Hands-on review: HP Spectre

HP Spectre review

Seriously, when are these things going to become just actual sheets of paper? HP has announced that, at just 10.4mm thin, it has crafted the world's thinnest laptop, the HP Spectre.

The math checks out – I looked it up, and so did HP, I'm sure. But this isn't only the world's thinnest, it's among the world's first Ultrabooks to house not one, but three USB-C ports.

That's two shots across the bow toward Apple, and I haven't even gotten into what this thing looks like yet. This is how serious HP is about trumping the laptop leaders in design – it's coming out guns a'blazin'.

And, it honestly shows in the product. The Spectre, a 13.3-inch, 2.4-pound follow up to the firm's Spectre x360 of last year, exudes style from every angle. This is a laptop that HP wants you to be proud to pull out of your bag on that packed flight to, say, a tech conference.

For a starting price of $1,169 (about £820, AU$1,539) on HP.com starting April 25, it sure as hell better.

Design

Let me put it this way: you better believe that this laptop will be in the next Bond flick. This is the kind of laptop that you would see an ace hacker whip out in the getaway car with a hotspot dongle – USB-C, natch – to screw with the traffic lights as they escape.

But, really, the Spectre is one slick notebook. It's "ash black" screen lid is coated in anodized aluminum emblazoned with a new, hip and edgy HP logo. The keyboard deck, with the same aluminum finish, features a centered glass trackpad and a keyboard boasting 1.3mm of travel. Finally, the bottom plate is a light carbon fiber, but you can barely tell the difference.

It's so thin, the laptop doesn't even have room for ports on its sides: they're all in the copper-plated rear of the hinged base. And, that's three USB-C ports.

That's it.

"That's it? What do you mean, 'that's it?'" I mean that, yes, three USB-C ports is two more than the new MacBook has, and yes, that is awesome.

But the problem with the MacBook isn't just that it has one USB-C port, but that it has one USB-C port. Having three of the latest in hardwired connectivity is excellent and arguably future-proofed, don't mistake, but we all still have these bags of accessories and other devices rocking USB-A ports and cords.

In that case, which may well be the case for another few years, having five of a cutting edge port that my just-fine accessories don't use wouldn't help much.

At any rate, two of these USB-C ports are Thunderbolt, meaning that they can collectively power two 4K displays as well as a dock. That means, save for lacking dedicated graphics, the Spectre could make for a mean mobile workhorse.

Photographers or videographers looking to up their 4K game, HP's looking at you.

At the starting price, the Spectre comes housing a dual-core, 2.3GHz Intel Core i5-6200U processor. That's backed up by the chip's own Intel HD Graphics 520, 8GB of LPDDR3 memory and a 256GB PCIe, M.2 solid-state drive.

An upgraded model gets you an Intel Core i7 processor, though HP hasn't issued many more details on this model much less pricing.

Display and using the laptop

HP is priding itself on the sheer engineering of this device, particularly its new piston hinge – everyone's got a hinge, eh? – that allows you to open the laptop without disturbing its place. (It's actually quite impressive when you see it bare in action.)

But there's also the hyperbaric cooling system, or the two rear fans that create positive pressure inside the laptop, enabling its super thin frame.

But, for all of that clever design, the laptop maker made the seemingly most pedestrian move: a Full HD screen. Just 1,920 x 1,080 pixels.

It's sharper than a MacBook Air, though less than just about every other competing Ultrabook, including the 12-inch MacBook. The Gorilla Glass screen enjoys reaching 72% of the color gamut, which at 300 nits max, is enough for work and play.

The display, an IPS panel, is a clear statement from HP that pixels aren't everything in a screen, something that I agree with. (It's why I don't throw all that much shade at the MacBook Air.)

Plus, it no doubt helps the Spectre achieve a battery life of 9 hours and 45 minutes – by HP's measurement, not ours. Will it stand to the MacBook's pretty accurate 9-hour claim? Only time in techradar HQ will tell.

When testing out HP's newly designed keyboard, which employs a force-displacement curve that's been optimized to feel like keyboards with naturally higher travel than 1.3mm, I couldn't help but notice how easy it was to adjust. The keys respond punchily enough to make coming from any chiclet-style keyboard a breeze.

I don't think I'd notice this laptop in my bag, either. At 2.45 pounds, the Spectre weighs more than a new MacBook, but is lighter than most others in its class.

Early verdict

Inside and out, the HP Spectre aims for the cutting edge and largely nails it along the way, at least by first glance. There's still testing to do, after all.

What's clear is that HP is out to raise the stakes in the battle for best laptop with a device that's not only gorgeous on the outside, but capable on the inside. HP is so confident in its latest design, that it unveiled the laptop during the New York Times Luxury Conference in Versailles, France.

But, beyond the glitz and glam of its reveal, HP has clearly built an attractive, strong product – more than enough to compete in Apple's court. That said, this is exactly the kind of laptop that I see get made and immediately begin with questions, especially considering it already starts at just under the MacBook when it lands in Best Buy on May 22, at $1,249 (about £879, AU$1,645).

The HP Spectre is firmly sat in what I'm going to call the emerging hyperlaptop scene, kind of like hypercars – super souped up vehicles with incredible design and limited practicality. Of course, like any self-respecting tech head, that doesn't make me want to test one out any less.