HP Spectre x360 Review
As if Freddie Mercury had been given the HP office and on record, "I want it all," the Spektrum x360 (tested to $ 1359, $ 1149) is a 13.3-inch convertible suggesting seductive yes, you can do it all have, (Well, almost). From the sleek body of this machine to the 8th generation Super Intel processors, you get both the beauty and the beast.
In addition, the comfortable Specter keyboard, the optional privacy screen, and the talking candy make productivity, as well as the gaming, features even more enjoyable, the screen is a bit dark and the battery life is stable shorter than the competition offer. Still, the Specter x360 is one of the best 2-in-1 consumers you can buy.
Design
Spectrum x360 is a smooth aluminum band. One difference between this year's model and last year's model is that the trailing edge of the new version, once closed, is now a pair of hard elbows, as opposed to the curved design of its predecessor. I tried the boring silver model and spent most of my time using the black and copper model, which strangely calls HP Dark Ash Silver and costs $ 10 more.
A welcome improvement over the previous Specter x360 is the hinge that feels right. This is useful if you turn the screen in Notebook mode to stand, stand, or view it on the tablet.
12 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches and 2.9 pounds in weight, the X360 13.3-inch spectrum for Dell XPS 13 (12 x 7.9 x 0.6 inches, 2.8 pounds) is more in the height is lighter than the Lenovo Yoga 920 13.9 inches (12.7 x 8.8 x 0.6 inches, 3.1 pounds) and heavier than the Microsoft Surface Pro 12.3 inches (11.5 x 7.9 Inches) x 0.5 inches, 2.4 pounds).
Monitor
The 13.3-inch display of the Spectrum x360 1080p offers a large number of bright colors. When I saw a Black Panther pendant in the system, I noticed the light blue shiny console on Okoye's ship and the glowing tones of his golden and red armor. Its 1080p resolution offers enough sharpness to see the textures of Black Panther armor and the luxurious jacket of Erik Killmonger.
Producing 109 percent of the sRGB spectrum, the Spectrum x360 screen is not far from the category average of 102 percent, 105 percent Yoga 920 and 112 percent of the XPS 13. Surface Pro is more colorful, posting a score of 140 percent.
Keyboard, touchpad, and stylus
The Specter x360 is not one of the super-thin notebooks that save on the typing experience. In the 10fastfingers.com writing test, the comfortable Specter keys allowed a speed of 79 words per minute, very close to my average of 80 words per minute. This may be due to the 80 grams due to the active force (we are looking for at least 60g) to push each button, as the keys have a 1.3mm stroke, which is the minimum of 1.5mm compared to shallow we hope so to find
Audio
Loudspeakers modified with Bang & Olufsen on the Specter x360 allow this small device to produce many sounds. As I listened to him fill his large conference room with a sweet performance of Peter Gabriel's "sledgehammer," I noticed how clear the voices were, how strong the horns were, and how sharp the drums were.
An application of Bang & Olufsen audio parameters is included, although its presets can be ignored. The default music option is the best configuration. The setup of the movie hardly looks different, and the audio does not suppress the muddy tracks enough to change it frequently.
Performance
The Specter x360 we tested has an eighth-generation Intel Core i7-8550U processor, a 512GB PCIe SSD and 16GB of RAM for fast performance, solid productivity, and even a few games. I saw no delay after splitting my screen between a 1080p YouTube video and a dozen Chrome tabs, including Giphy, Slack, TweetDeck, and Google Docs.
In terms of overall Geekbench 4 performance, the spectrum showed a strong x360 13568, between 13306 Yoga 920 (base i7-8550U with 8 GB RAM) and 14.158 XPS 13 (i7-8550U base with 8 GB RAM). The average of 7357 categories includes Intel machines dozens of 7th generation, such as the 7357 Surface Pro (Core i7-7660U with 16GB of RAM).
The Specter x360 also performed well in the 3DMark IceMorm Unlimited test, with a fixed value of 79,528, which is the mean of the class of 58,980. We have seen better results 109,678 Surface Pro (Intel Iris outperforms more graphics 640), 86,267 from Yoga 920 and 81,837 of XPS 13.
