So, you want to code the next groundbreaking Android application that changes the world? Or maybe a simple game that rakes in the moolah?
Either way, you need a reliable laptop that is perfect for applications like Android Studio, Eclipse, and other popular ones as well. More than getting a powerhouse of a laptop, it is more important to have a reliable device that you can depend on.
ASUS ZenBook 13
Specifications:
- 15.3″ FHD
- Intel Core i7
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
The Asus ZenBook 13 is our choice for the best laptop for Android development. This is a 13.3-inch ultrabook that comes with all the essential specs you would want in a high-performance device.
What kind of laptop would make sense for an Android developer? Well, that depends on what you’re going to work on. If you’re doing something light like a timepass game, then you’ll be fine with a mid-range laptop. If you’re gonna make the next big thing, you are going to need a solid laptop with stellar hardware.
So how do we help? We’ve already researched tons of laptops to find which is the best laptop for Android development. We have also categorized the results so that you can pick the one that is perfect for you.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the list.
Best Laptops For Android Development
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | FEATURES | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
EDITORS CHOICE
| ASUS ZenBook 13 |
| View on AmazonRead Reviews |
BUDGET PICK
 | MacBook Pro 13 |
| View on AmazonRead Reviews |
TOP CHOICE
 | Acer Predator Helios 300 |
| View On AmazonRead Reviews |
BUDGET PICK
 | Gigabyte Aero 15 |
| View on AmazonRead Reviews |
Best Laptops For Android Development
Let’s take a look at our best picks
1. EDIRORS CHOICE – ASUS ZenBook 13
- Powerful & fast for effortless on-the-go computing: 8th generation Intel Core i7-8565U processor, 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD & 16GB RAM
- Durable & reliable: meets the ultra-demanding MIL-STD-810G military standard for reliability and durability, undergoing a punishing testing regime
- Long battery life: powered by a high-capacity battery that won’t let you down
The Asus ZenBook 13 is our choice for the best laptop for Android development. This is a 13.3-inch ultrabook that comes with all the essential specs you would want in a high-performance device.
This Asus laptop is not only a good performer but also scores high on in terms of looks. And it comes with one of the thinnest bodies you will ever find on a laptop. With a weight of 2.47lbs, this is one of the lightest Ultrabooks out there in the Windows ecosystem. You can easily slide this into your backpack and carry on where ever you want to go.
The display on this laptop has a 13.3-inch LED-backlit display that comes with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. This display has a pretty good pixel density which gives us excellent pictures and sharp text. When you run applications like Android Studio and Eclipse, you will enjoy the clear text on the display which is absolutely essential when it comes to Android development.
This model also excels when it comes to battery life. With light use, you can expect this laptop to last for about 10 hours which is very impressive. If you are going to go on a programming marathon, you can easily squeeze out 7 to 8 hours of battery life from this laptop which allows you to work freely without the need to plug your laptop into a power source.
The laptop comes with an Intel Core i7 processor, 16 gigs of RAM, and 512 gigs of SSD storage. This combination of specs is fantastic and it performs is just the way it should. It gives you excellent performance and there is no way you’re going to feel any lag even when you are blasting from all canons. All programming applications run smoothly without any issues which is very ideal for Android development.
The Asus ZenBook 13 does not come with a dedicated graphics card. We only have an Intel UHD graphics card which is a pretty decent one when it comes to handling your everyday graphics needs. This GPU has improved over the years and is as good as an entry-level dedicated GPU. You can even work on simple games with his GP on board which is nice.
Overall, the Asus ZenBook 13 is a fantastic laptop that comes at a price that is affordable. It brings you all the goodness of performance in the form of carefully selected high-end hardware. The laptop also gives you terrific battery life which will surely come in handy making this one of the best laptops for Android development.
The Asus ZenBook 13 is our choice for the best laptop for Android development. This is a 13.3-inch ultrabook that comes with all the essential specs you would want in a high-performance device.
This Asus laptop is a good performer and scores high in terms of looks. And it comes with one of the thinnest bodies you will ever find on a laptop. With a weight of 2.47 lbs, this is one of the lightest Ultrabooks in the Windows ecosystem. You can easily slide this into your backpack and carry on where ever you want to go.
