HP Specter x360 15 review - Versatile and productive tablet-laptop

Verdict: The HP Specter x360 15T is without a doubt one of the best laptops we've ever tested, powerful, thin and durable, at a very reasonable price. From the moment you put your hands on this laptop, you will never want to let go. Read our review of the HP Specter x360 15T (2019) further...

Pros:

• Design that is stunning in its aesthetics;
• Brilliant Sharp 4K display;
• Unexpectedly high performance;

Minuses:

• Location of ventilation holes;
• Awkward position of the trackpad;

Clearly, when HP took on the development of the Specter x360 series, the company needed an ace that could compete with Apple's hugely popular MacBook Pro. It must be said that with the new HP Specter x360 15T (2019) the company succeeded to a large extent.

The HP Specter x360 15T is a revelation, a powerful laptop with a gorgeous screen and a stylish, sophisticated design. It's a beautiful machine that combines aesthetics and power with all the hallmarks of the old MacBook Pro models, and we can't get enough of it.

Take it from a dedicated Apple user: its performance and design were more than enough to make you ditch the MacBook Pro after just a few hours of testing. Not to mention the affordability and additional features that Apple is just about to introduce in its laptops.

In fact, it's time for Apple to commit to more noticeable updates to its machines from now on.

Read : Best 2 in 1 laptops of 2020

Content

• Design: Created to surprise
• Weight and dimensions Laptop weight

Redesigned for 2020, the 13-inch HP Specter x360 combines incredible performance from the latest generation of Intel processors with functionality, style and exceptional quality. Four modes of use will open up unlimited possibilities for work, learning, creativity and entertainment.

And if suddenly, for some reason, you are planning to get off Apple products and change your MacBook, then the Specter x360 will probably be one of the best options for this.

HP Specter x360 15T: Software and Features

There are several apps included with Specter that are designed to make the user's life easier. Although it's not gaming-focused, the laptop has access to thermal profile presets in HP Command Center, allowing for even more performance improvements.

HP Audio Control allows you to fine-tune the microphone and speakers, a 10-band equalizer and “Bang and Olufsen Experience” stand out, a three-band equalizer is accompanied by music, film and voice presets. HP Audio Control also offers multi-streaming functionality, an intriguing option for most of us.

A huge feature of the Specter is the brand's focus on safety. On the right side, under the keyboard, there is a fingerprint scanner, which can be used for authorization, as well as for applications that support fingerprints. An infrared webcam provides facial recognition for added security and finally, there is a camera switch on the right side of the laptop.

The HP stylus is also a nice addition to this versatile laptop. It's accurate and easy to use, quite durable thanks to its aluminum body, and fits perfectly with the laptop's design.

This stylus is ideal for those who work with Windows Ink Workspace, as well as those who want an easier way to use tablet mode. The Pen Control app allows you to customize two buttons for different functions, such as right-clicking, erasing, opening new tabs, and more.

Design: Created to surprise

The sleek all-metal unibody body of the Specter x360 is made of aluminum alloy. The only difference in appearance between this and the previous model is that the rear end of the new version is now a pair of pointed pieces, as opposed to the rounded design of the earlier version.

The new HP Specter x360 is available in three colors: silver, ash gray with copper accents and pale rose gold.

A nice improvement over the previous HP Specter x360 is the hinge, which has become tighter. Fixing the lid in laptop mode has become much more secure.

Design

The Specter x360 looks like a solid ingot of aluminum. The only difference between this year's model and last year's version is that the rear edge of the new model, when closed, is a pair of rigidly beveled edges, as opposed to the curved design of the old model. We tested the dull silver model, but throughout the test we were tempted to try the black and copper model, which HP calls Dark Ash Silver and which costs $10 more.

One of the most welcome improvements to the new Specter x360 is the hinge, which feels unusually tight. This is useful when you rotate the display from laptop mode to tablet, stand, or display mode.

Measuring 30.4 x 21.8 x 1.23 cm and weighing 1.3 kg, the 13.3-inch Specter x360 is similar in size to the Dell XPS 13. It's also lighter than the 13.9-inch Lenovo Yoga 920 and heavier than the 12. 3-inch Microsoft Surface Pro.

Specter x360 has both modern and “good old” ports. These include dual Thunderbolt 3 on the right side, USB 3.1 next to the headphone jack on the left. Also a pleasant surprise from HP was the presence of a slot for microSD memory cards, given that the previous model did not have such a slot.

Since the Specter x360 has a foldable design, the fingerprint sensor and power and volume buttons are located on the sides, next to the ports. Kudos to HP for not placing the fingerprint reader inside the touchpad, as some manufacturers do.

