(Snapdragon)
The HP Envy x2 is a great 2-in-1 laptop with sterling battery life, but it can’t serve as your only work device
This is not just another laptop. It could represent a huge change in the direction of the tech industry; a moment that, when we look back on it in years to come, we’ll point at and say: “That’s when everything changed.”
Not that you’d think that to look at the HP Envy x2. On the face of it, it’s just another 2-in-1. Another Windows 10 tablet with a keyboard cover and stylus. Another Surface Pro clone.
You’re not a clone
Except it’s anything but. Instead of an Intel CPU inside, the Envy uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, the same chip found in many of 2017’s flagship smartphones. Indeed, the Envy x2 has 4G capability built in. It even has a phone number people can call you on, plus a 4G EE SIM with 24GB of data (or buy it SIM-free from HP for £849 for a limited time).
The £999 price includes the keyboard and active stylus, which matches a Microsoft Surface Pro (Core m3) with the Type Cover and Surface Pen included. And it’s around the same price as the most basic Apple iPad Pro 12.9in with the Smart Keyboard (but no stylus).
The HP is better equipped than either the Surface Pro or iPad, though. Not only does it comes with that 4G modem built in, but 128GB of UFS 2.1 flash storage. The basic iPad Pro comes with 64GB storage and the Surface Pro with a 128GB SSD, but neither comes with 4G. With the keyboard and stylus included in the box, the HP Envy x2 is a great deal.
Solid build
The HP Envy x2 isn’t as elegant as either the Surface or iPad Pro, but it’s still an attractive unit. Built around a 12.3in, 1,920 x 1,080, Full HD IPS display, it exudes quality.
The x2 is slim at 7mm and weighs only 720g, which rises to 1.21kg with the keyboard folio case attached. You don’t get much connectivity – there’s a single USB-C port and a pin-eject microSD tray on the left, and a 3.5mm audio jack on the right – but this is designed as a mobile device rather than a desktop replacement. And if you do need extra ports, a basic USB-C dock won’t cost a fortune.
As with the Surface Pro, the case serves a triple purpose: to protect the tablet from damage in your bag; to prop up the screen at a comfortable angle when you’re working on it; and to be used as a keyboard in its own right. It does all three jobs admirably. The rear cover splits in two and folds back to act as an adjustable kickstand.
It’s a touch bulky, since it wraps around both the front and rear of the tablet. However, that means it provides protection for both sides of the tablet, while the Surface Pro and iPad’s keyboard covers protect only the front. It also works well perched on your lap, thanks to the grippy fake-leather material the case is constructed from, and, if you drop it, the Gorilla Glass display should resist shattering better than regular laptop screens.
The keyboard itself is an excellent example of the breed. The keys have plenty of travel and a positive action, while the wide touchpad beneath is both sensitive and reliable. It has a heavy click action, which takes a while to get used to, but the HP Envy x2 is largely an enjoyable device to use.
The cameras are better quality than you get on most Windows machines, too. There’s a 13-megapixel rear camera with HDR that takes decent photos, while the front-facing, 5-megapixel camera is also very good. There’s no fingerprint reader, but the Windows Hello-compliant front camera means you can unlock the x2 without typing a PIN or password.
Strong display
“The case serves a triple purpose: to protect the tablet from damage; to prop up the screen; and to be used as a keyboard”
In a world where edge-toedge designs and 3:2 aspect ratio screens have become common, the HP’s 16:9 wide-bordered display looks oldfashioned. It is, however, top quality. Contrast is an excellent 1,377:1, and maximum brightness reaches a stunning 505cd/m2, which is enough that you can use the Envy in most conditions. It struggles in very bright direct sunlight, but is perfectly usable if you find a shady spot in the garden. Colour accuracy is excellent, too. The screen covers 96.1% of the sRGB colour gamut and delivered an average Delta E of 1.45 in our tests, both of which are excellent results. There’s no problem with stylus sensitivity, either, and since the stylus supports both pressure and angle sensing, it’s as fully functional as the Apple Pencil or the Surface Pen. The feel of the nib on the screen is a match for the Surface Pro, but you’ll never match the sensation of writing with a real pen on paper.
Mixed performance
As good as the ergonomics, design and display are, the success of the HP Envy x2 hinges almost entirely on how the Snapdragon chip performs in dayto-day use. And on that front, the situation is mixed.
Like the Surface Laptop, this machine runs Windows 10 in S mode out of the box (the operating system formerly known as Windows 10 S), so unless you take advantage of the free “upgrade” to Windows 10 Pro, you’ll be limited to installing apps and games from the Windows Store.
Stick with Windows Store apps and you’ll largely be fine. Microsoft Edge works smoothly, as do basic tasks with Google Docs. Even when you load Edge up with tabs, the Envy x2 is snappy and responsive.
It’s a different story when you switch to Windows 10 Pro and try to run full Windows applications. Since the Snapdragon hardware doesn’t run Windows code natively, there’s an extra layer of software translating the instructions of applications such as Chrome. This means that, although most things I tried to install worked, they didn’t run quickly. Even basic apps such as Chrome run slowly, and I found they crashed regularly, too. And note that 64-bit apps don’t work at all.
This also means there’s no sensible way of running our benchmarks. Instead, I ran a few cross-platform mobile tests to get a feel for raw performance. GFXBench DirectX reported an average frame rate of 24fps in the Manhattan 3 test at native resolution, while Geekbench 4 delivered single- and multicore scores of 842 and 2,981.
These are far from stellar results; indeed, they’re not much better than the Asus Transformer Mini, an Atom-powered Windows detachable from 2016.
Storage performance is middling, too. Running the AS SSD test gave sequential read and write speeds of 430MB/sec and 212MB/sec respectively. I’d expect more from a machine costing a thousand pounds.
The big attraction of the Envy x2 isn’t outright performance, however, but battery life and the integrated, Gigabit-class 4G. On both fronts, the HP Envy x2 delivers. The battery life is, quite simply, brilliant. That said, in our video-rundown test, we couldn’t reach Qualcomm’s claimed battery life of more than 20 hours, with the x2 lasting 11hrs 48mins in Flight mode with the screen set to a brightness of 170cd/m2.
This translated into phenomenal stamina in regular day-to-day use. I worked on the Envy x2 for a full day – emailing, messaging, writing and browsing the web for research – and it still had enough juice left to last a weekend of occasional browsing and online shopping.
Almost there
The HP Envy x2 is no mere proof-of-concept: this is a fine 2-in-1 laptop and – with the bundled data and accessories – a better deal than the Core m3 Surface Pro or the 12.9in Apple iPad Pro. The trouble is, in many ways it isn’t as good as either.
On the one hand, its performance is acceptable for lightweight tasks and its battery life is exceptional. But, on the other, you can get more done without losing much stamina if you opt for one of the better Intelbased machines. Or you could buy an iPad Pro 12.9in and get equally good battery life and more power (plus a far better range of apps).
While I like the HP Envy x2, it feels like a product that’s ahead of its time. Perhaps when the next generation of Windows on Snapdragon products roll around, with the more powerful Snapdragon 850 onboard, they’ll better justify the price. For now, though, I’d advise most people to stick with a regular laptop or an iPad Pro.
SPECIFICATIONS Octa-core 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor Adreno 540 graphics 4GB RAM 4G modem 12.3in IPS display, 1,920 x 1,280 resolution 128GB UFS storage
13MP rear camera 5MP front camera 802.11ac Wi-Fi Bluetooth 5
USB-C 3.1 microSD card slot Windows 10 S 45Wh battery HP Digital Pen tablet only, 293 x 210 x 6.9mm (WDH) 700g 1yr warranty