IF you're the kind of user who prefers a 2-in-1 capability when it comes to laptops, you should take a look at the HP Spectre x360 14-inch laptop.
Of the many laptops I've used over the years, I can say that the Spectre x360 14-inch 2-in-1 is one of the best-looking ones.
It's a thin convertible laptop, and the one I received for review is silver, which is my favourite colour for a laptop.
DESIGN
What I like about the Spectre x360 14 appearance is how HP designed the body with trimmed borders, tapered edges and a solid hinge. Together with the bold silver HP logo at the back, this laptop is simply stunning to look at. This design makes it look thinner and full of aesthetics and class.
Despite being a small laptop, the HP Spectre x360 14 doesn't feel flimsy, and you can feel the sturdiness as you pick it up.
Although it is 14-inch in measurement, it doesn't look or feel like one. In fact, it looks bigger as the screen is designed to maximise up to the edge.
HP offers a full-sized backlit keyboard, which is responsive to type on. Using it in a dimmed environment is just great.
For connectivity ports, on the sides of the laptop are the audio jack, a USB-A, a microSD slot, and a Thunderbolt 4 slot.
The laptop is powered by the Intel Evo platform with 11th Gen Intel Core i7 2.80 GHz and comes pre-installed with Windows 10 Home edition. This is the higher-end version, but of course, it comes with an i5 processor, which is priced slightly less.
The laptop weighs about 1.3kg, which is still on the light side.
With this size and weight, it is easy to take it anywhere if you're often on the go for work.
FEATURES
The HP Spectre x360 14 has a beautiful and bright touch-enabled 4K OLED screen with a 3:2 aspect ratio that intelligently adapts to the environment and apps by adjusting its brightness and colours.
Since it's also a tablet in its other form, this laptop can be used with a stylus, which is the MPP 2.0 tilt pen for you to expand your creativity. And it can be magnetically attached to the side of the laptop. However, the pen is not provided for this review. HP also bundles a laptop sleeve with the laptop.
Besides that, the on-board Intel Iris Xe graphics deliver three times faster photo and video editing.
The star feature of this laptop is its ability to flip 360-degree into a tablet mode.
However, I find it a bit on the thicker side for a tablet compared with real tablets, but if you want a two-in-one capability in a laptop, this is a great addition.
You'll realise that in the tablet mode, the physical keyboard will be automatically disabled. However, a soft or digital keyboard will pop up at the bottom of the screen, when you need to key in something. You will see a soft keyboard at the bottom right corner and tapping on it will give you a bigger keyboard that takes up the lower part of the screen.
In tablet mode, I find the scrolling of the content is just normal, not as fluid as scrolling on the iPad and Samsung Tab, for example.
You'll love the HP SureView Reflect Privacy Screen feature where at the press of a button, you will be able to protect your private content from prying eyes. You won't be able to see anything on the screen if you look at it from the side.
There is also a visible camera shutter that lets you know that you're really in privacy mode. You'll see a blinking red light next to the camera if it's turned on.
PERFORMANCE
With its tablet capability, the HP Spectre x360 14 is a productivity machine.
The laptop performed well in both laptop and tablet format, with no hiccups.
I could get close to nine hours of battery life on a full HD display, which is enough for a day of work, and the WiFi 6 feature and Bluetooth 5 provide close to three times faster Internet and connection.
Another wonderful addition to this laptop is the Bang & Olufsen speakers, located at the bottom centre and left and right of the laptop. This gives the quality sound you'd expect from the top audio player. However, the speakers feel a bit warm after a few minutes of playing music or video.
CONCLUSION
The HP Spectre x360 14 may not be for everybody due to its price, but if you are looking at a 2-in-1 laptop, which is good looking and with best features, this machine is definitely one you should try. It is priced from RM6,099 to RM7,599 (based on specifications) at hp.com/my.
Verdict: 4/5