During testing, the fingerprint scanner performed well, helping to unlock the system upon boot. But the volume buttons seemed a little hard to us, requiring excessive force to press them.

Ports

Another nice addition is the presence on the left side of the case of a slot for a microSD memory card. The previous model did not have it. There is also a combined microphone and headphone jack, USB 3.1 Type-A and a power button.

On the right side there is a volume control, a fingerprint scanner and two USB Type-C connectors with support for Thunderbolt 3.

Since the Specter x360 is a convertible laptop, the fingerprint scanner, volume control and power button are located on the edges, next to the ports. I really applaud HP's decision not to include a fingerprint scanner inside the touchpad, as other manufacturers do. Because such a solution reduces its usable area.

HP Specter x360 15T (2019): Design

Some may say that the first impression cannot be continued, but he clearly has not met the HP Specter x360 15T. The design of this laptop is as refined as its performance, with a sleek matte "Poseidon Blue" framed by gold accents around the edges of the laptop. Although it's slightly taller than other premium laptops, including the MacBook Pro, it's still extremely sleek, measuring just 19.3mm thin.

The body is made of high quality aluminum, which feels durable and very elegant, although it acts as a fingerprint magnet. The screen panel is protected by Gorilla Glass and the speakers are tuned by Bang & Olufsen, a testament to HP's attention to detail.

The rear corners are beveled, hiding the power button and USB-C port, and the ventilation holes are located on the sides, closer to the back. Here you will find enough ports for such a thin computer. Two USB-C ports future-proof this laptop, while HDMI, USB 3.1, microSD Reader and an audio jack cover the rest of the user's needs.

The only inconvenience of the design is the location of the ventilation holes on the sides of the computer. If you plan to use a mouse, be prepared to have warm hands.

The HP Specter keyboard is easy to use and has decent action and response for such a thin laptop. We didn't find the keyboard tiring and could use the laptop for typing for quite a long time, whether answering emails, composing articles, or entering cheats into The Sims. The keyboard also includes a dedicated number pad - useful for lefties - and keyboard shortcuts will let you use function keys to control playback, illuminate the keyboard, or switch to airplane mode.

While the trackpad is flush with the body for a smooth and reliable experience, its left-of-center placement was a bit confusing, resulting in repeated presses of the right button when wanting to press the left button. It's also quite wide for a trackpad, meaning that every time you try to press the left mouse button, your hands will be on one side of the keyboard. We would recommend using a separate mouse with this laptop.

Display: almost perfect

The Specter x360's 13.3-inch screen isn't outstanding in terms of brightness or color gamut, although the overall picture is bright and rich.

Color saturation

The color gamut is 109% sRGB. And this is higher than the category average (102%). Lenovo Yoga 920 (105%) and Dell XPS 13 (107%) are slightly behind.

Color gamut

The number of shades that the display can display (% sRGB)
109

HP Specter x360 13 Intel Core i7-8550U / Intel UHD Graphics 620 / 1920x1080 (FHD)

107

Dell XPS 13 (9365) Intel Core i5-7Y54 / Intel HD Graphics 615 / 3200×1800 (QHD+)

105

Lenovo Yoga 920 (13) Intel Core i7-8550U / Intel UHD Graphics 620 / 1920x1080 (FHD)

68

Acer Spin 3 (SP314-51) Intel Core i5-8250U / Intel UHD Graphics 620 / 1920x1080 (FHD)

Display brightness

The display brightness is also not the highest and is only 261 cd/m2. This is enough for quite comfortable work indoors, even in very bright lighting. But it is unlikely that you will be able to work outside in good sunny weather. Since with such rage, little can be seen on this screen, especially against a dark background.

The Specter x360's result is below the category average of 286 cd/m2. The Yoga 920 and XPS 13 are ahead of the Specter, their results were 284 and 314 cd/m2, respectively. If you plan to use the Specter x360 outdoors most of the time, you might want to look for a laptop with a higher maximum brightness.

Display brightness

Maximum display brightness (cd/m2)
314

Dell XPS 13 (9365) Intel Core i5-7Y54 / Intel HD Graphics 615 / 3200×1800 (QHD+)

284

Lenovo Yoga 920 (13) Intel Core i7-8550U / Intel UHD Graphics 620 / 1920x1080 (FHD)

261

HP Specter x360 13 Intel Core i7-8550U / Intel UHD Graphics 620 / 1920x1080 (FHD)

236

Acer Spin 3 (SP314-51) Intel Core i5-8250U / Intel UHD Graphics 620 / 1920x1080 (FHD)

There are no complaints about the Specter x360's touchscreen. It responds accurately to touch and also recognizes all Windows 10 navigation gestures without any problems.

