HP is introducing a 13.5-inch 2-in-1 model to its Spectre premium line of Windows laptops. The new Spectre x360 14 is arriving this month starting at $1,199, alongside a refresh to three other models in HP’s Spectre and Envy laptop portfolio.
All four products introduced today come with Intel’s new 11th-generation “Tiger Lake” Core processors for better performance, particularly in PC gaming and video editing when using the chips’ integrated Iris Xe graphics.
HP also says certain configurations for all four products meet Intel’s Evo program, which has been challenging PC makers to create top-performing laptops that run fast and offer long battery life in real-world conditions. The Evo-certified models will use either a Core i5 or Core i7 chip.
More Screen Space in a Compact Size
The Spectre x360 14 is HP’s first laptop in the family to have a 3:2 aspect ratio for 20 percent more vertical viewing space. This amounts to a 3,000-by-2,000-pixel native resolution on the 13.5-inch display.
According to HP, the aspect ratio is better for productivity, making it easier to view documents and browse the web when reading from the top to the bottom of a page. The bezels on the device are also pretty thin, paving the way for 90.33 percent screen-to-body ratio.
“We see that the Spectre X360 14 has the width of a 13-inch laptop and the height of a 15-inch one,” said Jonathan Mungai, HP product introduction manager, during a press briefing. So if you’d like a premium laptop with a bigger screen that doesn’t get too heavy, at only 3 pounds, the new model may be what you’re looking for.
The Spectre X360 14 can also be configured with an optional OLED display that’s been designed to reduce blue-light emissions while still delivering vibrant colors.
Thanks to the Tiger Lake processor, the product can deliver up to 17 hours of battery life on a single charge, according to HP. It also comes with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, which are a new form of USB Type-C connector that can also power an 8K display.
Other additions include a microSD card reader, an old-school USB Type-A port capable of up to 10Gbps throughput, and a fingerprint sensor on the keyboard.
As a laptop convertible, the Spectre x360 14 can flip into a tablet, using the 360-degree hinge to bend back the screen. On the web conferencing front, you’re getting a 720p web camera with infrared sensors, dual microphones, quad speakers, and a software-based “AI Noise Removal” function that can mute ambient noise.
HP went on to claim the Spectre x360 14 represents a better deal than Dell’s XPS 13 2-in-1 and Microsoft’s clamshell-design Surface Laptop 3 of the same screen size. Stay tuned for our review, when we can put the new HP laptop to the test.
The Rest of the Refresh
The new Spectre’s smaller sibling, the HP Spectre x360 13, is also getting an upgrade. The company is going to sell new models built with Intel’s Tiger Lake chips, enabling the product to achieve up to a 16.5-hour battery life on a single charge, according to HP’s own tests.
We reviewed last year’s model, which we gave high marks for its already long battery life and sleek aluminum casing. The new Spectre x360 13, which weighs in at 2.8 pounds, will start at $1,199.
You’ll also find Intel’s Tiger Lake silicon in the HP Envy x360 13, a laptop convertible that’ll start at $949. We’ve reviewed the AMD version of the HP Envy x360 13, which comes at a significantly lower starting price ($679) but uses a lower-end Ryzen 3 chip.
If you’d prefer one of the new Tiger Lake chips in a standard clamshell laptop, you can get the HP Envy 13, which will be arriving for $899 and up.
The HP Spectre x360 14 and 13, and the Envy 13, will go on sale this month on HP.com. The new Spectre machines will then become available via Best Buy in November. Meanwhile, the Envy x360 13 won’t be available on HP.com until November, but the company says you will be able to place orders for it through Best Buy starting this month.
