If you’re a millennial, you’re part of a generation that was once used to grainy footage on TV. Do you remember the first time you saw an incredibly realistic visual on a high-tech TV? Perhaps that of a bird soaring or a field of flowers?
Few technologies can wow us as consistently as new screen technology. From cathode-ray tube (CRT) to liquid crystal display (LCD), and from video graphics array (VGA) to 4K and 8K – television screens have been stunning us with a procession of better, brighter, more vibrant and realistic displays.
But the most recent technological advancement – organic LED (OLED) screens – has changed the game. Featuring not just in TV screens but in some high-end laptops, smartphones and tablets as well, OLED screens allow each pixel in the screen panel to produce light when current is applied. It’s not only more energy-efficient, it has the capability of displaying true blacks, higher contrast and more accurate colours. The result is rich, realistic imagery, similar to what you’d see on a cinema screen.
So, if you’d like to elevate your viewing experience on the device you use most everyday – your laptop – now is your chance. We scoured Amazon for the best options, based on user reviews and high ratings, along with advice from Shahbaz Khan, a systems administrator for a Canadian software company, with over 10 years of experience in the information technology (IT) industry. Pick your favourite with Prime membership and get it delivered to you as early as tomorrow.
1. Best Overall: Dell XPS 9530
Pros
- Fast performance
- Brilliant OLED touch screen
- Excellent graphics card
- Premium build
Cons
- Limited USB ports
A 15.6-inch laptop that was released in 2023, Dell’s XPS 15 (9530) packs a punch, not just with its gorgeous edge-to-edge OLED touch screen, but also with what’s below its chassis. First, it’s decked out with quality materials – the keyboard is finished with a smooth carbon fibre material, and the exterior is sleek, with a display that’s nearly borderless. The picture quality on this device is brilliant, as expected. A dedicated Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics card with 6GB dedicated graphics RAM make it an ideal laptop for demanding video game titles and multimedia editing software. The Intel Core i7 processor is powerful enough to handle all your apps and tasks, and with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB solid-state drive (SSD), it allows for faster start-up, data transfers and plenty of file storage. On the downside, the laptop has limited connectivity, with only USB-C ports, although it does come with an adapter.
Bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh599.92 for 12 months with select banks.
2. Best Budget: Asus Zenbook 14 OLED
Pros
- Thin, lightweight design
- Fast, efficient performance
- Bright, vivid display
- Good port array
- Plenty of storage
Cons
- Surface is a fingerprint magnet
The Asus Zenbook 14 is a slim, ultra-portable laptop that offers fantastic specs for its affordable price. It uses an AMD Ryzen 7 processor that’s artificial intelligence or AI-enabled for fast, efficient multi-tasking. The slim, 14-inch OLED display offers crisp, clear visuals, along with wide viewing angles, and an 87 per cent screen-to-body ratio. There’s plenty of storage, thanks to its 1TB solid-state drive (SSD), and you’ll get fast network speeds because of Wi-Fi 6E compatibility. There’s no need to trouble yourself with dongles and adapters, either. The laptop offers a USB-A port, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a HDMI port and a headphone jack. Its 1080p webcam offers excellent colour reproduction and detail clarity for Zoom calls and online study sessions, and there’s a webcam shutter built in for privacy. Overall, it's an excellent Windows laptop to own, whether you’re a student or business professional. On the downside, you might find the laptop’s surface to be a fingerprint magnet. Reviewers say frequent cleaning with a microfibre cloth can help get rid of smudges.
Bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh314.92 for 12 months with select banks.
Warranty: Amazon offers one-year extended warranty by Salama Care for Dh397, one-year accidental damage protection for Dh380, and two-year damage protection with one-year extended warranty for Dh484.
3. Best Hybrid Laptop: Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 360
Pros
- Slim, lightweight design
- Stunning 3K AMOLED display
- Fantastic battery life
- Good array of ports
- Convertible form factor
Cons
- Expensive
- Stylus integration issues
A two-in-one laptop with a 360° hinge and a stylish all-metal chassis, Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 360 is slim, lightweight and ultra-portable. It stands out with its stunning 3K AMOLED (active-matrix organic LED) touch screen, which is a type of OLED display that offers incredibly fast refresh rates and better viewing angles. The 16-inch screen, with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, is a large canvas for content creators, artists, students and professionals, and you can use the included S Pen to work directly on the screen. A powerful Intel Core i7 12-core processor, 16GB of RAM and 1TB SSD combine forces to quickly load and help you multitask between applications. The laptop features a solid port selection, with the inclusion of a USB-A port, two USB-C ports, a HDMI port, a microSD card reader and an audio jack. It offers Wi-Fi 6E connectivity as well as Bluetooth, and has an extremely long battery life of up to 17 hours. On the downside, its hefty price tag may put off potential consumers. Some reviewers also comment that stylus integration needs improvement.
Bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh791.58 for 12 months with select banks.
4. Best Gaming Laptop: Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
Pros
- Elegant and lightweight
- Powerful performance and gaming speed
- Brilliant OLED panel with G-Sync support
- Wide array of ports
- Long battery life
Cons
- Keyboard lacks tactile feedback
- Limited configurations
The 2024 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is a fantastic combination of power, design and performance, and offers a sleek alternative to rugged and bulky gaming laptops. This 14-inch laptop features ROG’s first 3K OLED Nebula Display – and marks the first OLED laptop to support Nvidia G-Sync – so you can expect rich colours, true blacks, and lifelike content. The panel also has a 120Hz refresh rate that makes all gaming scenes look silky smooth. The laptop runs with a capable AMD Ryzen 7 processor and Windows 11 Pro system. While the keyboard lacks tactile feedback, you’ll feel a lot of travel, and the typing is well-cushioned; the keys are backlit with RGB lighting, though only across one zone. Despite its slim design, the port selection is satisfactory, according to reviewers, and it includes support for Wi-Fi 6E, and has a 1080p infrared camera that delivers clear picture quality for gamers who like to stream as they play. Another bonus: the laptop can last nearly 12 hours on a single charge. Overall, it’s an excellent, ultra-portable gaming laptop. However, if you are looking for different configurations within this model, you’ll find you’re limited in choice.
Bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh708.25 for 12 months with select banks.
Warranty: Amazon offers one-year extended warranty by Salama Care for Dh482, one-year accidental damage protection for Dh807, and two-year damage protection with one-year extended warranty for Dh1,029.
5. Best Chromebook: Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook
Pros
- Superb OLED display
- High-quality camera system
- Detachable keyboard
- Great battery life
Cons
- No audio jack
- Limited internet connectivity options
Looking for a Chrome operating system in tablet form, with an OLED screen? Check, check and check. Lenovo’s IdeaPad Duet 5 is a 13.3-inch two-in-one device that features a colourful, high-contrast OLED touch screen. It’s rare to see an OLED screen in a Chrome OS tablet, so Duet 5 delivers fabulously, with its high-res Full HD display. The full-sized keyboard here follows the standard Chromebook layout, but you can detach it when you just want to watch a movie in tablet mode. It can then snap right back on, for productivity tasks. The hybrid laptop features a rear 8MP and a front-facing 5MP camera, with 1080p FHD cameras for streaming and video calls. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 computing platform lets you multitask and play games speedily and securely. Four speakers on the device produce clear, resonant audio, according to reviewers. The laptop also offers excellent battery life, with up to 15 hours of run time. When it’s recharging, it can go back to 80 per cent in just an hour. Do note, however, that you’ll need to buy Bluetooth headphones for this device – there’s no audio jack. And although it functions as a tablet, you won’t be able to connect via 4G, 5G or LTE – it’s limited to Wi-Fi only.
Bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh156.32 for 12 months with select banks.
What makes an OLED screen different?
There’s a reason why OLED screens are so coveted in the digital tech world. In nearly every category, OLED screens outshine their counterparts, according to Khan.
He said: “OLED screens are known for generating vivid, accurate colours, and they also have better viewing angles because each pixel is a light source – the image stays consistent even when viewed from the side. This is not the case with cheaper panel technologies like in-plane switching (IPS) or twisted nematic (TN) displays.”
OLED screens are also more energy efficient, and have faster response times – often less than one millisecond – which translates to reduced motion blur in fast-moving scenes.
There are downsides to buying devices with these screens, though. Khan said: “OLED screens are susceptible to burn-in, where static images left on the screen for a long time can leave permanent marks. They’re also more expensive.” Most laptops do have various software-level mitigations to reduce the risk of burn-in, he added.
Our expert advised buying an OLED laptop if you’re a content creator, like a photographer or designer, since it may be crucial for you to see true blacks, the nuances of various colours, and finer details. Gamers and those who watch TV shows or movies on their laptops would also appreciate the aesthetics of an OLED screen.
Our recommendations are independently chosen by Gulf News editors. If you decide to shop through links on our website, we may earn an affiliate commission, as we are part of Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.
