With a stylish look, a super-slim build, a gorgeous 4K display, and serious speed, the latest version of the already-great HP Spectre x360 is our favorite high-end convertible laptop.
The original HP Spectre x360 was a hit when it debuted back in 2015, and we liked the 2016 model even more. It’s back again this year, keeping much of what we love, but adding a refined design and a super sharp 4K touch screen. In addition to the UHD display, the latest HP Spectre x360 13 (starts at $1,199; $1,599 as tested) packs USB-C with Thunderbolt 3, plenty of fast SSD storage, and a chic new color scheme. Given the upgrades to what was already our top choice for high-end convertible laptops, the 2017 model is an easy Editors’ Choice pick.
Retaining the slim shape of its predecessor, the new Spectre x360 13 adopts the stylish aesthetic of the non-convertible HP Spectre 13. On our test unit, this means a very modern anodized aluminum body with a steely gray and copper color scheme. The copper trims the edges of the system and is used as an accent in several places. HP uses the same design approach with the 15-inch Spectre x360 we tested earlier this year, and it looks really sharp in both cases. HP offers two less expensive x360 models ($1,199 and $1,349) that use silver trim around the edges instead.
A true ultraportable, the Spectre x360 13 is seriously slim and light. The same was true of the first iteration, and its only slimmed down from there. The 2015 model measured 0.63 by 12.79 by 8.6 inches (HWD) and weighed 3.26 pounds, the 2016 model was 0.5 by 12 by 8.6 inches and 2.8 pounds, and this year’s version is minimally slighter at 0.5 by 12 by 8.5 inches and 2.8 pounds. This compares well with the Lenovo Yoga 910 (0.56 by 12.72 by 8.84 inches, 3.01 pounds) and the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (0.54 by 11.98 by 7.8 inches, 2.7 pounds), and means it’ll barely register in your briefcase, shoulder bag, or backpack. Overall, the new design and color scheme with the slender profile make for a killer look.
Convertibility is where the Spectre x360 separates itself from the Spectre 13. The laptop is able to fully transform into a Windows 10 tablet thanks to its hinge. Some systems are a bit too big, thick, or unwieldy to be used as in Tablet mode (the Samsung Notebook 7 Spin comes to mind), but since the x360 is so thin and small, it feels natural to hold that way. This makes it easier to carry around in one hand, good for quickly showing off a design to a colleague nearby, or handing over to a coworker to get a better look at some data. You can also flip it into Tent or Display mode to show off the screen on a desk or table to a gathered group, though the 13-inch screen is a bit small to see if you’re too far away.
I brought the Spectre x360 on multiple trips with me, and can say it’s very well suited to plane travel. Between its weight and thickness, it’s easy to bring in a carry-on or under-seat bag, and its convertibility is perfect for an airplane tray. My preferred method is rotating the keyboard face down on the tray with the screen pointed out toward me from the front, since I can view it at a good angle without it butting up against the seat back in front of me. If you think you can get away without the convertability, there are some even slimmer and lighter options out there, like the Asus ZenBook 3 Deluxe (UX490UA) and the Microsoft Surface Laptop, but I do find the Spectre’s form shifting (and nice build) useful for travel.
The keyboard cuts a fairly low profile, which prevents it from feeling awkward when you grip the backside of the laptop in Tablet mode. Despite the thin build, the keys still feel good to type on, offering more travel than, say, the Razer Blade Stealth ‘s keyboard, which feels a bit shallow. The keyboard offers satisfying feedback, like last year’s model, but the new color scheme avoids the previous gray-on-gray keycap lettering issue, which made it hard to read in some instances. The keys are also backlit with white lighting, and you can toggle the lights on or off as needed.
The touchpad tracks very smoothly, and while it’s not too tall because of limited space, it’s nice and wide and still feels roomy. The Bang and Olufsen speakers provide admirable volume and sound quality, particularly given the laptop’s size. It’s no home theater setup, of course, but you can comfortably play video or music and hear it across the room, with little to no distortion at maximum volume.
Our review unit has a 13.3-inch 4K display with touch capability, while both the $1,199 and $1,349 versions feature 1080p full HD touch screens. The picture on the 4K screen is seriously sharp with rich colors. The resolution isn’t necessary on a display this size, but it’s a pretty drastic difference in clarity when compared with a 1080p screen of similar size. The resolution adds to the expense, but the extra clarity is obvious, and you can enjoy 4K content in native resolution. Plus, you get extra space to view and edit full HD videos with room for toolbars and editing windows. The 4K resolution does make some menus and their text appear quite tiny, so you might want to pump up the scaling so you don’t have to squint through each task.
You don’t get a ton of connectivity options given the X360’s size, but the essentials are covered. The left panel holds the Power button, a USB 2.0 port, and the headphone jack, while the right side has the Volume rocker and two USB-C ports, each with Thunderbolt 3 and capable of charging the laptop. There’s no base video ports like HDMI or DisplayPort, but with adapters for the USB-C ports you can connect any display you’d like. One more USB 3.0 port would have been useful so you can connect an additional peripheral, but again, an adapter in the USB-C port should have you covered. At the same time, including any USB 3.0 ports at all is appreciated, given some of the recent super-thin laptops that limit you to USB-C only, like the latest Apple MacBook .
For storage, there’s a 512GB SSD on board, which means very speedy boot and load times. All three models have SSD drives: our test unit and the $1,349 version offer 512GB capacities, while the least expensive $1,199 model has 256GB. The same holds true for memory: The two most expensive versions include 16GB of RAM, while the entry-level unit gives you 8GB. For wireless connectivity, the Spectre x360 uses dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2. HP offers a base one-year warranty, with up to three years depending on configuration.
Despite its small size, the x360 is quite fast. The 2.7GHz Core i7-7500U processor, SSD, and 16GB of memory make for snappy load times across the board. The PCMark 8 Work Conventional test shows a score slightly low than similar competition, mainly because the 4K display is more demanding that most. That does reflect some power loss in real-world use, but it’s fairly negligible in day-to-day work. The multimedia scores back up those claims, showing fast times that compare favorably with the competition.
