2016 UAE Laptop Buying Guide
Now that there is a notebook or laptop for everyone for every kind of task, the popularity of laptops has increased again. The release of the latest Microsoft operating system, Windows 10 is another reason that increased the popularity of laptops. There are Chromebooks for students that are really affordable, gaming laptops for serious gamers, Ultrabook for portability, Surface Book that can handle almost anything you throw at it and laptop-tablet hybrid which can be used as both tablet and laptop. If all these options are making you confused then you are in the right place. Here, you are going to find the suitable laptop or Ultrabook that will fulfill all your needs.
Without further ado, here’s Pricena’s 2016 laptop buying guide.
1. Dell XPS 13
Specs:
- 13.3-inch Ultrasharp QHD+ touch display showing 3200 x 1800 resolution
- 2.2GHz Intel Core i5-5200 processor
- Intel HD Graphics 5500
- 8GB of RAM
- 256GB SSD
Pros:
- Stunning display with almost no bezels
- Really easy to carry
Cons:
- Absence of Ethernet port
- The webcam is placed in a not so common position
If portability is your main priority then you cannot go wrong with the Dell XPS 13. It’s stunningly light, the display includes almost zero bezel and the 13.3-inch screen looks almost similar to an 11-inch one. The latest Skylake processor makes it possible to make the laptops thin and light as well which makes it a must have for those who loves their laptops thin and light. You can purchase the Dell XPS 13-0790 for about 6900 AED at the moment in the UAE.
2. Asus Zenbook UX305
Specs:
- 13.3-inch FHD matte display showing 1920 x 1080 resolution
- 800MHz Intel Core M 5Y10 processor
- Intel HD Graphics 5300
- 8GB of RAM
- 256GB SSD Storage
Pros:
- Really thin and light
- Attractive matte screen makes it less reflective
Cons:
- Not so good speakers
- The video driver can be a problem sometimes
There was a time when MacBook Air was the best thin and light laptop or ultrabook out there, but now we have a lot of alternatives to choose from. The Asus ZenBook UX305 is one of those alternatives that offers a stunningly light and thin design at an affordable price which is quite less compared to MacBook Air. The fanless design makes it easy to use while the matte display makes it easy to work almost anywhere without worrying about any reflection on the display. You can get the Asus ZenBook UX305FA-FC211H for about 3249 AED in the UAE that comes with slightly different specs than this one.
3. MacBook Air (early 2015)
Specs:
- 13.3-inch LED display showing 1440 x 900 resolution
- 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
- Intel HD Graphics 6000
- 8GB of RAM
- 256GB SSD Storage
Pros:
- Really attractive, thin and slim design
- Great battery life
Cons:
- Not full HD display
- No full size port
Before ultrabooks appeared, it’s the MacBook Air that managed to grab our attention with its super thin and light design. While the design is nothing new to look at now, it’s the performance that makes the MacBook Air (early 2015) still a great choice for Mac operating system lovers. However, if you want full ports or great battery life that can get you through the entire day, this one is not for you. The 4GB RAM version of MacBook Air (early 2015) is currently available for about 2900 AED.
4. Microsoft Surface Pro 4
Specs:
- 12.3-inch PixelSense display showing 2736 x 1824 resolution
- 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-6300U
- Intel HD Graphics 520
- 8GB of RAM
- 256GB Storage
Pros:
- Improved Type Cover
- Bigger and better display
Cons:
- Battery life could be better
- Type Cover is still not included with the tablet
With each iteration the Surface Pro tablets are getting better and the Surface Pro 4 is the living proof of that. The new tablet features bigger and improved display, improved and useful pen like stylus, Type Cover that’s quite different than the previous one and works perfectly. All these features makes the Surface Pro 4 a perfect hybrid laptop/tablet for those who want to do something more than just surfing web and want a tablet with Windows operating system. The starting price of Surface Pro 4 is around 3500 AED at the moment.
5. Surface Book
Specs:
- 13.5-inch PixelSense display showing 3000 x 2000 resolution
- 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-6300U
- Intel HD Graphics 520; Nvidia GeForce graphics (in the higher end versions)
- 8GB of RAM
- 256GB PICe3.0 SSD storage
Pros:
- The best laptop/tablet hybrid available so far
- Powerful specs
Cons:
- Battery life is still not satisfactory
- Not completely polished and requires some update
While most of the laptop/tablet hybrid focus on the tablet part, the Surface Book is the first hybrid that works perfectly as both laptop and a tablet. When you are using it as a laptop, you won’t feel like it’s too shaky or cannot be used as a complete laptop which happens with other hybrids. It’s the first traditional notebook like device from Microsoft after Surface Pro which offers slightly more than just a hybrid and falls in the Ultrabook category as well. It’s currently one of the most powerful convertible as well. The starting price of this futuristic laptop/tablet hybrid is currently about 5500 AED.
