Although Presidents Day sales aren’t nearly as huge (or insane) as the ones on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, those looking forward to saving a few hundred dollars on expensive tech stuff will find plenty of irresistible bargains. Right now, MacBook, Dell, XPS, and HP Spectre premium laptops are available at incredibly discounted prices on Best Buy and the brands’ official websites. Save as much $450 when you get them today. And here are even more Presidents Day TV and home appliances deals that are worth a look.
MacBook Air – $900, was $1,100
The MacBook Air is now thinner and lighter than ever, yet still possesses the same power and solid build quality typical of Apple devices. The latest version of the MacBook Air normally retails for $1,100, but right now you can purchase it on Best Buy for $900 – a huge $200 off.
The latest version of the MacBook Air looks almost exactly like the previous one, with a few significant hardware and software upgrades. The older version is outfitted with a single Thunderbolt 2 port and two USB 3 ports; the latest one has two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports instead. Although both models have a 13-inch LED-backlit screen, the newer MacBook Air’s display is made better thanks to Apple’s True Tone technology. The screen now has the power to adapt to your environment’s ambient light to make images appear more natural, with accurate colors that aren’t oversaturated.
Working alongside an Intel i5 processor, this MacBook Air has 8GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory. It proved speedy and performed well when tasked with normal daily workflow, like streaming videos, working in Photoshop, word processing, and web browsing. We did, however, notice a bit of a slowdown when we had multiple browsers, apps, and programs open simultaneously, but not enough to raise concern.
The MacBook Air can last up to eight hours with light web browsing. While not exactly a bad number, that falls well short of Huawei’s MateBook X Pro, which managed 9.5 hours in our test.
If you’re determined to buy a MacBook but don’t want to shell out too much money, then the MacBook Air is for you. It’s a well-rounded portable laptop that boasts a solid performance and premium build quality. Get the latest version of the MacBook Air for $900.
MacBook Pro 15 – $1,950, was $2,400
The MacBook Pro 15 looks almost exactly like its 2017 and 2016 predecessors, save for one significant hardware upgrade: Its keyboard. One of the things we disliked about the older model was its low-travel keyboard, which left users feeling like they were typing on a block of wood. Thankfully, Apple has gone a long way toward fixing this issue. The keys now have a softer feel and they’re no longer obnoxiously loud. Overall, typing has become a more pleasurable experience.
As usual, the MacBook Pro 15 offers industry-leading display and sound. The 15-inch screen is a thing of beauty, with Apple’s 16:10 aspect ratio (most laptop screens are 3:2) providing more vertical space for a fuller view of your work. Colors are extremely accurate, black levels are great, and images look completely natural, which makes this a great laptop for photographers and creative professionals. In fact, the MacBook Pro is our choice for the best laptop for photo editing. The same goes for its up-firing stereo speakers, which offer an incredibly loud room-filling sound that retains the richness of spoken words and the subtleties of music.
Unfortunately, the MacBook Pro 15 still lacks ports. There are four Thunderbolt 3 ports and a headphone jack. This decision may be forward-thinking as more and more peripheral devices are being outfitted with USB-C, but the lack of an SD card slot is odd since this is being marketed to creatives.
The MacBook Pro 15 now boasts more power courtesy of its Intel core i7 processor. With a jump up to six cores, we saw a huge boost in performance. The improvement is also down to Apple’s MacBook Pro software patch which fixed a throttling issue. You can open multiple heavy programs like Photoshop and Final Cut Pro X simultaneously and operation will remain glitch-free.
This laptop’s battery life is decent. Apple claims it can last 10 hours on a single charge, and we saw close to that in our high-definition video loop test. Web browsing was decidedly less impressive at eight hours. These numbers aren’t terrible, but we’ve seen better.
The MacBook Pro 15 is the most powerful MacBook yet and has been future-proofed through its port selection. It comes at a high cost, but if it is peerless performance you’re after, it won’t disappoint. Get one for a huge $450 off on Best Buy. Instead of its usual price of $2,400, get it for $1,950.
