June was a busy month for product releases, especially if you're a fan of great laptops. The beginning of the month aligned with Computex 2024, the world's biggest computing trade show, and we got a glimpse of all kinds of new products and concepts. Later in June, the first wave of Windows on Arm laptops featuring Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Plus and Snapdragon X Elite chipsets debuted. Our reviews are in for two of the best ones — the Surface Laptop 7 and the Galaxy Book 4 Edge — and they've lived up to the hype. After hands-on testing 35 products in June 2024, these are eight of our favorites.

8 Beats Pill (2024)

A fun and sporty speaker that can rival JBL

The Beats Pill (2024) marks the triumphant return of Beats' portable Bluetooth speaker. It offers numerous improvements over the former Beats Pill+, including 24-hour battery life, USB-C charging and reverse charging, and quick pairing on iOS and Android. The sound quality is decent for the size and price, and the IP67 water-resistance rating makes it perfect for outdoor activities. Being that the Beats Pill has a ton of Apple-exclusive features, it's safe to say that at $150, it's a great value for iPhone users.

Beats Pill (2024)
Speaker Type
Bluetooth
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.3
Weight
680 grams
Dimensions
8.6″ x 2.8″ x 2.8″
Battery
Up to 24 hours
Colors
3

The new Beats Pill is the first Bluetooth speaker from the brand since the old Pill+ was discontinued in 2022. It retains the classic Pill design language while embracing the pill-shaped aesthetic for a more rounded look. The speaker now has improved water resistance, longer battery life, Find My and Find My Device support, and more. 

7 Logitech MX Anywhere 3S for Mac

It's the best travel mouse for macOS and iPadOS

Next up is the Logitech MX Anywhere 3S for Mac, which is a minor iteration of the standard MX Anywhere 3S that's tailored to macOS and iPadOS. There aren't a lot of features exclusive to those platforms, but the mouse does have colorways that match Apple's silver and space gray. It also packs everything we loved about the regular MX Anywhere 3S, like a better optical sensor, satisfying quiet-click buttons, great ergonomics, and a tiny form factor. My favorite part about using the MX Anywhere 3S for Mac is the scroll wheel, which is smooth, fast, and precise. For $80, it's the best travel mouse for Mac users — easily taking down the Magic Mouse.

Logitech MX Anywhere 3S for Mac
Weight
99 grams
Sensor
Darkfield high precision
System Requirements
macOS 10.15 or iPadOS 14 or later
Wireless?
Yes
Dimensions
3.96 in. x 2.56 in. x 1.35 in.
Battery
Rechargeable Li-Po (500 mAh) battery

Logitech's new MX Anywhere 3S for Mac is a compact wireless mouse tailed for use with iPads and Macs. It's like a smaller version of the full-size MX Master 3S, but it keeps its comfortable and ergonomic design. It can be paired to up to three devices at once, and supports Bluetooth Low Energy.

6 GameSir X4 Aileron

A premium mobile gaming controller with Hall effect joysticks

Android gaming is becoming more feasible now than ever, but you'll want to get a great mobile gaming controller for the best experience. GameSir's new X4 Aileron is a $100 gaming controller that aims to bring premium features like Hall effect joysticks and V-touch to the mobile form factor. It comes in two halves that lock in place for storage, and can detach for wireless use. A downside is that the GameSir X4 Aileron doesn't have a wired mode, but the wireless-first design makes the Aileron better for use with PCs, tablets, and foldables.

GameSir X4 Aileron
Platform
Android
Battery
2x 400mAh (one inside each half)
Connectivity
Wireless (Bluetooth)
Headset Support
No
Programmable
Yes
Extra Buttons
Yes

The X4 Aileron is the latest gaming controller from GameSir, and it's far better than most of the gamepads in the Android gaming sector. From its extraordinary design to durable hall-effect sticks and low-latency Bluetooth connectivity, the controller has everything an Android gaming enthusiast will ever need.

5 Satechi 3-in-1 Qi2 Foldable Charging Stand

This is the perfect MagSafe charging stand for home and travel

It's surprisingly difficult to find a MagSafe charging stand that can elegantly charge an iPhone, Apple Watch, and a pair of AirPods. The Satechi 3-in-1 Foldable Qi2 Charging Stand does all that and more, because it can collapse for travel. Since this uses the Qi2 standard, it'll work with iPhones today and future Android phones that support Qi2. It also has a collapsible Apple Watch charging puck that is hidden on the back of the stand, plus a stylish black leather AirPods charging base. The design looks like a Pro Display XDR stand, which will be appreciated by Apple fans. It's quite expensive, but there aren't any stands I can think of that completely match the 3-in-1 stand's functionality.

Satechi 3-in-1 Foldable Qi2 Wireless Charging Stand
Qi-Certified
Yes, Qi2
Color
Space Gray & Black
Compatible Devices
Qi2 or MagSafe devices, AirPods, Apple Watch
Speed
15W primary, 5W secondary, 5W Apple Watch
Dimensions
90mm x 90mm x 155mm
Weight
298.5 grams

Satechi's new 3-in-1 wireless charging stand is designed like an Apple product. In fact, it looks a whole lot like Apple's own Pro Display XDR stand, and feels just as premium. The entire thing folds flat to easily fit in a bag for travel, and comes with power and travel adapters included. When you're at home, the aluminum and vegan leather materials fit into any desk setup. Since it supports Qi2, future-proofing is covered, too. 

