HP Specter x360 13.5-inch 2-in-1

The HP Specter x360 13.5-inch 2-in-1 is a sleek device that can be used as a traditional clamshell laptop or tablet, thanks to its 360-degree hinge. Running on Windows 11 and featuring the latest 12th generation Intel Core processors, this is a great choice for anyone after a fast productive device with some creative flair.

Introduction

The HP Specter x360 is engineered on a 13.5-inch 2-in-1 Intel Evo platform and includes touchscreen capabilities and the HP Tilt Pen, which should work great for any creative.

The HP Specter x360 packs some impressive 13.5-inch space, coming with the latest 12th generation Intel Core processor. Apparently designed with creatives in mind, it has a 360-degree hinge that can transform a laptop into a tablet that can be used to view media, take notes or take doodles.

There is also an HP Specter x350 15.6-inch 2-in-1 laptop, which offers similar space to this model, but with a larger screen. We have asked HP for more details on these models and will update this article accordingly when we receive them.

It’s important to remember that this is not a review but a handiwork, since I was able to spend a few hours with this laptop at a press event. That means we’ll only cover the design and specs of the device, and not cover aspects I haven’t tested, such as performance or battery life.

Price and availability

The HP Specter x360 15.6-inch starts at 1,249.99 and is expected to be available in May. We will update this article when we know the UK and European pricing as well as more specific release dates.

Design and screen

• 13.5-inch screen
• 90.11% screen-to-body ratio
• Touchscreen support with HP Tilt Pen
• Nightfall comes in Black, Nocturnal Blue and Natural Silver

Unlike the HP Envy x360 15.6-inch laptop, this device comes in three colors. I was able to use the Nocturn Blue version and I was fascinated by how different it was, especially next to the natural silver color. I think all the colors look smooth and professional, but I’m glad to see more variety than the usual silver and gray models.

I like the keyboard and touchpad on this laptop; They were both very responsive and I think I can easily type documents or write emails without problems. The touchscreen was also very responsive and responded well for both my finger and the HP Tilt Pen. I didn’t see the screen tearing or judging when I used it and typing on the on-screen keyboard felt good. I didn’t get a chance to draw properly with the HP Tilt Pen but continuing my writing experience with it, I think it will work well and provide a high level of precision.

There are three different choices for the display, though all of them offer 13.5-inch and edge-to-edge anti-reflection Corning Gorilla Glass protection. The first is WUXGA + and its resolution is 1920 × 1280, covering brightness up to 1000 nits and 100% sRGB gamut, according to HP.

The second one has the same WUXGA + 1920 × 1280 resolution and 100% sRGB coverage, but it only goes up to 400 nits. The latter option has a BrightView OLED display with a resolution of 3000 × 2000, with typically 400 nits of brightness and 500 nits while HDR, with 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 gamete. I really like that HP has created a number of options, as it allows creatives to choose the best screen for their work and gives people the option to pay more for high-end features like an OLED panel.

Creatives will also be happy with the number of ports: two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, a superspeed USB Type-A, a microSD card reader and a 3.5mm audio jack. It’s ideal for anyone who needs to transfer a lot of video content, and I like the HP Thunderbolt 4 included, as it has faster transfer speeds than just USB-C with things like external SSDs.

Performance

• Two Intel Core processor options
• Intel Iris Xe Graphics
• Up to 32GB RAM
• Storage up to 2TB

The HP Specter x360 13.5-inch CPU has two different flavors, including the 12th generation Intel Core i7-1255U and the 12th generation Intel Core i5-1235U. The i7 processor should provide better performance than the i5, although it should still be fully serviceable for most low-level creative tasks, such as most productive work and photo editing.

Integrated GPU, Intel Iris Xe, will enable this laptop less than the HP Envy x360 15.6-inch laptop with an Nvidia GeForce 2050 laptop GPU, so I would not recommend it to anyone looking to engage with high-intensity graphics. Work, such as 4K video editing or 3D rendering. However, it should still work well as a creative device for doodling and editing, but it probably won’t be as powerful as a laptop with a separate GPU.

This laptop can be configured with up to 32GB of LPDDR4 RAM and up to 2TB of PCle storage, which should be sufficient for low-content creation and productivity. This laptop has a 66Wh battery that HP claims can last up to 16 hours of mixed-use time and up to 19 hours and 30 minutes of video playback time. It also supports fast charging, with the company claiming that it can charge up to 50% in about 45 minutes, which is ideal for hybrid workers or those who are always on the move.