HP's premium Spectre x360 13 convertible has been refreshed with the latest Intel 11th-generation processor. The design — angular with sharp chiselled edges — is similar to previous models. It looks unique with sliced-off corners that accommodate the power button and a Thunderbolt 4 port for charging.

As a convertible, the 13.3-inch Spectre can easily transform from laptop to tablet by rotating its flexible hinge. The touchscreen display is bright with thin bezels that add to the immersion while watching videos. The Web camera lacks facial recognition — a fingerprint sensor is offered instead. In a nod to privacy, the camera can be disabled by a kill switch at the side of the notebook.

I like the tactile feel of the keyboard, which has relatively large and comfy keys. But the extra column at the right — with Home, Pg Up, Pg Down and End keys — can be off-putting initially. For instance, I kept missing the Enter key. HP has also retained its distinctive extra-wide touchpad, but I would have preferred a taller touchpad instead. In terms of connectivity, the Spectre manages to squeeze in a USB Type-A port, but you'll need a dongle if HDMI is required.

Trending

Xiaomi 13 Pro review: Truly impressive

The Spectre is highly responsive with good battery life, as you'd expect from an Intel Evo laptop. Apps start promptly while the laptop resumes from sleep almost instantly. The notebook also runs quiet without much fan noise. The downside is that the base does get moderately warm at times.

While my review unit comes with a Full-HD display, the Spectre listed on Shopee and Lazada at S$2,799 is the souped-up 4K model. In my experience, the 4K display will cause a significant dip in battery uptime. But given that the Full-HD model clocked 10.5 hours in a video playback test, there should be plenty of leeway.

See Also

Logitech MX Mechanical Keyboard review: Elegantly simple

Note: Review unit provided by Intel.