The 5 Best Pocket Laptops
Updated by · How we research
Five Windows pocket laptops with 7- to 9-inch screens, compared on ports, keyboards and battery. The GPD Pocket 4 leads with a sharp screen and laptop speed. When users buy our independently chosen editorial selections, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
A pocket laptop, often sold as a UMPC, is a full Windows PC with a screen of 7 to 9 inches and a keyboard built for thumbs. The catch: many cost more than a full-size laptop, run hot and loud under load, and suit quick notes better than long writing. They make sense for technicians, travelers and anyone who wants a real PC everywhere.
Editor's Notes
October 23, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:
The GPD Pocket 4 now leads this list. It's the one machine this small that an independent lab judged fast enough to stand in for a regular laptop, though its fan gets loud and its storage slows during long file copies.
Nothing from the old list survived. The GPD Win Max, GPD Pocket 2, GPD P2 Max, original GPD MicroPC, GPD Win 2, One Netbook One Mix 1S, One Netbook One Mix 3 Pro and One Netbook OneGx1 are no longer sold new. We also dropped the Samsung S20 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Fold Z, since phones don't belong on a laptop list. The GPD MicroPC 2 replaces its namesake as the pick for people who need ports in the field, the Kooforway P8 covers tight budgets, the GPD Win Mini 2025 is for gaming, and the GPD Pocket 3 stays around for people who want a pen in the box.
Our evidence was the sellers' spec sheets, a lab review of the Pocket 4 that measured screen brightness, storage speed and fan noise, a detailed review of the MicroPC 2 from a GPD reseller, and a recall search for every brand. We stopped at five because most other tiny machines on sale are Android netbooks for kids or rebadged copies of the same 8-inch model.
Earlier notes
December 2, 2020, by Christopher Thomas:
These are some interesting little machines that fill a pretty specific niche between laptops and tablets. There's one company that you'll see mentioned a few times, and over the last couple years, they've done a lot more in this specialized space than just about anybody. The GPD Win Max is their latest and greatest offering, and it actually does a surprisingly good job at playing games for something its size. In fact, it's just about the only one out there right now that can play any big-name, high-intensity titles from the last decade such as GTA V.
The GPD Pocket 2 and its upgraded relative, the GPD P2 Max, aren't quite as fast as the Win Max, but as long as you're not playing 3D games, they're actually reasonably capable. Rounding out GPD's impressive lineup are the GPD Win 2, which has a built-in game controller, and the GPD MicroPC, which has a host of ports and a durable construction both ideal for use in professional installations or even in the field.
Thankfully, though, they're not the only ones making these handy devices. The One Netbook One Mix 1S isn't very new, but it's about as small as they get, and in this form factor, there's really only so much performance you can expect without making a huge investment. If you are okay with spending a little more on a mini laptop, the One Netbook One Mix 3 Pro and One Netbook OneGx1 are worth a look. Our only issue with these is that despite their high cost, they have subpar GPUs, so they're not great for demanding games. Keep an eye out for the OneGx1 Pro, though, which should be equipped with Intel's top integrated GPU.
Finally, the Samsung S20 Ultra and famous Samsung Galazy Fold Z are both certified for use with the Samsung Dex system. Using an ad hoc wireless connection, Dex lets you connect your smartphone to a Wi-Fi-connected TV or other display, as well as a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, for a full-featured Android-based computing experience.
November 13, 2018, by Christopher Thomas:
Ooh boy, these are fun! Even the smallest laptops and 2-in-1s are bigger than these, while tablets of this size are sometimes underpowered and lack a built-in keyboard. The GPD Pocket 2 is a crowd favorite; in fact, it was actually crowd-funded. The One Mix 7 has an impressive fit and finish, and you should keep an eye out for its successor, the One Mix 2 (and 2S), which should hit the market in just the next few months. Also on the horizon is the TopJoy Falcon, which is designed for easier typing, and should fall into the middle of the price range. Of course, if you can afford it, it's hard to beat the Samsung Galaxy Note series when it comes to modern micro-computing.
Special Honors
CHUWI MiniBook X Readers who want a small Windows laptop with a more usable keyboard should look at the CHUWI MiniBook X, a 10.5-inch convertible with a keyboard big enough for two hands. It isn't pocket size, and its listing here was out of stock when we checked, but Chuwi sells the current U300 version directly. chuwi.com
How Small Is Small Enough
Resolution matters more at this size than on a big laptop, because Windows menus get tiny.
