Touch displays first became commonplace on mobile devices (namely tablets and smartphones), but in recent years they’ve become increasingly found on laptops as well. If you’ve been thinking about trying out a touchscreen laptop but the cost and complexity of 2-in-1s convertibles doesn’t appeal to you, you’ve got plenty of other options to choose from — so many, in fact, that it can quickly cause choice paralysis when you’re shopping around. We’ve spared you the headache and aim to save you some cash while we’re at it, because we’ve already rounded up the best touchscreen laptop deals available this month from all the best brands and retailers across the web.
Today’s best touchscreen laptop deals
- Core Innovations 11.6 2-in-1 Laptop — $149, was $250
- Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14 2-in-1 — $279, was $540
- Microsoft Surface Laptop Go — $550, was $700
- Acer Spin 5 13 2-in-1 — $669, was $999
- Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 2-in-1— $735 with code THINKOUT, was $2,219
Core Innovations 11.6 2-in-1 — $149, was $250
When it comes to cheap laptops, it doesn’t get much cheaper than this Core Innovations 11-inch notebook — but this little Windows-powered machine is also a 2-in-1, making it one of the best touchscreen laptop deals on tap right now. Along with its convenient go-anywhere size and fold-flat 11.6-inch touch display, this notebook sports an Intel Celeron mobile CPU, 4GB of DDR4 RAM, and 64GB of storage. Those are basic specs, but perfectly suitable for tasks like web browsing, document writing, and online studies. At this price, this touchscreen laptop deal is too good to pass up if you want a basic 2-in-1 for less than two Benjamins.
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14 2-in-1 — $279, was $540
If you like the versatility of touchscreen laptops but prefer something more standard-sized, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i is one of the better touchscreen laptop deals out there at the moment. Its 11th-gen Intel Core i3 processor and 4GB of memory are good enough for everyday use, but you get a 128GB SSD (a bit more than the 32GB to 64GB of flash storage that you often get with cheap laptops and Chromebooks) for storing all your important apps and files. On top of that, this no-nonsense 2-in-1 workstation comes loaded with a nice 14-inch fold-flat 1080p touch display as a nice bonus.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go — $550, was $700
Microsoft has been cranking out some fantastic laptops lately, and the Surface Laptop Go is one of our newfound favorite value picks. It’s compact, with a 12.4-inch touch display, but don’t be fooled by its small footprint: That PixelSense touchscreen features a 3:2 aspect ratio, which is a definite improvement over standard 16:9 screens (and we expect this to become much more common on laptops in the coming years). Under the hood, this Surface Laptop Go packs an Intel Core i5 CPU, 8GB RAM, and a 128GB SSD, which are perfect specs for work and a nice step up if you find the mobile hardware on cheaper laptops insufficient for your needs. Best Buy’s Microsoft Surface Laptop deals let you grab this capable, compact PC for a great price.
Acer Spin 5 13 2-in-1 — $669, was $999
The market for high-value touchscreen laptops is getting more crowded and competitive with each passing year, but in this field, one name still stands taller than many others: Acer. The Acer Spin line has long ranked among the best 2-in-1 Windows laptops for the money, and some of them sport some very impressive specs and features. This one pairs a Core i7 processor with 16GB DDR4 RAM to blaze through work tasks, while 512GB of solid-state storage gives you sufficient space for all your productivity software and project files. Best of all? This laptop boasts a lovely 13.5-inch 1080p touch display and even comes with a stowaway stylus pen. With this discount, this is a great deal on a touchscreen laptop that can handle it all.
Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 2-in-1 — $735 with code THINKOUT, was $2,219
A touchscreen? On my ThinkPad? This new ThinkPad X12 Detachable 2-in-1 from Lenovo has all the no-nonsense functionality the ThinkPad name is known for along with a sleek modern 2-in-1 design, a removable keyboard, and great hardware, offering an excellent all-around user experience thanks to its nice 12-inch 1080p touchscreen, snappy performance, and great build quality. This one also features an 11th-gen Core i5 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of solid-state storage. At 12 inches, it’s the perfect size for taking on the go without being too small for longer work sessions. Ongoing touchscreen laptop deals let you score this 2-in-1 PC for one of the lowest prices we’ve seen it go for since its release.