Sure View Screen Mode

Those who often have to use a laptop in public places will appreciate the additional Sure View screen mode. This mode limits the viewing angles of the screen. Thus, people located on either side of you at an angle of more than 45 degrees will only see a white screen. Even if you reduce the angle to 35 degrees, the picture will be so pale that little can be distinguished.

Unfortunately, this option is not available on 4K screens.

Display

The 13.3-inch Spectra x360 display with 1080p resolution delivers excellent color reproduction. While watching the Black Panther trailer, we noted how bright the glowing console on Okoye's ship and the golden-red tones of her armor looked. The 1080p display resolution is clear enough to see the texture of Black Panther's armor and Erik Killmonger's luxurious coat.

Displaying 109 percent of the sRGB spectrum, the Specter x360's screen is close to the average of 102 percent, not far behind the Yoga 920's 105 percent and almost on par with the XPS 13's 111 percent. The Surface Pro was brighter at 140 percent.

The Specter x360 measured just 261 nits on our colorimeter, falling below the Yoga 920's 285-nit average and 283 nits. The 367-nit XPS 13 and 395-nit Surface Pro have much better brightness, as do viewing angles.

The Specter x360's touchscreen accurately registers touches as you drag icons and scroll across web pages. It also quickly recognizes Windows 10 navigation gestures to view all windows and open Action Center.

The Specter x360 SSD copies DVD media files in a lightning-fast 9 seconds at 567 Mbps.

For those who use the laptop in public or with privacy-averse friends, family, or co-workers, the optional Sure View privacy mode (an additional $60) will come in handy, which unfortunately isn't available on 4K displays. Activated by pressing the F1 key, Sure View makes the screen as white as possible when viewed at an angle. In testing, we noticed that it makes text illegible when viewed at an angle of 45 degrees or more.

Performance: 8th generation Intel Core

The Specter x360 tested has an 8th generation Intel Core i7-8550U processor, 16 GB of RAM, and a 512 GB SSD drive. Such characteristics provide excellent system performance, high performance and make it possible to play modern games, albeit not at maximum settings.

In addition to synthetic tests, we try to test the device in real operating conditions. I didn't notice any stuttering or lag after opening several dozen tabs in Google Chrome, one of which was running a 1080p video. In addition, Google Docs, Giphy, TweetDeck and Slack were launched in the remaining tabs.

When testing overall performance on Geekbench 4, the Specter x360 scored 13,568.

Geekbench 4

Overall Performance Test
13568

HP Specter x360 13 Intel Core i7-8550U / Intel UHD Graphics 620 / 1920x1080 (FHD)

13306

Lenovo Yoga 920 (13) Intel Core i7-8550U / Intel UHD Graphics 620 / 1920x1080 (FHD)

12172

Acer Spin 3 (SP314-51) Intel Core i5-8250U / Intel UHD Graphics 620 / 1920x1080 (FHD)

6498

Dell XPS 13 (9365) Intel Core i5-7Y54 / Intel HD Graphics 615 / 3200×1800 (QHD+)

JetStream

Test focused on the most advanced web applications.
277

Lenovo Yoga 920 (13) Intel Core i7-8550U / Intel UHD Graphics 620 / 1920x1080 (FHD)

275

HP Specter x360 13 Intel Core i7-8550U / Intel UHD Graphics 620 / 1920x1080 (FHD)

224

Acer Spin 3 (SP314-51) Intel Core i5-8250U / Intel UHD Graphics 620 / 1920x1080 (FHD)

204

Dell XPS 13 (9365) Intel Core i5-7Y54 / Intel HD Graphics 615 / 3200×1800 (QHD+)

Drive speed

The speed of copying a folder with mixed file types, measured in megabytes per second. The higher the better.
565.5

HP Specter x360 13 Intel Core i7-8550U / Intel UHD Graphics 620 / 1920x1080 (FHD)

299.9

Lenovo Yoga 920 (13) Intel Core i7-8550U / Intel UHD Graphics 620 / 1920x1080 (FHD)

187

Dell XPS 13 (9365) Intel Core i5-7Y54 / Intel HD Graphics 615 / 3200×1800 (QHD+)

145.5

Acer Spin 3 (SP314-51) Intel Core i5-8250U / Intel UHD Graphics 620 / 1920x1080 (FHD)

