With digitization conquering the world today, it is needless to mention what role laptops and PCs have to play in the whole scenario.
This remarkable revolution is definitely not a new phenomenon but has become all the more important at this point in time when almost everything is being done online, be it the formal business meetings, online classes or the casual get together.
Covid-19 has significantly changed the way things were done in the past and has led people to think innovative. And as far as innovation is concerned, laptops are unquestionably a boon for civilization.
Gen Z is well versed in the skill of using laptops and getting the most out of them. The age group of Gen Z covers mostly the students and students these days require laptops for a number of tasks.
To name a few, online classes, homework assignments, research works, gaming, web series, music, internships, training, socializing and the list goes on.
The major challenge faced by the students here in India is the selection of the laptop that best suits their requirements and at the same time is within their price range.
Students really do not have to perform any complex operations or multi-tasking, but again this thing varies from individual to individual.
So, what we have tried to do is put together a list of some of the best laptops for students in India, giving a brief overview of each of them.
Also, the buyer’s guide is being provided in the article that will help the students to determine what their requirements are and what they should look for in a laptop while making a buying decision.
How did we select them?
Well, we looked into ourselves and asked when we were students what criteria did we use to select our very first laptop?
And it unfolded. Here is what we look for:
- Who should use it and why? Arts students will use it for online research, writing, and presentation purpose while science & engineering students will perform heavy processor incentive tasks, so they will go for heavy-duty laptops whereas arts students can settle for fewer configuration laptops.
- We look for laptops that shall perform with minimal [in case of lower configuration laptops] to absolute zero performance lag.
- To select the best captions for students under budget we went for only Intel i5 processor variants only.
- All the laptops mentioned here have at least 8 GB of ram, mostly ddr4, and 512 GB SSD storage for optimum performance.
- One special mention is of Apple MacBook for students who can afford them.
Here’s a list that will help you select your best fit.
Lenovo V15 Intel Core i5 10th Gen 15-inch Thin Laptop
Brand | Lenovo |
Processor | Intel I5-1035G1 |
Screen Size | 15 inch |
Ram | 8 GB |
Storage | 256 GB SSD |
This Laptop by Lenovo comes with an Intel I5-1035G1 processor, base speed of 1.0 GHz, max speed 3.6 GHz, 4 cores, 6 MB smart cache. It has 180-degree Metal Alloy Hinges.
It is a Windows-based laptop and has a preloaded Windows 10 Home with Lifetime Validity.
Its 15-inch screen has a Full HD Display and is equipped with Anti-Glare technology which is good for you if you have to use the screen for an ample amount of time.
The 8 GB memory, DDR4 RAM and 256 GB SSD make it a perfect choice. It is a lightweight product, which makes it portable and you can carry it easily around your school or college.
It weighs about 1.85 kg. The battery life is extendable up to 5.5 hours. And needless to mention, it is backed by 1-year onsite warranty.
This laptop contains multipurpose USB 3.1 ports, USB 2.0 ports, and HDMI ports.
The HDMI port lets you have an amazing experience to watch your movies and classes on big screens or projectors. Lenovo V15 is available for ₹44,990 on Amazon.
One should really not compromise with the processor, because be it a student or a professional, a processor lower than an i5 should not really be preferred. The processor is equivalent to the brain of your laptop. So, if you want your tasks to be performed faster, then do not compromise on this aspect.
PROS:
- The big 15-inch screen provides an engaging experience to the users.
- The 180- degree metal alloy hinges give the laptop a flexible outlook and is easier to use.
CONS:
- The laptop weighs a tad bit heavier than compared to the other variants available in the same price range.
- The battery of a Lenovo laptop, on an average, works for about only 2.5 to 3 hours. That’s a really disappointing factor.
Mi Notebook 14 Intel Core i5-10210U 10th Gen Laptop
Brand | Mi |
Processor | Intel i5-10210U |
Screen Size | 14 inch |
Ram | 8 GB |
Storage | 256 GB SSD |
This beauty from Mi has a 10th Gen Intel Core i5-10210U processor, 1.6 GHz base speed, 4.2 GHz max speed, 4 Cores, and 8 threads.
The laptop is one of its kind which will provide you with a battery life extendable up to 10 hours. What are you thinking, then?
It lacks nowhere behind in looks. It has a robust metal body with a thin and sleek look.
The laptop has a weight of 1.5 kg. The display is a 14-inch Full HD anti-glare screen, the ones who want bigger screens may not like it!
Otherwise, everything else is just perfect for a student. The best part is its webcam which comes with 720p high resolution and is also backed by a 1-year manufacturer warranty as is the laptop.
