Energized at CES 2025: Unplugged and Unstoppable!

The highlight of my CES journey this year wasn’t the stretchy screen or the 115-inch televisions. It wasn’t the robot that cleans up after you, nor was it the one that mows the lawn. It wasn’t even one of the exceptionally intelligent smart glasses.

Impressive inventions, indeed. However, consider this: I navigated the event — taking notes, checking emails, editing images, and posting on social media — without a laptop charger.

Basically, I managed to go power-commando during CES. Not once, across four 14-hour days filled with press conferences, meetings, cocktail receptions, and coffee breaks — totaling 66,326 steps — did I find myself longing for an outlet.

Each day, I packed one of two laptops into my backpack. They’re both part of a new generation of Windows devices designed for full-day usage on a single charge. They’re lightweight, sleek, fast, and responsive. Furthermore, they conserve energy enough to make you consider leaving the wall adapter behind. Once you trust the full-day capability, this can be genuinely liberating.

MacBook Air for Windows?

I refer to them as MacBook-Air-for-Windows systems because they represent the PC realm’s first true rebuttal to the transformative laptops Apple created around its proprietary M-series processors. Apple redefined portability in late 2020 when it launched the inaugural MacBook Air powered by the first-gen M-series chip, the M1, and has not looked back since. At least, not until this point.

This emerging generation of all-day Windows devices is constructed on either Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X-series — which, similar to the M-series, is Arm compatible — or Intel’s latest Core Ultra 7 processors, codenamed Lunar Lake. Most prominent PC manufacturers provide systems built around both chips, with even greater options forthcoming following numerous CES announcements last week.

For my trial, I alternated each day between two similarly equipped laptops from Lenovo, the Yoga Slim 7i (Core Ultra 7) and the Yoga Slim 7x (Snapdragon X Elite). Both possess batteries of identical capacity. The Slim 7i (starting at $1,049.99) is slightly larger and a bit heavier than the Slim 7x (starting at $799.99). The Slim 7x features a 15.3-inch display, while the Slim 7i has a smaller 14.5-inch display.

In order to create a level playing field, I adjusted both screens to 60% brightness. At this level, I noticed that the Snapdragon-based Slim 7x depleted its battery at a pace of roughly 10 percent per hour, indicating it will sustain around 10 hours of continuous work, give or take. Meanwhile, the Intel-based 7i used about 12 percent of its battery every hour, translating to just under 8.5 hours of uninterrupted operation on a single charge.

Larger displays tend to consume more energy, which could elucidate a significant portion, if not all, of the variance in battery life I observed. Regardless, both devices were powered and readily available whenever I required them throughout my extensive days at CES.

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Optimal all-day battery performance

CES provided an excellent environment to test the all-day battery claim, given the extended days and constant venue shifts. However, I was already burdened with a backpack, and I could have easily tossed a charger into it.

The genuine enchantment occurs when you venture out with a MacBook Air for Windows device — and nothing else. No backpack. No charger. And no “where’s-an-outlet?” stress.

Carry it under your arm when departing a meeting to head to a coffee shop, or as you stroll across campus to a different class. I even participated in several all-day meetings without a power adapter late last year.

I have now reached a stage where I don’t even long for the charger. When I leave it behind, these portable devices feel more portable than ever.

The thoughts and reflections shared in this column represent the author’s views and do not necessarily signify USA TODAY’s stance.

USA TODAY columnist Mike Feibus serves as president and principal analyst of FeibusTech, a market research and consulting firm located in Scottsdale, Arizona. You can contact him at mikef@feibustech.com. Follow him on Twitter @MikeFeibus.