Because the majority of the finest HP laptops, the Spectre lineup is designed to be lean, light and packed with the most effective hardware, as well as the HP Spectre x360 2019 continues that tradition.

In the past, the HP Spectre x360 has ever been one of the greatest 2-in-1 laptops, with stylish looks and effective hardware, using the'360' from the title referring to the hinges that permit you to rotate the display 360 degrees round the keyboard.

The newest HP Spectre x360 upgrades the internals to more modern components, while also producing some radical changes to the design.

The HP Spectre x360 remains a slender and fashionable 2-in-1, as always, as well as preceding iterations being a few of our favorite convertible devices, this fresh 2019 model includes a solid foundation to build off of, but also large shoes to match.

Price and availability

Much like lots of HP's laptops, there is a selection of models of the 13-inch HP Spectre x360 (2019) with numerous specifications and prices to match. The base model includes an Intel Core i5-8265U processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB PCIe SSD plus also a full HD (1080p) IPS touchscreen. This sells for $1,009.99/£1,199/AU$2,499.

For an HP Spectre x360 having an Intel Core i7-8565U and 512GB of PCIe SSD storage (together with the remainder of the specs the same), the price climbs to £1,399. In the United States and Australia, the RAM gets bumped to 16GB for $1,329.99/AU$2,799.01.

The US also includes a version of the above but using a slightly slower Intel Core i7-8550U processor for $1,179.99. In Australia, you can get a Spectre x360 using the Very Same components as above, but with a 1TB PCIe SSD to get AU$2,999.

If you are following a 4K screen, 16GB of RAM and 1TB PCIe storage, then the cost is £1,699. Back in Australia, you get a 4K display, Core i7-8565U processor, 16GB RAM but only a 512GB PCIe SSD to get AU$3,399. It does not look as a 4K version is presently available in the United States.

To make things a little more complex, Australia also has two models that don't appear to be available in the United States and UK. Both of these models have SIM card ports for utilizing 4G mobile broadband. The first model has an Intel Core i7-8565U processor, 8GB of RAM and 512GB M.2 SSD for AU$3,199. There's also a model that includes 16GB of RAM and 1TB PCIe SSD for AU$3,799.

There are also 15-inch models of the HP Spectre x360 that feature a faster Intel Core i7-8750H processor. We are going to be reviewing the 15-inch model individually.

So, there's surely a choice of settings available, but to make things more confusing, not every model of the Spectre x360 can be found in all niches, so you could discover your choice narrowed based on where you live.

Design

Additionally, although it's a little larger than last year's model, the new look of the HP Spectre x360 (2019) makes it a far more desired 2-in-1 compared to the 2018 version.

The design of the HP Spectre x360 (2019) has gained from several subtle modifications compared to 2018's model, most clearly on the top left and right corners, which are currently diagonal, which provides the Spectre x360 a more interesting look.

On the left hand corner is the power button, also on the right is an extra USB-C port. The speaker grille that runs across the top of the keyboard includes a sleek, new design, and also the speakers behind it's supplied by Bang & Olufsen.

There is also a fingerprint scanner on the right-hand side under the keyboard, and this also lets you log in to Windows quickly and easily by putting your finger onto the detector. The touchpad resides at the middle beneath the keyboard, and it is big enough for comfortable use.

Nonetheless, in regular use, the touchpad is not quite as responsive as we'd like, even though on the whole it acknowledges multi-touch gestures. Nonetheless, it is not quite as easy as the touchpads we have used on other laptops.

The keyboard, however, is significantly more successful. Regardless of the thinness of the HP Spectre x360 (2019), the keys offer enough traveling to sense responsive and gratifying when pressed. There's no numpad, however, that means HP can spread the remaining keys throughout the period of the Spectre x360, and they are a good size that's good news for fast typers.

This implies that in laptop mode, the HP Spectre x360 (2019) remains a comfortable device for working for lengthy amounts of time. You may only need to invest in an external mouse, rather than simply rely upon the touchpad.

