HP Spectre x360 13t (late 2022) review: HP's flashiest 2-in-1 has one (big) flaw
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so closeHP Spectre x360 13t (late 2022) review: HP's flashiest 2-in-1 has i (big) flaw
For a few years now HP has been doing its all-time to win over the premium consumer Ultrabook market place with its Spectre serial. It's working. The Spectres continually demonstrate what proficient pattern engineering can do for a visitor.
The xiii-inch Spectre x360 is the about well-known (and popular) of the Spectre series, and its latest revision reveals a lot of skillful stuff. Notwithstanding, HP withal has a few pocket-sized areas where it can improve.
A gorgeous precious stone
HP Spectre x360 13t
From $i,049
Lesser line: The newest HP Spectre x360 13t is the sharpest looking laptop from HP however, with first-class build quality, desired ports, features, and extraordinary bombardment life. It may be the best featured 13-inch two-in-1 on the market, but its poor trackpad makes us sad. Very sad.
Pros:
- Handsome, elegant precious stone-cut design.
- Excellent battery life.
- Pen included.
- Groovy price point.
Cons:
- Terrible trackpad drivers.
- Thick top and lesser bezels.
- No place to store the pen.
Like a precious stone
What'due south new in the HP Spectre x360 13t?
The HP Spectre x360 13t's all-new "gem-cutting" design brings abrupt, angular edges to the metal chassis. The blueprint is a abrupt departure from the more than rounded hinge expanse from the last model (meet my review). It's peculiarly noticeable near the dorsum where the corners have been lopped off in favor of difficult angles. That pattern isn't just for flare just for the Type-C port (right side) and the ability button (left side). A Type-C peripheral or charging cable now clears the laptop without blocking your mouse hand, and that power button is far harder to hit accidentally when in tablet fashion. It'due south smart engineering science that happens to be heart-catching too.
Other new features include:
- 8th Gen Intel Core i7 "Whiskey Lake."
- Longer battery life.
- 4G LTE (optional).
- Gigabit Wi-Fi.
- Webcam privacy killswitch.
- Thermal control app.
- Fingerprint reader on deck.
New 'gem-cutting' design brings sharper edges to the chassis.
HP claims the dual chamfer edges as well make the hat easier to elevator no matter which side y'all're opening it from. The design detail fifty-fifty filters downwardly to the speaker holes, which HP claims have been drilled in a specific pattern meant to heave "acoustic transparency." This generation also includes a stylish new colour, called "Poseidon blue," with brass accents, calculation to the nighttime ash silver available on previous models.
This new Spectre is slightly thicker (14.5 mm compared to last year's at 13.6 mm) and heavier (2.ix lbs versus ii.85 lbs), but the difference is barely noticeable, and information technology lets HP get ameliorate thermal dissipation, more performance and increased battery life.
HP Spectre x360 13t tech specs
| Category | Spec |
|---|---|
| Processor | 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8265U eighth Gen Intel Core i7-8565U |
| RAM | eight GB, 16GB |
| Storage | PCIe NVMe SSD 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB |
| Display size | 13.3 inches Touch |
| Display resolution | 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080 west/ Certain View Privacy Screen 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) |
| Pen | Yes (Due north-trig) Included |
| Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics 620 |
| Ports | Two Thunderbolt 3 Two USB Type-C 3.1 Gen two USB three.ane Type-A Gen ii Micro SD menu 3.5mm headphone jack |
| Wireless connectivity | Intel Wireless-AC 9560 802.11b/thou/northward/ac Gigabit Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 Philharmonic Optional 4G LTE |
| Biometrics | IR photographic camera for Windows Hello |
| Security | Fingerprint reader TPM Privacy camera impale switch |
| Battery | Up to 22.5 hours |
| Dimensions | 12.16 in x viii.58 in 10 0.57 in |
| Weight | 2.92 lbs |
HP also updated the processor to the latest Intel 8th Generation 15-watt Core i7 processor, offers optional 4G LTE back up, Gigabit Wi-Fi, and the company moved the fingerprint reader from the side to the tiptop deck.
The display bezels are now 5.7 per centum thinner than the concluding model (though they're nonetheless rather big on the elevation and lesser).
