Yes, the Apple September event is coming, and the iPhone 15 is guaranteed to be the main star of the event. How do we know it's everywhere, all the time, all at once? People seem to be writing and talking about constantly as if nothing else exists. Even my 83-year-old uncle, who still owns a television that uses vacuum tubes, has been asking me questions about it.
Apple may even drop some other new tech on us — possibly a MacBook Air M3, Apple Watch Series 9, or maybe the rumored iPad mini 7. We never truly know what goes on at Apple until Tim Cook emerges from behind the circled walls of Cupertino to reveal the new season's bounty.
However, Apple isn't the only maker with new wares coming, especially in the laptop realm. Many of these excite me more than the latest iPhone with A-Bionic ♾️ or whatever number we're up to. Unless Apple launches a foldable, I'm not thirsting for it. However, I am desperate to hear about some new PC laptops, so I poked some folks, put my ear to the ground, and looked into a crystal ball.
Here's what I think may be coming.
HP
I haven't heard much about HP, but I assume, based on years past, we will soon get the latest gen of ZBooks featuring Nvidia 4000 series GPUs. I have reviewed several of the ZBook workstations and Studio's over the past few years, and I can tell you they've all been potent challengers to Apple's MacBook Pro series.
Also, I believe the maker, like others, is still recovering from the production slowdowns due to the Covid 19 pandemic. That said, signs are pointing to production ramping up in the PC laptop market, and I think HP will have some surprises in store.
Having just reviewed a few of the HP gaming laptops, you can see the company is building toward being more power efficient without compromising capability. HP will possibly launch a new, thin, lightweight laptop in the fall, and maybe even a Chromebook.
Lenovo
Having been to Lenovo's North Carolina base camp, I can tell you there's no quit in the company's design teams, from material, engineering, and software development. They work around the clock to create unique and innovative laptops.
If we look at the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i, with its two gorgeous displays, super functional design, and MacBook's challenging battery life, as a precursor of what's to come, the future looks bright. The only thing that hampers the 9i is the solid but not stellar Intel Iris Xe GPU. That is my one issue with it. Besides that, the 9i is one of the best productivity laptops available today.
Lenovo's current lineup of laptops is fantastic; rumors have it they will be taking things up several notches as we could see battery life within its productivity laptops stretch even further. Lenovo seems to have a knack for getting the most performance from every piece of hardware, and I think that will continue. We should see more productivity laptops with touch displays, longer battery life, and maybe, just maybe, a power-sipping GPU slipped in.
Lenovo is a business brand; from workstations to on-the-go productivity laptops, they will continue to be industry leaders, and we will probably see some exciting developments in this area specifically. As the crystal ball tells me, "You ain't seen nothing yet," I say I want more battery life. I expect we will also see that in connection with some mini-LED displays.
As far as gaming laptops go, Lenovo's Legion penchant for understated styling, combined with potent specs, is unquestioned, and I look forward to seeing what they come up with as we get closer to the new year.
Dell
Dell is attractive because I feel like they've been almost too quiet. This may mean they've hunkered down to work on new technologies that will enhance their laptops' overall experience.
Not that Dell has to change much; their laptop lineups from top to bottom constantly steadily improve as hardware improves. However, I have heard that we will see new design touches and maybe even some revamp within the company's most popular laptop brands. I'm excited about the following Dell 2 in 1 laptop lineup.
The one thing we have seen recently from Dell is some very innovative technology that we hope becomes readily available. The tech would make moving around the workplace smoother as one transition from their desk to the conference room.
Also, Dell workstations are some of the best, and I am guessing we will see a new edition to its lineup before the year is out. Whatever Dell is working on, it's sure to be excellent.
Asus, Acer, and MSI
All three brands have been doing a good job across the board. I see MSI really ramping up the production of its business laptop division. All three seem to be making undeniable strides in affordability and quality. These three brands will be pushing further into the 14 and 16-inch business space with winning designs that could put a scare into longstanding guardians like HP and Lenovo.
Acer could also be launching a late-year laptop or two that won't be game-changing but could be more for the business side. I am finding that WInodws laptops, especially in the productivity space, are approaching MacBook-like performance, but battery life remains inconsistent, and brands like Asus, Acer, and MSI could shock us by developing ways to exceed expectations, as all three are dedicated to getting the most not only out of hardware but out of Windows itself.
I think we will see plenty of mini LED systems, more touch screens, and almost see the elimination of the 8GB of RAM standard for lower-end machines. It seems that today's machines require more, and 16GB of RAM will become the new standard starting this fall. Unless you're a MacBook Air, 8GB of RAM will still be an option for the aging design of the MacBooks.
Since this past January, Asus has brought 3D displays to market that are just stunning and awe-inspiring, and we could possibly see the launch of one in the fall or late in the year.
