HP Spectre X360 13 (2018) Review: The Ultimate Premium Experience

I take been using Windows since 1995, but never accept I ever used a 2-in-i laptop as my primary PC, until the beginning of this terminal month. I have had the HP Spectre X360 xiii (2018) for over a calendar month and I felt it deserved the thorough deep-dive its exorbitant price deserved. This is not a laptop for anybody; information technology might not even be for those who may be able to afford a MacBook, because the Spectre X360 thirteen (Early 2018) is actually quite a chip more expensive. It'south hella premium, and deservedly then.

Priced at ₹1,70,291 officially (Buy for Rs 1,62,990 on Amazon), the model we reviewed had a Core i7 8550U processor and a super sleek 360-degree spinning display and a great keyboard that actually made you want to stick to the traditional laptop fashion. Information technology's a laptop total of bells and whistles such as an included agile stylus for doodling and illustrations. Want more? It has a cool privacy screen that blocks out your display from prying optics next to yous.

As I discover why this laptop just feels and then expert, I'll also exist understanding where Windows is headed from the point of view of such 2-in-one laptops. The acme-cease variant with 16GB of RAM, loaned out to us has been in apply since April, HP tells us, so information technology's not a make new unit of measurement. That's worth noting equally that this laptop has held up well in almost-everyday utilize for a few months.

HP Spectre X360 13 (2018): Specifications

Nosotros had the top of the line kit from HP but if y'all are looking for discrete graphics, y'all are in the wrong review. The 13-inch model simply doesn't have enough room for a GPU. Here are its specs:

Dimensions	30.6 cm x 21.eight cm; 1.36 cm pinnacle
Processor	8th Gen Quad Core Intel Core i5-8250U/ i7-8550U processor
Memory	Upward to 16GB LPDDR3 2133MHz
Storage	512GB SSD
Display	13.iii'' Sure View integrated privacy display; FHD IPS micro-border WLED-backlit bear upon screen with Corning Gorilla Glass NBT (1920 10 1080 pixels)
Graphics	Intel UHD Graphics 620
Wireless	Intel 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2x2) Wi-Fi and Bluetooth iv.2 Combo
Ports	2 Thunderbolt 3 (up to 40 Gb/s, Ability Delivery, DP1.2, HP Sleep and Charge); 1 USB 3.1 Gen i (HP Sleep and Charge); 1 headphone/microphone combo; microSD Card slot
Weight	1.26 Kg
Operating System	Windows ten Pro 64-flake
Battery	lx WHr

The HP Spectre X360 (2018) comes with an exciting retail package, that includes the HP Pen, two adapters – 1 for Ethernet and the other for a VGA adapter – and a much-needed cleaning cloth for the display, which you volition touch around with your grubby fingers. You lot also get a leatherette sleeve with a Velcro flap and a slot for the HP Pen, which is quite cool and something you lot don't encounter in almost laptops.

HP Spectre X360 13: Design and Build Quality

I'm still on the corner of the traditional form gene over convertibles. Then HP has to do a lot with the Spectre X360 to convert me. The stand-out feature in the X360 13-inch is its flipping display, which goes flat and then some to give you multiple usage modes. Information technology's by far the coolest affair yous can practise and a neat prank to pull on unsuspecting friends every bit you push the brandish beyond its usual position. In one word, I would describe this convertible every bit heady.

In that location's no mistaking the HP Spectre X360 for whatsoever other laptop. HP has ensured that the colors and the design are unique, so much so that information technology makes laptops such equally the MacBook Pro or the Dell XPS series seem boring. A lot of it has to exercise with the color. The copper-gilded shiny accents react delightfully to the calorie-free while the night sometimes-brown, sometimes-grayness outside of the lid and the chassis definitely help the Spectre X360 stand out from the crowd.

HP opts for a more straight-edged industrial design, which definitely makes information technology wait aggressive. The rounded corners are overshadowed past the sloping only flat edges, and the gently sloping lid with its lovely satin cease is a delight to hold. The nighttime gold HP logo looks fantastic and I loved how it seemed to disappear into the 'ash gray' hat in certain lighting conditions.

Just xiii.6mm thick and ane.26kg, the HP Spectre x360 13 is very light, but I found the ZenBook xiii to be handier in everyday use. The sharply squared-off edges in the front end which dig into your manus and make you a piffling uncomfortable. The cold metallic body of the HP Spectre x360 13-inch may put off some users only I loved how it felt. The stand-out feature in terms of pattern is the 360-degree form cistron, which gives this laptop its name. The golden swivel is very sturdy and the lid doesn't wobble effectually much when under a potent fan, which is definitely a plus.

HP, like near other manufacturers, has trimmed the bezels down for 2018 and the Spectre X360 13-inch has a smaller footprint than past 13-inchers thanks to the significantly reduced bezels. The all-aluminum torso, the sleek brandish and the posh colors definitely make the HP Spectre X360 13 experience every bit as premium as its price tag.