This webcam is great, for students can have an unforgettable experience with their classes and video calls.
Again, it is also a windows-based laptop and has windows 10. You also get Office 365: a one-month trial subscription.
It has Intel UHD Graphics, Stereo Speakers & DTS Audio Processing. Furthermore, it also has 8 GB DDR4-2666MHz RAM and 256 GB SSD storage.
The laptop has USB 3.1 – 2 ports, USB 2.0 – 1 port, HDMI Out -1, and 3.5 mm jack. You can buy this product at just ₹43,999
PROS:
- It is of its kind laptop available at an affordable price with all the hi-tech features available.
- The webcam accompanying the laptop is of remarkable quality and is backed by 1-year warranty.
CONS:
- The small screen size might bother a few users, but overall this laptop is a good choice at this price.
HP Pavilion 10th Gen Intel Core i5 14-Inch Laptop
Brand | HP Pavilion |
Processor | Intel i5-1035G1 |
Screen Size | 14 inch |
Ram | 8 GB |
Storage | 256 GB SSD |
This Windows-based laptop has a 14-inch full HD display with an anti-glare micro-edge WLED. The processor is 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G1 with 1.0 GHz base frequency and up to 3.6 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, 6 MB L3 cache, and 4 cores.
The laptop entails almost the same features as listed above with Memory & Storage of about 8 GB DDR4-2666 SDRAM, 1 TB 5400 rpm SATA HDD & 256 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD.
It includes software Microsoft Office Home & Student 2019. It also has 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C 2 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A (Data Transfer Only) ports, 1 HDMI 1.4b, and 1 RJ-45 port.
Although needless to mention, this laptop is also backed by a 1- year warranty.
It comes with a unique design that has a new narrow bezel display and is HP’s thinnest Pavilion Laptop ever.
The design of this laptop gives a fine and stylish look. And the dual HP speakers, HP Audio Boost, and custom tuning by the experts at B&O PLAY, you can get an astounding audio experience.
You may buy this product on Amazon for ₹58,399
PROS:
- The dual HP speakers, HP Audio Boost, and custom tuning by the experts at B&O PLAY are the best part about this laptop which promises an incredible experience.
- The thin metal body gives the laptop a stylish look.
CONS
- This laptop is a bit expensive, although most of these features can also be availed at a lower price range.
ASUS VivoBook 14
Brand | ASUS |
Processor | Intel i5-1035G1 |
Screen Size | 14 inch |
Ram | 8 GB |
Storage | 512 GB SSD |
This one by Asus comes with 512GB and is available just at ₹51,990. So, this is a good option for those who require a good amount of storage space. It promises a high level of performance and great visuals.
It is equipped with a 10th Generation Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor with 8GB (2x 4GB) Dual Channel RAM.
The 14-inch screen with Integrated Intel UHD Graphics, a matte anti-glare coating, and a Nanoedge display is just perfect for an everlasting experience.
The laptop weighs around 1.60 kg which makes it easy to carry anywhere around without any hassle.
PROS:
- The storage space of 512 GB is a major plus point of this laptop. The other brands might not provide this storage at this cost. So, this can be a good buy!
CONS:
- This model might not be useful for students who just need to fulfill their basic requirements from a laptop.
Apple MacBook Air
Brand | Apple |
Processor | Apple M1 Chip |
Screen Size | 13.3 inch |
Ram | 8 GB |
Storage | 512 GB SSD |
Apple, the brand name is enough to speak about the quality of the product. Although here you might have to cut slack on your budget, you get the real value for money.
It comes with the operating system macOS 10.14 Mojave with a small screen size of about 13.3 inches. The Apple laptops are quite handy and portable because of their minimal size and lightweight.
It has 8 GB RAM, that is just what you need. The Apple M1 chip processor [this is a new chip introduced for MacBook recently], SSD storage, Intel HD Graphics 6000, two USB 3 ports, Thunderbolt 2 port, SDXC port, and multi-touch trackpad are some product specs.
What makes apple laptops different from the rest is their amazing battery life. The laptop will provide you with 12 hours of battery life and that’s all you need to keep going for a hectic day at school.
You can get this product on Amazon for ₹ 1,17,900
PROS:
- The battery life is definitely a plus point, for you don’t have to worry to plug in the laptop for the whole day.
- The light weight and small size make it easy to carry around.
CONS:
- Price may be a hindrance for many MacBook lovers
- Some programs do not support macOS, and demand windows based laptop. So it is better to check your preliminary requirements before making this decision.
Also read: Best Video Editing Laptops for YouTube Content Creators
BUYER’S GUIDE: Tips on choosing the right laptop for students
First, it would be better that students are well conversant with what the students actually need and how to select what is the best for them.
