They're not. A company like Chuwi makes $300 laptops that are just as thin :) https://www.notebookcheck.net/Chuwi-GemiBook-CWI528-Laptop-Review-Full-sRGB-Covera

They're not. A company like Chuwi makes $300 laptops that are just as thin :) https://www.notebookcheck.net/Chuwi-GemiBook-CWI528-Laptop-Review-Full-sRGB-Coverage-For-300-USD.490985.0.html https://www.notebookcheck.net/Chuwi-GemiBook-CWI528-Laptop-R... Of course you're not getting the same specs or build quality for that price but it's comparable to MacBook thickness. I think the other players you mention just have less desire to make them as thin as possible. I really prefer my work T490s ThinkPad to my work MacBook Pro. It's got more ports, a phenomenally better keyboard, upgradable internals and more. All for a few millimeters extra thickness and no extra weight. They've made the right choice IMO.