From MacBook Air M4 to Legion Pro 7, these are the top laptops of the year

From the MacBook Air M4 to the Legion Pro 7, discover the winners of the HT Tech Power List Awards 2026.

The year's best laptops take centre stage. (HT Tech)

By Amit Rahi

For the past seven years, I have tracked consumer tech through constant shifts in hardware, platforms, and the way people actually use devices. Covering everything from budget gear to flagship hardware, I focus on what readers need to know, not on buzzwords or launch cycle hype. My expertise spans gaming laptops and chairs, high-performance PCs, gaming monitors, printers, smartwatches, earphones, headphones, Bluetooth speakers, tablets, and more, with a particular emphasis on how these products hold up in daily use. Reviews, explainers, buying guides, and news pieces all share the same goal: giving readers enough detail to make confident decisions without wading through fluff. Away from deadlines, I spend a lot of time gaming and watching films and anime, which naturally filters back into the work. Performance, comfort, display quality, and sound are judged the way players and viewers experience them, not just by lab numbers, which keeps my coverage grounded in real scenarios rather than just benchmarks.

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The HT Tech Power List Awards 2026 recognise the products that made the biggest impact over the past year. With brands launching more powerful and feature-packed laptops than ever before, the competition was tougher across every category. From ultraportable notebooks and creator-focused machines to gaming laptops, these are the devices that stood out from the crowd.

The nominations were curated by the HT Tech editorial team after evaluating the most notable launches of the year. The final winners were then selected through a combination of expert judging and public voting, ensuring the results reflected both technical excellence and the preferences of everyday users. Here are the winners in the laptop categories at the HT Tech Power List Awards 2026.

Laptop of the Year

Winner: MacBook Air M4

The MacBook Air M4 takes home the Laptop of the Year award for delivering one of the most complete laptop experiences of 2026. Its combination of fast performance, excellent battery life, lightweight design and reliable everyday usability made it a favourite among both our judges and readers. It is equally well suited for work, study and entertainment, making it an easy choice for the top honour.

Best Creator Laptop

1. Apple 2026 MacBook Pro Laptop with M5 Pro chip with 18‑core CPU and 20‑core GPU: Built for AI, 41.05 cm (16.2″) Liquid Retina XDR Display, 24GB Unified Memory, 1TB SSD Storage; Space Black

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The MacBook Pro M5 wins Best Creator Laptop thanks to its exceptional performance for demanding creative workloads. From video editing and graphic design to music production and 3D rendering, it offers the power professionals need while maintaining excellent battery life, a brilliant display and a premium overall experience.

Best Laptop for Students

2. ASUS Vivobook 16,Smartchoice, 13th Gen, Intel Core i5-13420H,16GB RAM,512GB SSD,FHD, OLED,Win 11,M365 Basic (1Y),Backlit Keyboard,Office 2024,Silver,1.88 kg,X1605VA-SH1952WS, Thin & Light Laptop

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Our Principles

Full Transparency

Every product review clearly lists the Pros and Cons, giving you a balanced view.

Brand Confidence

We focus on products from brands with a proven reputation and long-standing market trust.

The ASUS Vivobook 16 earns the Best Laptop for Students award by striking the right balance between performance, features and value. Its large display, dependable hardware and practical design make it a strong choice for students attending online classes, completing assignments or handling everyday productivity tasks.

Best Gaming Laptop

3. Lenovo Legion Pro 7 2025 Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX| NVIDIA RTX 5070Ti 12GB (32GB RAM/1TB SSD/WQXGA OLED/240Hz/16(40.6cm)/Windows 11/Office 2024+AI Now/Black/2.5Kg), 83F500D7IN AI Powered Gaming Laptop

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The Lenovo Legion Pro 7 is our Best Gaming Laptop of the year. It impressed with its powerful internals, efficient cooling system and 240 Hz high-refresh-rate display, delivering the kind of performance gamers expect from a flagship machine. It is equally capable of handling demanding AAA titles and competitive multiplayer games.

Meet the nominees

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Disclaimer: At Hindustan Times, we help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and products. Hindustan Times has an affiliate partnership, so we may get a part of the revenue when you make a purchase. We shall not be liable for any claim under applicable laws, including but not limited to the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, with respect to the products. The products listed in this article are in no particular order of priority.