The Full HD display takes a step backward, but is still serviceable

Our review unit was equipped with a 13.3-inch Full HD display, which was one of three options. You can also choose a Full HD display with the same HP Sure View privacy screen first introduced in the EliteBook x360 G2 for an additional $60, or a 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160 or 331 PPI) display for an extra $150. Full HD is the baseline for premium notebooks today, and so it’s good to see some more advanced options on offer.

　　According to our colorimeter, the Spectre x360 13’s display is decidedly average. Brightness was good at 301 nits, which is strong enough to outshine all but the brightest ambient lighting. Contrast was mediocre for today’s premium notebooks, but it still slightly beat out the Yoga C930 and providing a better overall experiences. Notably, The Spectre x360 did have better contrast both of the Yogas in our comparison group.

　　Colors were also average in terms of both AdobeRGB and sRGB color gamuts, and accuracy was a bit low compared to the competition. Again, the previous generation was much stronger, as was the Yoga 920 and laptops like the Dell XPS 15 and MacBook Pro. Meanwhile, the Yoga 730 was a bit weaker, placing the Spectre x360 13 toward the middle of the pack. HP didn’t provide an explanation for the slight drop in quality, but we noticed average performance out of the company’s choice of display on the Spectre 13 as well.

　　Mark Coppock/Digital TrendsIn subjective testing, the Spectre x360 13 display was a better experience then these colorimeter results would indicate — at least in certain situations. General productivity tasks and web browsing were both very good, with solid text on white backgrounds and good enough colors. Video, on the other hand, was darker than it should be, likely thanks to a relatively poor gamma of 2.6.

　　Audio duties are performed by a set of Bang & Olufsen speakers running along the keyboard deck below the display. We found volume to be sufficiently loud for a medium sized room with a surprising amount of clarity.

　　There’s even some stereo separation, mostly apparent when watching movies and providing a better sense of where the action is happening on-screen. Music is fine for the occasional listen, with decent midrange and highs but the usual weak bass.

　　

Excellent productivity performance, and then some

The Spectre x360 13 is equipped with the quad-core 8th-generation Intel Core i7-8550U processor that’s showing up in a number of refreshed machines toward the end of 2017. It’s an excellent mobile CPU that promises great high-end performance and power-sipping efficiency for lighter productivity tasks.

　　Once again, eighth-generation dominates. The Spectre x360 13 scored well in the Geekbench 4 synthetic benchmark. That compares to the very quick Yoga C930 and obliterate seventh-generation systems, including the Asus ZenBook Flip S.

　　In the more demanding Handbrake test, which encodes a 420MB video to H.265 and stresses the CPU for a longer timeframe, the Spectre x360 13 was also competitive. The Yoga 920 was faster while the previous generation Spectre x360 with its Core i7-7500U significantly longer to complete the test.

　　At 2.78 pounds, the Spectre x360 justifies using it in tablet mode.

　　HP also engineered an updated cooling system that uses an infrared sensor to measure the chassis temperature and modulate the fans to keep things cooler to the touch. The system worked, with the chassis never getting uncomfortably hot, but it also resulted in the fans spinning up during our testing.

　　HP selected a Lite-On CA1 PCIe SSD for the refreshed Spectre x360 13. We haven’t seen that drive installed in any of our review units, and so we were looking forward to seeing how it performs.

　　As it turns out, the drive performs pretty well. In the CrystalDiskMark benchmark, the Spectre x360 13 beat out the Yoga 920 but fell behind the Yoga 730. The previous Spectre x360 generation used a slower SSD, and so we’re getting a worthy update in that regard.

　　In our real-world use, the Spectre x360 13’s SSD performed just as well as these numbers would indicate. The machine booted quickly, opened apps and files without delay, and generally churned through every task we asked of it. Storage performance is a real strength.

　　The newest Spectre x360 13 is an incredibly quick machine for the kinds of productivity tasks typically requested of a convertible 2-in-1, and it has some headroom for more advanced tasks like video editing. The eighth-generation CPUs push machines into different a different class of performance entirely, and the Spectre x360 13 makes good use of the extra horsepower.

　　

Gaming

Intel’s eighth-generation CPUs provide some real performance increases, but not for gaming. The integrated Intel UHD 620 graphics got a slight name change, but its capabilities remain the same.

　　Unsurprisingly, the Spectre x360 13 scored as expected in the 3DMark gaming benchmarks. The Fire Strike score was right where we expected, and is at the high end compared with every other machine using the same level of GPU.

　　We went ahead and tested Civilization VI at Full HD and medium and ultra graphics settings, and the Spectre x360 13 achieved 12 frames per second (FPS) and 7 FPS, respectively. Those scores, too, are within a frame or so of the competition. Simply put, you’ll want to buy a different machine if your goal is playing anything other than casual games. The Surface Book 2 being the best (and most expensive) 2-in-1 option for gaming, and the Asus ZenBook Flip 14 with its Nvidia GeForce MX150 discrete GPU offering more power and a more comparable price.