The keyboard features large square keys with even spacing and the trackpad is slightly recessed into the main deck, which helps in blind operation. We'll become over these later in the review. Above the keyboard is the speaker grill with a unique retro blueprint made of triangular cutouts for the grill. It looks swell, in my opinion, and certainly i way to make your speakers look great (they are quite excellent at doing their task, equally we will see). Part of the tiptop section is besides taken upwardly by the estrus dispersal arrangement, which vents out air from under the display.

HP Spectre X360 13: Ports

HP has non gone bold with an all-USB-C layout. There'due south plenty of room for traditional USB ports on the Spectre X360.

On the left you will notice a USB Type-A port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and the power push button to turn the brandish on and off in tablet mode. There's also a microSD slot on the front of the left side. On the correct, you will discover two Thunderbolt 3 ports, the affect fingerprint scanner and the book rocker.

HP Spectre X360 13: Keyboard and Touchpad

Even though it looks odd at first glance, the large square keys on the HP Spectre x360 13 make for a great keyboard experience. One big reason is that you don't need to adjust likewise much when coming from a traditional desktop keyboard. The layout has no surprises; even though the home, delete, folio up and page downwards keys have been shunted to the right side which in turn leaves the upwards and down direction keys to take the room of what should be 1 key. Which is to say it'south a little cramped on the right.

The backlit keyboard with a single level of intensity, offers a largely positive typing experience. The keys have typical Ultrabook-level of travel – which is to not much – but the overall experience doesn't leave your fingers hurting. There is very little flex on the top deck, which helps in absorbing some shock and too adds the right amount of bounce. I could blazon at my regular speed in no time.

Below the keyboard is the big touchpad or trackpad – possibly the largest on a Windows automobile, too the Huawei Matebook 10 Pro. Information technology has a very similar texture to the height deck, just information technology's recessed in and finding it is no problem at all. The smooth surface itself has integrated buttons so tapping and clicking on it is seamless. Only the same can't be said of double-clicking chop-chop – get used to using double taps to double click.

HP Spectre x360 13: Windows Hello

I don't have very expert things to say almost the fingerprint scanner -on the HP Spectre x360 13. It'south flat on the border and if you are using the laptop on anything other than your lap – such a perfectly reasonable work desk – getting the sensor to recognize your finger is frustrating. It's correct on the border, and as a effect your entire finger may never exist able to comprehend information technology, so you accept to exist really careful in grooming it.

Thankfully, the HP Spectre x360 13 also has Windows Hello face unlock thanks to the IR camera above the display. This works amazingly well and even in minimal lighting, which is just great. As someone who has never used face up unlock on a smartphone, I constitute this to be a novelty and it was and so much better than the fingerprint scanner that I rarely ever used anything else.

HP Spectre x360 13: Brandish

The HP Spectre x360 thirteen boasts a bright and vivid 13.3-inch IPS LCD screen, which is correct from the top shelf. Y'all can get it in 4K outside India, but here HP restricts the top-finish model to total Hard disk resolution, which is a shame in my opinion. The whole betoken of paying over Rs 1,50,000 for any laptop would exist for the graphics power or a high-resolution display, but here y'all accept to make exercise with a 1080P brandish, which is swell by any ways – just non the all-time.

Despite not matching up to the 4K brandish in terms of resolution and sharpness, this one is still a superb panel. It's super bright and simply becomes a nuisance to utilise when you have bright white lights straight over the screen.

If you work in an office surround with nosy neighbors or just don't want others side by side to you to run into what you are working on, HP has a cool Sure View integrated privacy screen, which brightens the sides of the display to completely launder information technology out for anyone on your side, just you can still run across the display perfectly – albeit with slightly washed out colors. The bonus of this characteristic is that whatsoever glare from tube lights is also mitigated.

As a hybrid, one of the pre-requisites is a touch brandish and the HP Spectre x360 13 goes one stride further with support for the active stylus or HP Pen, which is included in the box. Information technology offers 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity, which is non the all-time in the world, but still good enough for entry-level professional or student-level graphics work.

We used the HP Pen without whatever issues, and even though I tin't claim to exist an artist, it was fun to take mock notes or the occasional doodle to pass abroad time. Information technology works just fine and I reckon it's more most casual users would want then information technology's a bonus in every sense of the word.

Of grade, yous can employ the display in a number of modes, including the tent mode or in stand fashion with the keyboard turned around. Or y'all could shut it the other way to make a beefy tablet. I wouldn't recommend using the HP Spectre X360 13 in that style for very long as it can get taxing on the hand.

Amidst all these modes, I constitute tent and the traditional laptop mode to exist the most useful. Tent mode is specially great for watching videos while sitting back on your couch or for listening to music and seeing visualizations while you read a volume or get about doing your chores.

