People use laptops for entertainment, gaming, and productivity, and doing all those things with a nice display is always a huge welcome, and if you’re one of those people, you should probably consider getting a laptop with an OLED display!
However, the problem with getting an OLED laptop is finding one in the first place. OLED might be common on TVs and smartphones, but it’s a bit less common to find on laptops. But, we’ve done the work and we’ll talk about the best OLED laptops that you can get right now in 2022!
What’s an OLED?
Before everything else, let’s get a refresher on what an OLED is.
OLED (Organic-LED) displays offer impressive contrast ratios with perfect blacks and vivid, realistic colors that you simply won’t find on other display types. Devices equipped with OLED displays also save energy because they only light up areas of the screen that need to be lit—unlike traditional LED displays which use a backlight and require energy to light all sections of the screen at all times.
So now, let’s dive into the best OLED laptops in 2022!
Dell XPS 13 Plus
PROS
- Minimalistic but comfortable and intuitive keyboard and trackpad
- Stunning OLED display, and the 16:10 aspect ratio is perfect for productivity
- Relatively cheap for its design and performance
- Small, light, and sturdy build, perfect for portability
CONS
- Battery life is only around 7 hours (a lot of laptops can do better than that in 2022)
- The touch bar at the top is not for everyone (something we’ve learned with MacBooks)
- Display: 13” 3.5K (3456 x 2160) Touchscreen OLED @60Hz
- CPU: Intel Core i7-1260P
- GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- RAM: 8GB-32GB LPDDR5
- Storage: 1TB SSD
Up first in the latest and the greatest is the Dell XPS 13 Plus! It’s also an intriguing device to look at due to its keyboard and trackpad, it looks like it came from a concept image instead of a real device. The keyboard spans from edge to edge, it has large keycaps (which are huge points for typing accuracy), and there are capacitive shortcut keys at the top that turns invisible when the backlight is turned off (if you get the silver color).
Another invisible thing here is the trackpad since it’s completely hidden, and the best part? Most people can still find the trackpad and get used to it in just a few minutes, especially if you tap and double-tap instead of left and right clicks. The most surprising part though is that it can still click, it uses haptic feedback to recreate the sensation of a click, much like Apple’s trackpads.
One thing that I didn’t expect to see here is the lack of ports, this laptop only has two USB-C ports, and it doesn’t even have a headphone jack.
Overall though, it’s a great laptop that’ll handle a lot of open apps and internet tabs for work, maybe a bit of editing, but not a lot of gaming, all wrapped up in a minimalistic and futuristic design. While the keyboard and trackpad take some getting used to, it ends up being comfortable and intuitive, and yes, the 13” OLED display is the cherry on top of this stunning device.
ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15
PROS
- The unique design brings unique productivity solutions for creatives
- Has a sturdy build quality despite having a lot of moving parts
- Portable and dense with features
- For a laptop with two displays, it can still manage 6-7hrs of battery life
CONS
- The keyboard and trackpad are both uncomfortable to use
- Can be overwhelming and complicated to use
- Display: 15.6” 4K (3840 x 2160) Touchscreen OLED with 14” 3840×1100 Secondary ‘ScreenPad Plus display” both @60Hz
- CPU: Intel Core i7-10870H
- GPU: NVIDIA RTX3070
- RAM: 16GB
- Storage: 1TB
Next up we have one of the flashiest laptops ever made! I mean just look at this thing, it might look normal when closed, but open it, and boom! It has dual screens, and one of those screens even pop-up to provide a more immersive viewing angle, and it all wraps up in a thin and relatively light package, not only that, but it also comes with a free carrying case and palm rest (since the laptop itself doesn’t have one).
So, what’s up with the second screen? Well, it’s really meant for creatives; video editors, animators, artists, and anyone who can utilize the touchscreen and stylus (with pressure sensitivity).
You can use the second screen to scroll through your timeline on Video Editing apps, or perhaps you can use it to sketch right away instead of flipping the screen like a madman with a convertible laptop.
The internals on this laptop is very capable, especially for anything GPU intensive, it’s great for content creation but it’s also capable of running games.
Lastly, it has a great array of ports; one HDMI 2.1 (a rare port on laptops), one 3.5mm jack, one USB-A port, and two USB-C ports, thus making it even more perfect for content creation.
MSI Creator 15
PROS
- Stunning 4K OLED display, also P3 color accurate
- Boxy and sturdy design
- The battery is powerful enough to sustain power-hungry internals for 5 hours
CONS
- The fans can get loud
- Small touchpad
- Display: 15.6” 4K (3840×2160) OLED
- CPU: Intel Core i7-11800H
- GPU: NVIDIA RTX3080
- RAM: 16GB DDR4 (Upgradable, 64GB Max)
- Storage: 512GB SSD
You can’t complete a laptop list without a gaming laptop! Well technically, the MSI Creator 15 is a creator’s laptop, but it has a gaming laptop as a soul, plus it’s one of the few gaming laptops we’ve seen with a stunning 4K OLED display.
The design of the Creator 15 is simple, it’s essentially a boxy gaming laptop without all the fancy schmancy RGB, well except for the keyboard, the RGB actually helps there.
