Review: The HP Specter x360 13.5-inch is an ultralight laptop with a twist
| Specs at a glance: HP Specter x360 13.5-inch | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Worst | Best | As verified | |
| Screen | 13.5″IPS touch screen with 1920×1280 resolution | 13.5 inch 3000×2000 resolution OLED touch screen | |
| OS | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Pro | Windows 11 Home |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-1235U | Intel Core i7-1255U | |
| RAM | 8 GB LPDDR4-4267 | 16 GB LPDDR4-4267 | |
| storage | 512 GB NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD | 2TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD | 1TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD |
| GPU | Intel Iris He | ||
| Net | WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 | ||
| Ports | 2x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4), 1x USB-A (3.2 Gen 1), 1x 3.5mm jack, 1x microSD card reader | ||
| Size | 11.73 x 8.68 x 0.67 inches (297.94 x 220.47 x 17.02 mm) |
||
| Weight | 3.02 lb (1.37 kg) | ||
| Battery | 66 Wh | ||
| Guarantee | 1 year | ||
| Price (suggested retail price) | 1100 USD | $1760 | $1610 |
| Another | Stylus, case included |
The HP Specter x360 13.5-inch has something for everyone. The ultra-lightweight design makes it a desirable convertible class with matte finishes and bold accents. The 3:2 aspect ratio screen is taller than most and includes an OLED option that looks bright but natural. There are smart design options too, like a beveled edge with a charging port, glowing volume/mute/camera shutter keys, and a decent selection of ports.
The 13.5-inch Specter x360 gets an A in looks and high marks (but not perfect) in design details. But it has room to grow when it comes to performance, especially when compared to other high-performance ultralights in this price range.
For those who insist on squeezing every ounce of performance out of a sub-1-inch-thick convertible, there are stronger competitors. But otherwise, the 2022 Specter is near the top of its class.
Winning Design
The HP Specter line continues to feature some of the most compelling ultralight PCs out there, even if they’re somewhat less showy this year. The Nightfall Black color of my test sample includes accents so pale it looks more silvery than the “brass”that HP describes. A thin, reflective silver band runs around the lid and chassis, creating a layered effect when viewed from the side of a closed PC. Oddly enough, you can even see a hint of a keyboard when viewing a closed laptop from the left or right side, so I’m a little more worried about dust getting inside the closed PC than usual.
Visually, the hinges stand out a little less than last year’s model, which included contrasting colors throughout the stem and hinges. But more importantly, this year’s hinges hold the screen securely in place no matter how hard I tilt the lid back.
Also, the aluminum lid was harder to bend and was tighter than most other ultralight laptops I’ve tested in recent times.
It paired well with an equally solid deck; however, the slanted edges of the deck caused my wrists to sometimes slip when I typed. This could result in me bumping into the touchpad more often while typing, causing harsh distractions in my workflow.
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