Hewlett-Packard has outed two new hybrids designed to appeal to consumers who liked the look of its high-end Spectre x360 notebook, but were put off by the price tag. Both the Pavilion x360 and Envy x360 take design cues from their high-end sibling, feature lengthy battery lives and offer Yoga-like hinged designs – flipping all the way round from laptop to tablet.
First up is the Pavilion x360 – a wallet-friendly convertible that comes in 11 and 13-inch flavors. There is a wide range of processors on offer, ranging from Intel Celeron to Core M chips on the smaller model, to either Core i3 or i5 on the larger variant.
The 11-inch system is fitted with a 720p touchscreen display, while the 13-inch model offers a choice of 720p and 1080p resolutions. The machines can be fitted with either a standard HDD or SSD storage. The 13-inch version of the convertible notebook is rated for 10 hours and 45 minutes battery life (using benchmark app MobileMark '12) on a single charge.
None of these machines are high-end, but the Envy x360 is a bit higher-end than the others, with a slightly slicker design, as well as an aluminum lid and keyboard deck. At 15 inches, the Envy is larger than the Pavilion systems, and is available with a choice of a 720p or 1080p IPS touchscreen display. The hybrid is powered by a fifth-generation (Broadwell) Core i5 or i7 chip, and like the Pavilion x360, offers a choice of HDD or SSD storage. HP says that the 15-inch convertible will manage up to 8 hours and 45 minutes per charge.
Both new systems make use of a design pioneered by the Lenovo Yoga lineup, offering both laptop and tablet functionality via a 360-degree hinge. Users can also make use of a tent mode for viewing media content, playing games, or making presentations.
The hinges on both the Pavilion and Envy convertibles use the same design found on the high-end Spectre x360, making use of three spiral gears with the goal of providing smooth and precise movement.
In light of Apple's acquisition of Beats, HP laptops no longer feature audio from the company. Instead, the new machines offer Bang & Olufsen-powered audio.
The new Pavilion x360 range will start shipping on May 13 in silver, red, purple and green, with prices starting at US$410. The Envy x360 is scheduled to launch on June 18, starting at $680.
Source: HP