After the publication of the guide “How to choose a laptop” on Lifehacker, the guys from HP came knocking on the door and offered to test some of their popular products for free.
A few days later, a 13-inch HP Specter x360 convertible laptop based on the 7th generation Intel (Kaby Lake) arrived to us in one of the top configurations (model 13-w001ur).
Without exception, all specialized technical publications abroad highly rate the HP Specter x360:
- Ranked fifth on CNET's Best Laptops of 2022 list.
- First place in the ranking of the best 2 in 1 laptops according to CNET.
- Fourth place in the ranking of the best laptops of 2022 according to TechRadar.
- First place in the ranking of the best 2 in 1 laptops according to TechRadar.
- Second place in the ranking of the best laptops of 2022 according to PC Mag.
- First place in the ranking of the best 2 in 1 laptops according to PC Mag.
- First place in the ranking of the best 2 in 1 laptops according to Laptop Mag.
- First place in the ranking of the best 2 in 1 laptops according to PC World.
At first glance, the HP Specter x360 is no different from an ordinary ultrabook from the highest price segment: an aluminum case 14 mm thick, a weight of 1.44 kg, a cool display, powerful hardware and a cost of more than 100 thousand rubles.
The magic begins when you open the laptop. The HP Specter x360 literally turns 360 degrees. It turns out to be a real tablet with the performance of a premium laptop.
HP Specter x360 Specifications (Model 13-w001ur)
| CPU | Intel Core i7 7500U 2.7 GHz |
| Video | Intel HD Graphics 620 |
| RAM | 16 GB LPDDR3 1 866 MHz |
| SSD | 512 GB, NVMe |
| Display | 13.3 inches, IPS, Full HD (1,920 × 1,080), 165.6 ppi, touch, multi-touch |
| Cameras and microphone | Front Full HD for video calls, IR for Windows Hello, two microphones |
| Sound | Bang & Olufsen, four speakers |
| Connection | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2×2, Bluetooth 4.1 |
| Interfaces | 1 USB 3.0 Type-A, 2 USB 3.1 Type-C Thunderbolt 3, 3.5 mm mini-jack |
| Battery | Li-Ion, 57.8 Wh |
| Housing material | Aluminium alloy |
| Color | Grey |
| Dimensions | 306 × 218 × 14 mm |
| Weight | 1.44 kg |
| Set | Case, charger, Ethernet to USB C adapter. |
| Price | "Yandex Market" |
Productive and cool. It happens
The eighth generation of Intel brings real power to compact laptops
Intel Amber Lake processors .
Our configuration included an i5-8200Y , but there may also be a more powerful i7-8500Y .
The main advantage of the new products is their miniscule energy consumption. Due to the frequency mode 1.3/3.9 GHz (constant frequency/Turbo Boost), the thermal package is only 5 W.
It is not surprising that the developers abandoned active cooling. No noise and still cold.
USB-A simply did not fit: Folio is very thin
Due to Hyper-Threating support and new instructions, the processor is only 7-15% inferior to the i5-8250U and comes close to high-power workstation processors of 6-7 generations of Intel Core.
The difference can only be noticeable in multi-threaded workloads and 3D games - unfortunately, the latter need something more serious than the Intel UHD Graphics 615 .
The memory capacity can be 8 or 16 GB (soldered). The amount of built-in NVMe storage depends on the user’s personal preferences.
Design
Absolutely all modern ultrabooks are similar to each other.
No bells and whistles or unnecessary elements, because manufacturers are fighting for every gram and tenth of a millimeter.
Everything is strict, uniform and thin enough to accommodate the necessary filling. The results of this size race can only be seen by comparison.
Two generations of HP Specter x360 in comparison / TechRadar
Here are two HP Specter x360 models. The latest generation is on top, the previous generation is below. Everything seems to be the same, but the difference in size is obvious.
In practice, a device with dimensions of 306 × 218 × 14 mm and a weight of 1.44 kg seems incredibly light and compact, especially if you switch to it from a regular laptop.
Ports
The HP Specter x360 has just one USB 3.0 Type-A port, located on the left. If you want to connect more than one external device, you will have to get or buy an adapter.
In addition to USB, on the left side there is a headphone jack, a power button and a grille for removing air from the cooling system.
On the right, the HP Specter x360 has a volume rocker and two USB 3.1 Type-C Thunderbolt 3 ports. One connector (either of the two) is supposed to be used to charge and power the laptop from an outlet, and the second to connect all sorts of peripherals.
The disadvantage of the laptop is the lack of HDMI and an SD card slot, which is why potential users who have not yet updated their peripherals may experience inconvenience.
USB 3.1 and Thunderbolt 3 are truly wonderful technologies that will allow you to replace absolutely all other ports in the future, but try to find an external drive or monitor for this connector. Of course, switching to a single interface is the dream of any technoesthete, but in practice the financial factor will all come down to the purchase of several more adapters.
