2 in 1 Laptops

Best 15 Inch 2 in 1 Laptop 2023 Reviews, Buying Guide

lightest 15 inch 2 in 1 laptop
Written by Ehsan Batt

Confused about whether to buy a tablet or a PC? Well, you don’t have to ditch one for the sake of the other.

2-in-1 laptops sound like the next cool thing and you want to get your hands on it. If that is the only reason you are buying it, please don’t. First, it costs tons of money; second, its performance level can never be a match for a regular laptop.

Fact 1: You will have to spend more money on a hybrid laptop to get the same features as that a stand-alone tablet or a laptop.

Still, refusing to budge?  Well, then surely, the budget is not a big deal to you. Let me give it another try. Why would you buy a 15-inch laptop at an exorbitant price?

Think hard, and try to come up with a compelling reason.

One good answer is: you travel a lot and hate having to carry both your laptop and tablet with you. Better still, your profession involves extensive use of design applications, and especially stylus or a pen.

Fact 2:  A large screen, 2-in-1 laptop adds enormous value to the life of designing professionals—be it graphics, architecture, or a simulation.

***Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from Qualifying Purchases, at no additional cost.

Budget, Affordable, Elite Hybrid 15 Inches 2 in 1 Laptops

3 Top 15 Inch Laptops
Last updated on March 4, 2024 3:10 pm

 

Best 15 Inches 2 in 1 Laptop Reviews

#1.

Dell XPS - Best 15 Inch 2 in 1 Laptop For Gaming

$999.00  out of stock
3 used from $999.00
Amazon.com
as of March 4, 2024 3:10 pm

Graphics: RX Vega M GL graphics + Intel HD Graphics 630| CPU: 3.1GHz Intel Core i7-8705G Processor | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch, Full HD | Storage: 512GB SSD | Weight: 4.36 pounds | Refresh Rate: 60 Hz | Expected Battery Life: 15 hours, 53 minutes of battery life with FHD | Ports: 2 x Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C), 2 x USB-C 3.1, microSD card reader, headset jack | Stylus: Included

Who will get the most out of this 2-in-1 laptop?

With Dell XPS 15, the company has tried to pack the sheer power of a heavy-duty laptop and the convenient usability of a tablet into a sleek machine. The experiment has largely been successful as this convertible laptop has received worldwide acclaim. And guess what? A great majority of them are gamers.

Powerful Graphics, checked; ultra-fast CPU, checked; complementary Storage and RAM, checked and checked, you have everything in it to get the best gaming experience.

Features that make it the best 2-in-1 laptop for gaming (15-inch):

Powerful Graphics and Processing Unit:

It features an 8th-generation Intel Core processor with AMD Vega graphics to deliver seamless gaming experience. However, you can’t compare its performance with a regular gaming laptop at the same price as it is more of a hybrid laptop than a gaming beast.

To sum it up, it is one of the most compact and versatile gaming laptops available in the market.

Impressive Screen Resolution:

Though you get Full HD display in this model, you can also switch to 4K or UHD resolution by paying a hefty price. The screen is responsive with a frame per second count of 185 so you can enjoy competitive games without perceivable lag or ghosting. All in all, it’s bright, colorful and extremely sharp.

Weight and battery life:

It weighs 4.6 lbs. and is highly compact. Didn’t make an impression? Well, it should have. It has about 0.5 kg less weight than a regular gaming laptop and .1 inch less thickness.

Despite the company touting that it has 15 hours battery life, in reality, it gives nearly half of it. 6-7 hours is remarkable battery life for an ultra-thin gaming laptop.

Is it suitable for any other purpose apart from gaming?

Yes, it is. Artists and Engineers can also add huge value in their life by investing in this laptop. It comes with a stylus and has all the right components in place to run high-octane applications. You can use it for Architecture design, 3D modeling, and video editing.

[i2pc pros_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-up” cons_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-down” show_title=”false” title=”Pros & Cons” show_button=”false” pros_title=”Pros” cons_title=”Cons” heading_pros_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-o-up” heading_cons_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-o-down” ][i2pros]

Intel-AMD innovative processor unit to deliver the best performance.

Gorgeous thin-bezel display with FHD resolution

Ultra-thin for a gaming laptop

[/i2pros][i2cons]

Make noise when running on high power.

The battery doesn’t live up to expectations.

