HP ENVY X2
The lovechild of the phone and the laptop is here, and it’s got a very bright future ahead of it £1,199 hp.com
The first of the new wave of Qualcomm-powered Windows 10 S hybrids gets the T3 grilling
We have here the first of the new wave of Qualcommpowered Windows 10 S 2-in-1 hybrids. Equipped with high-end phone chips instead of Intel’s latest, and a special version of Windows, these machines are meant to offer the advantages of mobile (instant-on operation from sleep, 4G access as standard, giant battery life) with the usefulness of the standard hybrid form-fact. In this case, you can pull the screen off the Envy x2 to use as a tablet, fit it into use like a Microsoft Surface Pro, and draw on it with the included stylus.
Sweet bod
The Envy x2 is a solid and premiumfeeling tablet, despite measuring in with a waif-ish 6.9mm thickness. The frame is CNC-machined out of aluminium, with rock hard Gorilla Glass covering the display. Indeed, the Envy x2 feels similar to the Microsoft Surface Pro 4, but mixed with a dollop of the super high-end Surface Book 2.
A faux leather-finished keyboard cover is attached to the bottom of the Envy x2 tablet via magnetic clip-on and covers the entire front and rear when closed. The kickstand is good and strong, too, if you’d rather prop up the device when working.
Firing up the Envy x2 instantly reveals the usefulness of the Snapdragon 835 processor, as well as quickly revealing its weaknesses in use. It comes to life right away, then once on keeps going past 20 hours of use – and all fanless, too, so that it’s both quiet and cool in use. However, upon digging into Windows you will notice that it doesn’t have the oomph of the quad-core Intel chip sat in the new Surface Book 2.
Is that a deal breaker? Absolutely not. So what does it mean in terms of
this being a potential proposition? Well, that depends on what you need. If you want a premium tablet that runs a version of Windows 10 and offers a slick, light computing experience, running for hours without needing to be recharged, the Envy x2 will deliver for you.
On the other hand, if you want your hybrid to offer a medium computing experience, with tasks like editing 4K video files or firing up PC games on the go, ignore this one.
The other thing to keep in mind is that the Envy x2 runs Windows 10 S, which is different to Windows 10. It’s stripped down and only runs apps from the Microsoft Store. We understand why it’s installed, and that switching to full-fat Windows 10 might introduce compatibility issues, slower performance and worse battery life. This leaves you in a tough half-way house, but as long as you know what you’re getting and are happy with it, you’re good.
Room-filling sound
The Envy x2’s 12.3-inch, 1920x1280 display is pleasant and natural to use. Colour depth and contrast is good, as is brightness and viewing angles, though a glossy screen means glare in direct sunlight is quite strong. The touchscreen is generally good, but there is a little lag when sketching.
If you’re watching movies or playing music on it, you’ll love the speakers, tuned by Bang & Olufsen, that offer legitimate room-filling sound. It helps the Envy x2 feel more like a tablet worth leaving around the house for media sharing.
Type away
Overall, the Envy x2’s premium build quality, stunning battery life and top audio credentials won us over during testing. We like the x2’s screen and the stylus and, despite it being a tad spongy, the faux leather cover’s keyboard is both spacious and easy to type on.
Also, the Envy x2’s 4G LTE SIM capabilities are most welcome on such a highly portable and long lasting 2-in-1; just pop in a SIM and go. From working online to streaming content from Netflix to uploading and downloading large files on the go (providing you have the data tariff to burn), an Envy x2 equipped with a 4G LTE connection handles them all with ease and, just like with the battery, removes any anxiety about entering no Wi-Fi downtimes.
We recommend the HP Envy x2, but suggest that you ask yourself what you need and value the most from a hybrid system before you pull the trigger on buying one. The HP Envy x2 is not the most powerful hybrid by far, thanks to that ARM-based architecture, and for the money you can get much punchier Windows systems, or an iPad Pro for a lot less. However, if the capable and versatile setup of the Envy x2 appeals to you, you’ll find a hybrid here that offers outstanding battery life and a good all-round supporting package.