This 16-inch ultrabook allows you to switch from PC to Windows 11 tablet in the blink of an eye! – LaptopSpirit
To choose is to give up. For those who can’t bring themselves to choose between a laptop and a tablet, HP offers its Specter x360. A 2-in-1 convertible ultrabook, one of whose features lies in its generous 16-inch diagonal. To attract creatives, the Specter x360 can count on other qualities, starting with a muscular configuration with its latest generation Core Ultra 7 155H and its dedicated Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics card. But is this enough to justify the flirtatious price? With 2000 euros?
Ready to blend into any environment
At first glance, this HP Specter x360 16-aa impresses with its thinness (less than 2 cm) and its “aluminum blue” color. In practice, the color tends more towards dark gray with duck blue reflections depending on the incidence of light. Gorgeous, this color is unfortunately susceptible to fingerprints with the slightest touch. Keeping a computer pristine is difficult. Let’s put this aesthetic detail aside to focus on the essentials. In hand, there is no doubt that the Specter x360 is a high-end laptop PC. Beautiful density, rigidity and exemplary finish. The Specter thus feels ready to last and copes with daily commutes without a hitch.
Conversely, connectivity left us feeling more mixed, if not weaker. At least before we remember that HP had the originality to integrate a second USB-C port on one of the beveled edges on the back of the chassis. So the latter can accommodate the main power supply (140W) or peripherals without messing up the right side of its cables. The fact that on a premium ultrabook whose designated target is a creative audience for whom connecting a card reader, external hard drive / SSD is part of the daily routine, two USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB-A and one HDMI output, many Users run the risk of quickly feeling cramped and investing in a hub/dock.
Inside, the same sobriety reigns. We get this gorgeous color, available in grey/blue. The touchpad has dimensions that are generous to say the least (16×10 cm) and thus ranks among the largest in the market. Its glass surface allows you to enjoy precise and pleasant gliding. Through the HP Command Center utility, it is possible to activate sensitive zones on the right and left edges to adjust the volume and brightness respectively by upward or downward movement.
The keyboard does not include a numeric keypad. This way it can be centered and offer wide keys (16.7×16.7 mm) but fairly close (2.5 mm). In practice, most users should appreciate the keyboard’s smooth but responsive typing (1.2mm travel). The latter benefits from adjustable backlighting in two intensities. HP is content with the bare minimum at this point. In contrast, the Specter x360 benefits from dual biometric authentication via fingerprint or facial recognition.
Finally a webcam up to par!
The webcam has a 9 MP sensor but is content with a more modest definition (1440P). The extra pixels are used to use the comfort features offered. Face Tracking, HP Enhanced Lightning that displays a white frame around the edge of the screen to provide a touch of light and thus “unblock” shadows. Behind the “false” look, the result is reassuring with the added bonus of the possibility to adjust the color temperature to cope with the potentially impressive. HP Specter F2. Practical.
Placing the keyboard in the center also has the advantage of leaving room to integrate the audio system. The sound is thus perceived as alive by the user. Powerful, detailed, with the added bonus of good spatialization, the Specter x360 16-inch 2024 is a good student. The only downside is that the pre-sets offered by MyHP benefit from being personalized. Thus it is possible to have a more balanced and less “metallic” sound in the upper midrange/treble.
Because of the shape of its hinges, the Specter gives the impression of having a taller screen than usual. Actually, this is not the case. The panel benefits from a very classic 16:10 format with a definition of 2880×1800 pixels. Regardless of the scaling chosen, it is sufficient to benefit from a beautiful and accurate display without the aliasing effect. Dynamic Frequency allows you to seamlessly switch from a refresh rate of 60 to 120 Hz and vice versa. In this way it is possible to benefit from better fluidity or lower energy consumption depending on the requirements. Advantage when using ultrabook on battery power. The Specter x360 16-aa benefits from an average of 10 hours of autonomy in web browsing (brightness at 140 nits, WiFi and SmartSense power profile active).
Those in the know know that the name x360 means that the laptop has hinges that allow the screen to rotate at an angle and thus be used like a tablet. It is also possible to use the screen in tent mode or more easily by raising the screen up to 45°. A better angle for scribbling or retouching photos with the stylus (supplied). And unlike some competitors, the hinges offer enough resistance to keep the screen from closing under the slightest pressure, which is a little too firm.
Like its main competitors, HP has opted for an OLED panel. Hence the latter exhibits an excellent contrast ratio and colorimetry capable of meeting the expectations of people for whom image quality is paramount. The sRGB, RGB and DCI-P3 spaces are thus fully covered with a native white point at 6000K. Maximum brightness is 375 nits. average value. Finally, let’s salute the effective anti-reflective treatment that limits the limitations of glossy panels in bright or outdoor environments.