The keyboard is a bit of messy

[/i2cons][/i2pc]
$999.00
out of stock
3 used from $999.00
as of March 4, 2024 3:10 pm
Amazon.com
Last updated on March 4, 2024 3:10 pm

 

Recommended For You: Best Gaming Laptops Under 1500

 

#2. Best 15 inch 2 in 1 Touch Screen Laptop

Surface Book 2 - Best 15 Inch 2 in 1 Laptop For Artists

$1,970.98  in stock
3 new from $1,970.98
7 used from $720.00
Amazon.com
as of March 4, 2024 3:10 pm

Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB of VRAM | CPU: 2.2GHz Intel Core i7-8750H (hexacore) | RAM: 16GB DDR4 SDRAM | Screen: 15.6-inch, 4K IPS | Storage: 512 GB SSD | Weight: 4.81 pounds | Refresh Rate: 60 HZ | Expected Battery Life: 22 hrs 30 min| Ports: 2 x USB-C, USB 3.1, HDMI, 3.5mm audio jack, MicroSD Reader | Stylus: Included

Who will get the most out of this 2-in-1 laptop and why?

You might have guessed it by now. Engineers or anybody who wants a perfect replacement for their powerful desktop. If you find yourself in a similar profession, halleluiah. Look no further, this laptop has everything to satisfy your quest.

Fully equipped for the demands of challenging professions like engineering, it is highly capable to run demanding applications; can fold and stand for occasional presentations, and has sturdy construction to withstand the wear and tear of time.

Features that make it the best 2-in-1 laptop for Engineers (15-inch)

Powerful Graphics and Processing Units:

As a rule of thumb, engineers should always go for the Intel or AMD as a central processing unit and NVIDIA or AMD as a graphic processing unit in any computation machine. They produce reliable and efficient components, and currently the elite brands in the market.

With Specter x360, HP has maintained the tradition to bring state-of-the-art technology to its users. This tablet-cum-laptop features the 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor which, in turn, has 6 cores to seamlessly run high-octane applications: MATLAB, Android studio, and Unity 3D.

Simulation software by Autodesk and AnSys, extensively used by engineers, exact a heavy toll on the GPU of computers. Specter x360 is featuring Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q GPU with 4GB of VRAM to handle them in a way that they, the apps, have virtually no effect on the parallel processes running on the machine.

Impressive Screen Resolution and HP Pen:

The 4k resolution you will get in this laptop is the gold standard for screen resolution. You will get even the tiniest of details and a ridiculously sharp display on this laptop. For most engineers, nothing is more satisfying than to have more pixels to cover all details of their simulation models.

The only major disappointment is the low brightness level of the screen, which, unfortunately, can’t efficiently handle glare.

The HP pen is poised to add maximum value to the life of professionals. Though more popular among creative professionals, it can certainly reap benefits for engineers: they can use this programmable stylus for designing and evaluating complex models on tablet mode.

Battery life and construction:

Second only to gamers, the engineers are notorious for abusing their laptops to a fairly high degree. A fragile, delicate construction might able to capture one’s imagination, but that would certainly not hold up to the extreme usage. A sturdy built-up is what suits most an engineer.

This laptop has both the elegant design and solid construction to make it attractive enough to captivate users and, at the same time, robust enough to last the most extreme abuse by users.

Also, a few laptops can match the battery life of this laptop which comes as a trade-off with the weight. This 2 in 1 laptop with the best battery life is the only hybrid laptop that can last more than 15 hours with non-stop usage.

Is it suitable for any other purpose?

It can be easily qualified as a gaming laptop for it has a high-end processor and GPU unit. Also, you can take it as an average 2-in-1 laptop for business professionals, but not the best one. Why? First and foremost, it is heavy and therefore a real pain in the neck to carry around; secondly, its specification is a bit overkill for what we need in a decent business laptop

[i2pc pros_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-up” cons_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-down” show_title=”false” title=”Pros & Cons” show_button=”false” pros_title=”Pros” cons_title=”Cons” heading_pros_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-o-up” heading_cons_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-o-down” ][i2pros]

Top-notch Performance

Elegant Design

Enormous Battery life

Premium screen resolution

Sturdy Construction

[/i2pros][i2cons]

Low-standard Screen brightness

Muddy speakers[/i2cons][/i2pc]

$1,970.98
in stock
3 new from $1,970.98
7 used from $720.00
as of March 4, 2024 3:10 pm
Amazon.com
Last updated on March 4, 2024 3:10 pm

 

Recommended For You: Best Laptops For Electrical Engineers

 

#3. Lightest 15 Inch 2 in 1 Laptop

HP Spectre X360 2-in-1 Touchscreen Laptop, 16" 3K+ Touchscreen, Intel Core i7-12700H Evo, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Webcam, Wi-Fi 6, Backlit KB, FP Reader, MPP2.0 Tilt Pen Included, Win11 Home

$1,242.00  in stock
6 new from $1,242.00
2 used from $989.00
Amazon.com
as of March 4, 2024 3:10 pm

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Dedicated) | CPU: 1.9 GHz Intel Core i7-8650U (quad-core) | RAM: 16GB LPDDR3| Screen: 15 inch, 4K IPS | Storage: 512 GB SSD | Weight: 4.2 pounds | Expected Battery Life: 17 hrs | Ports: 2 x USB 3.1, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C, 2 x Surface Connect, SD card reader, 3.5mm audio jack Connectivity: 802.11ac 2 x 2 MIMO Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, Xbox Wireless | Stylus: No

Who will get the most out of this 2-in-1 laptop and why?