Screen size sets almost everything else. The 7-inch machines, the GPD MicroPC 2 and the GPD Win Mini 2025, weigh about 500 grams, a little over a pound, and fit a jacket pocket. The 8-inch class, including the GPD Pocket 3 and the Kooforway P8, is closer to a paperback and wants a cargo pocket or a small sling bag. The GPD Pocket 4 stretches to 8.8 inches and, by Notebookcheck's scale, 777 grams, plus another 202 grams for its charger.
Resolution matters more at this size than on a big laptop, because Windows menus get tiny. A 7-inch 1080p panel packs about 314 pixels per inch, while an 8-inch panel at 1280 x 800 shows visibly soft text. If you need a 10- or 11-inch screen, you're shopping for a small laptop rather than a pocket one, and a cheap Chromebook or a 2-in-1 tablet will be easier to type on.
Skip the 7- and 10-inch "mini netbooks" sold at bargain prices. Most run Android with a few gigabytes of memory, not Windows, and they can't run desktop software.
Keyboards, Ports And Heat
Nobody touch-types on a pocket laptop. The keys are sized for thumbs, punctuation moves to odd places, and the trackpad is usually a small square or an optical pointer. Notebookcheck's verdict on the Pocket 4 was a laptop replacement with compromises, and it suggested a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse for long sessions. Plan on the same for any machine here.
Ports are where these machines beat a tablet. The GPD MicroPC 2 has HDMI, a 2.5-gigabit Ethernet jack and four USB ports, and DROIX found it could drive several monitors at once. That makes it a favorite of network technicians who plug into switches and routers. GPD's Pocket models go further with a swappable module slot on the back that can hold a serial port, a KVM adapter or a cellular modem.
Tiny cases can't shed much heat. The Pocket 4's processor is tuned 15 to 20% below the same chip in a full-size laptop, its fan is loud under load, and its fast SSD slows to less than half speed after about a minute of heavy writing. For office work and browsing that rarely matters, but it does for video exports and big games.
Battery Life And Flying With One
Small cases mean small batteries. The MicroPC 2 carries a 27.5-watt-hour pack, and in DROIX's full-load run it lasted about an hour and 45 minutes; the reviewer expected four to six hours of light use. The Pocket 4 and Win Mini 2025 hold about 44 watt-hours, and GPD rates the Win Mini at about two hours in demanding games. All of them charge over USB-C, so one charger can serve your phone too. Use the charger in the box or a known USB-C Power Delivery brand.
Every machine on this list is well under the 100-watt-hour limit for lithium-ion batteries in carry-on bags, so no airline approval is needed. The FAA says devices with lithium batteries belong in the cabin, not in checked luggage, and that spare batteries must always be carried on.
Warranty is worth checking before you buy. Many listings for GPD machines are run by resellers, so service goes through that seller, not GPD itself, and the Kooforway is backed only by its seller. Keep the box and test every port within the return window.
How we researched this
We compared 17 pocket and mini laptops, including every machine on the old list, read the sellers' spec sheets for the five finalists, read Notebookcheck's lab review of the GPD Pocket 4 and DROIX's long review of the GPD MicroPC 2, and searched the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's laptop and notebook recalls, which list none for GPD or Kooforway. Updated October 23, 2026 by Ezvid Wiki Editors.
Frequently asked questions
What is the smallest Windows laptop you can buy?
The 7-inch models are the smallest real Windows laptops on sale: the GPD MicroPC 2 and the GPD Win Mini 2025. Both weigh about 500 grams and fit a jacket pocket. The Win Mini is slightly smaller but thicker.
Can you type comfortably on a pocket laptop?
Only for short bursts. The keyboards are made for thumbs, so they work for email, notes and commands, not long documents. For longer writing, pair it with a Bluetooth keyboard.
Is a pocket laptop better than a tablet or a Chromebook?
It's better if you need full Windows programs, wired Ethernet or HDMI in a tiny case. A tablet or a small Chromebook costs far less and lasts longer on a charge if you mostly browse and stream.
Can I take a pocket laptop on a plane?
Yes. Their batteries are well under the FAA's 100-watt-hour limit. Keep the laptop in your carry-on, not your checked bag.
Do pocket laptops come with a stylus?
Some do. The GPD Pocket 3 and the Kooforway P8 include a pen. The GPD MicroPC 2 works only with a basic capacitive stylus, and the others rely on finger touch.