3DMark Fire Strike

GPU Performance Test
1010

HP Specter x360 13 Intel Core i7-8550U / Intel UHD Graphics 620 / 1920x1080 (FHD)

1004

Lenovo Yoga 920 (13) Intel Core i7-8550U / Intel UHD Graphics 620 / 1920x1080 (FHD)

692

Dell XPS 13 (9365) Intel Core i5-7Y54 / Intel HD Graphics 615 / 3200×1800 (QHD+)

no data

Acer Spin 3 (SP314-51) Intel Core i5-8250U / Intel UHD Graphics 620 / 1920x1080 (FHD)

Laptop screen

HP has abandoned the 1080p resolution - only 4K (3840 x 2160) is available for the 15.6-inch HP Specter x360 15 display, and you can switch between RGB and PenTile panels.

The brightness is 315 Lux, which is enough for indoor work, but in sunlight the image will be difficult to make out. The contrast at full brightness is 720: 1, color accuracy is 1.95, good performance, although it is far from the Apple MacBook Pro.

Covers 74% of the AdobeRGB color space and 95% of sRGB, less than the Specter x360 13 and Lenovo Yoga 910. The display gamma is 2.2 - this is an ideal indicator, content does not appear too light or dark.

In all respects (except gamma), the Specter x360 15's screen is inferior to most competitors, especially the Microsoft Surface Book. 4K video looks great, as does black text on a white background in documents. Detail is high, lighting is accurate, and there's no fade in bright scenes or muddy scenes in dark ones.

Keep in mind that you'll pay a lot more for the superior screens on the Microsoft Surface Book and MacBook Pro 15 (with Touch Bar). For those who want to watch TV shows in 4K, the Specter x360 15 display will suffice.

Keyboard: still good

The Specter x360 is not one of those ultra-compact laptops with virtually no key travel. Here, although not the standard 1.5 mm, it is quite a decent 1.3 mm. The typing speed during testing was 79 words per minute. This figure is slightly less than the average - 80 words per minute. This result was facilitated by the fairly high required pressing force to operate the key - 80 g.

The keyboard also has uniform backlighting across the entire area, unfortunately without the ability to adjust its brightness.

Webcam lock key

Among the interesting features of the HP Specter X360 13 2020, it is worth noting a physical switch that completely disables the webcam.

Apparently, it opens the contacts, thereby turning off the camera module.

At the same time, it is difficult to say how much safer this method is than a traditional curtain, but at least it is implemented more elegantly.

Touchpad: fast and clear

The widescreen 4.7 x 2.4-inch touchpad on the Specter x360 has the same aspect ratio as the screen (16:9) and provides fast and clear system navigation. It recognizes all possible navigation gestures of the system without any delays or freezes. The touchpad does not have separate buttons, but instead they are built into the bottom of the touchpad. The buttons are precise and have a pleasant resistance.

HP Chromebook x360 12b Review

An economical Chromebook with great features.

Verdict : This hybrid Chromebook is a portable, convenient laptop for students to work or even play.

• Pros : Ports | Display | Amazing speakers | Thin frames;
• Cons : Low resolution display;

The HP Chromebook x360 12b is the student laptop that says, “Oh, you thought I was just a laptop? Bang! Now I'm a tablet! This machine's mind-blowing design allows your Chromebook to double as a tablet, so you can set it up as a tent to watch videos while your classmates drool with envy.

HP Chromebook x360 12b Specifications

• Price : $360 (RUR 23,500 + VAT);
• Processor : Intel Celeron N4000;
• Graphics : Intel UHD Graphics 600;
• RAM : 4 GB;
• Memory : 32 GB;
• Display : 12-inch (1366 x 912);
• Battery: 8:06;
• Size : 272 x 215.9 x 22.9 mm;
• Weight : 1.3 kg;

The Chromebook Hybrid's ceramic and silver design features a unique 12-inch screen. If you buy the included stylus (which we highly recommend), the stylus will unlock a new level of experience on your Chromebook, including the ability to jot down notes that you can save to Google Keep. The Chromebook's impressive speakers let you listen to your favorite music.

On the other hand, the HP Chromebook x360 12b offers average battery life. A Chromebook will certainly last a full school day, but we expect more longevity from a good Chromebook. The low resolution display isn't the best either. But if you're a student who wants easy access to your favorite Google apps that comes with an eye-catching hybrid that's one of the best in its class, the HP Chromebook x360 12b is a good choice.

| HP CHROMEBOOK X360 12B: PRICES

The HP Chromebook x360 12b from our review costs $360 (RUR 23,500 + VAT), is equipped with an Intel Celeron N4000 processor, an Intel UHD Graphics 600 graphics processor, 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of eMMC flash memory. You can add a stylish stylus to the overall configuration for an additional $60 (RUR 4,000 + VAT).

| HP CHROMEBOOK X360 12B: DESIGN

The silver-ceramic HP Chromebook x360 12b with a 360-degree revolving hinge boldly screams, “My case hides several faces, and all of them are amazing!” Take this unique all-rounder to college to attract curious glances, especially when you fold your Chromebook into a tablet.

