Laptop Gift Guide for Holiday 2015

The Christmas season is once again fast approaching and as what we usually do, we’ve compiled some of the outstanding gadgets in their respective categories and group them for easy browsing. Here are some laptop selections if you’re looking for a portable PC you can get for yourself or give someone as a gift.

Note: The laptops listed here are all available in the Philippines with accompanying local prices for your browsing pleasure. If you have something to add, simply throw them at the comments section to further expand the list and help more readers in shopping for a new portable PC this holiday. 

Let’s get started!

Budget Laptops

Kicking things off in the list is the convertible device from Cherry Mobile –the Alpha Morph that recently got a dual-boot version. It sports a 10-inch WXGA IPS touch display, is powered by a 1.33GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3735F and Intel HD Gen 7 Graphics, and pairs up with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory with microSD expansion of up to 64GB. The Windows-only variant is priced in the Philippines at Php5,999USD 102INR 8,666EUR 97CNY 744 with the dual-boot model is available for Php7,999USD 136INR 11,555EUR 130CNY 993. Both come with free Office 365, storage space from OneDrive, and are USB-OTG ready.

For those that have a bit more more cash to spare, you can try the HP Stream 11. It packs some decent specs for its price including an Intel Celeron N2840 dual-core processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB eMMC, and an 11.6-inch LED display. Additionally, it has a claimed battery life of more than 8 hours on a single charge and is priced at Php13,980USD 238INR 20,196EUR 227CNY 1,735. There’s also a 13.3-inch variant called the HP Stream 13 which retails for a higher Php15,984USD 272INR 23,090EUR 259CNY 1,984.

Next up we have the ASUS X200MA. It’s the one packaged by SmartBro in one of its Plans which sports an 11.6-inch HD LCD display, an Intel Celeron dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and 500GB of HDD storage. This Windows 8.1-powered laptop is available locally for Php12,995USD 221INR 18,773EUR 211CNY 1,613. However, if you prefer similar specs with a bigger 14-inch screen, you can also check out the Dell Inspiron 3442 with a more affordable Php11,999USD 204INR 17,334EUR 195CNY 1,489 price tag.

Looking for a feature-packed laptop? The Lenovo S20 boasts AccuType keyboard with finger-friendly curved keys and ergonomic spacing so typing is easier. It also has Dolby Advanced Audio, USB 3.0, and an HD webcam for your video calling needs. The S20 is priced at Php14,988USD 255INR 21,652EUR 243CNY 1,860 and includes an 11.6-inch display, 2GB RAM, 500GB storage, and runs on Windows 8.1 OS.

Mid-range Laptops

Moving up the price category, we have the Samsung ATIV Book 2 that has a 64-bit Windows 8 installed, 2GB RAM, 500GB storage space, and a lineup of bundled software ready to be used. It has a modest price of Php21,900USD 373INR 31,637EUR 355CNY 2,718 which shouldn’t break the bank for a decent device. By adding about Php2K more and you could get a Sony VAIO E Series that has an 11.6- or 14-inch WXGA TFT display, 4GB RAM, 500GB internal storage, and a 1.7GHz AMD accelerated processor.

There’s also the HP Pavilion x360 that was launched with other notebooks in SEA countries last May. This totally flexible device flaunts an 11.6-inch HD LED-backlit display, comes with an array of CPU configurations, and could support up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM. It has an SRP of Php23,990USD 409INR 34,656EUR 389CNY 2,977 for the base model.

Meanwhile, ASUS has its K401 laptop that possesses a 14-inch Full HD display with 4GB of RAM that can stretch up to 12GB. Storage space is at 500GB with an optional 128GB/256GB solid-state drive. It is priced at Php34,995USD 596INR 50,554EUR 568CNY 4,343 with its bigger sibling, the K501, is at Php47,995USD 818INR 69,334EUR 779CNY 5,956 and comes with 15-inch display and 1TB of internal storage.

In addition, if you want something that’s guaranteed to turn heads due to its sleek and stylish design, you may check out the ASUS ZenBook UX305FA with a 13.3-inch Full HD display, 128GB M.2SSD, and Bang & Olufsen ICEpower speakers. It is similarly-priced at Php34,995USD 596INR 50,554EUR 568CNY 4,343 and you may check out our review by clicking the link.

Saved enough for something better? The Lenovo ThinkPad E450 might be the one for you. It’s equipped with useful functionalities like the three-button trackpad, Dolby speakers, and the company’s cloud storage so you could store and save more files. Specs-wise, you’ll get an Intel Core i5 CPU, 4GB of DDR3L RAM, and a battery that Lenovo claims to have a 9-hour life. It’s locally priced at Php49,992USD 852INR 72,218EUR 811CNY 6,204.

And if you’re on that price range, the 5th-gen MacBook Air would also make nice alternatives with the 11- and 13-inch models at Php44,990USD 767INR 64,993EUR 730CNY 5,583 and Php49,990USD 852INR 72,216EUR 811CNY 6,204, respectively.

High-End Laptops

Now, we go to the big players since investing on a really capable laptop is never a bad thing whether you use for work or even playing.

Headlining this category is the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 (while still waiting for the local availability of the Pro 4) that you can definitely rely on for on-the-go productivity. It has a Surface Pen, a multi-position kickstand, and a Type Cover to fully take advantage of all its capabilities — all for Php60,000USD 1,022INR 86,676EUR 974CNY 7,446.

Dell’s XPS 13 features some really thin bezels in what the company calls the Virtually Borderless Infinity Display. Aside from that, it carries an UltraSharp Full HD display spanning 13.3 inches across, edge-to-edge Gorilla Glass protection, Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD to name some of its key selling points. For what it offers, the Php74,990USD 1,278INR 108,331EUR 1,217CNY 9,306 price tag is actually not so bad.

Add a little more and you can include the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro on your list for Php76,995USD 1,312INR 111,227EUR 1,250CNY 9,555. It comes with similar specs as the XPS 13, but with a bigger 512GB of SSD. You may read our review of the ultrabook by clicking the link.

For the gamers out there, feast your eyes on the ASUS ROG G752 Series that comes equipped with a sizeable 17-inch Full HD display backed up by the 6th-gen Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M GPU. Along with those beefy specs come a Php79,995USD 1,363INR 115,561EUR 1,298CNY 9,927 SRP. Apart from the VL model with 8GB RAM and 1TB storage, you can also opt for the more expensive VT variant that has double the RAM (16GB) and an additional 128GB of SSD in addition to the 1TB space — all for Php99,995USD 1,704INR 144,453EUR 1,623CNY 12,409.

All those laptops still below your price range? The 2015 MacBook Pro tops our list with its 15-inch Retina display, 2.5GHz Intel Core i7 quad-core CPU, 16GB of embedded RAM, 512GB PCIe-based flash storage, and 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon R9 M370X that further enhance the graphics department. There is a configuration worth Php99,990USD 1,704INR 144,446EUR 1,623CNY 12,409, but the one with the aforementioned specs carry a price tag of Php124,990USD 2,130INR 180,561EUR 2,029CNY 15,511. Whew.