2-in-1 convertible laptops are all the rage these days. They are portable, fast and run on some very capable hardware. The Microsoft Surface Pro set the stage for the platform and now even OEMs are heading down the same route, with the latest being HP with its newest Spectre x2.
The new Spectre for 2017 features a much better design with improved internals, most notably, the bezel area around the screen. The kickstand this time around features a better release mechanism that makes for set up easier and fast. Although it would still be convenient for these kinds of devices to just have the same mechanism as a laptop instead of requiring support from peripheral, but its seems that this is the design language that HP and many others have been wanting to adopt. The kickstand will allow the screen to tilt back up to 165-degrees.
The PC will come into the high-end spectrum off HP’s line-up, so users will be able to appreciate the extra power that it comes with. PC World notes that the Spectre x2 will come with a full-fledged Intel i7 Kaby Lake CPU. There is also a 64MB of in-built DRAM thanks to Iris Plus graphics from the Intel processors that should be advantageous compared to standard HD graphics devices. In terms of RAM, users will be able to get up to 16GB of LPDDR3 along with SSD options of up to 1TB PCIe. HP has made some generous improvements even to the screen, this time having bump in size 12.3-inches with a resolution of 3000x2000p, which is the same as that of the Surface Pro 4. The screen is an IPS panel and is brighter than its previous generation at 450 nits and much better than the Surface Pro 4’s.
HP is also featuring the stylus similar to what is found on the Surface Pro 4, now featuring an N-trig pen, and not Wacom. This is because Wacom’s pens require a digitizer that makes the screen thicker, while the N-trig uses the capacitive abilities of the screen itself. In terms of connectivity and ports, the PC will have two USB Type-C ports, with transfer rates up to 5GB/s, two USB 3.0 ports, a DisplayPort 1.2 as well as HP’s proprietary Sleep and Charge technology.
The new Spectre x2 will provide up to eight hours of battery life, which is impressive, considering the amount of power packed into the device. The convertible will be available starting June at a starting price of $999.
COMMENTS