The display on this laptop has a 13.3-inch LED-backlit display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. This display has a pretty good pixel density, giving us excellent pictures and sharp text. When you run applications like Android Studio and Eclipse, you will enjoy the clear text on display, which is essential for Android development.
This model also excels when it comes to battery life. With light use, you can expect this laptop to last about 10 hours which is very impressive. If you go on a programming marathon, you can easily squeeze out 7 to 8 hours of battery life from this laptop, allowing you to work freely without the need to plug your laptop into a power source.
The laptop has an Intel Core i7 processor, 16 gigs of RAM, and 512 gigs of SSD storage. This combination of specs is fantastic and performs just the way it should. It gives you excellent performance, and there is no way you will feel any lag, even when you are blasting from all canons. All programming applications run smoothly without any issues, which is ideal for Android development.
The Asus ZenBook 13 does not come with a dedicated graphics card. We only have an Intel UHD graphics card, which is pretty decent for handling your everyday graphics needs. This GPU has improved over the years and is as good as an entry-level dedicated GPU. You can even work on simple games with his GP on board which is nice.
Overall, the Asus ZenBook 13 is a fantastic laptop that is affordable. It brings you all the goodness of performance in the form of carefully selected high-end hardware. The laptop also gives you terrific battery life, which will surely come in handy, making this one of the best laptops for Android development.
- Lightweight and portable
- Excellent performance
- Solid battery life
- None at this price point
2. Runner Up – MacBook Pro 13
- 8th-generation quad-core Intel Core i5 Processor
- Brilliant Retina Display with True Tone technology
- Touch Bar and Touch ID
If you are a fan of Apple laptops and a developer who works on Android and iOS, then getting a MacBook Pro is probably the best choice for you. You can work on both platforms simultaneously before releasing your application online.
The MacBook Pro 13 is the perfect ultrabook for developers who work on multiple platforms. The MacBook has a sleek design, a lightweight profile, and can easily fit into any backpack, making this a perfect choice for students and people who love to travel.
The battery life is one of the biggest selling points of this MacBook Pro 13. With light use, the laptop can easily last for about 10 hours which is not something you can say about every high-performance ultrabook out there. Even with heavy work, like photo and video editing, you can expect this laptop to last for about 5 to 6 hours, which is truly impressive.
This laptop’s Intel Core i5 processor is not as powerful as an i7 processor. This is also one of the reasons why you get excellent battery life out of this MacBook Pro. Regarding processing power, this Intel chip does not disappoint us and gives you all you need for your app development. You can run Android Studio and Eclipse without any issues whatsoever.
The memory on this laptop is made up of eight gigs of DDR4-type RAM. There might need to be more for some people planning to work on complex projects. If you are one of those people, then make sure to upgrade your RAM to 8 GB to have the memory you need for a seamless experience. Be informed that increasing the Ram will also increase the MacBook Air’s price.
The solid-state drive on this laptop comes with a capacity of 512 GB which is a good starting storage capacity. For most people, this amount of storage will be more than enough. In addition to storage, the SSD also provides excellent performance. It boots the operating system in a few seconds and launches applications fast.
Overall, the MacBook Pro has a fantastic ultrabook in the Mac ecosystem. It strikes the right balance between power, performance, and price. If you are looking for an Apple laptop to develop Android and iOS applications, this one is probably the best for you.
- Excellent design
- Solid performance
- Incredible battery life
- Only USB type C ports
3. Best Overall – Acer Predator Helios 300
- 9th Generation Intel Core i7-9750H 6-Core Processor (Upto 4. 5 gramHz) with Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Graphics with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM
- 15. 6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) Widescreen LED-backlit IPS display (144Hz Refresh Rate, 3ms Overdrive Response Time, 300nit Brightness & 72% NTSC)
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is our best gaming laptop for Android development. If you are a developer looking to develop graphically intensive games, this laptop is probably the best bet for your needs.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is a solid gaming laptop that doesn’t cost you much. At the same time, it does not compromise hardware as well. You get perfect hardware, and they give you the performance of a lifetime, making this laptop one of the crowd’s favourites.
The display on this laptop deserves special mention. We have a 15.6-inch display with full HD resolution and an IPS panel underneath it. This display has a refresh rate of 144 Hz and a response time of 3 ms, making it a solid gaming display.
