The 5 Best Touchscreen Laptops Under $500 Reviewed
Touchscreen laptops are becoming more and more popular, with many leading laptop brands creating fully touchscreen laptops or laptops that have the ability to be used as a two in one with touchscreen capabilities.
They have a reputation of being on the pricey side, however, there are some incredible deals that you can get for under $500.
This article is going to show you exactly what to look for when you are purchasing a touchscreen laptop with a price limit of $500 with our handy and informative Buyers’ Guide.
We will also be giving you a rundown of 5 of our top picks of the Best Touchscreen Laptops under $500 that are available to buy right now. So without further ado, let’s get started.
In a rush? Don’t you worry. Check out our top pick here and read below to find out a little more about it.
Best Touchscreen Laptops Under $500
1. HP Stream Touchscreen Laptop
First up we have the lauded HP Stream Touchscreen Laptop.
This thin, lightweight laptop is ideal for work, school, and web browsing.
It comes in a range of colors, including the sleek and stylish chromatic rose pink, and a sophisticated royal blue.
In terms of specs, this small but mighty piece of machinery boasts two processors, making it more than capable of doing everything you will need it to do.
It can also reach speeds of 2.2 GHz giving it the speed that is so desired with all laptops.
In terms of battery life, this has almost 9 hours of guaranteed battery life with every charge, which is very impressive and should suit most needs.
The screen is 14 inches wide, with a BrightView panel for clear, glare-free viewing. The weight is 2.90 lbs making it lightweight enough for frequent transportation.
We really feel this product has the most bang for your buck, because not only does it boast these incredible specs, but it also comes complete with one-year of free Microsoft Office 365. It also has 1TB of Cloud Storage.
- Thin and light laptop for work, school, and play: With office 365 and 1 TB of cloud storage, this device combines functionality, connectivity, style, and value.
- Office 365 personal for one year: Get full access to Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, OneNote, access, and 1 TB of OneDrive storage for one year
- Bios recovery and protection: Automatically checks the health of your PC, protects against unauthorized access, secures local storage and recovers itself from boot-up issues
- Processor: AMD dual-core a4-9120e processor, 1.5 GHz up to 2.2 GHz
- Display: 14-inch diagonal HD SVA bright View WLED-backlit display (1366 x 768)
2. Acer Chromebook Spin
A very close second is the Acer Chromebook Spin.
This impressive piece of tech is a two-in-one laptop that can be turned into a tablet, as well as being used as a laptop.
Because it is a Chromebook, it runs on Chrome OS. This means it is easy to use and understand, guaranteeing customers ease of use, convenience, and efficiency.
It has a very impressive ten-hour battery life, meaning you can take it on your commute, use it all day, and then use it on your commute on the way back home again.
It has a dual-core processor and has up to 2.4 GHz processing speed. This means it will be as fast as possible for its users and will enable the running of numerous applications, pieces of software, and more.
The touchscreen is 11.6 inches in width, making it the perfect size to use as a compact laptop and tablet. It is perfect to just pop into your bag when traveling.
It can also be used in what is known as tent mode to hold the laptop up, which makes it perfect for watching your favorite show or movie.
It is also super lightweight at just 2.76 lbs.
- Chromebook runs on Chrome OS - an operating system by Google that is built for the way we live today. It comes with built-in virus protection, updates automatically, boots up in seconds and continues to stay fast over time. (Internet connection is required).
- All the Google apps you know and love come standard on every Chromebook, which means you can edit, download, and convert Microsoft Office files in Google Docs, Sheets and Slides
- With the Google Play Store, you can access a rich library of apps, games, music, movies, TV, books, magazines, and more, all from your Chromebook.
- Chromebooks come with built-in storage for offline access to your most important files and an additional 100GB of Google Drive space to ensure that all of your files are backed up automatically.
- Convertible Chromebook with Intel Celeron N3350, 11.6” HD Touch Display, 4GB Memory, 32GB eMMC and Up to 10-hour Battery Life
3. HP Chromebook X360
Next up we have yet another two-in-one laptop.
The HP Chromebook x360 is a fantastic choice for those who want the convenience of a tablet, but the added bonus of having laptop capabilities.
It is fully touchscreen with Micro-Edge HD, but with the added keyboard to make it a laptop. It also supports the USI stylus which can be purchased separately.
It can be used in tent mode which is perfect for drawing on apps such as Procreate, and also for watching shows and movies. In tablet mode, you can take notes as easily as you would with paper and pen due to its uber natural feel.
The processor count is two, meaning that it is competitive with other products on the market. It also has an impressive 2.6GHz speed.
These specs mean that it can easily handle all the things you could possibly want to do on your laptop – and trust us, this laptop offers many desirable features through the Google Play Store where you can download almost anything you could think of.
Lastly, the battery life of this laptop has an impressive 12.5 hours with every charge! A very good choice, we think!
