HP's OmniBook 5 Arrives With Tasty OLED, AI Powered By Intel, Starting At $699
HP said "starting at $699" and we quoted the firm at that, so you might be expecting the $699 configuration to be trimmed down a bit in terms of specs. It's true that it will only have 8GB of shared LPDDR5 memory and a 256GB SSD. However, it's not like the old days; you still get a six-core CPU that boosts up to 4.4 GHz, and you still get all of the other fine features of the OmniBook 5, including the thin & light aluminum chassis, the up-to-42-hours battery life, and enough NPU horsepower to support Windows' Studio Effects.
That gets you AI-enhanced voice communications and video calls with live background removal, which is pretty neat. There are more cool features on this machine, too; the hinge supports 180° so you can lay the screen flat to show someone else what you're working on. You can also easily hook it up to projectors or large displays, because it has a built-in HDMI port, too—something you won't find on a MacBook Neo.
Indeed, Apple's phone-SoC-powered MacBook is the most obvious competition with HP's machine, newly at the same price. And yet, if you spend a little more, the OmniBook 5 can be even more capable, with a Core 7 350 processor that spins up to 4.8 GHz, 12GB or 16GB of memory, a 1TB SSD, and Windows 11 Pro, if you prefer. It also has a bigger battery; 60 Whr versus the MacBook's 36.5-Whr pack.
Of course, the place HP's machine really dunks on Apple's most affordable laptop is the display. The LCD on the MacBook Neo is surprisingly bright and sharp for a budget laptop, but it's still a standard IPS LCD. In comparison, HP's three OLED options likely leave Apple's entry-level panel in the dust. You can get a FHD+ (1920×1200) OLED with or without multitouch capability, or you can get a QHD+ (2560×1600) HDR OLED with up to 620 nits peak brightness. Any of the three options can display the full DCI-P3 gamut, supposedly, and they also come with Gorilla Glass 3 for durability.
HP brags that this machine has a 90% screen to body ratio, which sounds mediocre in smartphones, but is pretty impressive for a laptop. Connectivity includes a pair of full-function USB Type-C ports (10Gbps, PD 3.1, DP 2.1) as well as the aforementioned HDMI port and a 3.5mm combo audio jack. There's also Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth in either 5.3 or 5.4 variety depending on whether you end up with an Intel or Realtek adapter.
The OmniBook 5 is the star of the show today, but HP's also launching the ProBook 4 G2iS. This is another 14" laptop, but this one is strictly aimed at business users. Fundamentally it's a very similar sort of machine, with Wildcat Lake CPUs, aluminum chassis, and Wi-Fi 6E, but this one can have up to 32GB of memory and the OLED is higher resolution, at 2880×1800, with 120-Hz high-refresh and VRR support.
As a professional laptop, the ProBook 4 G2iS gets slightly better I/O, adding a pair of USB Type-A 5Gbps ports, although it mysteriously loses the HDMI port. The battery is a touch bigger too, at 70 Whr, which is enormous for a machine in this size and performance class. We have no doubt it will easily last all day and then some.
If you're interested in a low-cost super-portable laptop with a luxurious screen, head over to HP's website; the OmniBook 5 14 AI PC will be available any day now for $699.99. Meanwhile, the ProBook 4 G2iS 14 AI PC is expected to hit the shelves in November, and pricing will come along when it's available.