Thanks to the IPS panel, the contrast ratio of this display is spectacular, and you also get excellent viewing angles. This display is ideal for Android development, and you also will love consuming media on this laptop.
The processor we have onboard is an Intel Core i7 processor with six physical cores and 12 threads. This processor has a maximum clock speed of 4.50GHz, making it a solid contender for running even the heaviest apps. As an Android developer, you will absolutely love this chip as it gives you a smooth performance regardless of the application running.
The memory on this laptop is made up of 16 gigs of DDR4-type RAM. This memory is the perfect amount of RAM and will be more than enough for most Android developers. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro, unless you’re dealing with something super complex, this Ram will help you seamlessly run your applications and efficiently multitask.
The storage on this laptop is made up of a 512 GB solid-state drive. This solid-state drive is much faster than all mechanical hard drives And delivers excellent reading and writing speeds. If you’re a fan of quick performance, then this SSD will give you just that.
Our graphics card on the Acer Predator Helios 300 is an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650. This is an upper mainstream graphics card with a dedicated memory of four gigs of GDDR5 type. This GPU is perfect for gamers as it can run almost any game you want. You can also work with applications like unity and develop your games on this laptop.
Overall, the Acer Predator Helios 300 is a very good device that comes at an excellent price and is perfect for Android developers. If you are a serious gamer and want a gaming laptop on which you can program applications, this one is one of the best laptops for Android development.
- Excellent display
- Awesome performance
- Impressive graphics
- A bit bulky
4. Budget Choice – Gigabyte Aero 15
- Perfectly sized 15.6" display with ultra-thin bezels and an incredible 89% screen-to-body ratio for productivity and creative tasks | This ultra-high performance powerhouse is less than 1" thick,...
- Eye-catching Samsung 4K UHD AMOLED display with VESA DisplayHDR 400 True Black Standard for more realistic imagery, higher contrast, and true-blacks | 100% DCI-P3 wide color gamut and super fast 1-ms...
- Up to 8-hours of battery life (PCMark 10) to get you through an entire day's work without plugging in for greater work mobility and productivity | Exclusive, built-in Microsoft Azure AI to...
If you’re looking for a high-performance laptop for Android development, look no further than the gigabyte aero 15. This is a high-end laptop from the house of gigabyte and is one of the most powerful notebooks.
The display is probably the best feature of this laptop. We have a 15.6-inch display with a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. This is what we call ultra-high definition resolution, and it adds tons of pixels to the screen, making it extremely rich in pixels. You cannot find individual pixels even if you want to. The display shines in Kalyan’s accuracy, clarity, and everything that is display related.
The processing power of this laptop is based on the Intel Core i7 processor, 16 gigs of RAM, and the 512GB solid-state drive. These three components are super high-end, and they run this laptop like a dream. You can run applications like Android Studio and Eclipse without any issues whatsoever. Even heavy applications like video editors and virtual machines are also possible, thanks to this laptop powerhouse.
The graphics card we have here is an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 GPU. This comes with a dedicated video RAM of 8 GB of GDDR6 type. This is the best consumer-grade graphics card you can get on your hands right now, and does a fantastic job. Whether it is simple Android development or sophisticated stuff, this GPU can handle your graphics requirements like a boss. You will also be able to pay for any game out there, which is great for hardcore gave us.
Overall, the Gigabyte Aero 15 is a stunning laptop with a premium hardware line-up and a much higher price tag. If you need a high-performance laptop and can afford it, then this Aero 15 is the best laptop for Android development.
- Amazing specs
- Excellent performance
- Gorgeous display
- Slightly expensive
What To Look For In The Best Laptop For Android Development?
Finding a laptop for Android development is more complex than one might think. You can get any laptop and have an average developing experience, or you can buy the perfect laptop for you and have a seamless programming experience.
Here are some criteria you should know before searching for your next laptop. You don’t have to follow them to the point but use them as general guidelines. Also, feel free to modify them to suit your needs.
Display
As an Android developer, you will spend days in front of your laptop with a cup of coffee. When you are on a programming marathon, you want to ensure that you have at least a decent display in front of you so that your work and your eyes benefit from it.
