The new HP Spectre x360 2-in-1 laptop combines a spacious keyboard and responsive touchpad of a laptop with the ample touchscreen of a tablet. And it is not shy of work either. The HP Spectre x360 is powered by a 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1255U processor running at 1.7 GHz. With 16 GB RAM and a 512 GB SSD it can go through many heavy tasks and yet keep running for longer thanks to efficient power usage and a large-capacity battery. In my tests, I managed to get up to ten hours of continuous use during the day, before having to find the power brick.
In terms of performance, the Passmark rating put it up around the 47% percentile with a 3797 score. This means it performed a lot better than an HP EliteBook in pretty much all tests (2D, 3D, memory and storage) and just behind the HP EliteBook on processors of the same generation.
Based on an updated Intel Evo platform (first introduced by Intel on a previous generation of processors), the HP Spectre x360 2-in-1 laptop introduced support for the newest Wi-Fi 6E standard, which uses a newly authorised 6 GHz wireless band. Even though this is approved for use in New Zealand, I couldn’t test it properly, despite having a Wi-Fi 6E-capable router here. I am told this is because the Intel AX211 drivers need to be updated to allow this feature to be used in New Zealand.
It also supports the latest Bluetooth 5.2 and comes with two Thunderbolt 4 ports (USB-C) positioned on notches on its top corners. It also has one USB-A port available in a clever way: since it’s just a bit taller than the actual laptop height, this port has a sliding mechanism to accommodate the connector.
The 5 MP camera provides great picture for your conference calls, including tracking. It can also be used for Windows Hello authentication so you can unlock your laptop with your face only. This is in addition to the fingerprint scanner that is also available for Windows Hello.
With Intel Iris Xe Graphics, this HP Spectre x360 2-in-1 works really well with photos and other design tools. Perhaps not fast enough for high-quality games, but in a strong position to drive its 14 inches 3,000 by 2,000 pixels (3K2K) OLED screen.
The body is nice and smooth, on HP’s Natural Silver colour. Typing is comfortable, thanks to a full-size keyboard (no numeric keys though) and the touchpad that is responsive and large for precision tracking.
The HP Spectre x360 2-in-1 comes with Windows 11 Home, a 30-day McAfee trial, plus an offer for extra Dropbox storage (if you are new to Dropbox). It also has the new HP Palette, a new application that gives you access to new tools like HP QuickDrop, Duet for HP and others. The HP QuickDrop was the most impressive one, reminding me of the Microsoft Phone Link app. With this application you can quickly send files between your phone and the laptop (or vice-versa), while Duet for HP allows you to use other devices (iOS, Android, Chrome or Mac) as a secondary display for your laptop.
Being only 17mm thick and weighing around 1.3 Kg it’s a laptop to consider if you want a more mobile lifestyle with long battery life and great performance.
