This guide is crafted for mobile professionals, students, frequent travelers, and anyone craving portability without sacrificing functionality. If you’re seeking a 12-inch laptop that’s compact enough to slip into a small bag but still powerful enough to support your daily tasks—this guide is for you.
We’ve written it for you, but built it with our expertise. Together, we’ll break down exactly what to look for, how to assess performance in a small form factor, and which devices actually deliver.
There’s a gap between portability and power, and 12-inch laptops aim to fill it. Carrying a bulky laptop may make you uncomfortable during your commute. Or worse—your device won’t cut it during a Zoom call with ten tabs open
Still, choosing the right one isn’t simple.
Limited space introduces real design challenges: battery life, cooling efficiency, screen clarity, keyboard spacing, and port variety all shrink. Not every manufacturer gets the balance right. And you can’t afford a compromise that leaves you stuck with lag, cramped input, or a washed-out display.
We zero in on 12-inch laptops that succeed at being both compact and capable. You’ll find devices that run full desktop operating systems, offer responsive touchscreens, solid-state storage, and long battery endurance.
To help you identify the best options, we examine the following key criteria:
Processor Performance
Most 12-inch laptops use Intel Core i5 or i7 U-series chips, Apple’s M-series, or ARM-based Qualcomm Snapdragon platforms. We only include models that provide smooth multitasking, app responsiveness, and low idle power consumption.
RAM and Storage
We recommend 8GB as a minimum, although 16GB is preferred for multitaskers. Storage should be at least 512GB SSD, allowing you to boot quickly and store key files offline.
Display Quality
We prioritize 1920×1080 (Full HD) resolution or higher. Touchscreen functionality is a plus—especially when paired with 2-in-1 or detachable designs. We assess brightness (above 300 nits) and color accuracy for media consumption and creative work.
Portability and Build
Weight should be under 2.8 lbs (1.3 kg), and thickness under 0.7 inches. We give higher scores to metal builds, keyboard durability, and hinge strength.
Battery Life
A true 12-inch performer should last at least 8 hours on real-world usage, spanning browsers, office apps, and video.
Keyboard and Input
Even with reduced dimensions, the keyboard must offer proper travel and spacing. Touchpad quality, palm rejection, and pen support (where applicable) are evaluated closely.
Connectivity
USB-C with charging, optional Thunderbolt 4, headphone jacks, and Wi-Fi 6/6E are essential. You shouldn’t need dongles for every basic connection.
A 12-inch laptop suits users who are:
- Frequent flyers needing compact carry-on tech
- Students attending lectures, researching, writing
- Consultants, real estate agents, field professionals
- Minimalists who need high-function computing in a tiny footprint
- Remote workers switching between home, coworking spaces, and coffee shops
These devices work great for note-taking, browser-based work, video conferencing, email, and basic content editing. Some models even offer pen support, LTE/5G connectivity, or tablet conversion, making them ideal for mobile-first workflows.
Depending on your budget, you get different designs, storage capacity, RAM and processors. So, here is a list of the best 12 inch laptops. You can get different brands such as Microsoft Surface, Dell, Lenovo, Samsung, HP, Asus, LG, and Acer. You can also check out best 11 inch laptops in addition to the best 13 inch laptops.