The first thing we discuss when discussing a display is its size. This is more of a personal preference. If you need a widescreen display, go with a 15.6-inch laptop. Here, you get a big screen and a lot of screen real estate. The caveat is that you also get a bulky laptop.
If you don’t want a heavy laptop and want something much more portable, go with a 13.3-inch laptop. This Ultrabooks Edith is much less and much easier to carry around. This is particularly useful if you are still a student roaming around the campus all day. Whether in a park or a cafe, you can just whip out your laptop and start coding.
You can also choose an 11.6-inch display or a 17.3-inch display; we don’t recommend either, as one is way too small for programming, and the other is too big, leaving you with a monstrous laptop.
Resolution
Let’s talk about resolution. Do not settle for anything less than full HD resolution. In most cases, whether you are a student or professional, you will go with a 13.3-inch laptop purely because of its portability. A full HD resolution in a 13.3-inch screen gives you a fantastic pixel density.
You can have beautiful images and super sharp text on your screen, making programming a breeze. Make sure the display has a reasonable contrast ratio to see excellent blacks and bright whites.
You can also go for a higher resolution display with a quad HD or an ultra HD resolution. The more pixels you have on your screen, the better it’s quality. You won’t be able to locate individual pixels on the screen even if you are unnaturally closer to your laptop.
Always pick an IPS panel for your display. While TN or VA panels are cheap, they offer an inferior performance compared to an IPS panel. With an IPS panel, you get an excellent contrast ratio. You are presented with sharp viewing angles, making the laptop a great candidate for programming, media consumption, and many other daily activities.
- What kind of screen do you prefer?
- Do you want a glossy display or an anti-reflective display?
Both of them have their advantages and also come with their setbacks. A glossy display gives you the best colour accuracy, but it also shows a lot of reflections, primarily if you work in a well-lit room. The anti-reflective display reduces the reflections to a minimum but loses color accuracy in exchange.
You can also go with a touchscreen display. In our opinion, touchscreen displays are not that useful in laptops. You can make better use of them on a convertible laptop so go in that direction if you need a touchscreen.
Processor
Choosing the proper process will always come in handy when running applications like Android Studio, Eclipse, and other related ones. You won’t have the best programming experience with an incapable processor, which is the opposite of what we want.
As a thumb rule, always go with an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor. These processes are meant for heavy lifting and can come in handy when you have to do some serious programming.
Some of you might want an entry-level laptop due to budget constraints. Entry-level laptops come with entry-level processors like the Intel Core i3 or, even worse, an Intel Pentium or Celeron processor. These chips are not meant for heavy lifting and can destroy your workflow when it comes to programming.
The number of cores in your processor is also crucial. The more you have, the more you can expect in terms of performance. Multiple cores come in handy when running multithreaded applications and can help reduce the overall stress on the CPU.
We recommend going with a processor that has at least four physical cores. Quad-core processors are more than enough for most budding programmers, and they can easily carry out what they have in mind. If you are a serious programmer working on a more complex Android application, you might want to go after a Hexa-core processor. These are much more powerful and can bring more to the table.
Having a processor with good clock speed will never go wrong. Make sure that the processor you have on your laptop has a decent bass frequency. Anything about 1.8 GHz should be fine.
The process should also be able to use the Turbo boost and clock much higher so that you can meet your extra needs whenever necessary. If you work on a high-end project, you might want a processor that can clock upwards of 4.50GHz.
Should you go for Intel or AMD process? This is a very common question, and we hear this all the time. Most people prefer Intel processors as they are more of a household name. But the reality is that both processes can give you the same performance without any issues.
Having said that, if you want to save money on the processor, you can always go for an AMD chip. AMD processors are a bit more affordable than Intel ones, which works in your favour.
Even if you don’t want to save money, you can get an AMD processor and have a much more neat performance.
RAM
When it comes to memory, you need lots and lots of it if you’re going to work on a heavy Android application. If you are just a beginner, and learning the art of Android development, then 8GB of RAM will be more than enough. This memory will serve you well, at least for the next few years.
But, if you are a seasoned programmer, you might want to get a minimum of 16 GB of RAM. We don’t necessarily mean that your programming interface will use all the RAM, but having excess memory guarantees seamless performance when things get tough.
