Is there a better alternative?

HP has some competition with its own Spectre x360 13, and that’s an excellent 2-in-1 in its own right. It performs significantly better and doesn’t get the same battery life are similar, and it comes in at a lower price of $1,294 (on sale for $995). We’ll also note that there’s a brand-new version of the Spectre x360 13 that’s only slightly more expensive than this and looks even more compelling.

　　A more traditional clamshell notebook is another option if you don’t need 2-in-1 functionality, and the Dell XPS 13 is a great alternative for such a user. It offers faster performance and less impressive battery life, and it’s a good-looking notebook in its own conservative fashion. The XPS 13 is also expensive at $1,870 for the same configuration with a 4K touch display, although it’s currently on sale for $1,660.

　　Finally, if you want a detachable tablet, then Microsoft’s Surface Pro 6 is a good option. It’s rock-solid in its build quality and it has more conservative good looks, and its performance and battery life will also please most productivity users. When you include the optional Type Cover and Surface Pen, it’s also an expensive option. An equivalent configuration with 16GB of RAM and a larger 512GB will run $1,899 plus $160 for the Type Cover and $100 for the Surface Pen.

　　

How long will it last?

Leather is a long-lasting material, particularly the kind used in the Spectre Folio. It should do a good job of maintaining its beautiful appearance for years, and it also feels like it can take some abuse. The CPU is fast enough for whatever the typical productivity user is going to demand, and the connectivity is future-oriented. There’s a standard 1-year warranty to keep things in good working order.

　　

Should you buy it?

Yes. The Spectre Folio isn’t just a pretty face. If all you need is decent productivity performance and you appreciate a notebook that can last a long workday and look good doing it, then this is the leather-bound 2-in-1 for you.