4 Dell XPS 13 (2024)

Tandem OLED on a Windows laptop? Count us in.

The Dell XPS 13 (2024) is arguably the best 13-inch laptop you can buy, and that's partly because it's one of the only 13-inch laptops you can buy. Most laptops in this size range have moved to a 14-inch display size, but that shouldn't undercut the XPS 13. It's still a fantastic laptop with a 2.6-pound weight that's much lighter than the XPS 14. The Dell XPS 13 also has a tandem-OLED display, just like the one in the brand-new M4 iPad Pro. This laptop also has a great design, Intel Core Ultra processors, and Intel Arc graphics. For those that want a 13-inch Windows laptop with Intel processors, the XPS 13 is a great choice. Just don't forget that there's a Qualcomm-powered version with Copilot+ support we've yet to test.

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Operating System
Windows 11 Home or Pro
CPU
Up to Intel Core Ultra 7 165H
GPU
Intel Arc (integrated)
RAM
Up to 64GB LPDDR5x-7467MHz
Storage
Up to 4TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
Battery
55Wh

Dell's all-new XPS 13 features a beautiful machined aluminum exterior, powerful Intel Core Ultra processors, up to a massive 64GB of RAM, and an optional 3K+ OLED display. If you're looking for a sleek, powerful laptop, the new XPS 13 is more than worth considering, even on a budget.

3 VAXEE XE-S

This practical gaming mice is also one of the best

You might not have heard of VAXEE yet, but you will. It's an up-and-coming brand used by the esports community, and the XE-S is a pricey but great offering by the company. XDA editor Adam Conway, who plays a lot of competitive Counter-Strike and Valorant, found that the XE-S is the only mouse that could finally replace his Logitech G Pro Wireless. It's a practical mouse that doesn't focus on spec-sheet nonsense like crazy DPI settings, and instead focuses on being a trusty, lightweight, accurate, and reliable mouse. You can't really go wrong with that approach.

VAXEE XE-S
Brand
VAXEE
Weight
61g
Sensor and DPI
PAW3950
Wireless
Yes
Battery Life
Up to 110 hours
DPI
3200

The VAXEE XE-S gaming mouse is one of the best gaming mice out there, and its approach to gamers is one of practicality. There are no crazy high DPI settings and there's no over-the-top driver software. It's simply a fantastic mouse that does everything exceptionally well.

2 Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge

The company's great Galaxy Book 4 lineup now features a Snapdragon X laptop

When you think of Samsung, you probably don't think of Galaxy Book laptops. Make no mistake, they're very capable ultrabooks with great design language and stunning displays, so they shouldn't be forgotten about. Now, the Galaxy Book 4 Edge features a Snapdragon X Elite processor, and that alone makes it a more competent laptop. It has a 16-inch, 2880 x 1800 AMOLED 2X touchscreen that looks great and is color-accurate. Plus, that Snapdragon X Elite chip can match or beat comparable Intel or AMD processors in common scenaros. At the sub-$1,500 price point, the Galaxy Book 4 Edge is a fantastic laptop.

Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge
Operating System
Windows 11
CPU
Up to Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-84-100)
GPU
Qualcomm Adreno
RAM
16GB
Storage
Up to 1TB
Battery
55.9Wh (14-inch), 61.8Wh (16-inch)

The Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge comes with the top-tier Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chipset, apired with a stunning Dynamic AMOLED 2X display and a premium, lightweight design. It supports Copilot+, but also incldues some exclusive Samsung Galaxy AI features like Circle to Search.

1 Microsoft Surface Laptop 7

We finally have a MacBook Air competitor with great battery life

The Surface Laptop lineup has featured modern and refined designs for a while, but with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X platform, the Surface Laptop 7 is just as good on the inside as it is on the outside. This year, Microsoft added a haptic touchpad, slimmed the chassis, and added a better webcam. XDA editor-in-chief Rich Woods thinks it's "the best Surface Laptop ever," and that about sums it up. There may be some growing pains with Windows on Arm still, but if your apps are running natively, the Surface Laptop 7 is one of the best laptops you can buy.

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Followed
Operating System
Windows 11
CPU
Up to Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite
GPU
Qualcomm Adreno
RAM
Up to 64GB LPDDR5x
Storage
Up to 1TB Gen 4 SSD
Battery
54-66Wh

The Surface Laptop 7 is the first major shakeup the lineup has received since its inception, with a brand-new design with thinner bezels, plus a new haptic touchpad. The laptop now comes in 13.8- or 15-inch models, and it's powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite or Snapdragon X plus chips.

Is it time to upgrade to Snapdragon X?

Last month was highlighted by the release of Qualcomm-powered Windows on Arm laptops, like the Surface Laptop 7 and the Galaxy Book 4 Edge. Though they're not for everyone, casual users will start to experience the same benefits that Mac users received from the switch to Arm-based processors. That includes better battery life, performance consistency across battery and AC use, and better efficiency. The early results are promising, and stay tuned for further reviews and testing of Snapdragon X laptops.

👁 Surface Pro 11-38
The new Snapdragon X Elite laptops are great, but they're not for everyone

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By  Asad Khan