Even when working on Android Studio or Eclipse, you can still run several applications on the side without impacting the laptop’s performance. This is a luxury every programmer wants to have, and you can never go back.
You can also go for 32 gigs of RAM, but most users owned be able to utilize even half of it, which is why we don’t give it as a standard recommendation.
Storage
As far as storage is concerned, getting a solid-state drive for your laptop is highly recommended.
If you are used to having a mechanical hard drive on your laptop, then it is time to switch to an SSD. A solid-state drive is way faster than an automatic hundred and changes how you use your computer. Once you get used to the performance of a solid-state drive, there is no way you’re going back to those old mechanical addresses.
To put things into perspective, most solid-state drives or at least 14 to 17 times faster than your average mechanical hard drive. This means your operating system will boot up in just a few seconds. You can launch your programming applications without waiting for a long time. Also, moving huge files is now a super quick task.
We also recommend getting a backup storage device. For a backup device, you can simply get an external hard drive that is cheap. Just ensure you get a lot of storage, so you don’t have to get a new one soon. Once a week or two, back up all your important information to the hard drive so that you have a sense of security even when something goes wrong with your Main notebook.
Graphics
A dedicated graphics card on your laptop is not necessary for Android development. It is mostly dependent on what type of programming you are working on. If you’re going to work on utility applications, you may not need a discrete graphics card.
But, on the other hand, if you are going to work on game development, you will need a dedicated graphics card, especially if the game is graphically intensive. You will also need to work with game engines like unity and others, which makes having a dedicated GPU a must.
If you’re on a budget, don’t worry about getting a dedicated graphics card. Most recent integrated graphics cards are way better in terms of performance and are more than enough for most Android developers. These integrated Intel HD graphics cards and even the AMD Radeon graphics cards are outstanding for most mobile games.
If you need help deciding which graphics card you should go for, we recommend going after an Nvidia GPU that falls in the mid-range or upper mid-range category. Very rarely will you need a high-end graphics card for Android development? If you don’t have a problem getting one, nothing will stop you, but it will be overkill in most scenarios, and you could use the extra money on something else.
Battery Life
Battery life is very important if you’re going for a 13.3-inch laptop. The main reason you have picked an ultrabook over a regular 15.6-inch laptop is its portability. When a device is portable, you are going to Tamil with it a lot, meaning the laptop must have an excellent battery life to meet your needs as a nomad developer.
Always go for a laptop that lasts an entire day. Most flagship laptops can easily achieve this. With all-day battery life, you can enjoy your classes and development without any problem, as you don’t have to worry about losing Jews in the middle of the day. Some mid-range laptops are also capable of giving you excellent battery life.
Even if you can’t get a laptop with all-day battery life, ensure it has a decent battery backup. Anything from 5 to 7 hours is considered good, so ensure you can get a consistent six hours of battery life from the laptop.
Connectivity
Regardless of your primary need, your laptop should have excellent connectivity options. It should come with all the regular reports that you would need daily. Ensure that the laptop comes with at least one USB type C port, one USB 3.1 type A port, one HDMI port, an SD card reader, and an audio jack. The ports are essential and will come in handy.
You also should be able to browse the Internet at super high speeds. Ensure the laptop has a Wi-Fi 6 adapter or an 802.11AC Wi-Fi connection. You must also have Bluetooth 4.2 or above for solid wireless external connectivity.
Budget
The laptop we get is totally dependent on your budget. If you have no concerns about the budget, you can get our Editor’s choice without any issues. The laptop is not the costliest one hour on and will give you excellent performance whenever necessary.
If you are on a budget, we recommend you concentrate on the most important necessary factors. If you need an excellent processor, we recommend you allocate most of your budget to finding the best processor to get an overall high-performing laptop. If your priority is portability and battery life, we recommend getting an ultrabook that satisfies your needs.
You will spend your hard-earned money on a laptop that will be your companion for the next few years, so don’t be hasty until you find the best one for your development needs.
Conclusion
That’s curtains for this post. We hope we were of some help to decide on your next notebook.
Android development is a great field and with more focus on smartphones these days, you will be fine for years to come. Make sure you get one of the best laptops for Android development so that you don’t fall behind.
If you have any doubts, let us know and we’ll get back to you.