I’ve been using the HP Spectre x360 16-inch trim for some time now. I constantly think of those who use iPads for taking pictures when I pick them up and flip the screen to use the touchscreen display. Put another way, carrying around a massive, convertible Windows laptop seems, to put it mildly, out of the ordinary. But using it as a workstation has been an entirely other experience, and I’m amazed by its exquisite display and sophisticated design.
The product caters to a specific market, mostly to creatives who want a laptop with a sizable display so they can work comfortably on the go. Does it still merit the high price tag, though? Let’s investigate.
Rating: 8 / 10
Design
Big, bold, and magnificent would be my three words to describe the laptop’s design. Whenever you take the 16-inch HP Spectre x360 out of your backpack, everyone will notice since it is a showstopper. The laptop is full of personality, whether it’s from its unusual gem-cut edges that contain the ports or its intimidating size. The laptop’s functionality is up for discussion, but there’s no mistaking that the enormous Spectre is an impressive piece of technology.
To add to the Spectre’s opulent appearance, the entire thing is composed of metal. That being said, at just over two kilograms, it is very heavy. Its weight will be apparent whether carrying it in your hand or your backpack. Nonetheless, the laptop’s chassis is extremely thin, and its corners are chamfered. As so, the edges won’t stab your wrist while you’re using the laptop to sort through emails.
Not to be overlooked is the hinge of the HP Spectre x360. The laptop’s hinge mechanism enables the display to pivot 360 degrees, enabling you to utilize it as a tablet, a conventional clamshell notebook, or in tent mode. The laptop’s display doesn’t swing or wobble when you use it on your lap because the hinge provides enough friction as well.
Display and Audio
Reviewing the HP Spectre x360 made me want to watch movies and TV shows more than ever. Throughout my time using the laptop, I couldn’t take my eyes off of the amazing display. The laptop’s specifications include a 16-inch, 120Hz-refreshing, 2.8K OLED touchscreen display. With a peak SDR brightness of 400 nits and a peak HDR brightness of 500 nits, the screen is HDR-ready.
The OLED display on the Spectre x360 can produce vibrant, eye-catching colors along with rich, dark blacks. Having said that, you should be aware that the panel fully spans the DCI-P3 color gamut. The extremely tiny bezels that encircle the screen disappear completely when viewing films or television shows that are set in dimly lit areas, like the Witcher or Daredevil TV series. In addition, the display offers superb viewing angles, and 4K video seems incredibly sharp.
The panel’s 120Hz refresh rate, on the plus side, increases the screen’s overall appeal. It works well enough for someone wishing to dabble in eSports games like Valorant, while general browsing seems smooth and scrolling through lengthy PDFs is less painful. It has a touchscreen as well, and HP includes a handy stylus in the box for users who want to sketch while they’re on the go.
The laptop’s wide display should be ideal for drawing and other creative activities if you have an artistic bent. Regarding audio, the laptop has two PolyAudio-tuned front-firing woofers and two top-firing tweeters. The sound output has a strong bass component and is nicely loud thanks to the speaker configuration.
I/O and ports
Given that the HP Spectre x360 16-inch laptop is large, you would be correct to expect that it has several ports. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. I hate to break that to you. Two Thunderbolt 4 ports are included with the laptop, one of which is located inside the gem-cut edge. It also has a combo headphone jack, an HDMI 2.1 slot, and one USB Type-A 3.1 port. It goes without saying that if you want to connect a few accessories to the device, you’ll have to use dongles.
Nevertheless, the laptop sports an excellent 9MP webcam with AI intelligence. With its ability to record movies in 1440p definition, it makes quality-of-life features like Privacy Alert and Walk-away Lock possible. Specifically, the latter causes your screen to become blurry when it senses someone watching you over your shoulder. The NPU is responsible for tracking your face and blurring your background using the laptop’s webcam.
The majority of these functionalities are made possible by the HP Command Center and the myHP app. The applications offer a well-designed user interface and straightforward setup instructions to help new users.
Trackpad and Keyboard
It’s my preference to use a mechanical keyboard when I’m not reviewing laptops. Understandably, switching from a mechanical keyboard to the chiclet-style deck of a laptop is not always easy. Fortunately, the 16-inch Spectre x360 is not like that. The keys on the laptop’s keyboard are evenly spaced and click satisfyingly when they are pressed.
