Skip to main content

At CES 2019, 2-in-1s fade as premium laptops fight the battle of the bezels

They say everything old eventually becomes cool again. At CES, it seems laptops are the latest tech to enjoy a resurgence. Laptops never went away – far from it — but the 2-in-1 took the limelight during the last few shows. For a time, it seemed the 2-in-1 might replace the laptop entirely.

No more. This year, those versatile computers felt sidelined, if updates were announced at all. The most notable 2-in-1s were a pair of gaming PCs from Acer and Asus. In their stead there was a salvo of premium laptops from Acer, Asus, Dell, Razer, and Lenovo, plus new gaming laptops with Nvidia RTX 20-series graphics.

Thinner bezels banish tablet mode

The rise of premium laptops and the neglect of 2-in-1s are undoubtedly related, and it all comes back to the bezels. Shaving them down was the number one priority for most laptop manufacturers at CES 2019. It’s the culmination of a trend the Dell XPS 13 started several years ago.

Asus ZenBook S13 Hands-on UX392
Dan Baker/Digital Trends

Dell set the style. Now, everyone’s falling suite. And as is so often the case, some imitators have managed to leapfrog their inspiration. Asus, Acer, and Lenovo all showed laptops with bezels thinner than the XPS 13, though Dell responded with an innovative webcam that finally kills the dreaded nose-cam.

What’s this have to do with 2-in-1 PCs? Well, bezels can be useful when handling a 10 to 13-inch slate. A PC tablet that weighs 2.5 pounds is a much different beat than an iPad that weighs less than half that, and a strong grip is important.

More CES 2019 coverage

The engineering isn’t simple, either. Tablets can have relatively thin bezels, but it does make crafting a solid chassis more difficult because bezels usually help strengthen the frame. PC 2-in-1s up that challenge by adding the bulk of a convertible hinge and a full-sized keyboard. If it’s a challenge that can be solved, I’ve yet to see it.

In other words, laptop engineers have a choice. They can have thin bezels, or they can have 2-in-1 versatility, but they can’t have both. This year, everyone’s choosing the bezels.

But is that the whole story?

While there’s an engineering reality behind the pursuit of bezels, I wonder if that’s the whole story. The thin bezel trend didn’t occur in a vacuum. PC manufacturers would happily make 2-in-1s with fat bezels if that’s what people. Instead, CES 2019 saw a wave of premium, old-school clamshells.

Is that just the will of the people?

It’s hard to know for sure. Laptop manufacturers don’t disclose the individual sales figures for models or even, in most cases, product categories. How well has the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 sold? What about HP’s Spectre x360? Or the Lenovo Miix? Only a few people know, and they’re not telling.

There is a feeling, though, that interest in 2-in-1 devices has reached a rough patch. Microsoft’s Surface line continues to burn bright, but it’s also sucking all the air from the room. Everyone else continues to struggle. Even when the devices are sold, like Dell’s XPS 2-in-1 line and Lenovo’s premium Yoga line, excitement is in short supply.

Lenovo Yoga S940 review
Luke Larsen/Digital Trends

Want more evidence? Consider Lenovo’s strange decision to introduce a Yoga device that isn’t a 2-in-1. The Yoga S940, introduced at CES 2019, has the Yoga name, but it’s a traditional thin-bezel clamshell laptop. Folding it will only leave you a broken laptop, and it’s no one-off. Lenovo told us it’s imagining Yoga as a premium consumer brand that sells all types of mobile PCs.

Perhaps it’s just an ill-advised marketing move. Or it could be a sign that Lenovo thinks the 2-in-1 brand isn’t pulling its weight. In any case, it seems significant that Lenovo, among the 2-in-1’s earliest adopters and strongest proponents, has decided to muddle the brand with traditional laptops.

A bump in the road, or a sign of things to come?

Laptops won at CES 2019. 2-in-1s lost. That’s not in dispute. The question, then, is where do we go from here? Is the 2-in-1 dead? Should we bury PC tablets in a shallow grave? Should you throw your Yoga out a window?

It’d be fun to say yes, but well, no. The 2-in-1 will continue, especially as long as Microsoft continues to support the platform. It won’t go away, just as the laptop didn’t go away. But CES 2019 suggests the mix of laptop and 2-in-1 might lean far more towards the former than the later.

Topics
Matthew S. Smith
Matthew S. Smith is the former Lead Editor, Reviews at Digital Trends. He previously guided the Products Team, which dives…
Alienware’s m17 R4 gaming laptop includes 360Hz display and HDMI 2.1
dell announces alienware m17 and m 15 ces 2019

Alienware is refreshing two of its most popular gaming laptops for the new year, the m15 and m17. Both the Alienware m15 and m17 now come with options for Nvidia's next-generation 30-series graphics cards, and the m17 R4 even has a new 360Hz refresh rate display, too. More importantly, it's one of the only laptops to include support for HDMI 2.1, the same standard that new consoles and televisions have adapted.

In addition, Alienware also is introducing a special Ryzen Edition of its Aurora gaming desktop, complete with AMD's 5000 series CPUs and up to a 16-core processor.
Alienware m15 R4 and m17 R4

Read more
The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 2’s awesome e-ink screen is even bigger this time
lenovo updates thinkbook plus gen 2 new thinkbooks ces 2021

Lenovo has significantly expanded its small business-focused ThinkBook line at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, with the highlight being an updated ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i that dramatically improves the first-generation laptop that features an e-ink display on its lid.

Also being introduced are a new ThinkBook 13x i, a ThinkBook 14p Gen 2, and a ThinkBook 16p Gen 2. Check out the best new laptops of CES for more reasons for the latest releases.
ThinkBook Plus Gen 2

Read more
Dell Semi-Annual Sale: Huge discounts on Alienware, XPS 2-in-1s, and more
dell semi annual sale xps 15 2 in 1 review angle 720x720

Dell's Semi-Annual Sale has arrived, bringing steep discounts on everything from gaming hardware like the Alienware M15 R1 to 2-in-1 ultrabooks like the top-rated Dell XPS 13. The manufacturer-cum-retailer hasn't discriminated when it comes to budget, either: It's offering laptops for as little as $220 and PCs for no less than $400. Looking for something a bit more powerful to jump into battle at home or on the move? It has also discounted gaming laptops and gaming PCs, with pricing starting at only $880.

You'll need to act fast, though. Dell has only set aside a limited amount of stock for each offer, after which it will return back to its normal price. As if this wasn't stressful enough, there's a time limit on the shopping bonanza itself: Dell's Semi-Annual Sale will run from now through March 18. To sweeten the deal, Dell is offering a further discount on all hardware in the sale bin, as well as interest-free financing. Just enter coupon code EXTRA17 at checkout and you'll see an additional 17% knocked off each item.
Dell desktop PC deals

Read more