The notebook market might be pretty ho-hum for the ordinary, mid-range models, but when it comes to high end notebooks or Ultrabooks, competition can be pretty stiff. HP has released their Spectre x360 before, but the latest iteration that will carry the same name continues in the tradition of offering a great notebook. Basically, everything that was good about the previous Spectre x360 has been looked into and made better.
This time around, the Spectre x360 was on the receiving end of a processor upgrade, coming with an Intel Kaby Lake processor underneath the hood this time around, which is certainly faster than the Skylake processor, although it should not be considered as a major update. The new Spectre x360 is special since it has managed to be smaller and lighter than its predecessor, and yet packs in more of a punch. For instance, it is 0.76” less wide than before, while being 0.08” shorter than the previous generation model. More importantly, if you are one who brings your notebook with you wherever you go, your shoulders will definitely fall for the lighter form factor that is 0.16kg less heavy.
All of the shrinking down of its dimensions has not diminished its battery life. In fact, the new Spectre x360 will come with a slightly larger capacity battery -- we are looking at a 57.8Wh unit, which is an upgrade over the previous 56Wh battery, and also comes with the ability to fast charge. In other words, when the Spectre x30 is charged when powered off, it will take a mere 90 minutes of charging to hit the 90% battery level mark. This would mean that you no longer have to worry about not having a power outlet in your next flight, since a short layover ought to do the trick in rejuvenating the battery.
Other hardware specifications for the new Spectre x360 include a thinner screen bezel, a wider keyboard that provides direct access to the home/end/page up/page down buttons, a backlight so that you can work even in the dark without disturbing your partner in bed, and a Synaptics touchpad.
Connectivity is well covered with the HP Spectre x360, since you will find a couple of USB Type-C ports on the right, while the left hand side would carry a USB 3.0 generation 1 Type A port alongside a 3.5mm headset jack -- which goes to show that HP still has faith in the typical pair of headphones or earphones to go along with their mobile workhorse. You will find that Full HD is the highest resolution possible that its screen is able to deliver, which is a drawback for those who are looking for more future forward hardware.
This 13” notebook will come with a 360-degree hinge which was first popularized by Lenovo and their Ultrabooks, which means the Spectre x360 can also double up as a tablet as and when required.
It runs on Windows 10, and you will have a choice of either 8GB or 1GB of RAM, with SSD capacities that vary from 256GB to 512GB and 1TB, depending on the model that you would like to bring home. Prices start from $1,049.99 for the most basic unit, and goes all the way to $1,499.99 for the high end specs version.
