Laptops with fingerprint scanners are a gift from the tech gods. They protect our important, sensitive, personal data and keep them safe from prying hands and curious eyes, and they do so much better than other security features like passwords and pins, since our fingerprints are unique to us.
There is just so much valuable stuff stored on our laptops. It doesn’t even have to be directly stored on the hard drive. Even our browser cache, saved passwords for various websites, bank accounts, and so on, can be accessed through any one of our devices.
If you want to find the best laptop with fingerprint readers, here’s a review and buying guide to help you get started:
Finding a Fingerprint Laptop
The thing is, it can be hard to find a laptop with a fingerprint reader, even today, especially when you’re on a tight budget. If you are willing to spend on business class or gaming laptops with fingerprint readers, sure, you might find quite a few options, but for entry level laptops with decent specs, it can be a real challenge.
Hence, a good solution is to invest in your dream laptop, and buy an external fingerprint scanner that you can easily install on your laptop via USB, such as this Mini USB Fingerprint Reader. Keep in mind that you will also need Windows Hello, but other than that, the process is quite easy and straightforward.
Whichever way you choose to go, the most important thing is to make sure that the fingerprint reader, whether it’s built-in or external, has great accuracy recognition. Otherwise, you may have a hard time accessing your laptop, and are risking other people to get in as well.
Our Favorite Laptops with Fingerprint Readers
When buying a laptop with fingerprint reader, don’t forget that you’re buying not just the scanner, but the entire laptop, and as such, it’s a must to pay attention to the specs, features, and performance of the laptop. This way, you don’t end up with a cheap model that always lags regardless of whether you’re surfing the web or running the most hardware-demanding games.
To help you out, we reviewed the most promising options on the market, and came up with this list of the six best laptops with fingerprint readers. All of the laptops you’ll see below boast of excellent specs and performance, along with, of course, accurate fingerprint scanners.
New Apple MacBook Pro
Our top pick for a fingerprint laptop is the new Apple MacBook Pro, which boasts of the Touch ID that makes for fast authentication. This is powered by Apple’s T2 security chip, a second gen custom Mac silicon that features a Secure Enclave coprocessor.
With this feature, you get to enjoy secure boot ups, encrypted storage capabilities, and consolidated discrete controllers including the SSD controller, audio controller, and system management controller.
It’s also packed with many other amazing features that make it, quite simply, the best laptop for the brightest users. The advanced design and solid construction of this laptop brings in a whole new class of performance that you can only see in Apple products. In fact, this is why the MacBook Pro is one of the best laptops for data science today.
- 16” retina display
- Intel Core i7 CPU
- AMD Radeon Pro 5300M GPU
- 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD
- 11 hour battery life
Lenovo Flex 5
We also really like the Lenovo Flex 5, which is easily one of the most ideal business laptops out there that you can also appreciate for everyday applications. It’s packed with all the right sets of hardware and software, making it a popular choice for people from all walks of life.
For one thing, it boasts of the latest AMD Ryzen 5, which is a powerful quad core CPU. It also comes with Radeon graphics, 16 gigabytes of RAM, and 256gb of ultrafast SSD. All of these in a thin and sleek chassis and an elegant ultrabook appeal.
The solid state drive also helps immensely when it comes to shockproof data security, not to mention the fact that it enhances user experience through quick load times. Even the backlit keyboard is noteworthy, among all the other amazing features. Simply put, it’s a top-of-the-line ultrabook laptop that features a fingerprint scanner.
- 14” full HD IPS touchscreen display
- AMD Ryzen 5 4500U CPU
- AMD Radeon Graphics GPU
- 16GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB SSD
- 10 hour battery life
Asus VivoBook 15
Another great option is the Asus VivoBook 15, which boasts of the rare gem that is the 8th gen AMD R5 quad core processor that you’ll only see in a few lucky laptops. Not only that, this laptop also comes with the AMD Vega 8 graphics, which offers reliable graphics performance.
Moreover, the VivoBook 15 features Nano Edge display with incredibly tiny slim bezels to make the laptop considerably more laptop and give you more viewing space without sacrificing portability. The screen even boasts of full HD resolution.
And, as a proper laptop, this one comes with 8 gigs of RAM and 256 gigs of SSD storage, as well as, of course, the added perk of a fingerprint scanner. It’s thin, affordably priced, and great all-in-all. Simply put, if you want a nice fingerprint laptop under 500 dollars, the Asus VivoBook 15 is the way to go.