6. Lenovo Yoga 900
Specs:
- 13.3-inch IPS display showing 3200 x 1800 resolution
- 2.5GHz Intel Core i7-6500U
- Intel HD Graphics 520
- 16GB of RAM
- 512GB SSD storage
Pros:
- One of the best convertible laptop with great design
- Beautiful display showing QHD+ resolution
Cons:
- Keyboard could’ve been better
Just like the Microsoft Surface Book, the Lenovo Yoga 900 is one of those convertibles that doesn’t compromise with the specs just because it can be used as a tablet as well. The 2-in-1 convertible includes everything that you want in a laptop, a big battery, powerful and latest core i-series processors under the hood and a nice design. While it might be too big and heavy when being used as a tablet, it’s still good enough and can be considered as an alternative to Microsoft Surface Book. You can get the Lenovo Yoga 900 with slightly changed specs for about 7500 AED.
7. HP Spectre x360
Specs:
- 13.3-inch FHD Radiance LED-backlit touchscreen display
- 2.2GHz Intel Core i5-5200 processor
- Intel HD Graphics 5500
- 8GB of RAM
- 256GB SSD storage
Pros:
- Decent battery life
- Super thin design
Cons:
- Quite heavy to be used as a tablet
- The trackpad can be difficult to use at first for some users
If it’s a laptop tablet convertible you are looking for without heavy specs, you can check out the HP Spectre x360 which can be a cheaper alternative to the Microsoft Surface Book or Lenovo Yoga 900. It’s not the best convertible out there and can be difficult to use when using it as a tablet. However, the design makes up for it and the battery life is also good. For those who are not going to do any heavy task on the laptop, the HP Spectre X360 is worth checking out. You can get the HP Spectre X360 with slightly changed specs for around 5500 AED.
8. MacBook Pro 13-inch with Retina Display (early 2015)
Specs:
- 13.3-inch IPS display showing 2560 x 1600 pixels
- 2.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
- Intel Iris Graphics 6100
- 8GB of RAM
- 128GB SSD storage
Pros:
- Powerful, fast processor
- Great battery life
Cons:
- No change in design
- Force Touch feature needs improvement
For some people, it’s the design that matters while some people want powerful specs under the hood and the MacBook Pro early 2015 model with Retina Display is the perfect option for the latter. If you don’t want the super thin and attractive MacBook Air and want to do use some heavy software like Photoshop or video editing apps, you cannot go wrong with this model. The laptop offers a good combination of superb performance and great battery life which makes it perfect for everyday use. You can get the Apple MacBook MF840 for around 4850 AED.
9. Asus GL552JX CN092H
Specs:
- 15.6-inch IPS Anti-Glare display showing 1920 x 1080 resolution
- 2.6GHz Intel Core i7 4720HQ processor
- Integrated Intel HD Graphics 4600 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M with 4GB DDR3 VRAM
- 12GB DDR3 RAM
- 1TB storage
Pros:
- Great for playing most of the recently released games smoothly using medium or high settings
- Not too big for a gaming laptop
Cons:
- Not so big battery
- No SSD storage
For gaming, the Asus GL552JX CN092H is one of the best option available at the moment which comes with NVidia GeForce GTX 950M with 4GB of DDR3 VRAM. 4GB of VRAM is important for playing most of the recently released games that require 4GB of VRAM if you don’t want to play them using low settings. Other than that, the laptop is not too big or heavy for a gaming laptop and is quite affordable compared to other gaming laptops. Right now, you can get this laptop for about 4700 AED.
10. Dell Inspiron 13-7000
Specs:
- 13.3-inch IPS touchscreen display showing 1920 x 1080 resolution
- 2.4GHz Intel Core i7-5500
- Intel HD Graphics 5500
- 8GB of RAM
- 256GB SSD storage
Pros:
- Slightly cheaper than other convertibles
- Sturdy yet attractive design
Cons:
- Not so satisfactory battery life
- Slightly heavier compared to other laptops
As the 2-in-1 convertibles are getting more and more popular compared to other type of laptops, we have one more of these in our list, the Dell Inspiron 13-7000. While it does not include the latest specs and super thin design, it’s affordable and is good enough to get most of the heavy tasks done. It’s quite sturdy and Core i7-5500 processor clocked at 2.4GHz paired with 8GB of RAM makes sure you get to do most of the basic tasks smoothly. You can get the Dell Inspiron 13 7000 for about 4500 AED at the moment.
