storage if more money is spent.
As with its predecessor, the new Air features a sleek, unibody aluminium chassis that feels sturdy yet aesthetically pleasing. Its hinge is easy to open with one hand and provides ample support when using or carrying around with open. Furthermore, its Retina display delivers text and images with amazing sharp clarity and vivid colours. Furthermore, this laptop sports Intel’s fastest consumer processor with eight CPU cores and eight GPU cores to provide ample power while remaining cool and quiet during usage.
One downside of the MacBook Air is that it comes equipped with fewer ports than other recent notebooks, specifically, two Thunderbolt 4 ports on either side, plus an audio jack on its right. Unfortunately, it lacks a USB-A port; however, an inexpensive adapter may allow older peripherals to work with it.
As we tested the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air’s performance against Dell’s XPS 13, Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11, and Acer’s Swift Go 14, it proved itself worthy. Our looping video test ran for nine hours and 49 minutes – slightly fewer than Dell XPS 13 but more than Acer Swift Go 14
Overall, the MacBook Air is an attractive option for travellers who wish to remain loyal Mac users while taking advantage of performance features within a lightweight machine. While not offering all the bells and whistles of more expensive MacBook Pro models, it still earned Editors’ Choice recognition from us. Unfortunately, it lacks USB-A ports; we anticipate this being addressed when Apple unveils their following ultraportable notebook lineup – until then, you may wish to purchase an adapter between USB-C to USB-A from Amazon or elsewhere online; we don’t anticipate this changing anytime soon due to using M-series processors across their products – we don’t anticipate this changing soon either!