HP's high-end Spectre x360 laptop now offered with a 4K screen
In addition to a new 15-inch model with more than 8 million pixels, the older 13.3-inch version is getting an optional OLED display.
HP's Spectre x360 convertible was one of our favorite laptops of 2015, and now the company is making some upgrades in the hopes that it'll keep its top spot in the new year. For starters, whereas the machine was previously only available with a 13.3-inch screen, now HP is planning to also sell a 15.6-inch version with a 4K (3,820 x 2,160) screen option. To help illuminate those more than 8 million pixels, the company beefed up the specs, with Intel's almost-discrete-caliber Iris graphics and up to 16 GB of RAM. Also, while all the Spectre x360s make use of Bang & Olufsen's audio tech, the 15-inch version in particular steps up to a four-speaker setup.
HP claims that although this is the thinnest and lightest 15-inch convertible (15.9 mm thick and 4 pounds), the battery will still last up to 9.5 hours with the 4K display or 13 hours with a lower-res 1080p panel. That would be impressive, if true — we'll have to get one soon to test.
Additionally, the company recently refreshed the older 13-inch model with Intel's latest Core processors, and now it will also offer an OLED screen option — the first for any convertible, HP says. Go with this option and you'll get a 103 percent color gamut versus a 72 percent one. The contrast should be noticeably deeper too. And, because OLED panels are thinner, the machine will weigh 50 grams (or 0.11 pounds) less than it would otherwise.
On the much lower end, the company unveiled a bigger version of its Pavilion x2 tablet hybrid. The new model has a 12.1-inch screen, up from 10.1, with an included keyboard that attaches magnetically instead of with a latch mechanism. As on other HP two-in-ones, like the Spectre x2 we recently reviewed, the keyboard appears comfortable, with 1.5 millimeters of travel. Also like the Spectre, though, the keyboard adds a good deal of weight: The tablet alone is 1.6 pounds, but that balloons to 3.23 pounds with the dock. Under the hood, the specs are, as we said, fairly low- to mid-range: You get a 1080p display, with Atom processors to start and Intel's Core M chips in the highest-end models.
The 15.6-inch Spectre x360 goes on sale Feb. 14 starting at $1,149, but mind you, that's with a 1080p screen, not a 4K one. As for the 13.3-inch version with the OLED screen, HP is only saying that it will arrive this spring; we don't have an exact date or starting price yet. Finally, the 12-inch Pavilion x2 lands Feb. 7, priced at $500 and up.
Chris Velazco contributed to this report.
