HP Spectre x360 (13-w032tu)
A WELL-MADE HIGH-END CONVERTIBLE.
IF THERE’S ONE convertible that can challenge the Lenovo Yoga 910 for the title of “sweetest 2-in-1”, it’s probably the HP Spectre x360. Like the Yoga 910 and Dell XPS 13, it’s a premium product, and it’s priced like it, but it’s also very well put together.
The one area that it falls down compared to the Lenovo and Dell is the screen. You can’t get better than a Full HD screen on the Spectre, and while the Spectre’s screen is nice, with good colour and the right amount of reflectivity, it can’t match those two other devices.
That said, the Spectre also lacks some of the flaws of the Lenovo. Most notably, it contains a set of latest-generation Thunderbolt ports that let you, for example, connect to a display while charging from it. There is no SD card reader, however.
The model we looked at uses a high-end (for a convertible) Kaby Lake processor and it shows in the test results, with the Spectre rivalling the best of the competition. What’s more, its battery life hit around six hours under load, which is a very good result.
The backlit keyboard and wide touchpad with multitouch are roomy and relatively well designed, although the keys felt a little too squishy for our liking (but your mileage may vary). We have no complaints about the strength of the hinge, and the quality of the audio that comes out of the HP Spectre is especially notable. It’s louder and clearer than the rest of the competition.
Given that it’s limited to a Full HD, we can’t quite sing the praises of the Spectre — at least compared to the Yoga — but it’s a well made and powerful convertible, if a little bland.