All those changes add upwardly to brand this Spectre x360 an ambitious refresh to HP'due south premium Ultrabook line.
getting the nuts right
HP Spectre x360 13t screen, keyboard, and audio
The Spectre x360 13t'southward 13.3-inch total HD display is one of the meliorate ones we've tested. With effectually 320 nits of brightness and 98 percent, sRGB colour accuracy the tones and rest expect great. Like other HP models there are options for a 4K panel – which while looking swell is likely overkill for many – and HP'southward new privacy screen dubbed Sure View.
Virtually those thick top and bottom bezels ... HP insists on putting the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth antennas at the peak for best reception, simply as a result, the bezels are unusually large for a premium Ultrabook in 2022.
The included pen for inking is N-trig based (versus Wacom), and it works quite well for coincidental utilise. However, there is no storage or magnets for the pen, which makes traveling with it a bit tricky.
HP nevertheless makes some of the all-time and "crispiest" keyboards on the market for Ultrabooks. With large chicklet-way keys with pleasant spacing, the Spectre x360's keyboard has aplenty travel. The keyboard is also border-to-edge with a dedicated habitation row on the right-hand side. This keyboard is arguably 1 of the all-time around, only slightly bested past the softer, plusher Surface Laptop 2.
Audio is excellent. HP recently started to utilise a quad-speaker array in its premium business (EliteBook) and consumer (Spectre) series of laptops, with much success. The software is tuned by Bang & Olufsen as has been the instance for years at present. 2 of the speakers are placed backside the keyboard virtually the brandish with two more than underneath the front of the laptop, well-nigh the edge. Such placement lets the audio bounce off the screen and back at the user, delivering well-baked sound. Just it could be improved with more than bass and resonance. The two speakers on pinnacle and two on the lesser mean that when used every bit a tablet or in tent mode yous have a amend risk for consistent audio.
HP Spectre x360 13t audio is splendid.
The trackpad is where things get sour for the Spectre x360 13t. The hardware and design with the gold trim are excellent. Smooth glass, large elongated design, and a satisfying click all work in favor of the 13t. But information technology's betrayed by the shoddy Synaptics software drivers that power information technology. The continued omission of Microsoft Precision drivers is a bane that HP needs to rectify. Scrolling can be janky and compression to zoom wildly inconsistent, and such an egregious oversight in 2022 nearly ruins the whole experience of the Spectre x360 13t.
powerhouse Ultrabook
HP Spectre x360 13t functioning
The Spectre x360 13t uses a familiar Intel Core i7 8565U processor, but information technology tin can also be configured with an Intel i5-8265U. Both are the latest from Intel, are quad-core, and 15-watt regular Ultrabook processors.
In the past, HP has defenseless flak for having less than stellar thermal management, but most of that is addressed with this version. Oestrus and fan noise are reduced partially because of the use of smaller dual-fans instead of one larger single i. HP for the first time is besides including thermal management software, called HP Command Heart. The simple app lets you toggle between different power modes, which then affects the estrus dissipation amount and fan-noise levels. It's good software and something the company should carry over to its concern-themed EliteBook range.
At that place is no dedicated GPU in such a sparse device, merely the Intel UHD 620 gets the job.
Performance is in line with similar laptops although Huawei today is pushing its processors harder than HP, which results in slightly amend benchmarks.
