HP Spectre x360 13 (2019)

VERDICT

A competent annual update, but there are better ultraportables available

- Tom Bruce

MUCH LIKE LENOVO’S Yoga series, the Spectre x360 line has been at the forefront of convertible laptops since the concept took off. The Spectre x360 13 in particular has had many iterations, and the 2019 model looks to be the most drastically overhauled version yet.

Much of it is familiar: there’s the 13in touchscreen, HP’s Active Pen stylus and the 360° rotating hinge. The internal hardware isn’t too surprising, either: our mid-spec review unit had an Intel Core i7-8565U processor, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB PCI-E SSD, along with a 1,920x1,080 display. 4K models, and one with a dedicated GTX 1050 Ti graphics card, are also available.

SPACE SHAVING

Similarly to last year’s Spectre x360, this new model has a sleek, all-aluminium build. It’s gained weight but only barely, rising from 1.29kg to 1.33kg, and is marginally thicker at 14.7mm over last year’s 13.6mm. However, much of the extra bulk is offset by the angular ‘gem cut’ rear edges.

Beyond looking a bit strange, these sliced-off edges serve a practical purpose. The back right corner now has a Thunderbolt 3-enabled USB Type-C data and charging port, while the power button is located in the rear left corner. The corner charging slot also helps to reduce cable clutter around the laptop, leaving a little bit more space to work.

Granted, there’s not a great deal of connectivity elsewhere, largely thanks to how the super-slim edges taper off to become even thinner towards the front. Still, HP has found space for a full-size USB3 port on the left side, as well as a 3.5mm audio jack, a microSD card slot and a second USB Type-C slot with Thunderbolt 3 on the right. A webcam killswitch is located here, too.