When it comes to HP Spectre x2 one may ask, “Can HP continue its tradition of being an elegant yet durable alternative to Microsoft’s Surface Pro flagship?”
The answer is yes. HP took the best bits from its Elite x2 tablet and the first generation Spectre x2 tablet (2015) and updated the new with the Latest Kaby Lake Chips. The Spectre x2 gives more features for the money than the Surface Pro.
Specs of a slender slate
The internal specifications of any machine are important because they distinguish the pretty slate from a fully functional Windows machine. In this case, thankfully it’s the latter.
It puts to use the 7th generation, dual Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB RAM, 360GB SSD, Windows Hello Camera and Intel Iris Pro graphics.
Like every time for a touch-screen model, the screen has to stand out. The Spectre x2 frames its 12.3-inch screen with bezel space all around. Its resolution is set for 3000×2000 at 293 pixels/inch. On the other hand, the current Surface Pro had a resolution of 2736×1824 for the same screen sizes.
The HP laptop is very portable. It weighs around 2.49lbs and is 13.2mm thin with a keyboard, or 1.68lbs and 7.7mm thin without the keyboard. The x2’s Adobe RGB colour extent is just 72% which is disappointing.
You spend more on a Surface Pro with Core i7 and 8GB RAM (excluding the price of the keyboard) than you would spend on Spectra x2.
As an everyday companion
It sports a backlit, island-style keyboard with 1.5mm of key travel. It is essentially a replica of other Spectre keyboards with a wide and a fairly accurate touchpad.
On the flip side, the keyboard has a textured and a rubber- like cover that glues it onto the table. It is easy to clean and extremely comfortable for using. HP is simply effective as it aids as a real laptop because of a U-shaped metal hinge that opens up to 165 degrees.
The Spectre x2 has a plenty of input methods namely, pen, touch and keyboard, which are all reliant on Windows 10. One gets four ports: two USB-C for display/charging/data, one 3.5mm audio jack and a microSD slot. In case you want to migrate SD card files for use in Lightroom, make use of your nearest dongle.
The only thing that might disappoint you is the battery life. One just can’t squeeze a huge battery into a 7.7mm thin frame, that too in mid-2017, at least as of now.
What to Bother about
The biggest flaw of x2 is that it is very similar to the other Windows tablets with Core i-series processors and detachable keyboards. Its main drawbacks are the tiny Bang and Olufsen sponsored speakers, average battery life and a small 72% colour range. On the multitasking front, it runs quite warm.
Conclusion
But Spectre x2 is a strong Windows 10 machine with good processing power, screen quality, aesthetics, accessories and pricing. The charger is also a small cube like product which is easy to carry around.
If one wants to buy a tablet that doubles as a productivity laptop then Spectre x2 is a safe option.