Considering that the HP Specter x360 kit includes an adapter only for Ethernet, you will have to look for and purchase other adapters yourself and at your own expense.
The lack of a slot for SD cards will upset not only photographers and cameramen, but also all those who are used to using a memory card as a memory expansion that is undemanding in terms of read and write speed.
HP Tilt Stylus
The laptop comes with a branded stylus, which is quite rare; as a rule, manufacturers offer to buy such accessories separately. HP Tilt itself connects to the Specter X360 13 2022 via the Bluetooth 5.0 wireless protocol and at the same time it can detect 4096 degrees of pressure, as well as tilt angle.
The stylus works well, allowing you to take handwritten notes and draw, while the lag between it and the screen is minimal.
HP Tilt is charged via the USB Type-C port, which is located inside the stylus body and can be accessed by sliding its top part. Actually, you can charge the pen directly from the charging laptop itself, which is convenient.
Performance
The combination of Intel Core i7 7500U, 16 GB of RAM and a very fast PCIe SSD allows the HP Specter x360 to solve absolutely any non-specific tasks and ensure impeccable performance and stability.
You can open 20 or 30 tabs in Chrome, run the entire office suite of applications, and still have a lot of resources left.
Processor rating
| Geekbench 4 Single-Core | 4 191 |
| GeekBench 4 Multi-Core | 7 914 |
| GeekBench 3 Single-Core | 3 610 |
| GeekBench 3 Multi-Core | 7 612 |
| CineBench R15 CPU Test Single-Core | 144 |
| CineBench R15 CPU Test Multi-Core | 326 |
SSD rating
The NVMe drive provides some fantastic read and write speeds. Until recently, SATA-SSD seemed incredibly fast, especially compared to HDD, but now it’s already a thing of the past.
Graphics rating
Obviously, the HP Specter x360 will not replace a professional computer for design or work with graphics and video, but ultrabooks never seem to pretend to do such things.
| GFXBench 3.0 T-Rex | 94 |
| GFXBench 3.0 Manhattan | 47 |
| 3DMark Firestrike | 864 |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate | 6 051 |
| 3DMark Ice Storm | 59 486 |
| CineBench R15 GPU Test | 45 |
The lack of a discrete graphics card does not allow the HP Specter x360 to be called an acceptable option for advanced gamers, but the power of the Intel Core i7 7500U in combination with Intel HD Graphics 620 is quite enough for most popular games.
This is what Battlefield 1 looks like. Graphics are at a minimum, but still beautiful (1,366 × 768, 29 FPS).
FPS in other games (low/medium settings, 1366 × 768)
| Overwatch | 40 |
| CS GO | 112 |
| Far Cry 3 | 27 |
| Battlefield 4 | 36 |
| Metro: Last Light | 28 |
| Bioshock Infinite | 36 |
| Rainbow Six Siege | 26 |
Noise and heat
HP Specter x360 is a fairly quiet and cool ultrabook for its performance. Thanks to Intel Core i7 7500U with TDP 15 W. When working in the browser, the noise of the cooling system is not detected at all. After several minutes of watching high-definition streaming video, the area near the air exhaust grille becomes slightly warm. Most of the heat goes into the back cover of the laptop. To feel the heating, you need to place the device on your lap.
It was possible to really warm up the laptop with heavy 3D games. In such an extreme mode for a non-gaming device, there is a whistle from the turbine and heat bordering on discomfort in the area where the cooling system is located. The HP Specter x360 successfully handled a 30-minute gaming session of Battlefield 1. There were no performance hitches during this time.
Screen
The 13.3-inch Full HD IPS touch display of the HP Specter x360 provides a very bright, rich and clear picture. The difference in quality will be especially noticeable to owners of typical budget laptops with TN panels. At 166 ppi, it is almost impossible to see the pixels.
The unusually thin side frames also attract attention. The distance from the display to the edge of the cover is only 6 millimeters.
A glossy screen does not add comfort when working on sunny summer days, but there are simply no other options for a touch screen.
| Brightness | 318 cd/m² |
| sRGB | 101,7% |
| Delta E | 0,74 |
Keyboard and touchpad
Typing on the HP Specter x360 is pleasant and convenient, not least thanks to the dedicated navigation keys on the right.
The keys are placed very well; they do not wobble or play, even if you make a swiping movement, lightly touching the surface of the keyboard. The glass touchpad of the HP Specter x360 has dimensions of 120 × 60 mm and is equipped with physical left and right click buttons. There were no complaints about it during the work process.
The key stroke length is only 1.3 mm, but the pressing itself is very obvious and somewhat reminiscent of the behavior of mechanics. At the beginning of pressing there is a tiny resistance, and at the end there is a clear click. You can evaluate the keyboard backlight yourself from the photo.
