Lenovo vs HP: Which Laptop Brand is Right for You?
Last Updated: March 30, 2023
Choosing the right laptop can be a challenge, especially when there are hundreds of options available out there.
Lenovo and HP have both been around for ages and are some of the most reliable laptop brands on the market, so it’s no surprise if you end up deciding between the two. In order to help you make a well-informed decision, we took it upon ourselves to do a Lenovo vs HP in-depth comparison and save you the trouble.
Carry on reading to see which popular brand is our winner.
Lenovo and HP — Company History
Lenovo was founded in Beijing in 1984 by a team of engineers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and was first called Legend. Initially, the company specialised in televisions but later migrated towards manufacturing and marketing computers. With a revenue of over £40.5 billion and around 71,500 employees, Lenovo is now a multinational company, and as of January 2021, it is the world’s largest personal computer vendor by unit sales.
The second-largest personal computer vendor globally is HP — an American multinational information technology company that develops personal computers, printers and related supplies, and 3D printing solutions. Formerly known as Hewlett-Packard, the company was founded in 1939 and started operating from the HP Garage in Palo Alto, California. In 2015, Hewlett-Packard was renamed HP Inc., and the company’s enterprise businesses were spun off and renamed to Hewlett-Packard Enterprise.
Design
Lenovo laptops are sleek, smooth, and aesthetically pleasing. Even their more affordable models look great. From casual business to gaming laptop looks, Lenovo has it all. Fun fact — Lenovo is the brand that started the convertible laptops trend. Several laptops from the Lenovo Yoga series can serve both as a laptop and tablet.
Additionally, if you are on the lookout for a lightweight laptop — ThinkPad™ X1 Nano is the lightest laptop Lenovo has to offer. It weighs a little over 900g while delivering supreme speed and maintaining outstanding battery life. On the other hand, X1 Extreme is Lenovo’s largest and heaviest model, weighing 1.8 kg.
HP offers a wide range of design options, but it’s pretty standard in the design department. Its products are heavier and have a more dated look than Lenovo’s. HP laptops are best known for their plain black and Chrome style. HP Envy x360 is one of the company’s most elegant models that’s also a convertible 2-in-1 laptop. Unfortunately, HP doesn’t have nearly as many options to offer as Lenovo does when it comes to convertible laptops.
Components
To better compare Lenovo and HP laptops, let’s take a closer look at their components.
Both Lenovo and HP sell products that run on at least an i3 processor and contain 4GB of RAM, using the world-famous Windows operating system. But, Lenovo offers wider choices and even gives their users the option to install DOS.
Lenovo is behind some of the most popular laptops in the last few years. Its ThinkPad was the best-selling business laptop of 2020. Its main advantage is the competitive prices. Namely, you can snag a gaming laptop for less than £550. The laptop in question is the Lenovo Ideapad L340 which comes with an i5 processor, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, as well as a GeForce GTX 1650.
Almost all Lenovo laptops use Intel as their processor, with the high-end models usually featuring a 9th Gen i7 processor. The mid-range Lenovo laptops run on i5 and i3 processors, whereas, with the cheapest options, you will find Dual-Core processors from Intel or AMD.
Lenovo laptops are available in capacities ranging from 500GB to 2TB. While its products are cheap, they are still made with high-quality internal parts, such as Intel processors and NVIDIA GPUs. Namely, all high-end laptops feature NVIDIA GTX or NVIDIA Quadro graphic cards, while with the budget-friendly laptops, Lenovo usually sticks with Integrated HD Graphic cards.
On the other hand, HP is known for its high-quality laptops with impressive graphics. It offers laptops that are more on the premium side, with a few cheaper options also available. Most HP laptops are made with NVIDIA GeForce graphic cards and Intel Core processors. With many of HP’s base models, you can easily upgrade from an i5 to an i9 processor if you want to.
If you don’t want to worry about your laptop’s storage capacity, HP’s Omen line offers 1TB of storage, equivalent to 17,000 hours of music, 100 full HD movies, and around 20,500 pictures.
Display
Speaking of displays, HP is the leader in screen quality and resolution. It offers a variety of screen sizes that range from 13 to 17+ inches. Naturally, the higher-priced model you pick, the better resolution you’ll get. HP’s notebooks come with stellar displays that offer clear, detailed images, which is especially beneficial and appreciated by those who use their laptops mostly for playing games and watching movies.