　　

A thin and light chassis coupled with exceptional battery life makes for great portability

Our review unit’s Full HD display is a better choice for anyone who wants a decent viewing experience and better battery life than a 4K UHD display would provide. The efficient eighth-generation processor combined with a relatively large 63 watt-hour battery gave us hope for some serious longevity.

　　The notebook didn’t disappoint. First, in our most aggressive battery test, the Basemark web benchmark that stresses the CPU and GPU, the Spectre x360 13 lasted a strong four hours and 14 minutes, which lost slightly to the Yoga C930 and beat out the Yoga 730. The Spectre x360 13’s business-oriented sibling, the EliteBook x360 G2 with a Core i7-7600U, managed about a half hour longer.

　　Stepping up to our web browsing test that loops through a series of popular web pages, the Spectre x360 13 held out for a very competitive eight hours and 25 minutes, almost matching the EliteBook x360 G2 but falling short of the previous Spectre x360 13. As we can see, the eighth-generation Core i7 processor starts to show off its efficiency as the CPU load drops.

　　Accordingly, the Spectre x360 13 performed particularly well in our video playback test that runs an Avengers trailer until the battery runs out. Here, the HP lasted for a very strong 14 hours and 18 minutes, beating out the Yoga C930 and blowing away the rest of the comparison group. Of all the machines we’ve tested, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (14 and a half hours) and the champion Surface Book 2 (over 20 and a half hours) are among the few notebooks that lasted longer.

　　Mark Coppock/Digital TrendsMark Coppock/Digital Trends

　　At a light 2.78 pounds and with some solid productivity battery life, the Spectre x360 13 is a highly portable machine. Toss it into your backpack and head out for the day, and you’re likely to get a solid eight hours — or more — of productive work done without worrying about carrying around a charger. Even if you stress the CPU, you’ll be able to get some real work done using the battery alone.

　　

Our Take

The late 2017 refresh of the HP Spectre x360 13 managed to significantly improve performance and battery life while retaining the machine’s great looks and solid build quality. Add in an improved active pen, the same excellent keyboard, and some Windows 10 Hello flexibility, and the convertible 2-in-1 maintains its place as our favorite notebook that can act as a tablet in a pinch.

　　

Is there a better alternative?

The most direct comparison to the Spectre x360 13 is the Lenovo Yoga C930, which offers a slightly larger 13.9-inch display in either Full HD or 4K UHD options. That machine is significantly more expensive at $1,300 for the same Core i5-8550U, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB SSD, but we found battery life to be slightly inferior and its keyboard was compared to the Spectre x360’s snappier version.

　　The Surface Book 2 13-inch could be a better pick if you plan to use your 2-in-1 as a tablet frequently, though it has a higher $1,500 starting price. There isn’t a good configuration to compare fairly with what we reviewed on the Spectre, especially since the Core i7 version of the Surface Book 2 comes with a Nvidia GTX 1050, a 4K display, and incredible battery life but starts at $2,000. If you want a 2-in-1 that’s more affordable at $900 (with a Core i5-8250U) but can also game more than the Spectre x360, then you might consider the Asus ZenBook Flip 14.

　　Finally, you could choose to forgo the 2-in-1 form factor and settle on a traditional clamshell notebook instead. In that case, we’d recommend the latest Dell XPS 13, which is provides perhaps the best combination of size, build quality, and performance in the 13.3-inch notebook class. It’s normally slightly more expensive at $1,400 for a similar configuration, but it also offers a more affordable $1,000 entry-level model.

　　As we mentioned at the beginning of the review, HP is in the process of releasing a 2018 refresh that ups the CPU to the very latest Whiskey Lake CPUs for better efficiency and performance, improves thermal performance, utilizes a new Intel 1-watt display for even better battery life, and snazzes up the design. It’s going to cost you a few more dollars, but if you have the budget then you might want to hold out.

　　

How long will it last?

The Spectre x360 13 is built well enough to elicit confidence in its longevity, and it sports a modern look that won’t become dated anytime soon. Its use of eighth-generation CPUs means it’s going to perform well into the foreseeable future, and it enjoys the most future-proof connectivity available today. You’ll be covered by the industry-standard 1-year warranty.

　　

Should you buy it?

Yes. The HP Spectre x360 13 remains a great looking, well-built, and competitive convertible 2-in-1 in the very comfortable 13.3-inch size — and given the pending release of the newest version, it can be had at some bargain prices. It’s easy to carry around and thin enough to be useful as a tablet, and its excellent performance, great battery life, and snappy keyboard makes for a very pleasant and productive workday.