Laptops are the need of the hour, be it for professional use, leisure, or play. These devices are mainly replete with portable computing features so that you can get a number of things done on the go. But with so many brands and new models being introduced, it can become really confusing to pick the best one. To help you, here are four popular picks for 2021.

Ultra-high end – MacBook Pro
All Apple products are manufactured keeping in mind the ultimate end-use, meaning the laptops you buy are made with durable materials and have the latest upgrades. The MacBook Pro is powered by the latest M1 Pro and M1 Max processor. The 16’ MacBook Pro, in particular, comes with 32GB unified memory that can be boosted up to 64GB. It has an inbuilt storage of up to 1TB SSD, which can be further upgraded up to 8TB. Priced at $3,499, the 2021 MacBook Pro is one of the most expensive Apple products.

Premium gaming – ASUS Rog Zephyrus G15
Gaming laptops are the latest rage, and the ASUS ROG series brings some of the best gaming experiences money can buy. Its most high-end gaming variant, the G15 GA503, is powered by the AMD Ryzen™ 9 processor capable of clocking in 4.5GHz processor speed. The laptop GPU features an NVDIA® GeForce RTX™ memory module with 8GB GDDR6 capabilities. Also, the ASUS ROG G15 has 16GB RAM that can be custom extended up to 48GB. It also features a 1TB SSD storage that ensures a seamless gaming experience. It is available online for $2,599.

Student picks – Acer Chromebook 714
On the other end of the spectrum are budget and functional laptops designed for everyday use. And as a student, you may not be able to splurge thousands of dollars on a laptop. Acer is one of the popular picks in Chromebooks, with laptops available for just $725. Powered by the 8 ^th generation of Intel® Core™ i3 processor, the laptop is surprisingly fast and supports most applications and software designed for daily student use. The 714 is priced at approximately $1,299.

Best budget laptops – Dell Inspiron 15 3000 series
Dell is one of the popular brands when it comes to buying budget laptops and offers a ton of configuration options for a really good price. Given that the laptop barely costs $300 it does not offer the best features. But for the price, you get a big screen,a better battery, and a basic Intel® Core™ configuration with 4GB of memory and a 128GB inbuilt SSD. The AMD Ryzen™ variant is slightly more expensive, priced at $600.

Google Pixelbook Go
In addition to these uses, one might need a laptop for seamless home use. The Google Pixelbook Go is your top choice if you’re looking for such a laptop. The Pixelbook Go ranks top among its competitors. It offers up to 12 hours of screen time. The laptop from Google also has ultra-quiet Hush Keys™, which eliminates unnecessary noise while typing. The laptop runs on one of the latest Chrome OS systems designed by Google with direct access to the Google Play Store. The premium device is available at multiple online retailers, with a price range of $649 to $1,399.

Microsoft Surface Pro Laptop
The Surface Pro features a 12.3” screen. It is equipped with an Intel Core i5 1.10 GHz i5-1035G4 processor, with the speed and response rate of 8GB RAM. This tech-heavy laptop comes with the versatility of using it like a tab. Additionally, the Surface Pro comes with the platinum surface pen to help you breeze through your tasks. This laptop is available for approximately $849.99-$1000.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 9)
With the 11th Gen Intel Core i5/Core i7 processor and a minimum 8GB RAM (16 and 32 GB also available), this 14-inch laptop is the best Lenovo has to offer. Along with being feature-heavy, this 1920 x 1200-pixel laptop is made with slim and lightweight design that makes it extremely portable. This laptop is available for tentatively $1,000.

HP Elite Dragonfly G2
The 11th-generation Intel Core i3–i7 and the 8GB-32GB RAM make this HP Elite laptop one of the top-ranked gadgets in the market. With a 13.3 inch screen and storage of up to 2 TB SSD, this laptop meets all aspects of a professional, working laptop.

Sony Vaio S VJS132X0511S
This laptop is best known for its 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor (i7-8550U) and its lightweight, sleek design. The Vaio becomes extremely portable and easy to handle but that doesn’t have to compromise the screen size. It features a 13.3” screen with Full HD display, which is the standard size for any laptop. This edition of the Vaio can be purchased for $1,599.