When I place my fingers on the keys, they don’t sway, and the backlit LED beneath the deck gets rather bright. Additionally, the trackpad is really large, far larger than what I’ve seen on other laptops. It provides a haptically adjustable smooth surface that may be adjusted via the Windows Touchpad settings menu.
Moreover, you may divide off an area of the trackpad to adjust the volume and brightness. To utilize the feature, which functions well on the laptop as previously mentioned, you’ll require the myHP app. With audible clicks, the motions provide gratifying tactile feedback as they gradually increase brightness or volume. The included fingerprint sensor unlocks the laptop swiftly and without a hitch.
Both Battery Life and Performance
The 16-inch HP Spectre x360 is a solid workhorse. Intel’s Core Ultra 7 155H CPU powers the laptop. Six performance, eight efficiency, and two LPE, or low-power efficiency, cores are used by the CPU. Together with a 2TB Gen 4 NVMe SSD and 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM clocked at 6,400MHz, the 16-core processor can use up to 22 threads. The smartphone comes with an Intel Arc GPU for graphics.
I did execute a few synthetic tests, so you can evaluate its performance more accurately. The laptop reversed 101 and 830 points in the single-core and multi-core runs of CineBench, to start. In contrast, the benchmarks PCMark 10 and PCMark 10 Extended yield cumulative scores of 7,170 and 7,116, respectively. The scores bear striking similarities to those of the HP Omen Transcend 14 gaming laptop and the ASUS ZenBook 14 OLED. Interestingly, the Core Ultra 7 155H processor powers these laptops as well.
Furthermore, the majority of people who are interested in the laptop will use it for creative tasks. I tested the same by running PugetBench’s Adobe Photoshop benchmark, which emulates real-world programs like the Smudge tool, the “Select and Mask” workspace, and more.
To evaluate the laptop’s functionality in actual use, I also played a few games on it. Remember that the Spectre is not a gaming laptop, and if you expect it to run every AAA game without a hitch, you’re going to be disappointed. Playing older AAA games or eSports games, the Arc GPU can hold its own, but that’s about it. For example, I was able to attain about 80FPS in Apex Legends with the resolution set to 1,920 x 1,200 and the settings toned down.
The laptop’s thin chassis naturally warmed up a lot to the touch. In reality, HWInfo stated that most, if not all, of the P-cores had reached 100 degrees after playing Grand Theft Auto V for about 40 minutes. In GTA V, I too noticed a decrease in the in-game frame rate. Still, the Arc GPU made a strong impression, showcasing the advancements in integrated graphics technology over the past few years. I wasn’t disappointed by the laptop’s battery backup either. The same is demonstrated by our PCMark 10 Battery (Video) test, which loops a video until the device is fully discharged. The Spectre x360 ran for about twelve hours, which is good.
In terms of upgradeability, the Spectre x360 allows customers to replace the included M.2 drive and Wi-Fi card. Take note that a protective black mylar covering the motherboard’s surface conceals the SSD. It is best to remove it carefully before making any improvements. While you’re about it, you should also detach the batteries. Four screws on the back can be removed to quickly access the internals. It’s a bit of a disappointment that users cannot replace the RAM on the laptop.
Verdict
My experience with HP’s Spectre x360 convertible has been fantastic. The laptop is due back any day now, and I will miss its large OLED screen, roomy keyboard, and snappy trackpad. Its performance and battery backup are comparable, and they both didn’t let me down at all.
HP’s myHP and HP Command Centre, in contrast to other system programs, include fantastic functionality that will help the end user as well. For me, the auto-locking feature was quite useful. The laptop’s ability to lock itself when you leave your desk and unlock it when you come back greatly streamlines the authentication procedure. The same holds for the trackpad’s movements for controlling volume and brightness. Nevertheless, considering the Spectre’s overall bulk, the laptop’s 360-degree design—while elegant and functional—will not be utilized much. The laptop’s pricing, which is Rs 1,79,999 in India, may deter potential purchasers as well.
What then goes wrong? Given its shortcomings, should you purchase the Spectre x360? So, why not, in my opinion, if you’re a creator searching for a high-end Windows laptop? A comparable gaming laptop may offer better performance, but the display quality will be inferior. Business people might also find the laptop to be a worthwhile investment, particularly if they need the creature comforts that come with a larger laptop, such as a larger screen and a more robust battery backup. If you plan to purchase HP’s newest offering, please let me know in the comments section below.