On the other hand is just one full-size USB-A 3.1 port that's a wonderful addition, as most of us have devices that don't arrive with a USB-C port. Possessing this standard USB port means that you can use old hardware without the necessity of a dongle.

On the right-hand side are just two USB-C ports -- with just one situated in the diagonal corner of the HP Spectre x360 (2019)'s entire body. This can be quite a convenient place to possess it, as it implies some other peripherals (or the USB-C electricity cable) are protruding from you if in use.

There's also an audio jack port, microSD port along with a physical switch that allows you disable the webcam, which is a wonderful touch to the privacy-conscious.

Much like all of HP's x360 models, the HP Spectre x360 is a laptop using a 360-degree hinge because of its screen, allowing it to be used as vertical laptop, in addition to rotating it all the way back to be turned into a tablet-like device. It is also possible to set this up at a'tent' mode (like an inverted V) and then use it to watch media on.

The high build quality of the HP Spectre x360 usually means that the hinge feels sturdy once used, which means that you won't be worried about damaging it while you angle the screen into an assortment of positions.

The laptop's 30.88 x 21.79 x 1.47cm (W x D x H) measurements and 1.33kg weight makes it easy and comfortable to carry around, and it is not that much bigger (or thicker) than last season's model at 30.6 x 21.8 x 1.36cm and 1.26kg. Therefore, yes, the Spectre x360 is getting heavier and bigger, but not by a lot of, and contemplating the specs update (which we will get to in a bit), that trade-off is not too bad.

Display, screen and stylus pen

HP also appears to have improved the screen because last season's model, together with the display of the HP Spectre x360 (2019) looking a whole lot more bright and energetic compared to its predecessor. The model we had been sent for review came with a 1,920 x 1,080 Full HD screen that's 13.3-inches in dimension.

The display is protected from Corning Gorilla Glass NBT, which is vital for almost any 2-in-1 device to protect it from being scratched when in tablet mode. Obviously, it is a touchscreen, and it works well enough with a finger, although the HP Spectre x360 (2019) comes with an included stylus (more about that in a minute ).

The screen panel uses in-plane switching (IPS) technology, which produces broad viewing angles. Again, because you are able to rotate the screen to automatically place it into a variety of configurations, this implies that picture quality remains high regardless of what angle the screen is set at.

The HP Spectre x360 (2019) comes with HP Sure View technology built in. By switching this mode , you are able to restrict the viewing angles drastically, which can be handy if you are working in public places, since it gets the screen difficult to read by other people that aren't sitting right in front of the screen.

This feature could be switched on and off with the F1 button on the keyboard, and it works incredibly nicely, together with the screen looking really washed out and unreadable when looked at from an angle. Looking at the screen straight-on, the picture is a bit more washed out than normal, but still perfectly usable. While not a lot of people could ever use this feature, it is wonderful to have works nicely.

There are also models of the HP Spectre x360 (2019) that arrive with a 4K screen. For a lot of people, a 4K screen on a 13-inch laptop is going to be a little overkill, but it is a welcome option. Though, as we mentioned previously, the 4K option is not available in most markets.

But, the screen does a good job of displaying apps and media, although it was not the brightest screen we've seen on a laptop, it does the job nicely.

It is well worth noting that HP has included big bezels across the top and bottom of the screen, and it is a little bit of a pity as we are used to laptops at the price point having exceptionally thin bezels (including the Dell XPS 13), that provides you the maximum screen real estate potential when looking slick and modern. The huge bezels on the HP Spectre x360 (2019) display, on the other hand, feel somewhat dated.

The HP Spectre x360 (2019) comes with the HP Active Pen stylus. It is a solidly-built device that feels pleasant to hold and works well with the x360's touchscreen. The fact that HP has included it using the Spectre x360, when a lot of its competitors do not, could and must be a significant selling point.

