HP Spectre x360 13 Review

If you’re shopping for a premium laptop with a focus on portability and battery life, the HP Spectre x360 should be near the top of your list. Even if you don’t feel like you need a 2-in-1, this laptop competes very favorably against leading clamshells, like the Dell XPS 13, and, if you get the Poseidon Blue color, you’ll have a system that looks as good as it performs.

In many respects, the HP Spectre x360 13 is an all-around improvement on the equivalent model we tested last year, but it still feels dated in 2019. Blame the hefty bezels or the flawed touchpad, but performance is the biggest cause for concern. Despite an Intel Core i7-8565U chipset, it fails to better certain laptops that carry weaker Intel Core i5 chips. This lack of power stems from poor heat management, capping the CPU before it reaches its full potential.

It’s not all bad news for the HP Spectre x360 13. The vivid 13.3in Full HD touch display, the HP Sure View privacy screen and the inclusion of a free (and good) stylus all help to make it a competent 2-in-1. You can’t ignore the stunning design of the laptop as a whole, either.

HP Spectre x360 Specifications

CPU Intel Core i7-8565U

Graphics Intel UHD 620 (integrated)

Memory 8GB DDR4-2400

SSD 256GB M.2 PCIe-NVMe

Display 13.3-inch 1080p (1920×1080) IPS

Networking Intel Wireless-AC 9560, Bluetooth 5, Video Ports, Thunderbolt 3

USB Ports 2x Thunderbolt 3 / USB Type-C Gen 2

1x USB Type-A

Audio Quad speakers tuned by Bang & Olufsen

Camera FHD, IR webcam

Battery 61 Wh