HP Spectre x360 (2016)

 The original HP Spectre x360 was arguably the one of the handsomest 2-in-1 laptop ever created and now the company has released a dramatically improved next generation model. The new 13-inch 2-in-1 laptop brings a ton of improvements including a new chassis that’s 13% thinner and 11% lighter while featuring a quarter more battery life and Intel Kaby Lake processors.

Numbers aide, the new HP Spectre x360 is practically an all new laptop with a slimmer design, reengineered display and a few features we can’t live without now. Although, it’s an hands down improvement over older model in almost every regard, a few sacrifices have been made in the name of thinness including a higher starting price.  

Design

 We always felt like using the original Spectre x360 was more like handling a pizza paddle than a tablet due to it being overly wide and heavy. Thankfully HP has dramatically trimmed the new model’s chassis.

Measuring 13.8mm thin, it’s significantly thinner than the outgoing 0.63-inch model. The new design also trims the convertible’s annoyingly wide 12.79-inch body to a more sensible 12.03-inches. Both of these changes stem from the new display micro edge display HP has implemented but we’ll get more into that soon.

That’s more than a half inch reduction and stacking with the new hybrid’s 1.3kg weight makes the device much more comfortable to use in tablet mode. Another effect of the narrower body is it gives the laptop a boxier shape similar to the 3:2 aspect ratio Surface Book and Google Chromebook Pixel – however, this device still features a 16:9 screen.

Aside from the apparent shape change, HP has also reengineered almost every aspect of the laptop. The geared hinges have been reshaped into a shorter – and wider – mechanism to coincide with the thinner design. Likewise, HP has reduced the keyboard travel from 1.5mm to 1.3mm, but we actually prefer this change thanks to a stiffer force curve on the keys.

Unfortunately, there have also been a few less favorable sacrifices made in the name of thinness. The SD card reader has kicked the can as has the HDMI video out in the name of two USB-C ports. The good news is they’re support Thunderbolt 3 for charging, dual 4K monitor support and 40Gbps data transfers. Plus, you still get one full-sized USB 3.1 port for legacy mice, thumb drives and other peripherals.

The glass-coated precision trackpad remains relatively unchanged and that’s not a bad thing. It’s still as responsive ever, but again we wished HP went with a narrower option that wasn’t so easy to trigger while typing.

Oh and HP has applied its new sleek logo as well – if you really care about that sort of thing.

Popping off

 Aside from the aesthetic changes, the updated Spectre x360 makes a huge splash with new micro edge display that reduces the bezels on the sides of the screen to a much squatter 0.54mm. Compared to the thick bars on the older model, HP has made a huge improvement even if the Dell XPS 13 still comes out on top with 5.2mm bezels.

Unfortunately, the top and bottom bezels haven’t seen the same dramatic reduction, but at least HP is using the space above the screen to good use with a new TrueVision FHD webcam. Not only do the IR cameras allow you to login with your face through Windows Hello, it also provides you with a 12% wider field of view.

On top of stretching from edge-to-edge (on the sides at least), the micro edge display is also features an optically bonded design, so the pixels look like they’re sitting right on top of the touch panel. This also makes the screen a bit brighter so you won’t have to constantly bump up the screen brightness to max – which we did often with the predecessor – and save a bit of battery life to boot.

Although, HP has limited display resolution to only 1,920 x 1,080 Full HD, we can live without 4K or QHD+ options on a 13-incher especially when we feel impressed with the overall image quality as is.

Colors pop off the screen and they’re accurate thanks to being able to produce 70% of the color gamut. Viewing angles are also generous even at extreme angles, letting us legibly read parts of the screen even when trying to admire the extreme thinness of the new display panel.

HP has also redesigned the audio on its flagship hybrid with quad-speaker system. Just above the keyboard you’ll find a new speaker grill, under which are two top-firing tweeters that go with another pair of bottom-facing speakers are located on the laptop’s underside.

The idea behind the quad-speaker setup is you’ll have always sound projected towards you whether you’re using the device as a tablet or laptop. Secondly, it’s the first of HP’s quad-speaker equipped machines to have all four firing off at the same time.

Thanks to a new audio boost feature, the speakers work together to produce a louder and fuller sound profile. Highs come out clearly and bass is more present, but even with all these improvements a good pair of headphones still deliver a superior listening experience.

Starting at $1,049 (about £860, AU$1,380)., the new Spectre x360 comes at a higher premium than previous generations even if this SKU includes an Intel Core i5-7200U processor, 256GB SSD and 8GB of RAM. That said, it’s pretty inexpensive to upgrade this machine. Our own Core i7-7500U, 512GB and 16GB of RAM configuration costs $1,159 (about £950, AU$1.520).