In contrast, Lenovo displays are a bit cheaper, but they provide great innovations and are well-known for their quality of graphics.
Battery
Lenovo uses 6-cell batteries in almost all its devices. They deliver a runtime of approximately 6 to 10 hours, which is highly based on the usage. As all Lithium-Ion batteries, they eventually wear out and lose their ability to hold a charge. Nonetheless, your Lenovo laptop battery will have a lifespan of at least 2 to 4 years.
HP has a great reputation thanks to the battery life of its laptops. The maximum duration HP’s battery offers is 12 hours, which is impressive. HP favours 3-cell and 4-cell batteries and has stated that its laptop batteries should be good for over a thousand full charges, meaning if you use your laptop daily, the battery shouldn’t have any problems for up to three years. However, some customers reported their batteries getting weaker before the three-year mark.
Innovation
In order to stay relevant and create a base of loyal customers, computer giants must stay up to date with current trends in the industry and constantly strive to become better. This is precisely what both Lenovo and HP successfully do.
Lenovo is well recognised for its dedication to innovating and bettering its products and giving its users a run for their money. Namely, the company is the mastermind behind the TrackPoint — a red ball serving as an additional mouse located at the centre of the keyboard. Lenovo also gets the credit for coming up with WRITEit, a handwriting recognition software. Additionally, Lenovo was among the first brands to deliver HDR displays.
According to Lenovo’s website, the Lenovo Series offer laptops that fit any budget while offering many designs and features — from lightweight laptops to Chromebooks for work, home, and school, perfect for multimedia. You can browse different laptops and filter them by price range, screen size, and ratings. The cheapest product offered is the Lenovo 10e Chromebook Tablet starting at $99 (approximately £73).
HP isn’t behind on innovation at all. In fact, it has been around since the dawn of time, proving many times why it’s one of the most popular brands on the market.
What keeps HP interesting is the unique and exciting products it offers. HP is credited for pioneering touchscreen technology, as well as making some of the best 2-in-1 laptops. Recently, HP was the first brand to use Tile tracking technology as a built-in laptop feature.
Customer Support And Affordability
Let’s briefly cover how Lenovo and HP take care of their customers and, finally, compare the prices of the two brands.
Lenovo Customer Support And Warranty
Lenovo Technical Support is one of the best support websites on the PC market. It’s easy to navigate and offers tons of helpful tools to ensure you get the correct answers in no time. Another good thing Lenovo has going is the social media support team that ends up answering your questions in a matter of minutes on any social media platform. Lenovo’s live support is helpful as well, but definitely not as fast as the social media support.
However, Lenovo’s phone support is its weakest link. Although they are available 24/7, some users have reported that they weren’t satisfied with the service and didn’t get the help they needed.
Lenovo laptops come with a 12-month or 36-month warranty, depending on the model and configuration. Note that upgrading your laptop’s storage or RAM doesn’t void its warranty. There is also Lenovo’s Premium Care that includes 24/7 phone, chat, and email support, as well as free PC health checks, priority parts delivery, and VIP service.
HP Customer Support And Warranty
HP can assist you in multiple ways when your laptop decides to act up. HP offers help on social media, webchat, and over the phone. If you want to solve your problems without assistance, you can check out HP’s support site, where you can find lots of resources and guides to help solve the most common issues.
If you decide to try the live chat, you might face trouble reaching a human because you will be redirected to a virtual assistant that will ask you to fill out a lot of information before setting you up to chat with an employee. However, HP’s response team is quick and helpful in terms of social media, so maybe try shooting them a DM to get around the virtual assistant.
HP laptops come with a one-year warranty on parts and labour with 90 days of software support. Additionally, you can purchase damage protection separately, including 24/7 tech support, pickup of damaged goods, and in-home service for selected goods.
Pricing
Price is usually the variable we give the highest meaning to when making a buying decision for anything, really, so it’s no different when it comes to laptops.
If we’re comparing HP vs Lenovo in terms of price, Lenovo is the obvious winner. In February 2022, the most expensive Lenovo laptop you can get in the UK is worth £5,518 – ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4, while the cheapest one is the Lenovo 14e Chromebook, and it costs £149. However, most of Lenovo’s laptops are below the £1,000 price range.