(Image credit: Future)

The Ivory Chromebook x360 12b features the HP logo in the center and a silver Chrome logo in the top left corner. Opening the laptop reveals a metallic silver keyboard with large white keys.

The HP Chromebook x360 12b features ultra-thin bezels, but leaves a large chin (with the HP logo) at the bottom. At the top of the screen you will find an HD webcam.

(Image credit: Future)

Weighing 1.3 kilograms, the Chromebook measures 272 x 215.9 x 22.9 mm and is surprisingly light and compact. Its competitors - the Samsung Chromebook 4 (1.18 kg / 287 x 203 x 17.8 mm) and Lenovo Chromebook C330 (1.27 kg / 289 x 215.9 x 20.3 mm) - are slightly lighter than the x360 12b, but not significantly .

| HP CHROMEBOOK X360 12B: PORTS

The Chromebook x360 12b offers a wide variety of ports.

(Image credit: Future)

The left side of the laptop houses a headphone/microphone jack, a USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C port, and a microSD card slot. On the right side you'll find another USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C port, as well as a Kensington Lock and a USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A port.

(Image credit: Future)

Both USB Type-C ports support DisplayPort, which is great for connecting your Chromebook to presentation monitors.

| HP CHROMEBOOK X360 12B: SCREEN

At first we couldn't figure out what was going on—the HP Chromebook x360 12b's 12-inch touchscreen seemed unusual. And then it dawned on us that the screen is higher than the typical laptop panel, which makes the panel square, instead of the popular rectangle.

(Image credit: Future)

The Chromebook runs in a 3:2 aspect ratio instead of the classic 16:9, which we liked because it results in more usable screen real estate, especially in the browser. However, since most videos are recorded in 16:9 aspect ratio, you'll notice large black bars as you watch—you'll have a hard time finding content that will completely fill the screen.

The biggest drawback of the Chromebook screen is its low resolution, which measures 1366 x 912 pixels. This won't interfere with your visual enjoyment in any way, but don't expect any close-ups in your favorite movie or TV show.

Read : Best Chromebooks of the Year | TOP 10

While we were watching the new Black Widow trailer on YouTube, the photo of the green forest lacked detail and clarity. The pores on Scarlett Johansson's face - perhaps to the actress's delight - were muted and softened on the low-resolution screen. Colors remained decent, able to capture the adventurous tones of the film with the bright red laser sights of the rifles and yellow explosions.

The 216 nit brightness limit is not the HP Chromebook x360 12b's strong point. It doesn't match the average brightness in the Chromebook category, which is 256 nits. On the other hand, the x360 12b outperformed the Samsung Chromebook 4 (210 nits), but was unfortunately eclipsed by the Lenovo Chromebook C330 (250 nits).

According to our colorimeter, the x360 12b panel covers 79% of the sRGB color gamut, making it better than the Samsung Chromebook 4 (64%) and Lenovo Chromebook C330 (75%). The HP Chromebook x360 12b also beat the category average of 76%.

| HP CHROMEBOOK X360 12B: PERFORMANCE

(Image credit: Future)

We tested the Chromebook's capabilities by loading Google Chrome with 22 tabs, including three YouTube videos (1080p). We opened Google Docs to evaluate the multitasking performance of an Intel Celeron N4000 processor and 4GB of RAM. We expected some slowdown, but to our surprise, the Chromebook remained responsive and excelled in performance.

In Geekbench 4 overall performance testing, the HP Chromebook x360 12b scored 3,400 points, beating the Lenovo Chromebok C330's 2,934 points (MediaTek MT8173C, 4GB RAM). However, the Samsung Chomebook 4 (Intel Celeron N4000, 4GB RAM) came out ahead with 3611 points. However, all three Chromebooks fell short of the category average (6,227 points).

Read : Best HP Laptops | TOP 10

Sure, you'll be able to connect to Google Docs for School on this laptop, but a Chromebook will also let you do some gaming. We fired up Asphalt 8 for a light load, then watched the red car race around virtual Tokyo, as the HP Chromebook x360 12b delivers acceptable frame rates that will please users looking to get away from work for a while.

| KEYBOARD, STYLUS AND TOUCH PAD

The HP Chromebook x360 12b island style keyboard was great. Printing remained rhythmic without interruption. The overall typing test showed only a slight drop in average typing speed.

