HP Spectre x360 15t Review: A 4 Pound Convertible Beauty

Performance Summary: Although it’s still true that heavier, roomier laptops generally have the capacity to handle hotter, more powerful processing engines, high-end ultralight machines are extraordinarily capable these days. That’s true of the HP Spectre x360, which is one of the better-performing ultrabooks we’ve tested to date, competing well with other offerings from Dell and Lenovo. The Spectre x360 handled our benchmark suite with ease and proved that it’s even up for a bit of light-duty gaming.


HP really delivers with the Spectre x360. The all-aluminum chassis gives it a sophisticated look while providing a very sturdy shell that should be able to withstand the abuse of being carted hither and yon. And HP carved their own design cues into its aluminum slabs, with standout signature styling that's understated but distinct to the brand. In addition, the x360's geared hinges are rock-solid and make converting the laptop to a number of very useful alternative positions a breeze. 

And speaking of converting the laptop, that flexibility gives the laptop a real edge over traditional systems. It’s particularly useful for anyone who travels and or moves around the home or office with the laptop in hand. Students will like being able to convert the Spectre x360 to tablet mode, especially with the optional Active Stylus, though admittedly even a light 4 pound notebook is still a bit unwieldy in a 15-inch machine.


Thanks to the two gorgeous display options, every Spectre x360 is a strong choice for entertainment use. However, the system can handle work as well – we found the keyboard and touchpad to be extremely comfortable to use. For us, the 1080p variant offered plenty of pixels and screen real estate but if you want Ultra HD crispness at 3840X2160, the option is there and that panel is simply gorgeous. You'll take a hit on battery life but the machine is still plenty serviceable in that configuration, offering over 6 hours of connected web up-time in our testing--though your mileage will vary depending on use case.

With a base price of $1149 for the 1080p variant we tested and $1349 for the 4K display with Core i7 version we got our geek mitts on as well, the HP Spectre x360 is a premium machine with the price tag to match. However, relatively speaking, in this class of ultrabook, HP's ask for the x360 is competitive versus alternatives in the market. 

Overall, the HP Spectre x360 is a killer ultrabook. It provides an excellent experience and has the build quality to see it through years of use. Sometimes we come across an eval review unit laptop that we really hate to send back to the manufacturer. The HP Spectre x360 is one of those machines.