A few subjective feelings
Instead of a book - a laptop. New reality with Folio
Unfortunately, our experience with the HP Specter Folio was short-lived, although it was extremely successful for both of us.
I love transformers, but I don't like compact keyboards and I don't accept touchskins. Usually. With Folio, it's easy to forget about this.
The clever hinge allows for transitions more often and easier than with conventional transformers. One less device in your backpack. Isn't this a killer feature?
The filling, although it corresponds to the “typewriter” class, does not leave any negative feelings at all.
Metal and leather go together perfectly
This is not a MacBook Air - you can open and edit drawings, work in 3D Max, and compile heavy projects. Or just keep 50-80 Chrome tabs in memory.
An excellent working machine made of genuine leather. Real, smelling, warm leather that will protect from scratches and soften light blows.
It’s simply impossible to find something similar, so Folio will attract all eyes around.
Battery
HP Specter x360 is equipped with a 57.8 Wh lithium-ion battery with fast charging technology (from 0 to 90% in 90 minutes). The laptop's operating time on one full charge, declared by the manufacturer, is 12.5 hours with constant surfing.
In reality, with active work in Chrome and screen brightness at 70% of the maximum (recommended default power settings), the HP Specter x360 lasted 10 hours and 4 minutes. The time obtained by the Laptop Mag laboratory under similar conditions turned out to be almost identical (10 hours 6 minutes). Judging by other tests available on the Internet, one full charge of a laptop lasts on average 10–11 hours.
How long does HP's business flagship work?
The acoustic system will satisfy music lovers too
Compact dimensions forced HP developers to abandon all peripheral ports, except for the mini-jack and 3 x USB-C . One of them plays the role of Display Port, a couple of others support Thunderbolt 3 .
Charging is possible through any of the connectors. Since Power Delivery , charging with a standard power supply takes only an hour and a half and can be done with external batteries.
Charged? Then the magic begins, lasting up to 19 hours! This is how long the HP Specter Folio runs with minimal load, for example, while reading. In surfing - a couple of hours less.
Visual demonstration of the mechanism. How did such a battery fit here?
Of course, practical tasks will drain the battery earlier: watching streaming FullHD video at half brightness in 17 hours , processing a batch of photos or rendering in 3.5 hours .
The option with a 4K matrix will drain the battery under similar conditions while watching a video in 9 hours, while reading - in 11. An impressive difference.
Just a couple of years ago it seemed fantastic. Now infinity without a socket even exists in luxury style.
Sound
Bang & Olufsen, a well-known company in audiophile circles, had a hand in the creation of the HP Specter x360 speaker system, as the corresponding inscription on the case clearly hints at.
The laptop has four speakers in total: a pair under the grille on top, and another pair under the bottom cover. In this way, a more voluminous sound is achieved, which, however, is still devoid of expressive lows due to the small diameter of the drivers.
In total, the acoustics of the HP Specter x360 sound an order of magnitude better than any laptop with no-name speakers. Separately, it is necessary to note the absence of wheezing when listening at close to maximum volume.
Tablet mode
A convertible laptop takes some getting used to, especially if this is your first device of this format. At first, it’s hard for your brain to realize that right now, while you’re lying on the couch or sitting in a chair, you can turn the screen out and work with much greater comfort. But after a couple of days everything returns to normal. For example, the embarrassment of accidentally pressing keys when they are on the back side of the screen disappears. The keyboard always turns off in tablet mode, but it’s not easy to not be afraid of “accidentally pressing something and breaking everything.”
The obvious advantage of a transformable laptop over a tablet is that there is no need for a stand. All you need to do is turn the HP Specter x360 inside out and place it anywhere.
Unlike its predecessors, Windows 10 is much better optimized for touch screens. If you fundamentally reject Transformers and tablets on Windows only because of the unpleasant experience of working with them on the “eight”, then just try the “ten” once. With a high degree of probability, your opinion will change for the better.
A leather case that isn't one
The first leather laptop.
And a stylish accessory With the Specter Folio, HP has created the most stylish business notebook by replacing traditional metal with genuine leather . In Russia, the device is currently available only in burgundy color.
A unique move that no one has ever dared to take. Leather is more tactile than metal. And it looks cool. And you don’t need a cover, and your knees don’t overheat (thermal conductivity is different from metal cases).
The loop for the stylus found a logical place
The developers emphasize: the laptop is not wrapped in leather, but made of leather. It is the “skin” that is the body of the laptop, replacing the traditional plastic or metal cover.
Hidden underneath is a rigid metal frame that provides stability and durability similar to conventional laptops.
And these are just flowers. Perhaps HP has released not only the most beautiful, but also the most structurally original transformer on the market.