- The performance you'll applaud. The entertainment you'll love: versatile Chromebook packed with performance features you want and long battery life so you can play, chat and create longer
- Thin and light with four versatile modes: easily convert from laptop mode to tablet, stand or tent mode for notetaking, drawing and other daily activities that feel as natural as pen on paper
- Google play store: the millions of Android apps you know and love on your phone and tablet can now run on your chrome device without compromising their speed, simplicity or security
- Processor: intel(r) celeron(r) N4000, Dual-Core, 1.1 GHz Base frequency, up to 2.6 GHz burst frequency
- Display: 14.0-Inch diagonal HD SVA micro-edge WLED-backlit multitouch-enabled edge-to-edge glass touchscreen (1366 x 768)
4. Lenovo 2-in-1 Convertible Chromebook
Lenovo’s 2-in-1 Convertible Chromebook is a perfect choice for someone who wants convenience as well as style.
The sophisticated blizzard white color looks sleek and sophisticated, but the power in this laptop is what really sets it apart from others.
It boasts a whopping four processors, making it more powerful in terms of cores than any other laptops on this list. It also has a competitive 2.16GHz clock speed. We all know what that means, right? More speed means the possibility of more power!
At 2.6lbs in weight and a screen of 11.6 inches, this lightweight laptop is perfect for use whilst on the go, but can just as easily be used in the office or at home.
The laptop description tells us that there are 45 Watt-Hours in the battery, which, translated into actual hours means that it is very powerful and long-lasting.
It runs on Google Chrome OS, ensuring that the user has ease of use due to its simple to use system. It can be transformed easily into a tablet too, making it perfect for drawing and note taking.
- 11. 6" HD (1366x768) 10-point Multi-touch IPS 300nits Anti-glare Display. Integrated PowerVR GX6250 Graphics
- MediaTek MT8173C Quad-Core Base Clock Speed 1. 3 GHz, Maximum Boost Speed 2. 16 GHz (4C, 2x A72 @ 2. 1GHz + 2x A53 @ 1. 7GHz)
- 4GB Soldered LPDDR3-1866 Memory, 32GB eMMC 5. 1, No Optical Drive
- 802. 11a/g/n/ac, 1x1 + BT4. 2, 720p HD webcam, 1 x USB 3. 1 Gen 1 Type-C, 1 x USB 3. 1 Gen 1 Type-A, 1 x HDMI, 1 x 1/8" (3. 5 mm)
- Google Chrome OS; Blizzard White
5. HP Chromebook HD Touchscreen Laptop
Last but by no means least is the HP Chromebook HD Touchscreen Laptop.
This impressive laptop with excellent touchscreen capabilities may not be much to look at with its simple but sleek black design, but take it from us, you will be impressed.
The fantastic ten-hour battery means you can surf the web for hours without having to worry about a flat battery.
With two core processors and speeds of up to 2.4 GHz, this powerful PC will be able to handle anything you throw at it (figuratively, of course, please don’t actually throw objects at the laptop!).
It is super thin at 0.7 inches, which makes up for its slightly heavier weight of 3.4lbs. It is still super lightweight, though, and fits easily into laptop bags and backpacks alike, making it easier to take with you on your travels.
The touchscreen display is super clear and easy to use, and it uses Chrome as its operating system, meaning it is compatible with all Google apps.
This is a perfect choice for those who want a touch screen laptop but without the tablet. Sometimes plain and simple truly is the way to go!
- 14-inch Touchscreen HD (1366 x 768 ) WLED backlight Display, Built-in cloud support, Built-in virus, protection and Google products, No Optical Drive
- Intel Celeron N3350 dual-core 1.1GHz (2M Cache, Turbo boost up to 2.4GHz) Processor, Intel HD Graphics 500
- 4GB system Memory, 32GB eMMc Flash memory for basic multitasking adequate high-bandwidth RAM to smoothly run multiple applications and browser tabs all at once
- 802.11AC Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB 2.0, Built-in media reader for simple photo transfer, HP truevision HD Webcam
- Google Chrome OS, Battery life up to 10 hrs, weighs 3.4 lbs. And measures 0.7" Thin
Touchscreen Laptop Buyers Guide
Now you know exactly what we think are the best touchscreen laptops for under $500, it’s time for us to tell you what you should be looking for when you are deciding what to purchase.
The factors we considered when choosing our top five picks for you are detailed below, so you can be sure that whatever you pick will be perfect for what you need.
There are a number of things that should be considered when you are buying a touchscreen laptop. This little Buyers’ Guide will detail all of the features you should be on the lookout for.
So keep on reading for our breakdown of cool capabilities you should want for your new laptop….
Two-in-One Laptop Capabilities and 360 Degree Movement
One of the coolest things that these new-fangled touchscreen laptops can do is transform into a tablet in front of your eyes.
