Five 13-inch laptops that you may consider buying in 2016; price and availability details

Most of the 13-inch laptops are best suitable for business travellers or university students as they are easy to carry and portable. Here are the five laptops that you might consider buying this year.

Dell XPS 13 (2015)

Dell just added a 6th-generation Intel Skylake processor, Thunderbolt 3 port and a higher-capacity battery to its much appreciated XPS 13 at the CES 2016. The device sports a 13.3-inch display and comes in two variants - a 3,200 x 1,800 pixel touchscreen panel and a 1,920 x 1,080 pixel non-touch model.

The non-touch version of XPS 13 powered by Intel Core i5 processor features 4GB of RAM coupled with 128GB of internal storage capacity. The base model sports Intel Core i3, 4GB RAM and 128GB in-built storage. According to Laptop Mag review, the compact device runs for more than nine hours on single charge.

Where to buy :

The amazingly thin and light laptop is available on Amazon at US$799.99 (AU$1129), down from US$2358 (AU$3328). Read the Dell XPS 13 review roundup to know more.

Related: Dell XPS 13 gets a graphics upgrade

Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015)

The MacBook Air features a 13.3-inch LED-backlit 1440 x 900 pixel panel. The incorporation of the dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, increased flash storage and Intel HD Graphics 6000 has largely enhanced the overall performance of the device.

The 13-inch Air also sports a Thunderbolt 2 port, two USB 3.0 ports and an SD card slot. On a Laptop Mag battery test the 13-inch MacBook Air lasted for a whopping 14 hours. On Geekbench 2 the 13-inch Air scored 5,783 in overall performance, surpassing Dell XPS 13 with 5,530 score.

Where to buy :

Amazon sells it at US$901 (AU$1271), which was previously priced at US$999.99 (AU$1411). You can also purchase the device from Adorama at $949 (AU$1339).

Lenovo Yoga 900

The Lenovo 2-in-1 Yoga 900 comes with a stunningly sleek design with strong performance. The super thin laptop features a Quad HD pixel-dense 3200 x 1800 13.3-inch display. The convertible laptop is powered by an Intel Core i7-6500U CPU; houses 16GB of RAM and a 512GB of native storage

Where to buy :

The 13-inch Lenovo Yoga 900 is available on Amazon at a discounted price of US$1,312 (AU$1851). This translates to an 18 percent discount and saves US$288 (AU$406).

HP Spectre x360

The device sports a 13.3-inch FHD LED-backlit touchscreen display with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080. According to Tech Radar, it is one of the most recommended 2-in-1 hybrid laptops in the market.

Powered by an Intel Core i5-5200 processor paired with Intel HD Graphics 5500, the HP Spectre x360 comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. There is also a high-end model with Core i7 processor on board.

Where to buy :

Best Buy offers the HP Spectre x360 at US$799.99 (AU$1128).

Toshiba Kirabook (2015)

The premium 13.3-inch laptop sports a high resolution (2560 x 1440) display screen, powerful Intel Core i7 processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of native storage. The Kirabook is light yet sturdy and come packed with three USB 3.0 ports, an SD card slot and a HDMI for video output. According to CNET review the Kirabook is one of the high-end Windows alternatives to Apple Retina MacBook Pro.

Where to buy :

Amazon retails the laptop at US$1399.99 (AU$1976).