MSI Summit E13 Flip Evo
At over $2,800, this is the most expensive product on this list. It’s still decidedly mid-range as laptops go, although you’ll struggle to spend that much money on a Chromebook. The Summit E13 Flip Evo works hard to justify its pricing, with some dedication on MSI’s part to make it feel like a premium ultrabook with a hybrid tablet design aimed at fast-movers.
The Flip Evo is an eye-catching product, with a golden trim surrounding the edges of its black, machine-milled metal exterior. It’s thin and compact, reminiscent of pricier convertibles such as the Asus Zenbook Flip 14 or the HP Spectre x360.
Despite its diminutive stature and mid-range pricing, the Flip Evo has an exceptional display, using a 16:10 aspect ratio with a 1920x1200 resolution (which MSI calls FHD+, although that’s technically 2220x1080). That ‘golden ratio’ means there’s plenty of display space for productivity and web browsing, and it’s a reasonably colourful panel with good maximum brightness. It’s a touchscreen too, and while the bezel is far from the thinnest we’ve seen, it’s not too chunky. The 16:10 ratio and thick bottom edge mean that the Flip Evo is a bit cumbersome to hold in tablet mode, but this won’t be a concern for most users.
Aside from the gorgeous display, one major selling point of the Flip Evo over its rivals here is the inclusion of the MSI Pen, a sleek and lightweight smart stylus that snaps magnetically to the edge of the laptop when not in use. It’s ideal for sketching or note-taking and though not as sophisticated as devices such as the Apple Pencil, palm rejection is reliable and sensitivity is good.
The trackpad is on the small side, which might be an issue for some users, but it feels good to use with a soft surface texture and firm click. The keyboard is also decent; more expensive laptops offer better typing experiences, but the keys have a reasonable amount of travel and don’t feel too spongy. The keys are backlit in a soft white that wraps around the edges of each keycap, giving the layout a well-defined appearance.
The internals of this laptop don’t fail to impress either. We’ve got a powerful Intel Core i7-1185G7 processor with Iris Xe integrated graphics, backed up by 16GB of speedy memory. Although it doesn’t quite match the Ryzen 7 CPU in the Acer Swift X for multi-core performance, it dominates single-core workloads and the Xe graphics are good enough for some light gaming on the Flip Evo’s lovely screen. It doesn’t get too hot either, thanks to two powerful fans – although during demanding operations they do get a little bit noisy.
The drive is a speedy M.2 SSD with 512GB of storage, which should be more than enough for the average user. There’s also an array of physical ports, from standard USB-A to a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports, which allow for display daisy-chaining, high-speed transfers, and fast-charging. The Flip Evo also has ultra-low-latency WiFi 6E, the first laptop of its kind to feature it.
Battery life is also good, although it falls short of MSI’s suggestion of 20-hour productivity. Practical testing saw the battery last for a little over nine hours from a full charge, which is sufficient for a day’s work. Other features include a familiar 720p webcam, a fingerprint scanner, and speakers that are good, if lacking in bass.
Ultimately, it’s a little pricey given its performance capabilities. But it’s difficult to dislike the Summit E13 Flip Evo. It’s a genuinely well-designed hybrid laptop free from the bloatware crammed in by OEMs like HP, with a designer aesthetic and good all-round performance.
Fantastic display, keyboard and trackpad, MSI Pen is great, gorgeous design.