Top processors and graphics cards, yes but…
Like the new features in this first half of 2024, the Specter x360 has 16 of the latest Intel Core Ultra processors, in this case, the 155H. The most common CPU in the Meteor Lake range, equipped with 16 cores (6 performance, 8 efficient, 2 low power efficient), paired here with a dedicated graphics card, the GeForce RTX 4050 here configured with a TGP of 55W.
As we mentioned at the beginning of this test, the Specter X360 stands out for its beauty and its contained weight (1.9 kg). Low thickness that therefore imposes concessions, especially on the cooling system, HP has taken the added bonus of maintaining user comfort with sound pressure that never exceeds 42 dBA, even when choosing the performance profile of the MyHP utility.
As a result, the CPU and GPU must deal with the limitations of the allocated thermal envelope. Observations, expressed by internal temperatures, are often close to 85°C. Normal average for processor, lower for graphics card.
Although the performance is there but the Specter x360 can’t rise to the first place in the benchmarks and therefore lags behind its counterparts despite being equipped with the same configurations. A choice that will undoubtedly not be unanimous but one that proves to be wise for the user experience.
Tests were conducted with the performance profile selected by MyHP and the high performance mode of the Windows 11 Power Plan. According to our measurements, this is the pair that offers the best performance.
Our take on the HP Specter X360 16 2024
After spending these two weeks in its company, the Specter x360 16-aa reveals itself to be an attractive ultrabook.
Attractive appearance, a neat finish, input devices that are pleasant to use on a daily basis, weight and autonomy compatible with nomadic use. With this in mind, we salute the discretion of the cooling system, even if it is not without affecting performance.
The OLED touchscreen proves to be a great addition to leave behind the keyboard and touchpad for a moment or longer by turning the screen. The Specter x360 16 then becomes a touchscreen tablet under Windows, with the operating system’s inherent reservations that fingertip interactions are sometimes a bit clumsy.
From a more subjective point of view, a 16-inch screen on a convertible still doesn’t seem like the best option because the size (36×25 cm) is hardly compatible with use at arm’s length or on the knee. But the regular requests for this type of laptop prove that the market exists. So HP has every legitimacy to continue in this segment.
The HP Specter x360 16-aa gets a 4/5 rating
- Strong points
- Elegant design, beauty
- Windows Hello IR and Fingerprint
- Finally a webcam is fine
- Sensible ventilation
- to review
- Random colors
- performance compromise
- An additional USB-C would be welcome
HP Specter x360 16-aa Ultrabooks are available at best prices
HP Specter x360 16-aa0005nf Blue – QHD OLED 120Hz Touch
16″ OLED 2880 * 1800 (Retina), Core Ultra 7 155H, Intel ARC, 1 TB SSD, 2.0 Kg
HP Specter x360 16-aa0004nf Blue – QHD OLED 120Hz Touch, RTX 4050
16″ OLED 2880 * 1800 (Retina), Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050, 1 TB SSD, 2.0 Kg
HP Specter x360 16-aa0003nf Blue – QHD OLED 120Hz Touch, RTX 4050
16″ OLED 2880 * 1800 (Retina), Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050, 2 TB SSD, 2.0 Kg
Features of HP Specter x360 16-aa
| screen | 16” 2.8K OLED 100% DCI-P3 400cd/m² Micro-Edge Corning Gorilla Touch (2880x1800px, Glossy Anti-Glare) |
| processor | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H Meteor Lake (16 cores: 6P 3.8 GHz / 8E 1.8 GHz / 2S, TDP 35W) |
| Installed RAM (Maximum) | 32 GB (soldered) LPDDR5x-6400 MHz |
| graphic card | NVIDIA Ada Lovelace GeForce RTX 4050 6 GB GDDR6 dedicated, integrated in Intel Arc processor |
| Collection | 1TB M.2 SSD (NVMe PCIe) |
| Connections | 1 USB 3.2 (Gen2) + 2 USB 4 Type-C Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1 |
| network | Wi-Fi 7 BE200 (2×2) and Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Backlit keyboard | Yes |
| Numeric keypad | – |
| Windows Hello | Yes, through a fingerprint reader and a 9MP infrared webcam |
| Audio system | 4 speakers, Audio Boost 2.0 |
| operating system | Windows 11 64-bit |
| Announced autonomy / battery | 10 hours / Li-Polymer 6 cells 83 Wh |
| Weight / Dimensions (mm) | 1.95 kg / 356.8 x 245.5 x 19.8 |