No, we don’t mean magic, it doesn’t disappear into a cloud of smoke and glitter and then reappears as a tablet.
Something even more interesting can be done. These laptops can actually be flipped tucking away the keyboard and allowing you to just use the screen, along with its touchscreen capabilities.
It is important to note that not all touchscreen laptops have two-in-one capabilities, nor do they all have the ability to be flexibly moved using 360-degree movement.
It is not a must-have when purchasing a touchscreen laptop, but it is certainly something that is desired by many customers.
In fact, you can buy a number of terrifically powerful touchscreen laptops that are not able to be used as two-in-one, particularly the two featured above, one of which is our top pick of them all!
The difference is that typically, a laptop that can be used as two-in-one is much lighter and thinner than a normal laptop that just has touchscreen capabilities.
They still have all the key elements of a laptop but in a much smaller device.
This certainly should be considered, as usually when you conduct an internet search for touchscreen laptops, lots of the options shown are two-in-one, so it is definitely something to think about.
For more information on this topic, watch this video:
Consider the weight and size
We have already touched on the weight of a laptop, but we have decided it should have its own section, as this is something that is so important to consider.
As we have already said, touchscreen laptops that have two-in-one features tend to be far lighter. This is certainly a consideration that should be made if you plan to use your touchscreen laptop on the go, as lugging around a desktop replacement laptop is no fun.
In general, for a touchscreen laptop, most users want it for its ease of use, rather than for being a sturdy, extremely powerful piece of machinery.
For this reason, it should be lightweight, easy to transport to school or on public transport, and should be light enough that it can just pop in your handbag or backpack.
This is especially true if you want to use it for apps and software such as those used by art students for graphic design or photo editing. These are the sort of apps that can be used easily on the go, and so you want your device to be light enough to accommodate that too.
In terms of the numbers, the ideal weight that you should look for in your touchscreen laptop will depend on your personal preference. Typically though, they weigh between two and four pounds (lbs), with some being even lighter.
The same can be said for the size of the laptop, too. Touchscreen devices like tablets tend to be on the smaller size, and you would likely want your touchscreen laptop to be just as compact.
Anything too big and bulky will affect the ease of use and transportation of the device. Of course, this fully depends on your preferences, but generally, the better laptops with a touchscreen option have screens that are between eleven and fifteen inches.
Battery Life
Another consideration that is pertinent for any laptop, regardless of touchscreen abilities, is battery life. The reason laptops are so popular is because compared to a desktop computer, they are totally portable.
They do not need to be plugged into mains electric, except when charging. This means they can be transported and used in most places.
This is particularly helpful for those who have to work on the go, rather than being sat at a desk. However, nothing ruins the portability of a laptop faster than bad battery life.
For this reason, we recommend that purchasing a laptop that has a good battery life is at the top of your list.
How long the battery lasts should be a preference based on what you need.
For example, some people will want their laptops to last twelve hours without being plugged in, others will not need quite that long of battery life, with nine or ten hours being adequate for them.
Of course, you may not mind having to plug it in often if you can stay at a desk when using it.
Typically, we do recommend that you look for a laptop with around ten hours of battery life in each charge.
It is worth bearing in mind that it needs a full charge to get the full capacity of battery life and that over time, it is normal for battery life to decrease slightly.
Ease of use
A short but sweet section, but one that should be considered nonetheless.
Typically, customers who are looking for touchscreen laptops, especially those that have two-in-one capabilities want something easy to use and not overly complicated.
This is particularly pertinent for those who want to use it as a tablet. Tablets tend to be simple to use and convenient. Your touchscreen laptop should be just as convenient.
Speed
While it is unlikely that users would want a touchscreen laptop for heavy programs and games, speed should still be considered. While these types of machines won’t keep up with a quality gaming laptop, they still have plenty of horsepower for common applications.
Touchscreen laptops tend to be popular with users of editing software, and graphic design apps such as Procreate. For this reason, they may have multiple windows open – photos, email, the software, and much more.
You do not want a laptop that struggles to keep up with the demand for having so many tabs open. This should also be considered as an important factor for students or workers who will need it for multiple things.
We recommend looking for a laptop with at least two core processors, and even more, if you expect to use lots of apps, pieces of software, and windows.
In terms of CPU speed, look for at the very least 1.1 GHz but we do recommend more – some of the better laptops on the market have 2.6GHz speed.
Final Word
So, there ya have it – a bunch of the best touchscreen laptops under $500, and an extremely informative Buyers’ Guide telling you exactly what to look for when you decide to purchase one for yourself.
In general, it seems you have one of two choices – a two-in-one laptop that can transform into a touchscreen tablet, or a laptop that has touchscreen capabilities.
Whatever you decide on, be sure to consider our recommended products first, and consult our handy Buyers’ Guide to ensure you pick the most perfect PC.