In my humble opinion, artists and, especially graphic designers, have the utmost need for a laptop like this.  But why buy a stupendously expensive machine to draw cartoon characters?

To begin with, I would debunk the myths surrounding graphic design. Opposed to what many of us believe, the software involved in graphic designing can be hardly considered as low demanding. And when we shift from 2D to 3D design, the laptop needs equally powerful features, and sometimes more, as that of a gaming laptop.

But the high-end specifications are not enough, the laptop concurrently has to be sleek, lightweight, and convenient to use. Plus, it must have high color accuracy, wide color gamut, and a crystal clear display for fine details

Surface Book 2 offers all the above-mentioned features. It is powerful yet elegant, large yet convenient to use—thanks to its proprietary technology and detachable design.

Features that make it the best 2-in-1 laptop for artists (15-inch):

Smoothly run designing and editing software:

Whether one belongs to music, video or graphic designing industry, this laptop has something for all of them. Thanks to its powerful NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Dedicated GPU it can tackle almost all kinds of rendering applications.

No matter if you are running Adobe XD for drawing and artwork or Adobe After Effects for video editing, you will never come across a glitch while creating or editing on this detachable laptop. The quad-core i7 processor, 16 GB RAM, and 512 SSD Hard Drive also play their key role to keep all balls in the air.

Impressive Screen Resolution and touch display:

Nobody will pay such a high price without getting something truly exceptional in the laptop. In this laptop, that exceptional feature is the Ultra-HD display. The 4k resolution display delivers a crisp and sharp image that fits the maximum details on the screen.

For graphic designers, this is a big help as they can easily assess fine details and make changes as they deem fit. Similarly, YouTube artists can edit and render their high-quality footage without a single hitch in the process.

Also, the high-sensitive touch panel comes very handy when it is used as a tablet. You can truly unlock your creative potential by using its complementary Surface Pen. However, you will have to buy it separately.

Battery life and complementary gadgets:

The last thing we need in a laptop is short battery life. Be it gaming, business use, or creative work, people usually hate charging their laptops for hours, and, charging them over and over again in a single day.

Long battery life has always been the utmost demand by artists, which is satisfactorily addressed by Surface book 2. Unlike many other laptops, it delivers what it says it will. The expected battery life is 17 hours and you will get not less than 16 hours even after robust usage.

Complementary gadgets are poised to add great value to the life of creative professionals. The surface pen that is bought separately, delivers the most natural writing and drawing experience: it has tilt support for shading, high 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, and virtually no lag. Similarly, with surface dial artists can exponentially enhance their productivity by minimizing the effort of Store, customize, access, and navigate data.

Is it suitable for any other purpose?

Surface Book 2 is an all-rounder laptop. It can be used for gaming due to its top-of-the-line features, it can be used by business professionals owing to its high portability and detachable nature, and, last but not least, can be used by developers and analysts for running demanding computational processes.

Moreover, the detachable upper body of the laptop can be used as a tablet in a true sense. You can carry it around and use it for entertainment and creative purposes without having to haul the extra weight of the keyboard.

[i2pc pros_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-up” cons_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-down” show_title=”false” title=”Pros & Cons” show_button=”false” pros_title=”Pros” cons_title=”Cons” heading_pros_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-o-up” heading_cons_icon=”icon icon-thumbs-o-down” ][i2pros]

Sharp high-resolution display

Detachable laptop (the upper part can be separately used)

An ultra-light laptop

Excellent cooling[/i2pros][i2cons]

Costs a fortune.

Have to buy the Surface Pen separately[/i2cons][/i2pc]

$1,970.98
in stock
3 new from $1,970.98
7 used from $720.00
as of March 4, 2024 3:10 pm
Amazon.com
Last updated on March 4, 2024 3:10 pm

 

Recommended For You: Best 2 in 1 Laptop With Stylus

 

What To Look Before Buying a 15 inch 2-in-1 laptop ?

Design:

2-in-1 laptops come in two variables—convertible and detachable.

