If you live in the present day, chances are, most of your work is on the computer. Most probably it is in the form of a laptop. I personally bring my laptop almost everywhere I go. From the office to coffee shops.
If you spend as much time on the laptop as I do and you love good design, you might as well get a beautiful minimalist laptop. With a growing number of computer manufacturers moving towards more minimalist-design-centric products, we now have a good amount of gorgeously designed minimalist laptops which are also high performing and well built.
With that said, I have done some research, and came up with what I think are the 5 best minimalist laptops you should get, based on their design and performance.
Best Minimalist Laptops to Buy in 2021
1. Dell XPS 13 9310 (Best Overall)
Buy or Check The Price Here (Amazon)
The Dell XPS laptop series is known for its beautiful minimalist design and high performing features. The very thin bezels which Dell calls “Infinity Edge” around the screen is just stunning to look at. The clean back finish and minimal logo adds to the overall minimalist aesthetic.
This new XPS 9310, features a new 13.4 inch screen with aspect ratio of 16:10, which makes it great for productivity as you get more vertical space on the screen compared to previous models. It features the new Intel Iris Xe Graphics which is one the best graphic chips ever made by Intel for laptops. This helps make graphic-intensive applications a lot faster than previous 13-inch XPS models.
The thin bezels around the screen are only 5.2 mm thin. Also, the laptop has a nice overall slim design. Only weighing about 2.8 pounds, this latest XPS laptop is also very light and easy to carry around.
In terms of build quality, the XPS 13 is cut with precision from a single aluminum block which makes the chassis extremely sturdy and durable. Furthermore, the glass is made of the latest high-quality Corning Gorilla Glass 6.
Interestingly, the palm rest is made of carbon fiber material which is sturdy and thin like aluminum but is lighter and keeps it cool for touch. Also, the material is UV-resistant and has a stain resistant coating.
The Infinity Edge display is a touch display which is great for creatives like illustrators and graphic designers. The display is also HDR 400 certified which allows over 16 million colors. In terms of resolution, configurations goes up to 4K (3840 x 2400) display which is great for professional work as well as content consumption.
However, if your work requires very accurate colors, through my own experience of using XPS laptops, you need to have a color calibrator such as the SpyderX Pro. I found that XPS laptops doesn’t display the right colors coming out of the box (at least through my personal experience).
Features :
- Configurations up to Intel Core 11th Gen i7 Processor
- Up to 32GB memory
- Up to 13.4” 4K UHD+ (3840 x 2400) screen resolution
- Up to 1TB Solid State Drive
- Windows 10
- 2 x Thunderbolt 4 Ports, 1 MicroSD card slot, 1 headset (headphone and microphone combo) port
2. Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 (Best Design)
Buy or Check The Price Here (Amazon)
Microsoft has been making many stunningly minimalist designed computers and accessories over the years and the latest Surface Laptop 4 is no exception. The beautiful slim design comes in 5 color options, Platinum Alcantara, Platinum Metal, Matte Black, Sandstone and Ice Blue. I personally love the Platinum Alcantara color because it looks really clean and sleek.
This laptop comes in 2 sizes, the 13.5 inch & 15 inch. The Surface 4 laptops are also really lightweight which starts at about 1,265 grams or about 2.8 lbs. This is great if your work requires you to move around a lot like mine. Also, the slim design makes it easy to fit in your travel or work bag. This makes it perfect for digital nomads.
This laptop also has a touchscreen and pen input, which makes it great for note-taking and even drawing.
Regarding build quality, the casing is made of durable aluminium material, while the keyboard and palm rest is covered with Microsoft’s Signature Alcantara material which is really smooth and gives you a lot of comfort for long use.
The 13.5″ and 15″ models come with different resolution displays. However both screens have 201 PPI pixel density, which makes them really excellent to look at. The battery life is also impressive. According to Microsoft, it can last up to 19 hours of use which is just phenomenal, and also more than enough for a typical work day.
Another great thing about the latest Surface Laptop is the ability to remove and replace the SSD storage which gives you the flexibility to upgrade later down the road, or switch to a higher performing SSD.
I also suggest that you buy the gorgeously designed Surface Arc Mouse which is not included with this laptop.