How to choose a touchscreen laptop
Touch displays are hardly bleeding-edge technology in 2021, and both laptops and some all-in-one desktops are increasingly sporting these panels. There are even a few gaming laptops with touch displays (although they’re still pretty rare); the only place you won’t find touchscreens is on MacBooks. For whatever reason, Apple — usually no stranger to innovation — has declined to add touch displays to its iconic laptops. That, unfortunately, means that MacOS fans are out of luck in terms of touchscreen laptop deals, but if you’re happy with Windows or Chrome OS, you’ve got plenty to choose from.
Before you dive into any of these touchscreen laptop sales in search of a new machine, however, you should do some pre-shopping research and planning. First, set a budget. There are plenty of good touchscreen laptops out there today, so don’t assume you have to spend a huge premium to get this feature. There are even some very affordable 2-in-1 touchscreen laptop deals if you want a convertible. The cheapest, and some of the best 2-in-1 laptops, are still Chromebooks, but you can find some budget-friendly Windows models, too.
Your budget will be the obvious limiting factor for what features and specs you get, but before you worry about bells and whistles like fold-flat displays or higher screen resolutions, remember that the hardware under the hood is what counts the most. The CPU and RAM, in particular, are the components that actually perform the computing tasks you need a PC to do. In general, we recommend the latest 11th- and 12th-gen Intel Core processors, as well as AMD Ryzen CPUs, along with at least 8GB of RAM. Those are solid specs for basic work tasks and general everyday use.
If you’re on a really tight budget or really only need a laptop, then Chromebook deals are probably a better bet than Windows machines. Chrome OS software is largely cloud-based and less of a resource hog than other operating systems. Mobile CPUs (such as Celeron, Pentium, AMD A-series, and MediaTek) along with 4GB and pared-down flash storage are common on Chromebooks and are OK so long as you understand that these computers aren’t made for anything other than basic use. If that’s all you need, though, then there will be plenty of touchscreen laptop deals in this bracket.
If you can stretch your budget, then stronger hardware is always going to translate to better performance as well as additional future-proofing. Intel Core i5, i7, and even i9 processors, as well as AMD Ryzen 5, 7, and 9 CPUs, are what we recommend, and 16GB RAM is arguably the sweet spot when it comes to memory. You’ll also find larger 512GB to 1TB solid-state drives once you move past the $600 to $700 price range for touchscreen laptop deals, entering the upper echelon of the best touchscreen laptops.
Moving past the $1,000 mark gets you into the high-end touchscreen laptop sales, where you’ll find some of our own favorite models like the Dell XPS, HP Spectre, and Lenovo ThinkPad X series of ultrabooks and 2-in-1s. These typically boast better displays and improved build quality over their competitors, and you will pay a premium for that. Some, like the Dell XPS 15, may even sport discrete Nvidia GeForce GPUs, making them suitable for gaming and for graphically demanding jobs like video rendering. Core i7, Core i9, Ryzen 7, and Ryzen 9 CPUs paired with 16GB to 32GB of RAM are what you should look for at these prices.
If the sky’s the limit and you want one of the best laptops on the shelves, then it’s time to start looking for value-added features beyond simple hardware upgrades (as important as they are). Consider upgrading to a QHD or 4K touch display, for example, and you’ll see at least a few of those when shopping through touchscreen laptop sales from top brands like Dell and HP. The aforementioned Dell XPS and HP Spectre lines often feature these Ultra HD panels, to name just two. Some other extras to look for are included stylus pens or even completely detachable keyboards, as in the case of certain Microsoft Surface models.
Finally, a note on size: Touchscreen laptop deals range in size from 11-inch Chromebooks to beefy 17-inch desktop replacements, so pay attention to weight and dimensions when shopping. Chances are good that you already have a laptop size you feel comfortable with, but if you find standard 15.6-inch screens too bulky, now might be a fine time to move down to 14 or even 13 inches. Some makers like Microsoft and Acer have also been introducing smaller laptops with 3:2 screens (instead of the standard 16:9 aspect ratio), giving you more vertical screen real estate that is great for productivity.
Editors’ Recommendations