Now let's talk about the interesting part - the stylus. It's not included in the box of the HP Chromebook x360 12b, but if you want to add some fun to your hybrid laptop, we highly recommend purchasing a stylus. The Chromebook has a taskbar with a small pen icon that the user can click on, allowing easy access to quick notes that can be saved by Google Keep in other drawing apps.

(Image credit: Future)

We noted the stylus' smooth, responsive input while taking notes on the HP Chromebook x360 12b. Slender characters turned into big, bold letters when we used wide, sweeping movements on the screen. And when we wrote normally, as if with a pen on paper, the tip of the pen ran finely across the display, maintaining the width of everyday handwriting.

As such, the silver hand isn't the most ergonomic, with the cylindrical shape interrupted by a flat magnetized strip that can cause fatigue during long periods of writing. You'll be able to store the stylus on the Chromebook's magnetic dock, located on the left side of the device, but be careful not to bring the stylus too close to the display, otherwise its sensors will be reset, rendering the panel useless (the screen may go to sleep). In tablet mode, you can store the stylus anywhere on the left or right side of the screen, which is very convenient.

(Image credit: Future)

You can charge the stylus using the same charger you use for your laptop. There's no low battery indicator on the stylus, but you'll know when it's time to charge because you'll notice a slight lag.

The multi-gesture touchpad works well. Even edges and corners provide satisfactory feedback.

(Image credit: Future)

About 80% of the time, we abandoned the touchpad in favor of the stylus. It's great for precise clicks; for example, when an annoying ad window appears, it's the tip of the pen that allows you to precisely click the X. You can also use your finger, but why mess up the screen with fingerprints?

To be clear, the touchpad is perfectly fine; Two-finger scrolling makes it easy to navigate websites. The point is that the screen panel can be more responsive, making navigation easier.

| HP CHROMEBOOK X360 12B: SOUND

The HP Chromebook x360's dual speakers, located between the screen's chin and the keyboard's function keys, will have you dancing to your favorite tracks while no one can hear.

Even at maximum volume, the laptop sounded perfect: not too loud, not too quiet, it sounded just right. We were pleasantly surprised and impressed by the well-balanced, crisp and clear sound coming from this budget laptop.

If you're looking for optimal sound, don't put your laptop in media mode; the speakers will be positioned towards the surface and direct the sound downwards.

| BATTERY LIFE

The HP Chromebook x360 12b lasted a modest 8 hours and 6 minutes in the test (continuous web browsing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness), meaning you'll get a full workday. But you will rush to connect your laptop to the charger as soon as you return home from your trip.

(Image credit: Future)

The Chromebook x360 12b falls short of the Chromebook average battery life of 10 hours and 5 minutes. Its competitors, Samsung Chromebook 4 (10:36) and Lenovo Chromebook C330 (9:51), beat the HP Chromebook x360 12b by 2 hours.

| HP CHROMEBOOK X360 12B: WEB CAMERA

This Chromebook's HD camera image quality is underwhelming, which is to be expected since many laptop webcams are terrible. There is also a lot of digital noise, and color accuracy is not great.

(Image credit: Future)

And while we tested the Chromebook in a brightly lit room, the colors of visible objects changed at some angles. We highly recommend using an external laptop webcam if you plan to use the HP Chromebook x360 12b for video conferencing.

| HP CHROMEBOOK X360 12B: TEMPERATURE

You won't have to worry about the temperature of the Chromebook x360 12b; the laptop remained cool even after we streamed a 15-minute HD video. The Chromebook's touchpad (+26.7 degrees Celsius), keyboard (+29.4 degrees Celsius), and bottom bezel (+29.6 degrees Celsius) remained below our comfort threshold of +32 degrees Celsius.

| HP CHROMEBOOK X360 12B: SOFTWARE AND WARRANTY

The HP Chromebook x360 running Chrome OS can run Android apps downloaded from the Google Play Store. The bottom taskbar will provide users with easy access to select Google services such as Chrome, Docs, YouTube, Gmail and Spotify.

(Image credit: Future)

If you purchased a stylus, you will be able to open an additional menu for it. In addition to providing a convenient interface for taking notes, the menu opens up magnifying glass functions that magnify the part of the screen that you touch with the stylus. You can also use the laser pointer feature - ideal for presenting slideshows.

