HP's new Windows 10 hybrid has a premium build, good specs and puts the keyboard in the box as standard. It's positioned to compete directly with Microsoft's Surface line, and offers some high-end extras, like quad Bang & Olufsen speakers.
The Spectre x2 looks like it could be quite the attractive machine. The tablet portion is build from a single piece of aluminum, measures just 8 mm (0.31 in) thick and weighs 840 g (1.85 lbs). The kickstand, which is a band (rather than the flap you'll find on a Surface), releases by sliding a button on the side of the slate, and rotates through 150 degrees.
The keyboard measures 5 mm (0.2 in) thick and looks spacious, with plenty of room between keys, and an expansive trackpad. There's 1.5 mm of travel on the keys, and a split design, with fabric base and aluminum top. There's no stylus included in the box, but the Spectre x2 is compatible with active pens from Wacom.
There are also a couple of other high-end features here in the form of backlighting behind the keys and four Bang and Olufsen speakers – two on the tablet and two on the keyboard.
Elsewhere, the 12-inch IPS panel has 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, there's an Intel Core M processor powering things, alongside 8 GB of RAM and a choice of 128 GB, 256 GB and 512 GB SSD storage. The new convertible also makes use of the latest in connectivity, with two USB Type-C ports included on the tablet, as well as an adapter in the box for backwards compatibility with older USB devices.
You'll also find an LTE antenna inside as standard (though of course you'll need to pick up a data plan to take advantage of it), and there's an Intel RealSense 3D camera on the back. Battery life sounds like it could be solid, with HP rating the hybrid for 10 hours per charge.
The Spectre x2 looks like it could be a promising convertible. There's no option to put a higher-end Intel Core i5 or i7 processor inside, so it's not about to compete with the Surface Pro 4 or Surface Book in terms of raw power, but with the keyboard included as standard, it could end up being a good value.
The HP Spectre x2 starts at US$800, landing on November 8.
Source: HP