Although HP’s most expensive laptop is cheaper than the ThinkPad X1, the vast majority of HP’s products are way above the £1,000 mark. The HP ZBook Fury 15 G7 is currently the priciest HP model you can get in the UK, and it costs £4,462.80. On the other hand, the HP Chromebook 14 costs £179.99 and is the cheapest model the brand has to offer.
Lenovo has a whopping 378 laptops to currently offer, out of which 233 cost anywhere between £100 and £1,000, while HP has 173 models for you to choose from, and only 84 of them cost less than £1,000.
Best Lenovo Laptops For 2022
Taking into consideration different budgets, laptop components, and customer needs, here are the best Lenovo laptops for gaming, studying, and business purposes.
Lenovo Legion 7
From Lenovo’s Legion series, we chose the Lenovo Legion 7 as our top pick for a gaming laptop. Offering a top-notch gaming performance with a vivid 165Hz display and an AMD Ryzen 9 5800H processor for only £1,499.99.
The only downside is that the battery won’t last you more than 8 hours.
Lenovo IdeaPad 5i
A budget-friendly option that’s one of the best Lenovo laptops for students. You will get a classy and relatively light laptop with an 11th Generation Intel Core i3-1115G4 Processor and a 3-cell battery that should last you approximately 10 hours on a full charge. The IdeaPad 5i costs £569.99, and in terms of value, it is one of the best Windows laptops for the money.
ThinkPad X1 Carbon
Arguably, one of the best laptops you can put your hands on at the moment. Extremely lightweight and thin, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon offers an all-day battery life with plenty of ports for all of your accessories. With the Gen 9, you get an 11th Generation Intel Core i5-1135G7 Processor, Integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics, and a 3-year warranty. This gem will cost you £2,266.65.
Best HP Laptops For 2022
Let’s conclude the article with HP’s best selection of laptops.
HP Omen 17
A high-end gaming laptop with a big screen, offering a range of configurations. Powered by an Intel Core i7-11800H processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 GPU for a smooth and fun gaming experience. For £2,499.98, this HP laptop could be all yours.
HP Pavilion 14
Relatively affordable and well-designed, this HP laptop will double up as a personal and professional device — perfect for uni work. You’ll get a variety of ports and an 8-hour battery life. HP Pavilion 14 currently costs £629.99.
HP Elite Dragonfly G2
While primarily designed for business use, this HP laptop is stylish enough to appeal to a broader target group. The HP Elite Dragonfly is designed as a 2-in-1 laptop with a high-resolution touchscreen. You’ll also get a fantastic battery life and one of the best-looking laptops on the market. This will cost you £1,918.80.
Wrap Up
At the very end of this Lenovo vs HP comparison, we’ll share our final thoughts and advice and hopefully help you make a well-informed decision.
Lenovo laptops provide outstanding value for your money, and they are considered to be the cheapest premium laptops out there. So, if you are on a tight budget, don’t hesitate to get a Lenovo laptop over an HP one.
On the other hand, HP offers higher-priced but more powerful laptops that will most likely last you longer.
FAQ
Both brands offer great value for your money and offer exceptional, quality laptops, but essentially, Lenovo laptops are way cheaper, more lightweight, and elegant-looking. However, if money isn’t an issue, HP’s gaming laptops are almost impossible to beat.
If you’re not on a budget, definitely opt for an HP gaming laptop. HP’s Omen line is the go-to for high graphic games. Besides, HP gaming laptops are ideal for streaming, programming, and video editing as well.
Absolutely! Lenovo laptops have proven their reliability while offering unmatched value for your money. Their best laptops constantly rank near the top of every overall best laptops ranking.
HP is one of the best laptop manufacturers in the world. It has earned a reputation for reliable laptops and competent customer service. Fast, powerful, and long-lasting products are guaranteed.
An average HP laptop is estimated to last between 5 and 6 years. However, the budget-friendly options have a shorter lifespan and last around 3 to 4 years.
Depending on the laptop’s specs, a Lenovo laptop can last between 5 and 7 years for the high-end models. A cheaper Lenovo laptop usually has a lifespan of 3 to 4 years.