CPU
Geekbench 4.0 Benchmarks (Higher is better)
| Device | CPU | Unmarried core | Multi cadre |
|---|---|---|---|
| HP Spectre x360 13t | Core i7-8565U | 5,056 | 14,767 |
| Huawei MateBook 10 Pro (new) | Core i7-8565U | five,192 | 16,757 |
| Huawei MateBook 13 | Core i7-8565U | five,336 | 17,062 |
| Surface Laptop 2 | Core i5-8250U | 4,203 | thirteen,233 |
| Surface Laptop | Core i7-7660U | 4,714 | 9,535 |
| LG gram fourteen ii-in-1 | Core i7-8565U | iv,829 | 13,889 |
| LG gram 17 | Cadre i7-8565U | 5,161 | thirteen,370 |
| Lenovo Yoga C930 | Core i7-8550U | 4,787 | 15,028 |
| Dell XPS 13 (9370) | Core i7-8550U | 4,681 | xiv,816 |
| Lenovo Yoga C630 (ARM) | SD850 | 2,287 | 7,215 |
GPU
Geekbench iv.0 CUDA (higher is ameliorate)
| Device | GPU | Compute score |
|---|---|---|
| HP Spectre x360 13t | UHD 620 | 37,487 |
| Huawei MateBook X Pro | MX250 | 45,365 |
| Huawei MateBook 13 | MX150 | 48,430 |
| Surface Laptop 2 | UHD 620 | 35,473 |
| Surface Laptop | Iris 640 | 31,010 |
| Samsung Notebook 9 15 | MX150 | 48,536 |
SSD
CrystalDiskMark (Higher is better)
| Device | Read | Write |
|---|---|---|
| HP Spectre x360 13t | 3,085 MB/south | 1,182 MB/s |
| Huawei MateBook X Pro (new) | iii,416 MB/s | 2,779 MB/s |
| Huawei MateBook xiii | 3,436 MB/s | 2,553 MB/southward |
| LG gram 14 2-in-one | 558.1 MB/s | 523.1 MB/s |
| Lenovo Yoga C930 | 2,596 MB/s | 806 MB/southward |
| Lenovo Yoga 730 thirteen | two,790 MB/due south | 506 MB/s |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 730S | iii,450 MB/s | 1,463 MB/southward |
| Lenovo Yoga C630 | 791 MB/southward | 220 MB/due south |
| ASUS ZenBook Southward | 550 MB/s | 512 MB/s |
| ASUS ZenBook 15 | 1,725 MB/due south | 1,447 MB/s |
HP is using a newer Western Digital SSD with proficient results. Our model has a 256GB bulldoze with fantabulous speeds.
Nary a flaw
HP Spectre x360 13t is (almost) perfect
You could debate that HP most over-engineered its new Spectre serial of laptops. The designs are unique, only besides pragmatic and functional. The attending to detail for the buttons and design is to be commended.
One of the most elegant 2-in-i PCs in this price range.
New features like the privacy killswitch for the web photographic camera are welcomed. Sticking with Windows Hi for facial recognition and a fingerprint reader is a good choice. The performance and overall feel of the laptop are among the best we've tested.
Bombardment life is rated at a crazy 22 hours by HP, but the existent-life feel is more than similar ten hours or slightly more, which is notwithstanding outstanding. Port choice, features, and audio are also all well above average.
Fifty-fifty the starting price of $1,050 for a Core i5 configuration with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage is good enough for virtually regular consumers. For that price, they will exist treated to one of the virtually elegant 2-in-1 PCs around.
HP even lets users configure a model with 4G LTE. When combined with the slim, light body, and all-twenty-four hours bombardment life, that's a winning combination.
But some of that is betrayed past HP'southward insistence on using Synaptics drivers for the trackpad and the rather huge top and bottom brandish bezels. While merely navigating Windows and using apps like Function feel OK on the trackpad, using apps such equally Twitter, GroupMe, or the Border browser while scrolling and using compression-to-zoom can be wildly janky. There's no alibi for this, every bit those Synaptics drivers do not offer a single benefit to the consumer when compared to Precision drivers. HP is one of the concluding PC makers to stick with Synaptics, and it'due south unacceptable in 2022.
That blotch is unfortunate because HP is making outstanding hardware, but to trip on such a simple detail like the trackpad. While I believe many users tin live with the Spectre'southward trackpad, information technology'south the 1 thing that keeps me from using one of these PCs every bit my daily laptop.
Then flashy
HP Spectre x360 13t (late-2018)
Both bling and real value
The all-new Spectre x360 13t demonstrates HP tin can do jaw-dropping hardware and design. Expert performance, splendid features, elegant aesthetics, plus a great price make this ane of the all-time values around. Besides bad most that trackpad.
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Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino is the Executive Editor of Windows Central. He has been covering Microsoft here since 2007 back when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Fundamental). His interests include Windows, Surface, laptops, and modern computing. Follow him on Twitter: @daniel_rubino.
Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/hp-spectre-x360-13t-2018
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