So, here’s a buyer’s guide to selecting the best laptops from a wide range that is available in the market.
1. What’s your course?
For a student, this is the most important criterion to decide what laptop to buy.
Your course or stream should be the foremost decisive factor because a laptop suited for a graphic designing student won’t be the best fit for a CA student and a laptop that might be appropriate for an architecture student may turn out to be terrible for an MBA student.
A graphic designer will need a fast processor, good speed, and ultimate screen resolution and Mac would always be a preferable choice.
While a CA student might just need a laptop for online classes and some amount of research work.
So, a Windows-based laptop will be sufficient for him.
This is why proper research is recommended before you invest your money in an asset of this sort so that you do not have to repent your decision later.
Your school or college might require a specific set of features in a laptop like whether it should be windows based, Mac OS based, or Linux based; the processor requirements may vary; memory, graphics, storage, and what not!
Well, not all laptops support complex software that a certain course demands, so check with the requirements of your course and then go ahead with your purchase and choose wisely!
2. Are you the Mr. Multitasker?
Usually, students do not have to do many tasks at a point in time, because their curriculum revolves around studies, research work, and assignments.
So, a laptop with a basic processor, memory, and storage requirements could be sufficient to support their needs.
But there are some students who have to manage their practical training, and internships and others who have to pursue a particular passion in a certain field.
In such a scenario, a basic laptop won’t come to the rescue.
You have to choose a laptop that will suit your specific requirements, otherwise, you’ll end up regretting it.
A good RAM will enable you to multitask and run different programs at a single point in time. You can get 2 variants here, DDR4 & DDR3.
The former is faster and entails efficient power consumption, while the latter is a slower variant and consumes so much power. It is better to go for the latest version.
This is again a subjective matter but needs to be given special regard because students generally in order to go with the trend ignore their actual requirements.
They end up buying expensive gadgets in order to show off, while all they need is a basic laptop that is pocket friendly.
3. Power is all you need to conquer!
That’s the truth. For a laptop, battery life is a significant factor that affects its performance. On average, a laptop will serve your needs at the most for 4-5 years.
Then you’ll have to replace it.
The battery life of a laptop is most likely to get distorted after a few years. So, you have to be a bit more careful over here.
More battery means more usage.
If you have an excessive usage requirement like gaming, editing, researching, back-to-back classes, browsing, typing, and practical training, then choose the one with a heavy battery.
That might cost you a few extra bucks, but it definitely will be worth every penny.
4. Performance matters the most
What level of performance you seek in a laptop depends on your usage only.
If you have extensive and heavy use, which most of the students generally do not have, then you want a laptop guaranteeing you high performance.
Most of the students require laptops for medium use only, so you do not have to spend so much.
But again, we cannot just generalize this proposition because if a gaming wizard out there is reading this article, it would surely require an ultimate performance laptop.
For making sure you have a good-performance laptop, look out for these factors: RAM, Internal memory, Graphics Card, Processor, and battery.
5. What all do you have to store?
Laptops come with three different storage types- Hard Disk Drive, Solid- State Drive, and Solid State Hybrid Drive. Each of these has its own pros and cons.
HDD may suffice the requirements of most of the students and is also within the budget. While if you’re so much into gaming and need to do other tasks that entail running different programs, you should prefer SSD, which is a bit more expensive.
SSHD is not much preferable for students if they do not have to perform complex tasks. As the name suggests, it is a combo of both the SSD & HDD and can run the programs so damn faster.
6. Price, Discounts & Schemes; How important is that?
Usually, everybody would have a budget constraint and will give considerable importance to this factor.
But our suggestion is that you should never overlook your requirements, even if it costs you a penny more.
Online shopping sites like Amazon have great deals discounts and schemes. One may also go for zero-cost EMI and get the product.
While, the festive season brings with it a wholesome of discounts, and you may make full use of such opportunities.
7. Warranties & Add-ons
Well, there is no good brand today that won’t provide you with a warranty. So, you have to worry a little less here in this regard.
Electronic Products should be backed by a guarantee because they are expensive, and the repairs and maintenance might sometimes cost you a fortune.
It is always better to buy a good brand that will provide you with a standard warranty of at least one year.
You may also consider buying an extended warranty that is easily available online. Spending on a warranty is a smart decision, so do not think much here.
Final Word
So, this is our take on some of the best 5 laptops available at different price ranges. All of them have some common features.
We chose every laptop with an i5 processor because we believe there should be no compromise in this aspect.
Although one may go with the next higher level of the processor, it depends on your requirements. While there are some features that make one different from the other.
The rest is your take, best of luck with your purchase!