I had an HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 here for a review. This machine has new AI features, powered by the combination of its CPU, GPU and NPU (Neural Processing Unity) processors.
The specific model I had here was based on an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V (Lunar Lake) platform. It came with 32 GB RAM and a 1 TB NVMe SSD. This package performed extremely well, starting Windows and opening applications very quickly and with no unexpected waits.
This is also noticeable when I compared the Passmark ratings on this laptop with other machines I have tested before. Except for a couple of high-end gaming desktops, the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 excelled in most areas, except for the 3D graphics. This is most likely because while the CPU and memory were high-end, the Intel Arc 140V GPU is more likely a mid-tier graphics unit.
No matter, because this is not a machine for gaming, despite its beautiful 14 inch, 2.8K OLED display. This high-quality display made working on this laptop a very easy and comfortable task, with a bright display and perfect colours.
The Flip in the name comes from the ability to flip the display 360 degrees, transforming this laptop in a very capable tablet. This makes it useful for the creative types that like to use applications designed with this form-factor in mind.
The AI features are based on the NPU but also use resources from the CPU and GPU when needed. You can use the Microsoft Copilot features, which include some camera and sound enhancements, or add other packages and models to create your solutions.
But what I liked most is the HP AI Companion. This application can be used to control some, but not all, of your laptop’s functions. You can for example type “Turn volume up” or “Mute” and it will apply this to your laptop. Of course, you could just reach for the keyboard to control these functions.
The HP AI Companion will also maintain your computer’s drivers and BIOS updates as well as keeping the best configuration for your laptop.
But the HP AI Companion also works for you. You can get it to read and summarise your documents, highlight key points or filter on specific data.
I found the HP AI Companion more useful than the Microsoft Copilot, on the same machine.
There are plenty of ports on this laptop, so you can have your accessories all ready to go. These include two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports (40 Gbps, DisplayPort 2.1) and one USB-C port (10 Gbps, DisplayPort 1.4). All of them can deliver the HP Sleep and Charge, a feature that allows you to charge your phone even if the laptop is turned off.
The keyboard has keys with generous sizes, making it easy to use. Typing is comfortable, with keys travelling just enough to give you some feedback. The trackpad is a bit oversized though, but the space is there, so might as well use it.
The HP OmniBook Ultra Flip disappoints on the basic software, as it comes with Windows Home, which is most of the times ok, although I like the Bitlocker drive encryption feature that Windows Pro gives to you. I also don’t quite like having McAfee anti-virus software pre-installed, as in my opinion Windows Defender does a pretty good job at keeping malware at bay these days. Never mind though, McAfee, Dropbox and others are easy to uninstall if wanted to.
The size (31 x 22 x 1.5 cm) is what I expected from a 14-inch laptop, but it’s almost unbelievably light, at 1.3 Kg.
Battery life is great. I had the laptop going for hours at a time, staring in the morning and working through the day, with no fear of running out of power. It lasted from 9-to-5 without skipping a beat and with power to spare.
This is not a cheap laptop, and configurations will range from NZ$ 3,699 to NZ$ 4,599 today, according to the HP website. But it’s a laptop that seems powered for the future and should last a few generations if you decide to invest in it.
