Sometimes you need your laptop to have an internet connection everywhere you go, and in that case, I have some great Windows laptops with 5G and/or 4G LTE connectivity to suggest.
These laptops operate on the same data plans as your phone. That means you can enjoy seamless wireless internet practically anywhere you travel without needing to look for a Wi-Fi hotspot or an Ethernet connection.
January 16, 2026: I've added the HP EliteBook 8 Flip as an option with extensive customization options, and I removed one option no longer available. — Cale Hunt
The best laptops with 5G and 4G LTE connectivity in 2026
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Best overall 5G laptop
It was always expected that the Surface Pro 11 would pick up 5G connectivity sometime after its initial launch in 2024, and that extra feature is now a reality.
The Pro 11 is a Copilot+ PC available with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus Systems-on-Chip (SoC). Both performance versions have optional 5G connectivity to complement the usual Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless, and both can deliver excellent performance and battery life.
Windows Central Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino reviewed the Surface Pro 11 shortly after its release. He essentially came to the conclusion that it's as impactful an update as the Surface Pro 4 was years ago, remarking:
"The Surface Pro 11th edition is by far the best version yet — and easily one of the best Windows laptops you can buy — thanks to the new Qualcomm processor, excellent 120Hz OLED display, and the new Flex Keyboard. With solid battery life and excellent performance, Microsoft achieves a nearly perfect score from us."
The Pro 11 is usually sold as a tablet alone. It has a built-in stand on the back that helps prop up the display; connect a keyboard — like the newest Flex Keyboard with wireless connectivity and a haptic touchpad — and you've created a notebook PC. The 13-inch touch display at a 2880x1920 resolution (in OLED or LCD versions) has a 120Hz refresh rate and a 3:2 aspect ratio, perfect for tablet and notebook form factors.
A 12MP front-facing camera is great for video meetings (there's another 10MP world-facing camera on the back), dual speakers have Dolby Atmos tuning, and it's altogether built to a high standard.
The best price I could find at the time of my latest update is $1,144.99 at Amazon. The model includes a Snapdragon X Plus chip, 16GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and, of course, 5G connectivity.
👀 Read our full Surface Pro 11 review
🔎 Further analysis: Surface Pro 11 vs. MacBook Pro 14 (M3)
Best business laptop with 5G
The 13th-gen X1 Carbon brings Intel Core Ultra Series 2 CPUs, a thinner and lighter chassis, a haptic touchpad, and the same outstanding typing experience that's expected from ThinkPad.
In their ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 13) review, Windows Central's Zachary Boddy remarked that "Gen 13 somehow pushes the bar even higher by dropping weight and thickness, all while improving performance, endurance, and AI capabilities."
However, it does come with an extreme price (at least when it's not part of one of Lenovo's frequent discounts), which amplifies the middling battery life.
Nevertheless, this is an outstanding laptop for professionals with deep pockets. Lenovo offers up to a 14-inch 2.8K display with OLED panel, Dolby Vision, DisplayHDR True Black 500, and 120Hz refresh rate, with a bunch of other options at a cheaper price.
Connectivity is either Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 with Bluetooth 5.3, and the WWAN is handled by 5G (Sub-6) or 4G LTE (CAT16), depending on your preferences.
👀 Read our full ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 13) review
Best customizable laptop with 5G
HP's EliteBook 8 Flip (G1i) has what we'd call a "nostalgic" feel due to its 13.3-inch screen size, but trust that it's loaded with the latest performance hardware and business features.
On that note, this versatile convertible laptop has an extensive list of customization options available at HP's website. There are 20 different combinations of Intel Core Ultra Series 2 CPU, RAM, and graphics, and that's before you get into any of the 10 display and camera combinations. As promised, the EliteBook 8 Flip can be configured with 5G WWAN connectivity for internet everywhere.
The 13.3-inch display is only available with a 1920x1200 resolution, but it's touch-enabled, it has an optional Sure View privacy filter, and it supports inking. The average screen helps boost battery life, and we found the 62Wh battery to run for 10+ hours when looping Office workloads.
The keyboard is outstanding, the touchpad is accurate, the camera has Windows Hello facial recognition, and there's up to Wi-Fi 7 with Bluetooth 5.4.
In their EliteBook 8 Flip review, Zachary Boddy remarks,
"For those that need everything and the kitchen sink in a laptop much smaller than a kitchen sink, the EliteBook 8 Flip probably has all the options you're looking for and more. It's not the most astounding laptop on every front and all those options add cost quickly, but there's still nothing else quite like this."
👀 Read our full HP EliteBook 8 Flip (G1i) review
Best rugged laptop with 5G
Fieldworkers and industry professionals often need a laptop that can survive conditions well beyond what you'd find in a usual office. That's where the Panasonic Toughbook 55 Mk3 excels.
In his Panasonic Toughbook 55 Mk3 review, Windows Central's Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino said:
"If someone like me, who is particular about laptops, finds it appealing, emergency medical technicians, police officers, or military personnel would likely appreciate its speed, dependability, and all the contemporary features of a 2023 prosumer laptop."
It's a chunky 14-inch device with three modular bays for easy upgrades, built for semi-rugged durability with MIL-STD-810H and IP53 certifications. You can work with two batteries, together offering more than 24 hours of runtime, and performance is solid from Intel's 13th Gen Core P-series chips.
The laptop has 92dB speakers for audio you can hear anywhere, the 1080p camera has an IR sensor and a privacy shutter, and there's a decent selection of ports.
The Toughbook 55's mobile connectivity comes in the form of proprietary xPAKs, of which there are options for 4G, 5G Sub6, and C-band with speeds up to 4.1 Gbps. For the full config options, you'll want to get a quote directly from Panasonic.