To get the same configuration on the Kaby Lake refreshed Dell XPS 13 or Lenovo Yoga 910 expect to page significantly more with the two priced at $1,849 (about £1,520, AU$2,430). and $1,599 (about £1,320, AU$2,100), respectively. Of course, the 4K display panels on these two Ultrabooks also plays a part in the higher price tags.  

Spec sheet

Here is the HP Spectre x360 configuration sent to TechRadar for review:   

• CPU: 2.7GHz Intel Core i7-7500U (dual core, 4MB cache, 3.5GHz with Turbo Boost)
• Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 620
• RAM: 16 GB LPDDR3 SDRAM
• Screen: 13.3-inch Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) IPS UWVA WLED-backlit multi-touch display
• Storage: 512 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 Solid State Drive
• Ports: 2 x USB 3.1 Type-C (Thunderbolt Gen 3), 1 x USB 3.1 Type-A Gen 1, headset jack
• Connectivity: 802.11ac 2x2 WLAN and Bluetooth
• Camera: 1080p HP TrueVision FHD IR Webcam
• Weight: 2.85 pounds
• Size: 12.03 x 8.58 x 0.54 inches (W x D x H)  Empty list

Performance  

Don’t mistake the Spectre x360 ultra slim form factor for lightweight performance. This is a speedy machine from starting programs, to loading up a dozen websites simultaneously to headier tasks like video editing.

What’s even more impressive is what a cool customer this laptop is under load. Even when pressure with a ton of demanding applications, the fan inside hardly spins at an audible level. And then there’s the long battery life you’ll be able to pull out of this machine.  

Benchmarks

Here’s how the HP Spectre x360 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:  

• 3DMark: Cloud Gate: 6,254; Sky Diver: 3,993; Fire Strike: 875
• Cinebench CPU: 349 points; Graphics: 46.19 fps
• GeekBench: GeekBench: 3,699 (single-core); 7,955 (multi-core)
• PCMark 8 (Home Test): 3,016 points
• PCMark 8 Battery Life: 4 hours and 48 minutes
• Battery Life (techradar movie test): 8 hours and 45 minutes  

From top to bottom, Kaby Lake is proving to be a worthy successor to Kaby Lake. Compared to some of the most recent 6th generation systems like the Acer Aspire S 13, there’s a noticeable improvement in every benchmark. Some of the biggest boosts are seen in multi-core processing and low- to mid-level graphics.

This should translate into faster performance for challenging everyday tasks, watching high-resolution video or editing your own large media files.  

In for the long haul

Battery life is the biggest standout performance marker of this laptop and it’s largely thanks to a massive 57.8-watt hour (WHr) battery. HP gave us a look at the Spectre x360’s interior and the battery takes up more than half the internal cavity.

According to HP claims, the updated hybrid should last for up to 15 hours – 25% longer than older models with only a 52WHr battery.

In our own testing we haven’t quite seen these numbers, but the results are impressive nonetheless. With our standardized movie-based battery benchmark test, the Spectre x360 was able to play Guardians of the Galaxy over and over again for 8 hours and 45 minutes straight. Meanwhile, PCMark8 proved to be a greater challenge that fell the 13-inch hybrid after 4 hours and 48 minutes.

Overall, it performs remarkably better than most Skylake laptops. Seven to 10 hours of battery life will easily see you through even the toughest days at work. The best thing of all is you can recharge the laptop from zero to 90% in just 90 minutes thanks to USB-C quick charging.  

Final verdict

Unlike most new Kaby Lake laptops, the updated HP Spectre x360 is far more than simple processor refresh. HP has gone back to the drawing board to redesign and reengineer every piece of its flagship 2-in-1 laptop to make it slimmer, lighter and much longer lasting.

The new design and even the dimensions of the device clearly take after the HP’s premium Spectre Ultrabook. It’s inherited many of the qualities we loved about the ultrathin notebook including a more premium feel and the tactile keyboard. That said, we’re not fans of USB-C becoming the primary port on this laptop and the loss of the SD card reader.

Overall, though, we’re big fans of the new styling. Whereas the old model always was a little too wide and heavy, the new HP Spectre x360 looks much more modern while being easier to use as tablet too. It’s also one of the longest lasting laptops HP or any manufacturer has released with plenty of pick up and go thanks to the Kaby Lake Intel Core i7 processor.

However, as a result of all these changes, the HP Spectre x360 comes at a higher starting price. If you’re looking for an affordable way of getting into Ultrabooks and hybrid laptops, this isn’t it. However, if you’re in the market for something with higher-end specs like more storage and a faster processor, then this option comes at a great value.