HP offers its Chromebook x360 12b with a one-year limited warranty.

| HP CHROMEBOOK X360 12B REVIEW: SUMMARY

Are we going to recommend the HP Chromebook x360 12b? Yes, but it all depends on who you are and what you are looking for.

This Chromebook is great for school and work presentations because you can always connect it to a monitor using one of the DisplayPort-enabled USB Type-C ports. If you add a stylus for $60 (RUR 3,900 + VAT), you can bring your presentation to life using the laser pointer and magnifying glass functionality.

However, battery life is inferior to competitors. The Samsung Chromebook 4 lasts nearly two hours longer than the HP Chromebook x360 12b, but if you choose the Samsung Chromebook 4 instead, you'll have to sacrifice the x360 12b's touchscreen and ultra-narrow bezels.

Overall, we'd recommend the HP Chromebook x360 12b to productivity-minded students who want to wow their friends and professors with a versatile laptop that's great for work and play.

HP Chromebook x360 12b Review

Anton Zim

30.03.2020

7.5/10

This hybrid Chromebook is a portable, convenient laptop for students to work or even play.

7.5 Overall Score

Verdict: This hybrid Chromebook is a portable, convenient laptop for students to work or even play.

Laptops

Stylus: for navigation

The HP Specter x360 includes a sleek digital stylus with 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity. Such a stylus will be enough for navigating the user interface, taking notes and other similar tasks. But it can't provide the capabilities needed for more creative tasks, like the Yoga 920 and Surface Pro styluses, which have 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity.

In addition, there is no way to attach the stylus to the laptop, which is inconvenient and increases the likelihood of losing it. But you can purchase a case with the ability to attach a stylus and this issue will be resolved.

In addition to pressure sensitivity, the HP Specter x360 stylus supports tilt sensitivity. It also has a customizable button on the body, an eraser and a gyroscope, which allows you to use the stylus as a kind of “laser pointer” for presentations.

On the stylus body there is a hidden connector for charging it. Rotate and slide the top of the stylus along to access the USB Type-C connector. You can charge the stylus using the same cable that is used to charge your laptop.

Bottom line

HP Specter x360 15 is a universal gadget without significant drawbacks. HP has managed to keep the price affordable without sacrificing system performance, battery life, or other aspects. If its size confuses you, you can ignore the tablet mode and use the x360 15 as a laptop.

The Specter x360 15 configuration is available with an eighth-generation Core i7 and a USB Type-C connector with Thunderbolt 3, which also supports Windows Hello and an active stylus. These are the most modern technologies that will allow the laptop not to become outdated for a long time; even the entry-level MX150 video card belongs to the latest generation.

Alternatives

It's hard to find a 15.6-inch tablet-laptop with such high quality and low price. For example, the Lenovo Yoga 720 15 offers an Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor, 16 GB of RAM, a 512 GB SSD and a GTX 1050 2GB video card for $1,500 (RUB 86,500). It's better for gaming, but is otherwise inferior due to its mediocre display and weak battery.

The Dell XPS 15 with a quad-core Intel Core i7 and GTX 1050 offers slightly better performance, but costs $500 more.

The Microsoft Surface Book is much lighter and more compact than the Specter x360 15 in tablet mode. The stylus is also supported and performance is similar, but if the ability to carry the tablet in one hand is not important to you, buying the Specter x360 15 will save you at least $1,300.

HP Specter x360 15 benefits

• Great keyboard
• Variety of input options
• Lots of connectors
• fair price

Disadvantages of Specter x360 15

• Big sizes

Audio: Bang & Olufsen

Bang & Olufsen speakers allow this extremely compact device to spew out plenty of quality sound.

While listening to the Doro track “All for Metal” in our conference room, the sound filled the entire room. And I noticed how clear the vocals were, the strong rhythm and sharp drums. But the bass seemed rather weak.

The Bang & Olufsen audio app includes several presets. The default is “Music”. Overall, in my opinion, this is one of the most successful presets that is suitable for both music and films.

Heat: no need to worry

You don't even have to worry about overheating. After watching a 15-minute HD video, our heat gun recorded a temperature in the touchpad area of ​​30 degrees, in the center of the keyboard 31.7, and on the bottom of the case 33.3. All these indicators did not exceed the 35-degree comfort threshold.

Compared to the previous model, the new Specter x360 has better heat dissipation. And the air duct openings were located at the rear end of the laptop, which also had a beneficial effect on heat transfer. On last year's model, the holes were located on the left side, and you could unwittingly block it with your hand.

