Once an edgy different to stuffier laptops just like the Lenovo ThinkPad line, the HP Spectre x360 sequence has settled into a way more company groove of late. Back within the late 2010s, Spectres regarded like props from Tron, with sharp edges, lower corners, and gold trim on some fashions, for Pete’s sake.

Alas, these days are over, and whereas the Spectre x360 remains to be a top-shelf ultralight Windows laptop, it has traded in fashion for consistency. All-gentle, OSHA-friendly curves clad in company black, silver, and blue give the sense that the Spectre didn’t promote out, however slightly purchased in.

The 2024 rendition of the Spectre x360 sticks intently to the design of the 2023 mannequin, all constructed round showcasing the “360” portion of the identify. A pair of hinges permits the display screen to fold again 180 levels, changing the laptop computer right into a 14-inch pill. A fingertip works on the display screen, as does the stylus included within the field, and the rechargeable energetic pen snaps magnetically to the facet of the chassis when not in use.

As with most new machines hitting the market this season, the key improve right here is the introduction of the AI-infused Intel Core Ultra CPU—on this occasion, the Ultra 7 155H mannequin, backed up by a beefy 32 GB of RAM and a 2-TB stable state drive. The unit is a bit gentle on ports, with two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports (one used for charging) and a single USB-A port partially coated by a clumsy and pointless spring-loaded, flip-out panel.

Sure sufficient, there’s ample energy in these specs, and the Spectre x360 turned in the perfect efficiency I’ve seen up to now on common enterprise apps—by a wholesome margin of 20 % or extra versus different Core Ultra laptops on many exams. It was about par for the course on graphics apps, although no slouch on this division both. Despite enhancements within the Core Ultra’s built-in GPU, you’ll nonetheless must improve to a laptop computer with a discrete graphics processor if you wish to undertake vital gaming or rendering actions. On AI duties, the Spectre fell only a hair shy of the excessive mark set by the MSI Prestige 13 AI Evo in my prior testing.

Size and weight are effective, though the unit is heavier than the equally sized Lenovo X1 Carbon, with 19 millimeters of thickness and a 2.4-pound weight. That’s not unhealthy contemplating the inclusion of a touchscreen and the 360-degree hinge. The additional weight can also mirror a barely bigger battery. My testing (with a YouTube video playback at full brightness) achieved 10.5 hours of working time—considerably higher than different Core Ultra laptops I’ve examined up to now.

The OLED display screen is dazzlingly brilliant, which is true according to the remainder of the market at present. The audio system on the unit are additionally glorious, with top-firing tweeters and two front-firing woofers, improved by a powerful cooling system that hardly noticed the super-silent fan kicking in in any respect.

My solely actual criticism is a reasonably gentle one. While the Spectre’s keyboard is okay, the haptic touchpad may be erratic, lacking faucets and clicks, relying on the place you hit it. I don’t know whether or not this can be a easy person error as a consequence of freakishly lengthy fingers, nevertheless it’s a difficulty I’ve had with varied Spectres for years. It has arguably improved a bit with the brand new touchpad, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a thorny downside that created a minor headache for me throughout prolonged use.

Pricing is hard, as the precise specification I used to be despatched isn’t available. You can get a close version for $1,400 on HP.com with 16 GB of RAM, however in the event you configure it on HP’s web site, you will provide you with a worth of round $1,850. Even on the larger worth, I’d say the distinctive efficiency, battery life, and usefulness choices advantage the outlay.