ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The OmniBook X 14, HP’s new Copilot+ AI PC, is offered now for $1,149.
- It is extraordinarily moveable and has maybe one of many longest-lasting batteries available on the market.
- The mediocre show and modest {hardware} configuration could depart this laptop computer overshadowed by different Snapdragon PCs.
Upon first look, Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X Elite processor presents the identical Home windows on ARM expertise as wherever else, besides it is noticeably sooner, snappier, and extra responsive.
Such is the case with the OmniBook X 14, HP’s first technology of consumer-facing laptops with the Snapdragon chip: a mid-range Copilot+ PC with none earthshaking options however a powerful battery and improved efficiency in an ultraportable type issue. It is also simply barely over $1,000, which places it at a really aggressive worth level for a laptop computer with cutting-edge know-how — particularly since many different laptops with the brand new Home windows-on-ARM chips run a number of hundred {dollars} extra.
First impressions of the OmniBook reveal a well-optimized laptop computer that boots up shortly, awakens from sleep virtually instantly, multitasks nicely, and is completely silent. It additionally runs cool, has a implausible battery, and is skinny and lightweight, making it ultimate for digital nomads or professionals with a hybrid work format.
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I used the OmniBook X 14 as my most important driver for 2 weeks in the course of the testing course of, and the nearer I checked out it, the extra difficult the image grew to become. Extra on that in a bit. Let’s break down the specs first.
The OmniBook X 14 comes with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD however might be upgraded to 1TB of storage, bringing the value as much as $1,250. The Snapdragon X Elite’s sturdy efficiency is obvious in methods customers will care about: apps open and shut shortly, webpages spring to life immediately, and the system has no drawback switching between completely different duties with out lacking a beat.
Throughout benchmarking in Geekbench, I acquired a single core rating of two,326, and a multicore rating of 13,160, inserting it proper across the likes of fellow Snapdragon-equipped Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x, and the Dell XPS 14 with the Intel Core Extremely 7 155H. Each of these machines have OLED shows, nonetheless, with the previous being barely inexpensive.
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Moreover, the OmniBook X comes with the XIE-78-100 mannequin of the Snapdragon Elite chip, which, at 3.4GHz, is the slowest configuration, primarily the identical because the Snapdragon X Plus, (the lower-tier mannequin) with no dual-core increase.
The 14-inch touchscreen show is okay, but it surely’s not an OLED, and it is not very vivid. The colour gamut is respectable, but it surely faucets out at 300 nits of brightness and a 60Hz refresh price. I’d have appreciated to see a brighter show and/or a 120Hz refresh price.
The laptop computer’s type issue is surprisingly mild and skinny, at simply 2.97 kilos, and is available in both a impartial chrome coloration or a matte ceramic white mannequin, which is sharp-looking and smudge-resistant.
Connectivity is okay, with two USB-C Thunderbolt ports, a USB-A port, and three.5mm headphone jack. There is no SD card slot, which, paired with a barely higher show, would have gone a great distance towards making this laptop computer a little bit extra premium. On that be aware, the keyboard is not high-end, however it’s satisfying and purposeful, smudge-resistant (an enormous one for me), and has a pleasant key journey distance with engaging backlighting.
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The system’s 5MP webcam can also be fairly good and contributes to its use case as a conveyable workstation for digital nomads or hybrid professionals tethered to day by day videoconferencing.
Additional supporting that truth is HP’s AI-powered Poly Digital camera Professional software program, which comes loaded on the OmniBook with a variety of templates and quality-of-life settings for the webcam, together with spotlighting, refined look contact ups, background blurring, and a digital enterprise card overlay characteristic that shows your title and phone data in a wide range of designs.
If you happen to’re taking calls with any diploma of regularity, the Snapdragon chip feels nice to make use of, with near-instant load occasions for the webcam and related conferencing apps, and regardless of the 60Hz refresh price, a silky-smooth video feed.
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Alright, I saved the very best a part of this laptop computer for final. Merely put, the battery on this factor is spectacular. HP states that the 59Wh battery on the OmniBook X 14 will get as much as 26 hours of battery life, and I discovered this to be kind of correct.
The AI within the Snapdragon chips adjusts the facility provide to the processor primarily based on present wants, dropping to just about zero when the system is off or asleep. In apply, the objective behind that is for the laptop computer to easily not lose juice when it is not in use.
Whereas utilizing the laptop computer, the battery life can also be fairly good. In reality, throughout my two weeks of utilizing the OmniBook, I not often even thought concerning the battery, simply plugging it in when it was handy to take action, as an alternative of being prompted to by Home windows.
Even higher, I acquired virtually similar outcomes when benchmarking plugged into energy versus whereas operating on battery. This implies efficiency would not take a dip if you do not have entry to an outlet, sealing the deal as a stable laptop computer for ultra-mobile distant employees. Remember the fact that I acquired these outcomes solely after a number of back-to-back Home windows updates, together with a BIOS replace, that rolled out throughout testing.
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Efficiency and bodily specs apart, the OmniBook X 14 is a part of the primary technology of Snapdragon X laptops, which operates on ARM in comparison with any Home windows machine on x86. Which means that sure packages do not run nicely but, and a few do not run in any respect, an necessary issue to contemplate.
There are going to be hiccups as builders optimize and make their packages suitable, and even apps which might be suitable with Home windows on ARM aren’t totally optimized. Once I first fired up DaVinci Resolve on the OmniBook, it was laggy. After a Home windows replace a number of days later, efficiency improved.
Gaming is just not totally supported by Home windows on ARM but, both. Many titles do not work, and in the event that they do, the efficiency is subpar. The OmniBook is not a gaming laptop, so I would not be attempting to run video games on this machine anyway, however proper now we do not have a lot of a selection both means.
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This will get to the meat of the problem right here. Sure, the CPU is quick and environment friendly, and the NPU on these processors runs AI-related duties higher than anything available on the market, however the chips are held again by Home windows’ performance (no less than for now), and this stress between the 2 might be on the root explanation for numerous points till the rising pains subside.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
The HP OmniBook X 14 is a stable selection for distant employees, digital nomads, and professionals who want a robust laptop computer with a marathon battery. I’d additionally suggest this laptop computer to those that are actively engaged with AI-related duties and all in with its future functions.
If you happen to’re searching for a Copilot+ PC with a greater show, you may need to try the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x. If you happen to’re searching for an HP laptop computer with an Intel chip, check out the HP Envy x360 2-in-1.