Display Specter X360 13 2019

The laptop is equipped with a 13.3-inch IPS touch display with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels, covered with Corning Gorilla Glass NBT protective glass.

As mentioned above, the screen can open 360 degrees, allowing you to choose a position that is comfortable for the user. The display itself has good viewing angles and sufficient resolution for such a diagonal. The picture on it does not look grainy.

As for the factory calibration of the matrix, according to our measurements, the display provides a color gamut of more than 100% sRGB with a slight bias towards green shades. The color temperature reaches 6000K, which will appeal to those who like “warm” pictures. The gamma curve is uneven and is at level 2.3, with the reference level being 2.2, but there are no questions about the backlighting of the matrix; on the contrary, it is uniform.

Overall, the display quality on the HP Specter X360 13 2020 is good, even for a portable laptop that is not expected to work with photos, graphics, or video.

Autonomy: for the whole working day

This is not to say that the Specter x360 has impressive battery life, but it will be enough for a full day of work. With continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi with a screen brightness of 150 cd/m2, the laptop lasted 8 hours 26 minutes.

Battery life

Maximum battery life in web surfing mode at a brightness of 150 cd/m2 (h:m)
10:14

Lenovo Yoga 920 (13) Intel Core i7-8550U / Intel UHD Graphics 620 / 1920x1080 (FHD)

9:12

Acer Spin 3 (SP314-51) Intel Core i5-8250U / Intel UHD Graphics 620 / 1920x1080 (FHD)

8:27

Dell XPS 13 (9365) Intel Core i5-7Y54 / Intel HD Graphics 615 / 3200×1800 (QHD+)

8:26

HP Specter x360 13 Intel Core i7-8550U / Intel UHD Graphics 620 / 1920x1080 (FHD)

The result obtained corresponds to the average values ​​in the category. The Yoga 920 lasted much longer at 10 hours and 14 minutes.

HP Specter x360 15T: Performance

The HP Specter x360 is a pleasure to use. With an Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti and 16GB of RAM, it is capable of chewing up most AAA games at appropriate graphics settings. We were able to run Dirt Rally 2.0 at 1080p on the highest settings with only a slight lag.

HP Specter x360 15T tests

Here's how the HP Specter x360 15T (2019) from our review performed in tests:

• 3DMark Sky Diver: 19196 | Fire Strike: 6402 | Time Spy: 2480;
• Cinebench CPU: 1036 points | Graphics: 104.52 FPS;
• GeekBench: 4955 ( Single-core ) | 21358 ( Multi-core );
• PCMark 8 (Home Test): 3314 points;
• PCMark 8 (Battery Test): 4 hours 14 minutes;
• Battery life (video test): 6 hours 56 minutes;
• Total War: Warhammer II (1080p, Ultra): 18.5 FPS | (1080p, Low): 46.6 FPS;
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p, Ultra): 24 FPS | (1080p, Low): 47.6 FPS;

Far Cry 5 and the recently released Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice perform equally well. However, when running games at high settings and in 4K resolution, the computer experiences problems. For example, Dirt Rally slows down unbearably. The camera lags and there is a delay in steering response.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider highlights the laptop's limitations. With low settings at 1080p, the game can offer a fairly tolerable 48 frames per second (FPS). Raise the settings to Medium, frame tearing will increase.

As a high-performance machine, the HP has everything you need to handle most basic tasks, from word processing to photo editing, without any hassle. Adobe Lightroom is quite easy to use.

The added functionality of the included stylus opens up new possibilities for your workflow, especially for digital artists and custom note-takers.

Bottom line: compare with a limousine

HP Specter x360 is full of comfort, it can be compared to a luxurious limousine. Turn on Safe View privacy mode and enjoy impressive speeds, a comfortable keyboard and great sound. The only thing I would like is a little more battery life and a slightly brighter screen.

A worthy competitor to the Specter x360, in our opinion, is the Yoga 920, which will cost more, but will have greater autonomy and display brightness. Its disadvantages include a less comfortable keyboard and a nondescript appearance. Overall, the HP Specter x360 is one of the best-looking convertible laptops on the market in 2020 and definitely worth your consideration.

HP Specter x360 15T: Battery life

Thanks to the HP Specter's unique design, battery performance comes as no surprise. The laptop will last much longer than any gaming machine, which usually stops working between two and three hours.

However, due to its slim design, most people can compare it to the ultrabooks that have become popular in recent years. They tend to have much better battery life than the HP Specter. For example, the 15-inch MacBook Pro allows you to watch movies for about 10 hours, while the Specter x360 15T lasts a little less than 7 hours.