HP Spectre x360 13: Speakers

The brilliant display is matched by the well-rounded speaker, which has very good clarity at loftier volumes and robust mids to make video consumption not bad. The bass is not that smashing and then you won't find a deep rumble for music sessions, but it gets loud to compensate for this. It's however pretty practiced for everyday usage, and you won't find yourself looking for a pair of Bluetooth speakers for sure.

HP Spectre x360 xiii: Functioning

Thanks to the Intel 8th Generation Core i7 8550U CPU, the performance on the HP Spectre X360 xiii was amazing. Yous also accept the 16GB of DDR3 RAM at 2133MHz, to thank for that and the 512GB SSD for the lightning fast boot times and the app loading times.

In Geekbench 4 the Spectre x360 thirteen scores 13610 points, and 3420 in PC Mark 10, which is effectually the category average of between 13500 and 14500 points in Geekbench 4, and similarly just about average for the Ultrabook category in PC Mark ten.

Adobe Photoshop CC started up in just ten seconds for me and the boilerplate kickoff-upwards would take effectually twenty-25 seconds. Reboots also hovered around the 25-2nd mark. You will non find a much faster Ultrabook than this, and despite all the bloatware that Windows saddles yous with, you tin can get everything you want very chop-chop on the HP Spectre X360 13.

That'south not to say it can render 4K videos in a jiffy, because it won't. Non with the Intel HD 620 GPU. That's also why it can't do very well in games. Though permit's exist honest, if you accept up of Rs 1,seventy,000 to splurge on PC that yous will use for gaming, there are other options on your mind.

What information technology does do very well is everyday tasks such as multiple browser tabs and Photoshop, as well as high-res video playing at the same time. At that place's non much that can bog downwards the HP Spectre X360 thirteen, and that just adds to the premium feel.

With all that RAM, you can take enough of applications open up, but when the CPU is under load, the internal fans do kick in. They are not loud enough to exist distracting, simply I could hear them at times and when you lot desire perfect silence to crunch out a slice, it can be annoying. The fans as well accept a while to slow down or come to a stop after y'all are washed abusing the CPU, which means you can hear them even when you have exited heavy apps, which is quite irritating.

HP Spectre x360 xiii: Bombardment Life

The Spectre x360 thirteen has a 60Wh battery and HP boastfully claims it tin go on for over 10 hours, which is what y'all would see in a typical role these days. The reality is closer to 7-eight hours, which is even so quite amazing for most users. But that's with careful calibration of the brightness at around 50% and with nothing too CPU intensive. The battery life is great for media consumption as the laptop can easily last 8-9 hours on a single charge and that'south awesome for binge watching. It helps that the brandish is so good for online content.

HP Spectre X360 thirteen: Pros and Cons

As a premium 2-in-ane laptop, non many rivals can compete with the HP Spectre X360 13. It'southward truly one of its kind and there are very few flaws in this notebook. Yet, for the sake of balance, let's list them down hither along with all the things that impress.

Pros

• Elegant build and unique colors
• Extremely portable
• 360-degree form factor
• Bright brandish with thin bezels
• Top-notch Ultrabook performance
• Active stylus support
• Windows Hello IR Face Unlock
• Excellent trackpad
• Decent battery life

Cons

• Glossy display
• Awkward and deadening fingerprint scanner
• Slightly cramped keyboard

Oddly enough, you will not find any competing Windows convertible in this price range, so the HP Spectre x360 13 (2018) is truly in a league of its own.

Having said that if you are looking for more power and higher performance for your piece of work or for gaming, so this is not the laptop for yous and at this price you accept options such as the Dell XPS 15 (larger display, 6-core CPU and with discrete graphics, only no 2-in-i class factor) which is retailing for around Rs ane,35,000, but that'south not as sleek or portable as the HP machine, and does have some issues around heating.

Dell XPS 15

You lot could become for powerful gaming PCs as well, only the trade-off is a premium feel versus a gaming laptop experience, which is not always as refined.

HP Spectre X360 13: Doesn't Get More Premium

Every bit you tin can come across I accept had to nitpick to find flaws in the HP Spectre x360 13 (2018). It is simply ane of the best premium Windows convertibles in the market place and one which tin can be used in a variety of modes. It has everything a user would enquire for from a premium Windows PC and bonus features such as the agile stylus support from the HP Pen, the Sure View privacy feature for the display, speedy performance, and a stunning body and design that truly sets it autonomously.

With a price tag of ₹1,70,291 – (Buy for Rs 1,62,990 on Amazon) – the machine we reviewed might be overkill for yous, but you tin can go a slightly lower-stop configuration for Rs one,24,890 which has a Core i5 CPU and less RAM and storage.

In my opinion, the HP Spectre X360 xiii (2018) makes great sense if you are not held back by how much you lot tin spend, and are looking to purchase a premium Windows PC. I would say information technology'southward unrivaled in that regard.

Source: https://beebom.com/hp-spectre-x360-13-review/

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