Performance is Top Purchase Driver Amongst Laptop Buyers

Amazon released the second set of findings from the inaugural Best in Tech Survey. If the smartphone findings revealed AI as a baseline expectation, the computing category tells a sharper story. Processor performance is the single most important purchase driver for laptop buyers, with 87% ranking it first. At the same time, AI enthusiasm here is the highest amongst any category surveyed. Also, 58% of laptop buyers call upcoming AI features "extremely useful" for their productivity.

For tablet buyers, the priority is equally clear and 74% rank display quality first. The findings are drawn from more than 40,000 responses across all major consumer electronics categories and feed into selection on Amazon.in. They will also set the agenda for the Best in Tech Awards, which returns for its second edition on September 18, 2026.

Processor performance leads the decision at 87% ranking it first, followed by RAM and storage, then battery life. 58% say upcoming AI features will be "extremely useful" for their productivity, a higher proportion than in any other consumer electronics category surveyed. The most-wanted capabilities reflect this: on-device AI assistants at 28%, fast AI-processing chips at 25% and AI-powered content creation and editing at 23%. Real-time transcription and translation capabilities follow at 17%.

53% of laptop buyers said they would choose a different brand offering better specifications at the same price and a further 15% said they are drawn to new innovation and design. Most buyers (48%) compare two to three brands before deciding, while only 18% go in with one brand already in mind.

Half of laptop buyers are considering a device in the ₹40,000 to ₹80,000 range, with the ₹40,000 to ₹60,000 band leading at 28% and ₹60,000 to ₹80,000 at 22%. At the top end, 14% are considering ₹80,000 to ₹1,00,000 and 12% are looking above ₹1,00,000. Just 24% are shopping under ₹40,000. Most buyers compare two to three brands before deciding and nearly quarter research for more than two months. Only 18% go in with one brand already in mind. Reviews and ratings carry more weight than price and deals at the point of decision.

No other category in the survey has a single feature dominate this clearly. 74% of tablet buyers rank display size and quality first, with price at 12% and processor at 9% a distant second and third. The tablet decision is overwhelmingly, a screen decision. That focus shows in the price band- 59% of consideration sits in the ₹20,000 to ₹35,000 premium mid-range, where the display quality justifies the step up from a budget device. Buyers are also clear about why they want a tablet in the first place- a more affordable alternative to a laptop at 29%, media consumption at 21% and portability for work on the move at 17%.