Speaking of the keyboard, the switches used here are a bit hard to press so it’s not great for typing, but it’s perfect to take your gamer keyboard rage. Above the keyboard is a sound bar that’s pretty decent (making it more appealing to creatives), but since the speakers took all that space up top, the trackpad on the bottom is shorter, some might say too short, but in its defense, it’s still pretty wide!
The silky 4K OLED display doesn’t only look good, it’s also P3 color accurate (again, to appeal to creatives) making this one of the few color-accurate OLEDs.
Overall, if you’re one of the few gamers that’ll prioritize great color quality over high-refresh rates, grab the MSI Creator 15!
HP Spectre x360 13.5"
PROS
- Stunning and productivity friendly 3K (3:2) OLED display
- The design is to drool for and it’s also well built
- 8-15hr battery life (depending on specs)
- Great keyboard, trackpad, and touchscreen/stylus
CONS
- Too heavy to use in tablet mode
- Has bloatware
- Display: 13.5” 3K(3000×2000) Touchscreen OLED display @60Hz
- CPU: Intel Core i7-1255U
- GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- Storage: 512GB SSD
If you love a good 2-in-1 laptop with an OLED, look no further than the HP Spectre x360! I’ll tell you right now, I’m a sucker for the Spectre’s design back then, and I still am now, and the latest model is no exception, there have been some changes, but the trademark brass accents (on the black color option) and rear cut corners are still here.
There are two things that I think are essential in a 2-in-1 laptop, one of those is a solid build, and the Spectre nails it; it’s wrapped in aluminum, and there’s little to no deck flex here. The other thing is a stiff but smooth hinge, not a weighted one that you can open with one finger. You don’t want your keyboard flinging around while on tablet mode do you? It’s a common complaint about the Spectre, well, it’s a feature!
This laptop isn’t a slouch either, it sports the latest Intel chipset and a decent amount of memory, but don’t game it too hard!
Overall, the laptop nailed all peripherals; it has a great keyboard, a large trackpad, and a stunning 3K OLED display with touchscreen and stylus support, I mean, if a satisfying 2-in-1 laptop is what you’re looking for, the Spectre is top-notch.
Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5
PROS
- Great OLED display at a budget!
- Up to 16hrs of battery life
- Decent performance for a Chromebook
- Good keyboard
CONS
- The kickstand is a bit tricky to use
- The keyboard is a bit flimsy by itself, but not noticeable on flat surfaces
- Display: 13.3” FHD (1920×1080) Touchscreen OLED display @60Hz
- CPU: Snapdragon SC7180
- GPU: Qualcomm Adreno Graphics
- RAM: 4GB-8GB LPDDR4
- Storage: 128GB eMMC
For our last one, we have the budget option, the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5, it’s a Chromebook, and I know Chromebooks don’t usually pack a lot of power, but I actually love how light and efficient ChromeOS is.
This budget laptop is actually just perfect for internet browsing and watching online videos through that stunning OLED screen, if you need more power, you should get the 8GB variant from BestBuy, but since this is a Chromebook, 4GB should be just fine for day to day tasks.
Because of ChromeOS, this has a mind-boggling battery life of around 16hrs, so if you just need something that’ll last you for a few days, this is also a great laptop to get.
I keep calling it a laptop, but this is actually more of a tablet, it has a detachable keyboard, which has big and nice keys by the way, and it has a slightly flimsy kickstand to prop it up, so yes, great for portability, bad for ergonomics.
Overall, if you’d like something to binge-watch movies and shows on a stunning OLED display, and if you need nothing more than internet browsing and light document creation, why spend more? Get this laptop instead!
Should You Get an OLED Laptop?
OLEDs have a lot of benefits, but while it sounds great, why is it not so common on laptops? The first issue is burn-in, it’s the result when you leave a static image on display for a long time, and laptops have a lot of static images on display; taskbars, start button, and even the “Activate Windows” message if you pirated or didn’t pay for your Windows copy yet. Although burn-ins became less common recently because of software fixes like pixel shifting.
Another issue with OLED displays is lower refresh rates and dimmer brightness levels, which are personal preferences anyways and are both improving over time. But still, in 2022, we’re in a time when owning an OLED Laptop has more rewards than risks.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How do OLEDs work?
OLED screens don’t have a backlight compared to traditional LED, IPS, or even LCD panels. Each pixel in an OLED display lights itself up when needed, it doesn’t light up when it displays black, which is why it displays perfect blacks. -
What are the setbacks of OLED?
OLED displays have a handful of problems, one of which is burn-in which is when an image is permanently burned in a display. Some common images to be burned-in are the taskbar or app dock, which is exactly why OLED isn’t a common option on laptops until recently, thanks to OLED tech advancements and burn-in prevention through software. Another issue is 60Hz refresh rates. OLEDs with 120-240Hz refresh rates are either non-existent in the market or are ridiculously expensive. Lastly, OLED screens are dimmer than standard LED displays, which might not make them great in outdoor scenarios, or even near a window. -
Is OLED better for your eyes?
OLEDs are generally better for the eyes since it has a lot more control over the light it emits.