Best 12 inch Laptops:
Contents
- Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Laptop
- Samsung Galaxy Book 12 2 in 1
- Acer Switch 3 Laptop
- Dell Latitude 12 7000 7285 2-IN-1 Business Laptop
- Dell Inspiron 11 3000 11.6 inch Laptop
- HP 2-in-1 12.3 Touch-Screen Chromebook
- Lenovo Miix 630 Laptop
- Lenovo Yoga 720 2 in 1 Laptop
- Asus C302CA-DHM4 Chromebook Flip 12.5-Inch
- ASUS ZenBook 3 Laptop
- Samsung Galaxy TabPro S Laptop
- Apple 13 Inch MacBook Air Laptop i5-8GB RAM-256GB
- Microsoft Surface Pro 4
- Huawei MateBook E Signature Edition 2-in-1 Laptop
- LG Gram 13Z980-U.AAW5U1 Laptop
- Huawei MateBook X Signature Edition Laptop
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Laptop
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| CPU | 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1005G1, i5-1035G4, i7-1065G7 |
| GPU | Intel® UHD Graphics (i3), Intel® Iris™ Plus Graphics (i5, i7) |
| Display Size | 12.3” PixelSense™ Display |
| Display Resolution | 2736 x 1824 (267 PPI) |
| RAM | 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB LPDDR4x RAM |
| Storage Space | SSD 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1T |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | USB-C, USB-A, 3.5mm Headphone Jack, Crad Reader |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 11.5” x 7.9” x 0.33” (292 mm x 201 mm x 8.5 mm) |
| Weight | 1.74 lb (790 g) |
| Pros | Performance, Design,Portable and Lightweight |
| Cons | Quite expensive |
Samsung Galaxy Book 12 2 in 1
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|
| CPU | 7th Gen Intel Core i5 Processor (2.5GHz up to 3.1GHz) |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics |
| Display Size | 12 inches |
| Display Resolution | 2160x1440 pixels |
| RAM | 4GB DDR3-1866 SDRAM |
| Storage Space | 128GB Solid State Drive |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | USB, Audio Jack, SD Card Reader |
| Dimensions (L x H x W) | 14.4 x 0.3 x 7.8 inches |
| Weight | 1.66 pounds |
| Pros | Performance, Price, Lightweight and Portable, Long battery life |
| Cons | Storage capacity |
Acer Switch 3 Laptop
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|
| CPU | Intel Pentium N4200 Quad-Core Processor (Up to 2.5GHz) |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 505 |
| Display Size | 12.2 inches |
| Display Resolution | Full HD 1920 x 1080 |
| RAM | 4GB of LPDDR3 |
| Storage Space | 64GB Internal Storage |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | 1 - USB 3.1 (Type C) port supporting USB 3.1 Gen 1 (up to 5 Gbps), DisplayPort over USB-C, USB Charging 5 V; 3A, DC-in port 20 V, 45 W (Tablet), 1 - USB 3.1 (Type A) port |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 11.61 x 7.91 x 0.64 inches |
| Weight | 2.76 pounds |
| Pros | Lightweight and Portable, Long battery life |
| Cons | Performance |
Dell Latitude 12 7000 7285 2-IN-1 Business Laptop
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| CPU | 7th Gen Intel Core i5-7Y54 1.20 GHz (Turbo 3.20 GHz, 2 Cores 4 Threads, 4MB SmartCache) |
| GPU | Integrated Intel HD Graphics 615 |
| Display Size | 12.3 inches |
| Display Resolution | 2880 x 1920 pixels |
| RAM | 8 GB 1866 MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM |
| Storage Space | 256GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Pro |
| Ports | 2 USB Type-C Thunderbolt 3, Micro SD 3.0 Memory card reader, |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 8.2 x 10.8 x 0.28 inches |
| Weight | 1.5 pounds, 0.68 kg |
| Pros | Lightweight and Portable |
| Cons | Does not come with keyboard |
Dell Inspiron 11 3000 11.6 inch Laptop
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| CPU | AMD Dual-Core A9-9420e Processor, 2.60GHz Base Frequency, 2MB Smartcache |
| GPU | AMD Radeon R5 Graphics |
| Display Size | 11.6 inches |
| Display Resolution | HD ( 1366 x 768 ) |
| RAM | 4GB 2400MHz DDR4 SDRAM |
| Storage Space | 500GB Hard Disk Drive |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | 1 x HDMI, 1 x USB 3.1, 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x Media Card Reader, 1 x combo headphone / microphone Jack |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 8 x 11.5 x 0.8 inches |
| Weight | 4.7 pounds |
| Pros | Lightweight, Performance |
| Cons | |
HP 2-in-1 12.3 Touch-Screen Chromebook
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|
| CPU | Intel Core M3-7Y30 Dual Core Processor 1.0GHz |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 615 |
| Display Size | 12.3 inches |
| Display Resolution | 2400 x 1600 |
| RAM | 4 GB LPDDR3-1600 SDRAM |
| Storage Space | 32GB eMMC |
| Operating System | Chrome OS |
| Ports | USB, HDMI, SD Card |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 11.5 x 8.32 x 0.32 in |
| Weight | 3.06 lbs |
| Pros | Lightweight, Affordable, Display quality |
| Cons | Storage capacity |
Lenovo Miix 630 Laptop
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|
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 |
| GPU | Adreno 540 |
| Display Size | 12 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Storage Space | 128GB SSD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 S |
| Ports | USB, Audio Jack |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 8.3 x 11.5 x 0.28 in |
| Weight | 1.7 lbs |
| Pros | Lightweight, Portable |
