Best laptop for freelancers 2021 Philippines

For many business tasks, a regular laptop display simply won't cut it - you need something with extra screen real estate.

With that in mind, allow us to introduce you to the LG Gram 17. It represents the pinnacle of laptop design right now, offering a huge 17in [2560x1600] display within a chassis that's just 17.8mm thick and 1.35kg in weight.

It's powered by the latest Intel Tiger Lake processors, as well as up to 16GB of RAM and a bumper 1TB SSD on high-end models. If that's not enough, you also get stellar battery life from the 80Wh cell.

The below-par trackpad and speakers - our two biggest complaints about the 2020 model - have also both been addressed by LG, making this the best big-screened laptop you can buy.

If you're looking for something slightly smaller, the LG Gram 16 is also an excellent option.

The MateBook 14s is the best laptop you can buy right now, making it an easy recommendation for business users.

It's one of the few consumer laptops to have a 90Hz display, making everything on the 14.2in, 2560x1680 display feel more fluid and responsive. It works in tandem with Intel's 11th-gen chips - you get a choice of i5 or i7 here - for excellent performance, even without a discrete GPU.

The keyboard is also one of the best you'll find anywhere, and Huawei has even returned the webcam to its rightful place above the display. You also get all-day battery life [for most tasks] and quad speakers, all within an 1.43kg chassis. If you don't need the extra screen real estate of the LG Gram devices, this is the next best thing for on-the-go business.

The release of the M1 chip has transformed the MacBook Air from a solid everyday device to one of the most powerful laptops you can buy.

Compared to the Intel version, Apple's new processor delivers incredible improvements to performance and power efficiency, with the latter delivering a big boost to battery life.

Much of the rest of the device is unchanged, although you do get the much-improved Magic Keyboard.

You also shouldn't overlook the wide range of software that's either pre-installed or free to download on macOS - everything from Pages and Keynote to GarageBand and iMovie are included at no extra cost. This may avoid the need to spend extra on software.

Be warned though, the webcam and port selection still isn't great, while you're limited to just one external display.

If you ever need to carry out important business on-the-go, the problems of a heavy laptop will be all too familiar. The Acer Swift 5 emphatically solves this, weighing in at just 1.05kg, without sacrificing performance.

It features Intel's 11th-gen processors [i5 or i7], alongside 8/16GB RAM and a 512GB/1TB SSD. These high-end models are also where you'll find the option for Nvidia's MX350 discrete GPU. Battery life is also a real highlight, comfortably lasting a full working day on a single charge.

Acer has also managed to fit a 14in, Full HD touchscreen within an impressively thin chassis, while you also get a decent port selection and 720p webcam. It's an excellent option for business.

You may also be interested in the 2021 version of the Swift 5.

Huawei has once again made an extremely luxurious laptop which will suit business users who want just about everything to be high-end.

The design is especially attractive so the X Pro is a great choice if you want to make a statement when you get it out of your bag at a meeting.

There's plenty of power on offer too with up to an Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, Nvidia MX250 graphics and 1TB storage. We're also in love with the keyboard, although the webcam is awkwardly placed here so this isn't a good choice if you need to make regular video calls.

The Galaxy Book Pro 360 is the best 2-in-1 laptop you can buy, but it's equally adept at being used for business.

As the name suggests, the device has a 360-degree hinge, meaning it can be used at an angle to suit your workflow. Powerful 11th-gen Intel chips deliver great performance, while battery life is a highlight thanks to the 68Wh cell.

The included S-Pen attaches magnetically to the back of the device, allowing for easy note-taking and digital artwork. A Full HD AMOLED display is also impressive, although it doesn't get particularly bright.

It would also be great to have a dedicated GPU, especially at this premium price point. Still, this is definitely worth considering unless you need a business laptops for the most demanding tasks.

The Surface Pro 7+ is specifically aimed at business and education customers, making it a great option for on-the-go productivity.

It's now powered by Intel's 11th-gen processors, alongside Iris Xe graphics and up to 32GB of RAM. As you might expect, the performance is excellent. High-end configurations also offer 1TB of storage, but you probably won't need that much - the Pro 7+ has a removable SSD.

Other business-friendly upgrades include 4G LTE connectivity on selected models and much-improved battery life.

Microsoft's persistence with a dated design won't be much of an issue here, although it can get expensive. The starting price is significantly higher, while you'll need to buy a Type Cover to make the most of it.

Dell has its Latitude business range, but the XPS should be considered too with the XPS 13 being one of the best laptops around for many years.

The 9310 is the second model for 2020, introducing 11th-gen Intel Tiger Lake processors and improved thermals. It's still not perfect but a decent upgrade in this department.

It's really a spec refresh so the XPS 13 still has astunning display [now 16:10], best-in-class keyboard and various design improvements. However, the price is a little steep and ports are limited.

If you're looking for something slightly different, Dell's XPS 13 Plus for 2022 introduces several new features.

The Surface Book line might be the obvious choice when it comes to a business laptop but we think the Surface Laptop 4 is better for most people.

This latest model has only minor upgrades over its predecessor, but a choice of capable Intel or AMD chips and a useful boost in battery life will be enough for newcomers to choose it over the Surface Laptop 3.

You can choose between 13.5in and 15in models once again, with both benefitting from an excellent touchscreen display. The premium experience is topped off by a smooth Alcantara fabric on some 13.5in models.

However, this is very much a cautious upgrade from Microsoft. We're still waiting for an updated design, so you'll have to make do with the sizeable bezels. An annoying fan also kicks in regularly, and it quickly gets expensive if you want a lot of power.

Like all the PCs in this list, it's eligible for a free upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11. All that makes it an impressive all-round laptop, albeit with few standout features.

If display and portability are your top priorities, the ZenBook Flip S is a great option.

It comes with a gorgeous 13.3in 4K OLED panel, one of the very best on the market, while coming in at just 13.9mm thick and 1.2kg in weight. There's also Thunderbolt 4 support and 1TB of SSD storage.

That slim chassis counts against it, though - the performance from Intel's 11th-gen chip is noticeably limited as a result. You also miss out on a headphone jack and fingerprint sensor.

Nonetheless, the Flip S is a powerful, premium device that's worth considering.

We've come to associate Chrome OS with budget devices that are only suitable for basic use, but that's not the case here.

HP's Chromebook x360 14c is a convertible which packs a punch, benefitting from great performance despite its i3 processor. That's helped by 8GB of RAM and the simplicity of Chrome OS, which makes for an extremely fast and responsive experience.

The attractive 14in Full HD touchscreen is another highlight, although it is very reflective in bright environments. You also get the extra functionality from a 360-degree hinge, perfect for when you're limited on space.

There's also great audio and a decent range of ports. Just make sure Chrome OS offers everything you need before purchasing.