Best laptops and tablets to give as holiday gifts for 2021

    
    Josh Goldman/CNET
    Lenovo Yoga 7i (14-inch)
    Regularly available for less than $800, this thin, 3-pound convertible is a solid choice for anyone who needs a laptop for office or schoolwork. The all-metal chassis gives it a premium look and feel, and it has a comfortable keyboard and a responsive, smooth precision touchpad. Though it’s light on extra features compared to its premium linemate, the Yoga 9i, it does have one of Lenovo’s sliding shutters for its webcam that gives you privacy when you want it. And it has a long battery life — nearly 15 hours during our tests.
    $765 at Lenovo
    
    Josh Goldman/CNET
    Acer Chromebook Spin 713
    The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 uses one of Acer’s bright VertiView displays, a 13.5-inch 2,256×1,504-pixel touchscreen with a 3:2 aspect ratio. As the name implies, it gives you more vertical room to work, but it still has the width of a typical 13.3-inch laptop with a 16:9 ratio. Between that and its battery life, which lasted almost 13 hours in our tests, you’ll be able to get more work done in a day — and it’s still thin and light enough for an everyday carry.?
    The latest version of this Chromebook is the first to receive Intel’s Evo verification, which means you’ll be getting the best possible mobile experience with this model. It’s also the first with Thunderbolt 4 support, which lets you connect to multiple external displays as well as providing fast data speeds and networking.
    Read our Acer Chromebook Spin 713 review.

    

    $482 at Best Buy
    $866 at Walmart
    $443 at Amazon
    
    Lori Grunin/CNET
    Dell G15 Gaming Laptop
    Dell streamlined its G-series gaming laptops, going from three models down to just one — and it’s all for the best. Instead of having to decode the various feature and quality differences between them, there’s just one chassis available with a variety of configurations with an 11th-gen Intel processor or?AMD Ryzen 5000 H-series processor. All of the processors can be paired with up to a 6GB Nvidia RTX 3060, 8GB or 16GB of memory and up to 1TB of storage. They’re basically more budget-friendly versions of those from its Alienware division, but still capable of playing the latest AAA titles. Due to availability issues, the prices fluctuate but normally start below $1,000.
    $960 at Dell
    
    Scott Stein/CNET
    Apple iPad (10.2-inch, 2021)
    The ninth-gen entry-level iPad gains a couple of useful extras over last year’s solid but unexciting model: more storage for $330 (64GB, rather than the ridiculously low 32GB of the last model), a faster A13 chip and better cameras (most importantly, a wider-angle higher-res front-facing?Center Stage camera?that tracks your face via digital pan and zoom). It still uses the first-gen Apple Pencil, which is fine for the money, and it’s still compatible with a range of keyboard cases. Its predecessors were often on sale for $299 or less and that should be true this holiday season as well.?
    If you’re planning to do any sort of art on it or download a lot of videos to go, it’s definitely worth opting for the 256GB model. It really needs a 128GB option — it’s annoying that you’re forced to buy more than you need since 128GB would probably be the sweet spot for price and storage.
    The 2020 model has the slower A12 Bionic chip, but it’s also the last remaining full-size iPad with a headphone jack. Going back yet another generation to its seventh incarnation, it’s still a decent pick if you can find the 128GB model for a pittance; you’re best off avoiding the insufficient 32GB model. It can handle the latest iPadOS just fine and should perform all the standard iPad tasks for years to come.
    Read our Apple iPad 2021 review.

    

    $309 at Amazon
    $309 at Apple
    $330 at Target
    
    Joshua Goldman/CNET
    Lenovo Chromebook Duet
    The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is a 10.1-inch Chrome OS tablet with a detachable keyboard and touchpad. This Lenovo Chromebook’s small size might be a little limiting as a primary device, though you can connect to an external display via its USB-C port. The Lenovo Duet is, however, a good pick if you’re looking for an affordable Chromebook for pure mobility or as a secondary device that can be used in tablet mode. Lenovo also has a higher-end 13-inch OLED version, too, the?Chromebook Duet 5.?
    Read our Lenovo Chromebook Duet review.

    

    $300 at Lenovo
    $207 at Walmart
    $180 at Amazon