Battery life
The battery life of the x360 Specter has to survive most of the day, but other systems last longer ... In the Mag Laptop Battery Test, which involves surfing the internet streaming over the Wi-Fi network, this HP took 8 hours and 26 minutes
This ties in with the average of the ultraportable category. The Yoga 920 (12:22) lasted much longer, but the Surface Pro (7:30) has a worse resistance.
Webcam
The selfie I made with the 2.0 megapixel Specter x360 camera is so grainy that it looks like I covered my dust shirt before taking the picture.
Heat
Do not worry about this convertible overheating. After transferring 15 minutes of HD video to the laptop, our hot air gun drew temperatures on the touchscreen (86 degrees Fahrenheit), the keyboard (89 degrees), and the bottom (92 degrees) of the computer, which does not exceed our comfort threshold of 95 degrees,
This year's model also distributes the heat in a simpler way, as the exhaust vent is no longer on the left side of the machine, exactly where the left hand could rest on the rear hinge.
Software
HP has provided the Specter x360 with a relatively small amount of pre-installed software. JumpStart will guide you through the setup (remove this program if it is not your first rodeo); The Support Wizard lets you download drivers and communicate with HP. Recovery Manager manages backups and creates recovery discs. There's also an offer of 30GB of free Dropbox storage for a year, but, as I discovered, it's only available to new subscribers.
Configuration options
Configuration $ 1359.99 x360 has tried Specter, including an 8 Core Core i7 Gen, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Privacy Screen Secure Display, and Pen. If you do not need much power, the entry-level $ 1,049 may be enough; It comes with Core i5, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of memory.
I would spend $ 10 more for Black and Copper Colorway, but I would avoid the optional HP 3840 x 2160 pixel display ($ 150) because they tend to drain the battery life. HP sells the Spectrum with 16 GB of RAM only if you buy it with the Core i7 processor that we tested. These two updates cost $ 170.
Bottom line
There is so much to love about the Specter x360. If you use it, you'll feel as if you're driving in a luxury sedan and enhancing the privacy mode of Safe View while enjoying the impressive speed, comfortable keyboard, and solid sound. All we want is for the 2-in-1 device to last longer on a charge and make its screen a little brighter.
From $ 1299, 920 Lenovo Yoga takes more than 4 hours with a load and a brighter screen, but we liked the keyboard, except the Specter x360. In general, the Specter x360 is one of the most attractive 2-in-1 on the market and worth trying.
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In addition, the comfortable Specter keyboard, the optional privacy screen, and the talking candy make productivity, as well as the gaming, features even more enjoyable, the screen is a bit dark and the battery life is stable shorter than the competition offer. Still, the Specter x360 is one of the best 2-in-1 consumers you can buy.
Design
Spectrum x360 is a smooth aluminum band. One difference between this year's model and last year's model is that the trailing edge of the new version, once closed, is now a pair of hard elbows, as opposed to the curved design of its predecessor. I tried the boring silver model and spent most of my time using the black and copper model, which strangely calls HP Dark Ash Silver and costs $ 10 more.
A welcome improvement over the previous Specter x360 is the hinge that feels right. This is useful if you turn the screen in Notebook mode to stand, stand, or view it on the tablet.
12 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches and 2.9 pounds in weight, the X360 13.3-inch spectrum for Dell XPS 13 (12 x 7.9 x 0.6 inches, 2.8 pounds) is more in the height is lighter than the Lenovo Yoga 920 13.9 inches (12.7 x 8.8 x 0.6 inches, 3.1 pounds) and heavier than the Microsoft Surface Pro 12.3 inches (11.5 x 7.9 Inches) x 0.5 inches, 2.4 pounds).
Monitor
The 13.3-inch display of the Spectrum x360 1080p offers a large number of bright colors. When I saw a Black Panther pendant in the system, I noticed the light blue shiny console on Okoye's ship and the glowing tones of his golden and red armor. Its 1080p resolution offers enough sharpness to see the textures of Black Panther armor and the luxurious jacket of Erik Killmonger.
Producing 109 percent of the sRGB spectrum, the Spectrum x360 screen is not far from the category average of 102 percent, 105 percent Yoga 920 and 112 percent of the XPS 13. Surface Pro is more colorful, posting a score of 140 percent.
