Need to work from the road? Here are the 5 best laptops with LTE

Ever wish your laptop acted — well, more like your phone, especially when it comes to data connections?While you can still hop on the internet outside the home using your phone as a hotspot, the setup process is annoying. This is where our list of the best laptops with LTE comes into play.

With the recent push for "always connected" PCs, you'll want to know what's the best of the best along with the data plans that support them. Our extensive laptop reviews allow us to make some top recommendations, starting with the versatile Surface Pro X. Check out our full list for other options, including laptops ready for 5G connections.

The BestSurface Pro X

The Surface Pro X may not have the largest screen in our batch, but it's an innovative addition to Microsoft's Surface Pro line. It's built around an ARM processor, the SQ1, that's a joint effort between Microsoft and Qualcomm and promises always-connected performance and long battery life. It comes with LTE connectivity by default, meaning you can configure it how you want and access the internet wherever you go.

Pricing starts at $1,000 for a version with 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. You can spend $1,800 for 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. No matter which you choose, you'll get a black chassis that's the sleekest and most modern of any Surface Pro to date.

The display is a slightly larger 13-inch model at a high 2,880 x 1,920 resolution, and it enjoys smaller bezels than the standard Surface Pro 7. You'll get two USB-C ports, a Surface Connect port, and a nano SIM slot for the LTE connectivity. You'll want to save some money for the Surface Type Cover ($140) and Surface Slim Pen ($145), neither of which are included in the base price.

The RestHP Spectre x360 13

The newly revised HP Spectre x360 13 is the best 360-degree convertible 2-in-1 on the market, hands down. It offers a choice of low-power Full HD or 4K AMOLED displays, but unfortunately, if you want LTE then you're stuck with the Full HD option. That's not a terrible thing, though, because it offers great display performance while also stretching out battery life thanks to its low-power technology.

You'll enjoy Intel 10th-gen CPUs with Iris Plus graphics, making this a great portable powerhouse for creative types. The keyboard and touchpad are second to none, and the included active HP Pen is great for drawing or handwriting on the touch display.

Story continues

For ports, the Spectre x360 13 includes two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 3, a USB-A 3.1 port, a Micro SD card reader, and a headphone jack. Connectivity is provided by Intel Wi-Fi 6 with Bluetooth 5, and Intel's XMM 7560 LTE-Advanced Pro provides always-connected performance.

$1300 from HP

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon

Lenovo's 7th-generation ThinkPad X1 Carbon is the largest laptop in our bunch with a 14-inch screen. But in this case, you have six starting points to customize the laptop to fit your needs, including processor options ranging from the 8th-generation Core i5-8265U to the 1oth-gen Core i7-10710U sporting the same integrated UHD Graphics 620 component.

This laptop provides options for a Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) display with a brightness of 400 nits and a 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) display with a brightness up to 500 nits and support for Dolby Vision high dynamic range (HDR). Memory is served up in either 8GB or 16GB configurations, and you have a choice of storage solutions spanning 256GB to 1TB on an M.2 SSD. All of this is powered by a 51WHr battery.

For ports, the ThinkPad provides two USB-A ports, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, one headphone / microphone combo jack, one Micro SD card reader, and a fingerprint reader for password-free logins into Windows 10. Wireless connectivity consists of Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 6 on versions with Intel's 10th-gen CPU. An optional Fibocom L850-GL 4G LTE Advanced Cat 9 adds $100 to the total price and provides download speeds of up to 450Mbps.

$1462 from Lenovo NA

Samsung Chromebook Plus

It's not easy to find a good Chromebook with LTE capabilities, but Samsung's line remains one of the few modern Chromebooks to offer data capabilities — and at an affordable price compared to many alternatives. This 2-in-1 model has a 12.2-inch HD display with touchscreen, an Intel 1.5GHz Celeron processor, and 4GB of RAM. Two USB-C and one USB 3.0 port are included on the laptop, and the battery is rated to last around 8 hours before needing a recharge.

These specs probably feel familiar to anyone who has used a Chromebook before. However, the 360-swivel in tablet mode does make this laptop feel that bit different, and that LTE connection will be there whenever you need it. The only downside to this laptop has limited storage at just 32GB, which we recommend expanding via the microSD card slot if necessary.

$600 from Samsung

HP Elite Dragonfly

If you're looking for an LTE laptop that's future-ready, the latest Dragonfly model from HP is designed for all the latest data connections. It supports 5G LTE connections with the right spec choices and comes ready for Wi-Fi 6 too. This slim laptop is also designed to keep your business private with a built-in privacy filter, a privacy shutter for your webcam, and generation three multi-factor authentication.

Customization options vary, but the laptop support 8th-gen Intel Core i5 processors, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to a whopping 2TB of PCIe SSD storage. The display is a 13.3-inch HD touchscreen that can be upgraded to UHD if you want it. The battery is rated for 38 watt-hours but can be upgraded to an expanded battery pack for even more time if necessary. There are also two Thunderbolt USB-C ports, an HDMI port, and a USB 3.1 port.

$1962 from HP

Watch NBC News NOW Live - May 29