HP Spectre Folio Redefines Premium 2-in-1 Convertibles With Amber Lake CPUs And Gigabit LTE
With the 13.3-inch Spectre Folio, HP says that it has adopted "manucrafturing" due to the fact that the device combines the best in precision machinery with handcrafted materials like tanned, full-grain leather. The primary structure of the machine is crafted from magnesium, but it's wrapped in that gorgeous leather that helps to creates its own hinge and with the use of some cleverly-positioned magnets, allowing the device to be placed into multiple positions.
There's a traditional laptop mode, and a "media mode" which pulls the display forward where it covers the keyboard. However, the trackpad is still visible in this mode allowing you to easily navigate around the Windows 10 UI. And of course, you can lay the display flat against its base to use in tablet mode.
It's definitely a beautiful device with its contrasting stitching and leather that is available in either Cognac Brown or Bordeaux Burgundy. We can only imagine that the leather will look even better as its ages over time, but it remains to be seen how heavily trafficked areas like the palm rest will hold up.
When it comes to the internals, the Spectre Folio makes use of Intel's 8thgeneration Core i5 and Core i7 Amber Lake Y-Series processors. In this case, we're expecting that HP will be using the Core i5-8200Y (1.3GHz, 2-cores/4-threads) and the Core i7-8500Y (1.5GHz, 2-core/4-threads). Up to 16GB of DDR4 memory can be configured along with up to a 2TB NVMe PCIe SSD.
The 13.3-inch display is available with two FHD displays options: a 300-nits panel, or a 1W 400-nits low-energy panel. HP will also make available a 4K panel "later this year".
When it comes to battery life, with the Amber Lake-Y processors and the 1W display option, HP says that the Spectre Folio can last up to 18 hours per charge. And for those that need connectivity on-the-go, it will be available with an optional Gigabit LTE modem and eSIM support.
HP says that its new Spectre Folio will be available from its own online store, priced from $1,299 (Core i5) starting October 29th. The Core i7 option with LTE connectivity will be priced at $1,499.