Keyboard, touchpad, and stylus
The Specter x360 is not one of the super-thin notebooks that save on the typing experience. In the 10fastfingers.com writing test, the comfortable Specter keys allowed a speed of 79 words per minute, very close to my average of 80 words per minute. This may be due to the 80 grams due to the active force (we are looking for at least 60g) to push each button, as the keys have a 1.3mm stroke, which is the minimum of 1.5mm compared to shallow we hope so to find
Audio
Loudspeakers modified with Bang & Olufsen on the Specter x360 allow this small device to produce many sounds. As I listened to him fill his large conference room with a sweet performance of Peter Gabriel's "sledgehammer," I noticed how clear the voices were, how strong the horns were, and how sharp the drums were.
An application of Bang & Olufsen audio parameters is included, although its presets can be ignored. The default music option is the best configuration. The setup of the movie hardly looks different, and the audio does not suppress the muddy tracks enough to change it frequently.
Performance
The Specter x360 we tested has an eighth-generation Intel Core i7-8550U processor, a 512GB PCIe SSD and 16GB of RAM for fast performance, solid productivity, and even a few games. I saw no delay after splitting my screen between a 1080p YouTube video and a dozen Chrome tabs, including Giphy, Slack, TweetDeck, and Google Docs.
In terms of overall Geekbench 4 performance, the spectrum showed a strong x360 13568, between 13306 Yoga 920 (base i7-8550U with 8 GB RAM) and 14.158 XPS 13 (i7-8550U base with 8 GB RAM). The average of 7357 categories includes Intel machines dozens of 7th generation, such as the 7357 Surface Pro (Core i7-7660U with 16GB of RAM).
The Specter x360 also performed well in the 3DMark IceMorm Unlimited test, with a fixed value of 79,528, which is the mean of the class of 58,980. We have seen better results 109,678 Surface Pro (Intel Iris outperforms more graphics 640), 86,267 from Yoga 920 and 81,837 of XPS 13.
Battery life
The battery life of the x360 Specter has to survive most of the day, but other systems last longer ... In the Mag Laptop Battery Test, which involves surfing the internet streaming over the Wi-Fi network, this HP took 8 hours and 26 minutes
This ties in with the average of the ultraportable category. The Yoga 920 (12:22) lasted much longer, but the Surface Pro (7:30) has a worse resistance.
Webcam
The selfie I made with the 2.0 megapixel Specter x360 camera is so grainy that it looks like I covered my dust shirt before taking the picture.
Heat
Do not worry about this convertible overheating. After transferring 15 minutes of HD video to the laptop, our hot air gun drew temperatures on the touchscreen (86 degrees Fahrenheit), the keyboard (89 degrees), and the bottom (92 degrees) of the computer, which does not exceed our comfort threshold of 95 degrees,
This year's model also distributes the heat in a simpler way, as the exhaust vent is no longer on the left side of the machine, exactly where the left hand could rest on the rear hinge.
Software
HP has provided the Specter x360 with a relatively small amount of pre-installed software. JumpStart will guide you through the setup (remove this program if it is not your first rodeo); The Support Wizard lets you download drivers and communicate with HP. Recovery Manager manages backups and creates recovery discs. There's also an offer of 30GB of free Dropbox storage for a year, but, as I discovered, it's only available to new subscribers.
Configuration options
Configuration $ 1359.99 x360 has tried Specter, including an 8 Core Core i7 Gen, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Privacy Screen Secure Display, and Pen. If you do not need much power, the entry-level $ 1,049 may be enough; It comes with Core i5, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of memory.
I would spend $ 10 more for Black and Copper Colorway, but I would avoid the optional HP 3840 x 2160 pixel display ($ 150) because they tend to drain the battery life. HP sells the Spectrum with 16 GB of RAM only if you buy it with the Core i7 processor that we tested. These two updates cost $ 170.
Bottom line
There is so much to love about the Specter x360. If you use it, you'll feel as if you're driving in a luxury sedan and enhancing the privacy mode of Safe View while enjoying the impressive speed, comfortable keyboard, and solid sound. All we want is for the 2-in-1 device to last longer on a charge and make its screen a little brighter.
From $ 1299, 920 Lenovo Yoga takes more than 4 hours with a load and a brighter screen, but we liked the keyboard, except the Specter x360. In general, the Specter x360 is one of the most attractive 2-in-1 on the market and worth trying.
Editor's Recommendations
. Laptops with the Longest Battery Life
. Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL Review
. what is WPA3? why WPA3
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