- 15.6” full HD display
- AMD Quad Core R5-3500U CPU
- AMD Radeon Vega 8 GPU
- 8GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB PCIe SSD
Acer Swift 3
You might also want to check out the Acer Swift 3, which is a decently priced laptop at around $600 that comes with quite a few perks to give you a really good deal when it comes to function, performance, reliability, durability, and more.
Speaking of performance, this laptop boasts of the latest Ryzen 4000 series processor that beats all its competitors in terms of performance architecture and price. It also offers a spacious 512 gigabytes of SSD storage, which is rare for a mid-range laptop, especially one priced at the 500 to 600 dollar range.
What we really like, though, is the full size keyboard that has a numerical keypad, which is another rare gem on most laptops. This is possible primarily due to the fourteen inch screen that allows for extra space. The only thing is, this model might go out of stock soon, so if you want it, grab it while you can.
- 14” full HD IPS display
- AMD Ryzen 7 4700 CPU
- AMD Radeon Graphics GPU
- 8GB RAM, 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD
- 10 hour battery life
Asus ZenBook UX330UA-AH54
Another one from Asus is the Asus ZenBook UX330UA-AH54, a wonderful creation in the world of fingerprint laptops. The built-in fingerprint reader on this model allows for a safe and secure way of storing all your data in a single device. The Hello feature, which is quite popular these days, also lets you enjoy a sensitive one-touch login facility.
Aside from the safety features, this laptop also boasts of some nice hardware specs, such as the 7th gen Intel Core processor that guarantees smooth operations and reliable performance. The 13.3 inch screen also allows for bigger and better imagery when streaming.
Furthermore, the 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD boosts software and application workspeeds to give you quick functioning, and offers plenty of storage for all your apps, documents, files, music, and more.
- 13.3” full HD display
- Intel i5-7200U CPU
- Intel HD Graphics 520 GPU
- 8GB DDR3 RAM, 256GB SSD
- 12 hour battery life
Asus ZenBook 13
A more popular version of the ZenBook UX330UA-AH54 is the Asus ZenBook 13, which frankly comes with slightly better specs, although at a somewhat more expensive price point and a smaller screen. That said, it does perform well for a mid-range laptop.
Actually, this laptop is quite premium in terms of performance and functionality. It boasts of a great build quality, solid and durable construction, excellent hardware configuration, and great overall workings inside and out.
The Intel Core i5 processor, for one, makes day-to-day operations smooth and fast. The Intel UHD graphics, while not a dedicated one, is still good enough for most basic functions. The RAM and storage are also both of decent sizes, and the battery life is also enough for an entire day of on-the-go productivity.
- 13” full HD touchscreen display
- Core i5-8265U CPU
- Intel UHD GPU
- 8GB RAM, 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD
- 7 to 8 hour battery life
FAQs
What are the benefits of laptops with fingerprint scanners?
Fingerprint readers are not only for protection and security. These are also a huge advantage for other reasons, such as not having to enter your password every time you boot up the laptop or wake it up from sleep mode. Accessing different sites and apps is also easy since you just need to touch the scanner instead of typing different passwords. That’s just the start.
Are laptops more secure if they have fingerprint scanners?
Generally, yes. Since fingerprints are unique to each individual, they are much harder to hack or steal as compared to conventional passwords, pins, and security questions. Technically, only the owner of the device (and other authorised users) can access it. However, it is possible to fake or clone fingerprints, so fingerprint scanners are in no way foolproof.
How do I use my laptop’s fingerprint scanner?
The first thing is to set up your user account on the laptop and choose a strong password. Only then will you be able to swipe and register designated fingerprints that you can use for later logins on the device itself and any saved website or app that allows for fingerprint authentication instead of conventional passwords.
How can I enable the fingerprint reader?
The process varies greatly from model to model. For instance, activating an HP laptop with fingerprint reader is different from enabling Touch ID on a MacBook. That said, as long as the fingerprint reader is built into the laptop, the manufacturer will usually be the one to install the control panel, so you don’t have to worry as much.
Now, if you are using an external fingerprint scanner, you will have to download all the needed software, install them on your laptop, and follow instructions on how to enable fingerprint login through your settings.
Conclusion
There are quite a few options for fingerprint laptops at various price points on today’s market, so you are sure to find the best laptop with fingerprint reader that suits your needs in terms of performance, reliability, and security. Such a laptop will keep your personal and professional data protected, as well as boost your productivity.
