HP Chromebook 13 G1
Super-thin, powerful and seriously portable, HP’s latest Chromebook is in a league of its own
SCORE ✪✪✪✪✪ PRICE £508 (£610 inc VAT) from amazon.co.uk
You might start reading this with a deep-rooted cynicism toward Chromebooks. And for good reason: laptops powered by Google’s OS have had their reputation sullied over the years due to a series of plastic-ridden, Celeron-powered devices with sub-par screens. Yes, there was the glorious and heinously overpriced Google Pixel, but that was a lone flame: HP’s latest Chromebook 13 is the first Chrome-powered laptop that feels like a mainstream machine.
Inside and out, HP makes few sacrifices. Its looks are bewitching, with its dark grey brushed-aluminium chassis accompanied by a backlit keyboard. This sophisticated Chromebook makes my previous favourite, Acer’s Chromebook 14, look like a dull also-ran.
Standing 12mm tall, and weighing a dainty 1.2kg, it’s also one of the slimmest and lightest Chromebooks around. The whole package feels reassuringly expensive, which is just as well given the steep asking price: to put HP’s £600 tag into perspective, Acer’s Chromebook 14 costs only £200.
Intriguingly, though, HP isn’t solely taking aim at those who want a high-quality alternative to Windows laptops: it describes this laptop as “business-ready”. So could your next business laptop really be a Chromebook?
Business credentials
There are certainly arguments for Chrome OS in a business environment. With automatic updates and no direct threat from traditional viruses, it should be easy to manage. If your business has already shifted to cloud-based applications, what’s really tying you to Windows?
HP adds to the business credentials by embedding a TPM 1.2 security chip and selling an optional Elite USB Type-C docking station, which may look ugly – think black, square power brick – but can output to two Full HD screens simultaneously via DisplayPort and HDMI. It also adds a handy RJ45 connector and five USB ports. Oh, and about £200 to the price.
As with most Chromebooks, the port selection on the laptop itself is restrictive: there are two USB Type-C ports (with one used for charging) and a single regular USB 3.1 socket. If you don’t want to buy the docking station, you can use that spare Type-C socket to connect the HP Chromebook to a variety of high-speed peripherals, including external monitors.
A solitary microSD slot for expandable storage is tucked away on the right-hand side. That could be welcome, with the 32GB of eMMC flash storage perfectly respectable for a Chromebook – and complemented by 100GB of Google Drive storage for two years – but still easy to fill.
As for networking, you’ll have to either stick with the onboard 802.11ac Wi-Fi adapter (there’s no built-in Ethernet socket) or buy an adapter for use over USB. Finally, there’s Bluetooth 4.2 for connecting additional peripherals such as headphones, mice and keyboards.
First-class flyer
Whether you buy the HP Chromebook 13 for yourself or employees, you should have no complaints about speed: HP crams the chassis with nippy core components. For £600, you get a dual-core, 900MHz Intel Core m3-6Y30 processor, 4GB of RAM and that 32GB of storage – it adds up to a Chrome OS-powered laptop that’s well ahead of the pack.
It scored 128 in the JetStream browser benchmark – the highest we’ve seen – twice that of HP’s elderly Chromebook 14. It felt wonderfully nippy in general use, flitting between multiple Chrome tabs just as fast as a premium Windows laptop. What’s more, due to the fanless design, it’s nigh on silent in operation.
The Core m3 is a tad more powerhungry than its Celeron rivals, though, draining the Chromebook 13’s 5,000mAh battery in 7hrs 20mins in our video-playback test. You should eke out a full working day from a single charge, but don’t run the screen at maximum brightness.
Screen burn
Which brings us to the screen itself. Forget Full HD – HP ships this Chromebook with a Quad HD IPS panel. First, the good news. This 13.3in, 2,560 x 1,440 display beams out at 358cd/m2, perfect for sunny afternoons, while an sRGB coverage of 88% promises accurate colours. Then the bad: due to a lowly 474:1 contrast ratio, images had a flat, washed-out look. It’s by no means awful, but for this price I expected better.
I also hoped for a touchscreen. If nothing else, this would make those ported Android apps on the Chrome Web Store much easier to use. And, while it’s hardly HP’s fault, Chrome OS still struggles with resolution scaling. At any resolution higher than Full HD, it displays a laughably microscopic mouse cursor and such small app icons you have to squint. I had to nudge it down a notch or two to make it usable.
I’m a bigger fan of the keyboard, which includes individually backlit keys to add to this laptop’s premium feel – as well as being useful. The keys are nicely spaced inside the 13in chassis, and although the shallow travel takes some getting used to, the stiff switches make for crisp, responsive typing.
The touchpad is generously sized, too, and responsive both to standard mousing and multitouch gestures. I’m not a huge fan of integrated buttons, but here they’re easy to get along with.
Brushed Chrome
“If your business has already shifted to cloud-based applications, what’s really tying you to Windows?”
HP’s Chromebook 13 may seem overpriced but, in reality, it’s the standout Chrome OS laptop. It offers great performance and a crisp (if not perfect) high-resolution display, and the ultra-light chassis and all-day battery life make it a portable workhorse that’s a joy to use.
There are still tempting Windows alternatives – just look at the A List on p16 – but if you want the simplicity of Chrome OS and top-quality components, then this is the Chromebook to beat.
SPECIFICATIONS
Dual-core 900MHz Intel Core m3-6Y30 processor Intel HD Graphics 515 4GB RAM 13.3in 2,560 x 1,440 IPS display 32GB eMMC SSD HD webcam 802.11ac 2x2 Wi-Fi Bluetooth 4.2 2 x USB Type-C 3.1 USB Type-A 3.1 microSD slot Chrome OS 320 x 220 x 13mm (WDH) 1.29kg 1yr RTB warranty