Top 10 laptops for 2016: Dell XPS 13, Asus ZenBook Pro, Microsoft Surface Book
The best notebooks, ultrabooks and convertibles you can buy this year
We've put together a list of the 10 most exciting laptops and convertibles you can buy in 2016.
Our all-encompassing list includes devices that run the gamut when it comes to operating systems - with Windows, OS X, and Linux all getting a look in.
We'll be updating it with notable new releases as the year goes on, so be sure to check back.
This isn't a countdown as such, so don't read too much into our numbering system.
10.Dell Latitude 13 7370
Dell has taken design elements from the popular, if consumer-focused, XPS 13 and applied them to its business laptop range.
If products like the Latitude 13 7370 are indicative of the whole series, that tactic seems to be working out just fine. It has all the Dell-branded management and security software you'd expect to see on Dell's enterprise machines but is crafted into a tasteful, durable and light form factor.
The XPS 13's distinctive carbon fibre finds its way onto the lid, and the nearly bezel-free InfinityEdge display is replicated to brilliant effect. Overall, it measures 305x211x14.3mm and weighs as little as 1.1kg - music to the ears of any commuter.
Prices start at £1,029 for a base i5-6300U configuration with 14in 1,366x768 display, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD.
Top 10 laptops for 2016: Dell XPS 13, Asus ZenBook Pro, Microsoft Surface Book
The best notebooks, ultrabooks and convertibles you can buy this year
9. Asus ZenBook Pro UX501VW
The new ZenBook Pro's sleek, brushed aluminium chassis borrows heavily from last year's UX501J.
Grunt is provided by the formidable Intel Core i7 6700HQ Skylake processor, and configurations are available up to 3.2GHz with 16GB RAM. During our hands-on time with the Asus we noticed that it greatly benefited from Hyper-Threading, improving multi-core results across the board.
The 15.6in touchscreen offers a 3,840x2,160 resolution and, at 282ppi, it's as pin sharp as you'd like.
With prices maxing out at £1,427 the ZenBook Pro doesn't come cheap, but its blistering performance and 4K visuals make it worthy of your consideration.
Top 10 laptops for 2016: Dell XPS 13, Asus ZenBook Pro, Microsoft Surface Book
The best notebooks, ultrabooks and convertibles you can buy this year
8. HP Spectre x360
The HP Spectre x360 is the new, larger variant of 2015's rotating convertible, and it's still all about the screen. At the top spec, this 15.6in device can run at UHD resolution and be equipped with OLED imaging tech.
This will actually be one of the first OLED laptops to hit the market. There are plenty of televisions and monitors that can benefit from the vibrant colours and deep, inky blacks the technology affords, but few have attempted to stick an OLED screen on a clamshell.
Also inside the 16mm chassis is an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, up to 16GB of RAM, up to 512GB of SSD storage, a 64.5Whr battery and quadruple front-facing speakers.
The 13in model is available now for £899.00 from HP directly, but you'll pay much more for that 15in UHD OLED display.
Top 10 laptops for 2016: Dell XPS 13, Asus ZenBook Pro, Microsoft Surface Book
The best notebooks, ultrabooks and convertibles you can buy this year
7. Microsoft Surface Book
The Surface Book represents Microsoft's first foray into the laptop world proper.
Specs rise to an Intel Skylake Core i7-6600U processor, 16GB of RAM and a discrete 1GB Nvidia GPU that's hidden in the keyboard. As a result you'd expect performance to be top-notch, and we're happy to report the Surface Book is blazingly fast.
The Surface Pro 4's outstanding screen was one of its biggest assets, and the same is true of the Surface Book. In fact, the 13.5in, 3000x2000 panel is even higher-res than that of the Surface Pro 4. It's bright, too, which helps cut through the reflectivity of the glossy finish.
The 'dynamic fulcrum' hinge is a nice touch, folding outwards in segments rather than rotating on a pivot.
Bonus BitLocker encryption makes Windows 10 Pro more secure than the basic edition, and if the screen is removed to be used as a tablet the Continuum interface can automatically adapt the UI into a more touch-optimised layout.
The new 1TB Surface Book costs an eye-watering £2,649.
Top 10 laptops for 2016: Dell XPS 13, Asus ZenBook Pro, Microsoft Surface Book
The best notebooks, ultrabooks and convertibles you can buy this year
6. Acer TravelMate P648
Despite its unspectacular 212mm thickness and 1.7kg weight, the TravelMate P648 can still be looked upon as a formidable mobile productivity aid.
A look at its specs shows why: Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 vPro processors, Nvidia GeForce 940M graphics with 2GB of VRAM, a 512GB SSD or 1TB HDD, a 14in IPS display in FHD or UHD resolution, a USB-C port with Thunderbolt 3, three additional USB 3.0 ports, up to 20GB of RAM and even support for the 802.11ad WiGig standard operating over the new 60Hz band.
Throw in carbon fibre bodywork and Windows 10 Pro, and it's clear that the TravelMate P648 is Acer's latest attempt to expand out of mid-range and entry-level consumer products and into the high-end business device market. Whether or not it succeeds, the laptop itself is mighty promising.