👀 Read our full Panasonic Toughbook 55 Mk3 review
Best premium laptop with 5G
The ThinkPad design has been refined over many years, and Lenovo has arrived at a sleek all-metal chassis with MIL-STD 810H durability certification.
The convertible design allows you to use it like a tablet or as a notebook, and the active pen is perfect for taking notes or sketching designs.
One area where the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 fell behind in previous years was performance, but that's been remedied. As Zachary Boddy mentions in their ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 (Gen 10) review:
"[It] performs excellently for everyday work, and is Intel Evo certified for that added guarantee of smooth use. This laptop feels every bit like the premium machine it's supposed to be."
As for battery life, our testing shows that you can expect 7-8 hours of real-world usage. The keyboard is one of the best on the market, and while the touchpad is smaller due to the inclusion of the TrackPoint system, it is available with optional haptic feedback rather than traditional moving parts.
The FHD webcam includes an IR sensor for Windows Hello, and it also supports Human Presence Detection for hands-free locking and unlocking.
Finally, wireless connectivity is handled by Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and optional 5G. It looks like Lenovo charges $200 for a Quectel 5G modem, which brings the starting price of these laptops up to about $2,147 at Lenovo. As is usually the case with ThinkPads, I recommend waiting for one of Lenovo's frequent and deep sales.
👀 Read our full Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 (Gen 10) Aura Edition review
I've written hundreds of reviews for Windows Central, and I'm always testing and comparing laptops to help readers find the best option for their needs. If you need a laptop with WWAN connectivity, I can help you make the right decision thanks to my nine years of experience.
How we test laptops at Windows Central
Every laptop reviewed at Windows Central goes through a similar testing process.
We like to "adopt" the laptop to get an idea of how well it works in real-world situations. After all, there's no better way to discover any quirks than by using it just like any regular buyer.
Camera and speaker quality, port selection and layout, keyboard and touchpad, and overall design durability are tested and taken into account as we use the laptop.
We test the laptop display's color reproduction and brightness with a colorimeter, we test fan noise and speaker volume with a decibel meter, and we check thermal management with a FLIR camera.
Once we get into the performance hardware, it's all about synthetic benchmarks and real-world impressions. We use a mix of Geekbench, CrossMark, Cinebench, CrystalDiskMark, PCMark, 3DMark, and more to test laptops.
For battery life, it's a mix of benchmarking tools, Windows battery reports, and real-world runtimes to provide an average you should expect on any given day.
How to choose the best 5G laptop for you
A laptop with 5G or 4G LTE connectivity is particularly beneficial for frequent travelers, busy professionals, college students, and anyone else who needs to stay connected to the internet at all times.
Not having to rely on public Wi-Fi will boost privacy and security, and you'll have a connection practically anywhere that there is cell service.
Yes, mobile connectivity on the Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) requires a quality data plan made for a laptop, and your laptop needs special hardware inside to access the network. This includes a Nano SIM slot or eSIM functionality, antenna, and modem.
5G and 4G LTE are both WWAN standards, with 5G being the newer generation. It's backward compatible with older networks, meaning that your 5G modem will work with 4G LTE networks (at lower speeds).
Some of the laptops in this collection are still using 4G LTE; if you'd like the best bandwidth possible, you'll want to stick with 5G.
With all this in mind, my top pick is Microsoft's Surface Pro 11 with 5G. It's a versatile 2-in-1 Copilot+ PC that starts at a more reasonable price than other options in this list, mostly due to it not being a business-focused PC.
If you're a regular user who wants 5G without enterprise extras, this should be your first choice. Just be sure that Windows on Snapdragon is right for you.
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 13) and HP EliteBook 8 Flip are both high-quality business laptops with 5G or 4G LTE connectivity, while the Panasonic Toughbook 55 Mk3 takes durability and ruggedness to the next level for certain industries.
And my latest addition, the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 (Gen 10), is a gorgeous business laptop with convertible versatility, excellent security, and high-end features throughout that will appeal to professionals.
5G laptops FAQ
New to the idea of adding a 5G connection to your laptop? These answers should help.
Do I really need 5G in my laptop?
Whether or not you really need 5G in a laptop comes down to how you use your PC. Not only do these PCs offer connectivity in more places, but you can also expect better privacy thanks to always having your own network. Public Wi-Fi is often convenient, but it's not the best option if you're worried about your data.
Because laptops with 5G generally lean toward a professional lifestyle, you can also often pick up extra security features and a more durable design. Not all 5G laptops are straight business, however, with the Surface Pro 11 coming in as the most versatile option for pros or more casual users who simply need a reliable internet connection everywhere.
How do I get a 5G data plan for my laptop?
There are plenty of great data plans available for Windows laptops; you just have to know where to look.
Big names like Verizon and T-Mobile have bulk and unlimited 5G laptop data plans available in the US, while others like Airalo, Saily, and Flexiroam are great options for traveling out of the country.
These providers generally offer an easy-to-use eSIM setup for your laptop, and the wide range of plans available means you should be able to get exactly as much data as you need without overpaying.
Check out our guide on how to set up an eSIM on a laptop to help guide you through the process.
👉 Related: Best data plans for Windows laptops
Are laptop prices expected to go up in 2026?
Yes, laptop prices are expected (to continue) to rise in 2026. This is caused by DRAM and NAND shortages driven by the AI buildout. Datacenters need as much memory and storage as they can get, and that's leaving only scraps for the rest of us. Even PC manufacturers are having a hard time sourcing components, and those extra costs are being passed down to consumers.