| Cons | NA |
Lenovo Yoga 720 2 in 1 Laptop
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|
| CPU | 7th Gen Intel Core i3-7100U processor |
| GPU | Intel Graphics 620 |
| Display Size | 12.5 inches |
| Display Resolution | Full HD (1920 x 1080) |
| RAM | 4GB DDR4 |
| Storage Space | 128GB Solid State Drive |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | 1 x USB 3.0; 1 x USB Type-C; Bluetooth 4.1; Wireless-AC; Built-in Webcam with microphone; Built-in fingerprint reader; Headphone/Microphone combo jack |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 11.5 x 8 x 0.6 inches |
| Weight | 2.65 pounds |
| Pros | Performance, Lightweight |
| Cons | None |
Asus C302CA-DHM4 Chromebook Flip 12.5-Inch
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|
| CPU | Intel Core M3 |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 515 |
| Display Size | 12.5 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage Space | 64GB SSD |
| Operating System | Chrome OS |
| Ports | USB, Audio Jack |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 8.3 x 12 x 0.5 inches |
| Weight | 2.65 pounds |
| Pros | Lightweight and Portable |
| Cons | Storage Capacity |
ASUS ZenBook 3 Laptop
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|
| CPU | Intel Core i7 2.7GHz 7500U |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics |
| Display Size | 12.5 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| RAM | 16GB of 2133MHz DDR3 |
| Storage Space | 512 GB Flash Memory Solid State |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | USBs, HDMI, Audio Jack |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 7.5 x 11.7 x 0.5 inches |
| Weight | 2.1 pounds |
| Pros | Display, Performance |
| Cons | NA |
Samsung Galaxy TabPro S Laptop
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|
| CPU | Intel Core m3-6Y30 0.9GHz dual core Processor (4M Cache, Max turbo frequency 2.20 GHz) |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 515 |
| Display Size | 12 inches |
| Display Resolution | 2160 x 1440 pixels |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage Space | 256 GB SSD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | USB, HDMI, Ethernet, Audio Jack, SD Card Reader |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 11.4 x 0.2 x 7.8 inches |
| Weight | 1.5 lbs. |
| Pros | Lightweight, Battery life |
| Cons | None |
Apple 13 Inch MacBook Air Laptop i5-8GB RAM-256GB
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|
| CPU | Dual-core 8th-Generation Intel Core i5 Processor |
| GPU | Intel UHD Graphics 616 |
| Display Size | 13.3 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1440 x 900 pixels |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage Space | 256GB SSD |
| Operating System | MacOS |
| Ports | 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 0.61, 11.97. 8.36 inches |
| Weight | 2.75 pounds (1.25 kg) |
| Pros | Portable and Lightweight, Long battery life, Performance |
| Cons | Storage capacity |
Microsoft Surface Pro 4
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|
| CPU | Intel Core M processor |
| GPU | Intel |
| Display Size | 12.3 inches |
| Display Resolution | 2736x1824 pixels |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Storage Space | 128 GB |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | USB, Mini Display, Audio Jack, SD Card Reader |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 15.17 x 9.21 x 1.58 inches |
| Weight | 1.7 pounds |
| Pros | Lightweight, Design, Portable, Long battery life |
| Cons | None |
Huawei MateBook E Signature Edition 2-in-1 Laptop
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|
| CPU | 7th Generation Intel Core M3 processor |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 615 |
| Display Size | 12 inches |
| Display Resolution | 2160x1440 |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Storage Space | 128 GB M.2 SATA3 SSD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | USBs |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 10.98 x 0.27 x 7.64 inches |
| Weight | 2.43 pounds |
| Pros | Price, Display Quality |
| Cons | Storage Capacity |
LG Gram 13Z980-U.AAW5U1 Laptop
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|
| CPU | Intel 8th Generation i5-8250U CPU |
| GPU | Intel UHD Graphics 620 |
| Display Size | 13.3 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Storage Space | 256 GB Flash Memory Solid State |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | USB, HDMI, LAN |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 12 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches |
| Weight | 2.07 pounds |
| Pros | Performance, Display |
| Cons | Storage Capacity |
Huawei MateBook X Signature Edition Laptop
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|
| CPU | Intel Core i7 processor |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 620 |
| Display Size | 13 inches |
| Display Resolution | 2160x1440 |
| RAM | 8 GB LPDDR3 |
| Storage Space | M.2 NVME 256 GB SSD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | Mate Dock 2: USB-A port, USB-C port, HDMI port and VGA port |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 11.26 x 0.49 x 8.31 in |
| Weight | 2.31 lbs |
| Pros | Portable, Good Performance, Affordable |
| Cons | Storage might be inadequate for some people |