ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The HP Envy x360 2-in-1 (2024) is now obtainable at its new low worth of $979 on the corporate’s digital storefront.
- It sports activities some of the beautiful shows I’ve seen on a convertible laptop computer.
- HP’s machine is a bit of on the heavy aspect, and the configuration swapping might be buggy.
A bunch of latest 2-in-1 laptops have already launched in 2024, as the shape issue’s reputation continues to develop. Increasingly laptop computer diehards (myself included) who’ve beforehand been unwilling to decide to a pill are getting on board with convertibles, which provide the better of each worlds.
The HP Envy x360 16″ 2-in-1 reveals as much as the social gathering with all of the options that customers truly need in a convertible: a beautiful show, beefy audio system, and a set of {hardware} to again it up, leading to stable efficiency and a satisfying media expertise at a mid-range worth level.
Sure, a 16-inch display is massive when used as a pill. A bit of unwieldy, even. The OLED show on this laptop computer is so good that it would not matter to me. Actually, it may very well be larger, and I might nonetheless fortunately tote it round.
The Envy x360 encompasses a 2.8K (2880 x 1800) decision OLED touchscreen with a variable 120Hz refresh charge and edge-to-edge glass that ends in a smooth-as-silk visible expertise. The five hundred-nit brightness is greater than sufficient for regular use, and the shiny end appears to be like beautiful (however is probably not for everybody, as a result of fingerprints are a factor).
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Video playback is vibrant, {smooth}, and sharp, with a sensible depth of colour and distinction. HP additionally advertises the Envy x360 as an “IMAX licensed” laptop computer, one of many first of its type. It earned this certification for its capability to show IMAX-formatted content material in its authentic 1.43:1 or 1.90:1 side ratio. Whereas a flashy designation, it is a laptop computer we’re speaking about right here; it is nonetheless a 16-inch display. It does look good, although — I will give it that.
The audio can also be respectable. Whereas it might appear that the 2 vents on both aspect of the keyboard are audio system, audio truly originates from the twin DTS:X ultra bar-shaped audio system on the again of the system. There is not a whole lot of bass, however mid-frequency audio and dialogue sound crisp and clear and held their very own once I performed Netflix in a loud kitchen.
The beforehand talked about vents on both aspect of the keyboard are literally for expelling warmth, one thing my colleague Cesar Cadenas will recognize, as it is a laptop computer you’ll be able to truly work with in your lap with out getting first-degree burns in your legs.
The Envy x360 is positioned just under HP’s Spectre line of laptops to offer nice efficiency that serves most customers’ wants. We reviewed the 2024 Spectre x360 earlier this yr and located it has really next-gen {hardware} with the cutting-edge “Meteor Lake” AI processor, however it’ll run you a whole lot of {dollars} extra.
The Envy x360, nevertheless, comes with an built-in AMD Radeon GPU that, coupled with the AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor, can run each CPU-intensive and graphics duties effectively. This aligns with its focused creator/freelancer client demographic, permitting visible apps like DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Photoshop to run easily, with an eye fixed towards generative AI capabilities.
I discovered that the battery life was higher than common — particularly for an OLED-equipped laptop computer — due to the effectivity positive factors of the Ryzen 7 8840HS processor. With solely intermittent use, the laptop computer lasted me a number of days, whereas sustained exercise resulted in over 10 hours of battery life, kind of equal to what’s marketed. Even higher is the quick charging characteristic, which I discovered even quicker than HP’s 50% in 45-minute claims.
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The two-in-1 kind issue requires a sure diploma of bodily fortitude, and its hinge-style design (which is sort of similar to the Lenovo 7i 2-in-1) helps a sturdy construct that is as much as the duty. It has minimal display wobble, but sufficient resistance to remain in place as a touchscreen.
That mentioned, this isn’t a very mild laptop computer, weighing in at round 4 kilos, with most of that weight coming from the 16-inch OLED. Regardless of the burden, it is very skinny — solely 0.72 inches — which leads to a laptop computer that also feels sufficiently transportable.
Port choice on the 2024 Envy x360 can even be enough for many customers, with two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an HDMI port. The keyboard is especially distinctive: the keys are huge and chunky, in a matte grey colour, with outsized letters in a definite sans serif font. It appears to be like good however lacks a right-side quantity pad, which I desire to have on a laptop computer — particularly certainly one of this dimension.
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If you cannot inform already, I am an enormous fan of the Envy x360, and out of all the 2-in-1 laptops I’ve tested, I desire this one. My foremost critique of this laptop computer is the bugginess that may happen when swapping between the completely different orientations. Going from pill to laptop computer may end up in delayed or glitchy keyboard response, and the display orientation can stick in a single place or one other, requiring a deliberate re-positioning of the laptop computer to reset the interior gyroscope.
These points are prevalent throughout all 2-in-1 laptops I’ve examined and are (often) intermittent sufficient to not be issues — however in sure moments, going through non-functioning {hardware} might be irritating, and you need to hold that in thoughts.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
The HP Envy x360 16 (2024) is priced effectively for an upper-mid-tier system with a beautiful show and stable efficiency. Creators will love this laptop computer’s versatile kind issue and spectacular battery life. After utilizing it for just a few weeks, I can say that it is my favourite big-screen 2-in-1, regardless of its quirks. This can be a laptop computer for work as a lot as it’s for leisure, and in case you’re on the lookout for a 2-in-1 laptop computer, you must contemplate the Envy x360.
In comparison with its rivals, HP’s mannequin provides a extra full bundle. Check out Lenovo’s Yoga 7i. It is also an incredible machine price consideration, however the Yoga is heavier with a duller display. Microsoft’s 11th-Gen Surface Pro arguably has higher {hardware}, however it’s a lot smaller, sporting a 13-inch touchscreen. The MacBook Pro is one other nice possibility, however do you actually need to spend cash on one thing that’ll in all probability really feel outdated in a yr or so? Consider the Envy x360 as a Goldilocks laptop computer — every thing about it’s excellent.
In the event you’re on the lookout for a smaller possibility, contemplate HP’s 2024 Spectre x360, which has a 14-inch show. For one thing extra adventurous, take a look at the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i, which has two shows.