HP Spectre x360 (2022) review

HP Spectre x360 (2022): Two minute review

As far as 2-in-1 laptops go, the HP Spectre x360 (2022) is a pretty good one. It’s sleek with gorgeous brass accents that make it stand out. The chassis is light yet well-made and solid, and its small size and lightweight design ensure easy portability. 

Its pricing starts at $1199.99 (around £1,020 / AU$1,743) for a Core i5-1235U, which is consistent with many of the best 2-in-1 laptops, though you can upgrade to a Core i7-1235U and either 16GB or 32GB of memory. The big problem is availability, as it doesn’t seem to be readily available in regions like the UK or Australia.

 The Spectre x360 boasts beautiful color choices and a stunning design: two of the color options feature accents that perfectly complement the colors and put the Spectre x360 in a class of its own among the best HP laptops on the market. Putting two of the ports on the top corners provides more options while pairing well with the aesthetics. 

Then there’s the gorgeous OLED screen that enhances any images, movies, or games on its display. And giving you plenty of screen real estate are the ultra-thin bezels, ensuring you get your money’s worth on that 13.5-inch screen.

The keyboard feels just as luxurious as the screen, chassis and bezel look, with wide keys spaced far enough apart that typos aren’t an issue. What is an issue is the touchpad, its satiny feel belying sensitivity issues that make using it a chore.

The webcam is a 720p resolution that’s pretty ubiquitous among even the best laptops, so that’s nothing to write home about. However, the preinstalled HP Enhanced Lighting app can be used to adjust the lighting to improve picture quality, so it’s a step up from other non-HD cameras. Ventilation is decent too, meaning no hot laps as you burn through that eight-hour battery during your work day.

If you want a 2-in-1 that can handle the best PC games as well as a spreadsheet, the Spectre x360 (2022) can manage when it comes to low and mid-range titles. For instance, it ate Civilization VI for breakfast, running at well over 100 FPS at its lowest settings. Don’t expect that for Cyberpunk 2077 or Dirtbike, of course, but for most casual players this laptop is a boon. If you want something more powerful on the gaming side of things, check out our list of the best gaming laptops or the best cheap gaming laptops if you're on a tighter budget. 

Thankfully, the ventilation is solid, so your machine won’t get past slightly warm, whether working or gaming, even when taking advantage of a battery that lasts at least eight hours. Sound quality is also solid, though with an average ability to handle bass. Its Bang & Olufsen Audio Control software does allow for a surprisingly robust noise cancellation, which should make anyone on voice calls very happy.

HP Spectre x360 (2022): Price and availability

• How much does it cost? Up to $1,200 (£1,020 / AU$1,743)
• When is it out? It is available now
• Where can you get it? You can get it in the US

The HP Spectre x360 (2022) is available now in the US. Starting price is $1199.99 (around £1,020 / AU$1,743) and that comes with an Intel Core i5-1235U. 

The price can go as high as $1749.99 (around £1,484 / AU$2,533) for an Intel Core i7-1255U, which also includes the OLED screen. It’s harder to justify Ultrabook pricing for this machine, however, when it doesn’t boast the same spec chops as that one.

Like many 2-in-1 models, this one suffers from being difficult to find outside the US, including in Australia and the UK. Within the US you can find it in popular retailers including Amazon and Best Buy, as well as the official HP site. Throw in one of the HP promo codes out there and you could save more cash.

• Value: 3 / 5

HP Spectre x360 (2022): Design

• Gorgeous chassis
• Great OLED screen if you upgrade
• Terrible touchpad

The two standout colors for the HP Spectre x360 are Nocturne Blue and Nightfall Black, which are paired with lovely celestial blue and pale brass accents, respectively. There’s also the default Natural Silver color option which is pretty but not as striking as the other two options.

The chassis is somewhat wedge-like but retains a certain sleekness due to not fully leaning into the design. And thanks to the 13.5-inch screen size and downright svelte 3lbs weight, it makes for an incredibly portable laptop that can be carried with ease in any medium-sized or larger bag.

It features ultra-thin bezels that complement the stunning OLED screen that, combined with the glamorous chassis, goes a long way in making this laptop feel way more premium than its actual market. What’s also clever is the x360 hiding two extra ports, an audio jack and a USB Type-C, on the top corners. This bumps up the port selection from mediocre to decent. However, there should still be more than one USB Type-A port and an HDMI port as well.

The keyboard is satisfying, with wide keys that have enough space between them to prevent typos. The fingerprint reader is located where the second Function key is on the right side, a much better place than the more common location near or on the power button. The touchpad is a different story. It has a nice feel to it, almost luxurious, but it comes with major responsiveness issues, such as the multi-finger gesture for highlighting text or dragging a tab around. We were forced to use a mouse because the sensitivity issues became too pervasive.

It also comes with a rechargeable MPP2.0 Tilt Pen, which is pretty high quality, though it’s no Lenovo Precision Pen 2. The Tilt Pen is responsive and precise, making it a good starting pen for creatives. It’s rechargeable rather than battery-operated, so you’ll need to connect it to your laptop to recharge.

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• Design:  3.5 / 5

HP Spectre x360 (2022): Performance

• All-round performance is nearly flawless
• Excellent stylus out of the box

After testing with our normal suite of benchmarks, we found that the HP Spectre x360 scores close to most other 2-in-1 laptops. Considering that this laptop is either rocking the i5 or i7 processor, it makes sense that it can run work programs, handle multiple browser tabs, and even play plenty of low and mid-range video games with no issues.

Although the touchpad has severe performance issues once you attach a mouse to the laptop, it becomes almost a non-issue in your home office. Yet that hurts its portability factor since now you need to carry a mouse and find a suitable surface to use it on or bring your own mouse pad.

Testing it in daily use, we found no point in which the laptop falters. Its performance is incredibly consistent, with no real hiccups while running anything from voice calls to watching live streams to movie streaming. This is aided by its great ventilation system, which can be modified under the HP Command Center app, allowing for manual cooling fan control, as well as network traffic optimization through the Performance mode option.

The laptop works well with its stylus pen, which is itself quite good. Fully charging it takes no time at all and there’s a built-in USB Type-C port in the pen that makes this an incredibly simple experience. The LED light on the top of the pen indicates its charge status for extra convenience and you can attach the pen to the right bezel to keep it from getting lost. The one negative is the HP Pen Control app, which only allows you to configure what the buttons on the pen do. There’s no charge percentage information on it either. It’s refreshing to see a laptop come with a high-quality pen, unlike the LG Gram 16 2-in-1’s mediocre stylus.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

HP Spectre x360 (2022): Battery life

• Great battery life 
• Charges very fast 

With an average battery life of eight hours, the HP Spectre x360 is a solid choice for those looking for a machine that will go the distance for an entire workday. Said battery also charges fast, reaching at least 80% capacity in about an hour.

It's true that 2-in-1 laptops tend to run the gambit of battery life, with some lasting even longer than the x360 and others dying in about four hours. We’ve found that in day-to-day use the battery life can consistently be even higher than testing suggests.

• Battery Life:  4 / 5

Should you buy an HP Spectre x360?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

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Check out our Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 (2022) review 

Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022)

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Check out our Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022) review 

HP Elite Dragonfly G2

This is a more expensive option as it’s a 2-in-1 device. It’s stylish, sleek, has better battery life than the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1, and features a 4K display. If you’re willing to pay the extra money, there are very few choices that are better.

Check out our HP Elite Dragonfly G2 review 

HP Spectre x360 (2022) Report card

• First reviewed October 2022

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