Performance

We have analyzed the x360 within the duration of a couple of months, and locate it to stay up with practically anything we could throw at it. Switching between laptop and tablet mode happens quickly, without any delay or stuttering as Windows 10 switches between modes.

The HP Spectre x360 (2019) we had been sent for review is the model using an Intel Core i7-8565U processor and 8GB of RAM. The Intel Core i7-8565U is an 8th generation processor that has been launched this past year, together with four cores and eight threads, and also a base frequency of 1.80GHz, which promotes around 4.60GHz. Additionally, it includes Intel UHD Graphics 620 incorporated graphics.

Even though this isn't potent enough to play games on (if you don't play old games, or hit all of the graphical settings quite non ), it is good enough for watching and editing videos, in addition to photo editing.

Within our day-to-day use, the HP Spectre x360 (2019) performed nicely. It isn't the most effective laptop in the world, however it handles Windows 10 nicely, in addition to surfing the internet, producing documents and performing some light photo editing. To get a 2-in-1 laptop, it offers a smooth experience, also in our benchmarks, the HP Spectre x360 (2019) performed equally well to the newest Dell XPS 13 (2019), although Dell's most up-to-date Ultrabook has an edge .

As a media-playing device, the laptop does an impressive job, as a result of its vibrant screen and strong Bang & Olufsen speakers. For students going away to college, the HP Spectre x360 is a tempting option, due to its flexibility; strong enough for a productivity device, while being perfect for amusement also.

Looking at the past year's version of the HP Spectre x360, it is possible to see that the newer components within this season's model have contributed the device a performance bulge, although not a huge one. From a just performance-based perspective, if you have got last year's model, there's not much point in updating, but if you are new to the HP Spectre x360 scope, this season's model is the one to get.

But, there's a region that the HP Spectre x360 completely overlooks the XPS 13 and nearly all of its competitors: battery lifetime.

Battery life

HP has been touting this year's Spectre x360's battery lifetime, and for good reason, since it oversees a impressively long time between charges. Within our battery benchmark evaluation, at which we play with a looped 1080p video using the screen at 50% brightness, the HP Spectre x360 lasted 12 hours and 37 minutes.

For an Ultrabook using these sorts of specs, that's an excellent accomplishment, and obviously defeats the Dell XPS 13 (2019)'s 8 hours and 12 minutes. When there are other laptops out there that could boast longer battery life, for example Chromebooks, you are trading electricity and performance for strength.

HP has been able to produce a strong laptop that runs full Windows 10 using a battery that can last people beyond a complete work day using the Spectre x360. That's really impressive things.

It must be noted that the PCMark 8 Battery Life evaluation, which reproduces more intensive use, such as video calling and web browsing, lasted quite a little shorter at four and a half an hour. That's to be expected, and for many people's overall use -- and careful battery life control -- you need to see the Spectre x360 continue for nine hours, or more.

This is a large improvement over last year's model, which operated 7 hours and 28 minutes with our initial battery life evaluation.

General assessment

HP has created another excellent 2-in-1 device for this year's Spectre x360. An upgraded design and improved internals make it an excellent actress that looks gorgeous also. In case you're looking for a laptop that may also be a tablet, this is a seriously enticing device.

Its build quality, design and performance go a long way to justifying its high cost, but there's no denying that this is a costly laptop. If you are following a more affordable laptop, and can live without a device that could convert to tablet mode, then there are a few rather good mid-range laptops out there that will suit your requirements.

But we really do like the fact that the HP Spectre x360 includes a stylus -- and there's no doubt that it's one of the greatest batteries we have seen on a strong Ultrabook.

Thus, if you are following a slender and fashionable 2-in-1 that will last you an entire work day, without compromising too much on electricity, then the HP Spectre x360 is absolutely worth thinking about -- if you've got the budget for this.

But there are more affordable 2-in-1 devices out there, and if you are following long battery life without having to spend a fortune, then take a thing from our list of the finest Chromebooks of 2019.