Dell XPS 13 – $900, was $1,000
The XPS 13 is one attractive Ultrabook. Its anodized aluminum chassis comes in Alpine White, Rose Gold, or Platinum Silver that has a faint pearlescent sheen to it. The Dell logo sits solitary yet triumphant in the center of the lid. The webcam, long been derided as the “nosecam” because of its unfortunate placement at the bottom of the screen, has now migrated to its rightful place at the top center. It also happens to be the tiniest webcam we’ve ever seen, although it can still take a decent picture. What’s more, the webcam is compatible with Windows Hello so you can log in with just your face. Outlining the screen is what Dell calls the InfinityEdge bezel, and it is beautifully scant and modern. With dimensions of 11.9 x 7.8 x 0.5 inches, this 2.7-pound laptop is super portable and would be the perfect partner of mobile professionals.
This laptop’s 13.3-inch FHD 1,920 x 1,080 non-touch display (the 4K touchscreen version will set you back by $300, and it’s a power hog) bursts with sumptuous colors, deep contrasts, and an incredible amount of detail. It also gets astonishingly bright, averaging 375 nits. Just like the display, the side-firing speakers are excellent. They can easily fill a medium-sized room with clear and rich sound, although the bass lacks punch, a clear compromise made in exchange for its slimness.
Another fine feature of the XPS 13 is its backlit keyboard, which remains one of its greatest strengths, with a firm and tactile bottoming action. Finicky typists should be warned that the layout is still on the small side but with a typing experience this comfortable, who cares? Keeping up is the wonderfully responsive touchpad that boasts full Windows Precision Touchpad support.
Armed with a 10th-gen Intel Core i3 processor and 4GB of RAM, this laptop provides incredibly smooth and lightning-fast performance without any hint of lag. And with its 256 GB PCIe SSD, transferring files is far from sluggish. However, its Intel UHD 620 Graphics GPU isn’t equipped to process graphically taxing games such as Battlefield V and Destiny 2. It will perform much better with older titles with less demanding graphics. In terms of battery life, as we’ve mentioned, we recommend you skip the 4K touchscreen model if you want the most endurance. In our continuous web surfing test, this unit was able to last over 12 hours.
The Dell XPS 13 is thin, fast, and longlasting, making it our favorite ultraportable thus far. And now that the nosecam has finally met its demise, (the one thing that marred the previous model), it’s practically perfect. Get it for $900 – a cool $100 less than its normal retail price – on Dell’s official website.
Dell XPS 15 – $1,000, was $1,100
The XPS 15 laptop has a silver aluminum finish that makes it look classy and sophisticated. It may not compete with the more modern aesthetic of a Surface or a Mac (not even the XPS 13), but it’s still a head-turner. Its 15.6-inch 4K Ultra HD display offers dramatic and dynamic images with rich contrasts and vivid colors. The XPS 15 is neither the thinnest nor the lightest laptop we’ve ever seen, being a full pound heavier than the 15-inch MacBook Pro, but its bulk serves a purpose: It’s built like a tank and feels extremely sturdy and durable.
This laptop is outfitted with a terrific number of ports. You’ll find two USB-A ports, a Thunderbolt 3 (4 lanes of PCI Express Gen 3), an HDMI port, and a full-size SD card slot. Typing on this laptop’s keyboard is speedy and comfy, with a layout that fortunately doesn’t stray from the normal. The touchpad is also extremely responsive, reacting well to multi-finger gestures and the lightest of strokes.
This unit runs with a ninth-generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of memory. It’s a formidable speed demon, capable of running heavy software like Photoshop, Pro Tools, and CAD swiftly with little heat. It deftly handles multiple opened programs and browsers and streaming Ultra HD videos. In fact, you can even use this as a gaming laptop thanks to its upgraded Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics chip, unlike the XPS 13. Graphically demanding games run smoothly and remain glitch-free with an excellent frame rate to boot. Finally, the XPS 15 can easily last an entire day even with maximum usage. Its 97-watt-hour battery managed over 14 hours in our video loop test.
It may not be the thinnest or lightest 15-inch laptop out there, but when it comes to sheer power, display, and battery life, the Dell XPS 15 laptop is a seriously strong contender and our pick for the best 15-inch laptop for 2019. Get this striking and powerful laptop on Dell’s website for $1,000 instead of its usual price of $1,100.