In convertible laptops, the top cannot be removed. You can shift to tablet mode by rotating the laptop 360 degrees. These laptops can be used in a variety of ways: tent, flat and clamshell mode.

In detachable laptops, you can remove the top to use it as a tablet. These laptops are perfect to use if your work involves extensive use of stylus/pen.

Stylus/ pen:

Most 2-in-1 laptops support the stylus. In a premium package, you will get a patented stylus with the product.

Believe me, you are going to need a stylus for your 15-inch 2-in-1 laptop as it is almost a necessity for graphic professionals and engineers. Makes sure that your laptop comes with a stylus so you won’t have to pay extra to buy one. Plus, it should be an ‘Active Stylus’.

Don’t know the difference between an ‘Active’ and ‘Passive Stylus’? Worry not. Take a look.

Active vs Passive Stylus, What is the difference?

Screen Quality:

The most important consideration in a laptop screen is the resolution. It is simply the maximum number of pixels that the display panel can support. You should expect Full HD image resolution in a 2-in-1 laptop. (1,920 x 1,080 pixels – approximately 2 million total pixels). For Ultra HD display (4k resolution), you will have to pay a hefty price and the same is true for any other elite feature in a hybrid laptop.

To cut a long story short, creative professionals must go for high resolution to get better color accuracy, wide color gamut, and HDR standards. For gamers, the TN or VA panels should be a top preference to get a higher response rate.

Processor:

Hybrid laptops usually feature low-end processors to keep the price to the minimum. But, you are looking for the 15-inch version, and presumably, you will use it for creative design. And, as it is true for most of the designing applications that they need a powerful processor, it will be the last thing you could compromise on.

Bottom line: You should never go along with a low-end processor.

Storage & RAM:

As far as storage and RAM of the 2-in-1 laptops go, they should be compatible with the processor. Their performance should be in line with the processing speed of the laptop.

It would be utterly ridiculous to fit a pick-up truck engine inside a mini-car to haul a load. The low storage capacity of the car and its fragile construction will overshadow the performance of the engine. The same is true for a laptop with low storage and high processor.

8 GB RAM is enough to run most of the applications; whereas, 256 SSD Hard Drive should be the minimum requirement.

Bottom line: A high-end processor with low-grade storage/RAM is a dumb move.

Graphics Card:

Unless you are a passionate gamer who can’t resist the temptation even on business trips, a graphic card should be the least of your worries. Buying a convertible laptop with a dedicated GPU is nothing but throwing money away, provided that you would only run low-demanding games on it. A clamshell form a laptop or a custom-built PC is still a better choice.

Bottom lineDon’t hire a high-profile executive for a clerical post.

Keyboard

It is the most ignored feature in a laptop, and ironically, the one with which you would have direct interaction. A miniature keyboard will result in sore fingers and wrists, especially when your job involves long typing sessions. You are probably going to encounter such keyboards with detachable laptops. Beware of them.

Also, you should always prefer a 2-in-1 laptop with a backlit keyboard so you won’t have to keep the lights on while typing.

Bottom line: Pay due attention to the keyboard. It will decide your overall experience with the hybrid laptops. 

Battery life

Fortunately, a great majority of the convertible laptop has extended battery life. Reason? They are bulky and have extra space to store more battery cells. The detachable laptops, on the other hand, usually do not have a long battery life.

If a choice to be made, business professionals or those who travel a lot should trade-off weight with long battery life.

Bottom-line: Battery life should be preferred over portability.

 

FAQs

 

What does a 2-in-1 laptop mean?

As the name suggests, you will get the properties of a tablet and a regular laptop in one machine.

How does 2-in-1 laptop work?

It offers two modes—tablet and laptop. To switch to tablet mode, you remove the either remove the bottom half or rotate the laptop 360 degrees.

How to use a 2-in-1 laptop?

A two-in-one laptop offers you a variety of modes. You can remove the top, given it is detachable, to use it as a tablet—creative design professionals prefer this mode. Also, you can use it in a tent mode to give a presentation to your colleague. Lastly, you can use it in a clamshell/regular mode as you use a regular laptop.

What is the ideal size of a 2-in-1 laptop?

It depends upon the need of the user. For students and entertainment lovers, lightweight 11-12 inch hybrids are the best option. For the creative professionals who have to spend hours on design applications, large-size hybrids are the right fit.

Why do you prefer a 2-in-1 laptop?

Only those who want to get the best of both worlds should prefer a 2-in-1 laptop. For gaming or running octane-level applications, the 2-in-1 laptops are a terrible choice. They will make you pay through the nose for the features you can easily get in a regular laptop/PC.

About the author

Ehsan Batt