Top 10 laptops for 2016: Dell XPS 13, Asus ZenBook Pro, Microsoft Surface Book
The best notebooks, ultrabooks and convertibles you can buy this year
5. New MacBook Pro
A 2016 version of the MacBook Pro hasn't been formally announced, but knowing Apple's fondness for annual product cycles it's a safe bet that we'll see one or two new models in the coming months.
What, then, can we expect to see? Intel Skylake processors are an obvious upgrade, providing small speed boosts over the current MacBook Pro family's Broadwell chips, as well as support for DDR4 memory and Thunderbolt 3. Speaking of the latter, it would be pretty silly of Apple to stick with the standalone Thunderbolt port of previous MacBooks now that it could include a Thunderbolt 3-equipped USB-C connector.
The Force Touch trackpad is also likely to return. It isn't strictly necessary to increase the current resolutions of 2560x1600 for the 13.3in model and 2880x1800 for the 15.6in model, but it wouldn't surprise us if Apple decided to engage in some one-upmanship against the 3000x2000 Surface Book.
That said, it would be ideal if discrete GPUs were made more widely available across the range; if you want dedicated graphics with the current generation you'll need to shell out £1,999 for the top-spec 15.6in model.
Top 10 laptops for 2016: Dell XPS 13, Asus ZenBook Pro, Microsoft Surface Book
The best notebooks, ultrabooks and convertibles you can buy this year
4. Lenovo Yoga 900S
The 13.3in Yoga 900 was our favourite rotating laptop of 2015, combining high performance and a gorgeous display with a highly mobile form factor.
The Yoga 900S is even smaller, and not just because of the 12.5in screen. It's a mere 12.8mm thick, three millimetres less than the already-sleek Yoga 900, and weighs 998g. That takes it tantalisingly close to tablet territory which, considering that the Yoga 900S' screen can be flipped backwards into a flat touchscreen configuration, sounds like a perfectly suitable case of bulk-shedding.
Instead of Intel's Core i5 and i7 chips, Lenovo has opted for Core M processors, which save space by not needing a fan. These still offer good performance, especially the Core M5 and Core M7 variants, but the Yoga 900S is not the powerhouse that the Yoga 900 was.
There is however a silver lining. The new machine will last for up to 10.5 hours on battery power, whereas it predicted nine hours for the Yoga 900.
Top 10 laptops for 2016: Dell XPS 13, Asus ZenBook Pro, Microsoft Surface Book
The best notebooks, ultrabooks and convertibles you can buy this year
3. HP EliteBook 1040 G3
The EliteBook 1040 G3 is a business-ready ultrabook with a particular emphasis on security.
In addition to HP Client Security software, a mix of encryption, anti-malware and file-cleaning tools, this new addition to the EliteBook range can be fitted with a fingerprint scanner, a smart card reader and a Trusted Platform Module microprocessor to thwart tampering. Not bad for something that looks like a slick consumer device.
It's built for performance, too, sporting 6th-generation Intel Core i5 and i7 vPro chips and up to 16GB of RAM, plus two USB 3.0 ports, one USB-C port, an HDMI connector and a SIM card slot.
This wealth of connectivity options in particular makes the HP EliteBook 1040 G3 seem like a bigger but better-rounded alternative to the EliteBook Folio, a super-slim but port-deprived 12.5in laptop announced at the same time.
Top 10 laptops for 2016: Dell XPS 13, Asus ZenBook Pro, Microsoft Surface Book
The best notebooks, ultrabooks and convertibles you can buy this year
2. Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition
Those wanting to dip their toes into unfamiliar Linux waters could do worse than the XPS 13 Developer Edition.
The engine room is fitted out with either Intel Core i7-6560U (running at 3.2GHz) or an i5 processor (2.8GHz). RAM comes in 8GB or 16GB flavours.
There's also a choice of two displays, both 13.3in in size but packed into an 11in frame under Dell's InfinityEdge moniker. The first, a QHD+ (3,200x1,800) touch display boasts a glossy finish and manages 276ppi. The 400 nit brightness offers vivid colours, sharp edges and looks stunning to boot.
A lesser, but still impressive, 13.3in Full HD (1,920x1,080) non-touch option is also available.
A four-cell, 56wHR battery provides around 10 hours.
Prices begin at £858.
Top 10 laptops for 2016: Dell XPS 13, Asus ZenBook Pro, Microsoft Surface Book
The best notebooks, ultrabooks and convertibles you can buy this year
1. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
This 4th-generation version of Lenovo's premium business ultrabook brings a host of upgrades. The 3rd-generation Intel Broadwell chips have been replaced with faster Skylake Core i5 and Core i7 processors, a 16GB RAM option is now available, and the maximum SSD size has been upped to a titanic 1TB. There's also support for an optional WiGig add-on, allowing it to take advantage of the 802.11ad WiFi standard.
In keeping with market trends, this is also the thinnest and lightest ThinkPad X1 Carbon to date, measuring 33x23x1.7cm and weighing 1.2kg. That's the kind of weight we'd expect from 12.5in and 13.3in devices, not a 14in productivity machine like this. And while we're on the subject of the screen, it comes in FHD and WQHD variants, the latter producing a crisp 210ppi.
Prices start at around the £830 mark depending on configuration.