HP Spectre x360 13 – $730, was $1,150
The HP Spectre x360 13 is one of the rare electronic devices we’ve reviewed that has earned a perfect 5-out-of-5-star rating and the coveted Digital Trends Editors’ Choice stamp of approval. It has a lot going for it. First is how incredible it looks, like a fine jewel in a sea of gray blandness (well, except for the leather-bound Folio of course). HP has nicknamed the Spectre x360 the “gem-cut” model, and we can definitely see why. Every facet has been shaped to reflect light from as many angles as possible. Trust us when we say that Spectre x360 is one gobsmackingly beautiful laptop. It’s also pretty sturdy, with zero flexing on the keyboard and chassis unless you put your back into it. HP also made sure to equip the Spectre x360 with some of the best security features around. You can log in via Windows 10 Hello, and use an infrared camera for facial recognition or the fingerprint scanner, which can be found on the side to the keyboard deck. They both work seamlessly.
A laptop’s keyboard is one of the most important factors to consider. After all, you’ll be spending countless hours typing on it. Fortunately, the Spectre x360 doesn’t disappoint. The backlit keys are snappy, precise, and very comfortable to type on. The touchpad also works wonderfully, although just like the Folio, it isn’t optimized with Microsoft’s Precision Touchpad protocol. The package includes the HP Pen for flawless scribbling of notes and drawings.
The 13-inch 1,920 x 1,080 Full HD panel looks great and runs with Intel’s power-saving display technology, just like the Folio. Not only is it awash in gorgeous colors and details, but it also sips on as little as one watt of power, effectively prolonging battery life. This 2-in-1 was able to last for more than 12 hours in our web-browsing test, which is quite spectacular.
At the heart of the Spectre x360, you’ll find Intel’s latest 8th-generation quad-core i5 processor, which works great for any productivity tasks. However, its Intel UHD 620 integrated graphics chip doesn’t make it a great gaming laptop. It performed adequately for less demanding games and older titles, but it won’t handle most modern AAA titles.
Normally $1,150, you can now get the HP Spectre x360 13 for $730 on HP’s official website – that’s a whopping $420 off.
HP Spectre Folio – $960, was $1,300
The gorgeous HP Spectre Folio is a combination of vintage mixed with modern functionality. It mimics a fine leather portfolio (hence the name) and is even wrapped in the kind of crepe paper that’s usually reserved for designer dress shirts. We normally don’t care about packaging, but the way the Folio is presented is simply exquisite. Since it’s made of genuine leather with magnesium alloy components, it needs to be treated the way you would care for a leather jacket or luxury handbag. You can only use a soft cloth to clean it, and you should not use any harsh chemicals on it or you’ll risk ruining the material.
The Folio’s 13.3-inch touchscreen is also a thing of beauty. It offers a bright and crisp picture with wide viewing angles. It’s also quick and responsive, keeping up with taps, swipes, and multi-finger gestures. What’s even better is the screen isn’t a power hog. It uses Intel’s power-efficient display technology and runs on as little as 1 watt of power even at maximum brightness. Normal laptops use 2 watts of power with the same brightness setting. This contributes to the Folio’s tremendous battery life. During our web-browsing test, it was able to last an outstanding 10 hours. It performed even better in our high-definition video loop test, managing 17 hours.
Normally, 2-in-1 systems have notoriously shallow and mushy keyboards. Thankfully, the Folio does not. The backlit keys are large and nicely spaced, they don’t bottom out when pressed, and keystroke was precise and comfortable. The touchpad is also pretty responsive, but for some reason, HP is still not willing to embrace Microsoft’s Precision Touchpad protocol. It’s also a little small for our taste.
This laptop is powered by Intel’s Core i5 processor, which also sips power like the touchscreen. It runs quietly and doesn’t heat up as much as other processors, which is a good thing given that this laptop is made of leather. Paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal memory, the Folio is well-suited for standard productivity tasks like web browsing, office work, and multimedia consumption. Finally, the Folio is bundled with HP’s Bluetooth-connected Digital Pen, which offers smooth and accurate pen strokes, perfect for notetaking and sketching.
The HP Spectre Folio is currently on sale on HP’s official website for $960, a massive $340 savings over its normal retail price of $1,300.
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