Features :
- Up to Intel Core i7 1185G7
- Up to AMD Ryzen 7 4980U
- Intel Iris Xe Graphics/AMD Radeon
- Up to 32 GB RAM
- 13.5” or 15” PixelSense Display
- Touch-sensitive display
- Removable solid-state drive (SSD): Up to 1TB
- Windows 10 Home/Pro
- Battery life: up to 19 hours (according to Microsoft)
- 1 x headphone jack, 1 x USB-C port
3. Microsoft Surface Pro X
Buy or Check The Price Here (Amazon)
Although technically not a laptop, with the keyboard attached, this tablet have the functionality of doing most tasks that a laptop does, especially for regular office work. Another great tablet which can behave as a laptop with an attached keyboard is the latest iPad Pro.
The gorgeously slim bezels create such a pleasing look. In terms of design, it does not get any more minimalist than this. The sleek signature anodized aluminum with carbon composite casing, finished in matte black gives off an elegant vibe and allure.
Sporting an ARM-based processor, the Surface Pro X has a very long battery life up to 13 hours of regular use. Furthermore, the fanless design keeps the tablet quiet and calm, while not getting hot when in use.
Another great advantage to this device compared to other laptops is the ability to place a nano SIM. This means you can easily connect to a mobile network anywhere you are, which adds to the portability aspect to this device.
If portability, lightweight, battery life and just gorgeous minimalist aesthetic is what you’re looking for, then this is a great option. If you’re aiming for heavy and intensive work however, this may not be the right device for you, as ARM-based processors currently have a few limitations.
Features :
- Microsoft® SQ1™ processor
- 8GB or 16GB LPDDR4x RAM
- 13” PixelSense™ Display with 2880 x 1920 (267 PPI) resolution
- 10 point multi-touch display
- Removable solid-state drive (SSD) up to 512GB
- Windows 10 Home
- Battery life: up to 13 hours of use
- 2 x USB-C, 1 x Surface Connect port, Surface Keyboard connector port, 1 x nano SIM
4. Apple MacBook Pro with M1 13-inch
Buy or Check The Price Here (Amazon)
Apple is one of the most notable pioneers of modern minimalist computer designs. Their minimalist approach to physical design and software, naturally put them as one of the top leaders in the computing space. You can see their sophisticated design approach through all of their hardware, operating systems, as well as their physical stores and offices.
Their latest Macbook Pro with the new revolutionary M1 chip has an overall beautiful minimalist design which Apple continues to perfect. They just look great in any office space or home. They come in their signature Space Grey or Silver color.
It comes with Touch ID which makes it easy to log in as well as protect your privacy. Furthermore, it also has a Touch Bar which is unique to a Macbook Pro. This helps add the capability to have more control in many supported apps or software.
The Retina display is well known to be one of the best displays on the market, and the Mac operating system on the M1 Chip is super reliable and insanely smooth to operate.
If you’re looking for a more affordable MacBook with almost the same performance, I would suggest the new Macbook Air 13″ with the M1 chip.
Features :
- 8‑core M1 Chip
- Configurable up to 16GB Unified Memory
- 13″ IPS Retina Display – 2560×1600 native resolution at 227 PPI
- Up to 2TB SSD Storage
- macOS
- Battery life: 17 hours of wireless web browsing, and up to 20 hours of video playback
- Two Thunderbolt & USB 4 ports
5. Razer Blade 15 (Best Minimalist Gaming Laptop)
Buy or Check The Price Here (Amazon)
Gaming laptops are not well known for having minimalist design. However, the gaming laptop Razer Blade 15, has an elegant and beautiful minimalist design.
The minimal keyboard with the RGB lighting gives that signature sense of a gaming computer while still looking clean and sleek. Razer calls this the World’s Smallest “15.6-inch Gaming Laptop”. While it is small in form, it is really powerful.
The screen is another great thing about this laptop. The thin bezels make the laptop looks really alluring and elegant. Razer calls this, the edge-to-edge display which is only 4.9mm thin.
In terms of construction quality, the Razer Blade 15 is made of strong and sturdy CNC aluminum unibody material in a thin and compact form.
Features :
- Up to 11th Gen Intel Core H Series
- Up to 32GB RAM
- 15.6” Full HD, Quad HD, or 4K OLED
- Refresh rate up to 360Hz
- Up to 1TB SSD with extra M.2 slot
- Windows 10 Home
- Battery life: up to 6-8 hours
- Ethernet port, 3 x USB Type-A, 2 x USB Type-C, headphone jack, HDMI port
Wrapping Things Up
I believe that having a beautifully designed minimalist laptop can enhance your overall work experience. An interesting and pleasing minimalist design can lift your mood and excitement for work. Switching from a badly designed laptop to a new minimalist design laptop can even ignite a new perspective on your work. Hopefully with this list, it has helped you find a laptop that can do all that for you.
