For enthusiasts who follow the evolution of premium laptops, the HP Spectre line is synonymous with innovation, boasting striking designs, vibrant displays, and seamless pen integration over the years. The arrival of the 2024 HP Spectre x360 14-inch 2-in-1 convertible signals another step forward, integrating Intel's fresh Core Ultra processors, a dazzling OLED screen with an adaptable refresh rate reaching up to 120Hz, and an array of cutting-edge features encased in an elegant design. This isn't just an incremental update; it's a reimagining of what a flagship convertible laptop can offer.
First Impressions: Design and What's in the Box
Unboxing the Spectre x360 14 reveals HP's commitment to a complete user experience. Inside the thoughtfully designed packaging, you'll find the Spectre x360 14 laptop itself, accompanied by a handy HDMI to USB Type-C dongle and a versatile USB Type-C hub expanding connectivity with HDMI and USB-A ports. A compact 65W power adapter with a durable braided cable ensures you stay powered up, and the included pen empowers creativity for note-taking and digital artistry, complete with extra pen tips. Standard documentation and a setup guide are also part of the package.
The physical design of the 2024 Spectre x360 14 carries forward the line's sophisticated aesthetic, featuring the distinctive gem-cut corners and available in a captivating slate blue finish, among other colour options. The precision in design is evident, though the overall look remains familiar to previous iterations, focusing on subtle refinements. Constructed with a sandblasted aluminum chassis, the laptop feels remarkably solid and premium to the touch, exhibiting minimal flex in both the screen and keyboard areas. Weighing in at approximately 3.19 lbs (1.45 kg), it strikes a commendable balance between portability and robust build quality, making it comfortable to carry throughout the day. The stiffness of the hinges is notable, providing the necessary stability for various usage modes, including tablet and tent configurations, although this robustness means opening the laptop with a single finger can be challenging.
Displaying Brilliance: The OLED Experience
The 14-inch OLED touchscreen display is undoubtedly a centrepiece of the Spectre x360 14, boasting a sharp 2880x1800 resolution and a fluid 120Hz variable refresh rate. The move to a 16:10 aspect ratio from the previous 3:2 format provides a more immersive experience for media consumption by reducing black bars. Colours are rich and vibrant, with deep blacks and exceptional contrast inherent to OLED technology, contributing to excellent colour gamut coverage and impressive colour accuracy. The display achieves a brightness of 400 nits in standard mode and up to 500 nits when viewing HDR content, ensuring good visibility in most indoor environments. However, the glossy finish can lead to noticeable glare and reflections depending on the lighting conditions. While the colours may appear slightly oversaturated out of the box for some, adjustments can be made within the HP software. The touch functionality is responsive, enhancing interaction with the operating system and creative applications.
Performance and Efficiency: Powered by Intel Core Ultra
Under the hood, the 2024 Spectre x360 14 is equipped with Intel's latest Meteor Lake processors, specifically the Core Ultra 7 155H. This 28W CPU features a configuration of 16 cores and 22 threads (six performance cores, eight efficient cores, and two low-power efficient cores), delivering a significant boost in performance compared to previous U-series processors. Users can choose between 16GB or 32GB of fast LPDDR5x RAM, ensuring smooth multitasking and efficient handling of demanding applications. For storage, a speedy 2TB PCIe NVMe Gen 4 SSD provides ample space for files and applications, with fast read and write speeds. The integrated Intel Arc graphics represent a substantial upgrade over prior Intel integrated solutions, offering improved performance for casual gaming, older titles, and light video editing tasks. While not a dedicated gaming GPU, it provides a noticeable improvement for graphical workloads. The laptop maintains commendable thermal management, effectively dissipating heat and keeping fan noise levels reasonable during typical use, even when handling more intensive tasks. An integrated AI co-processor (NPU) further enhances efficiency for AI-related tasks, such as background blur and auto-framing during video calls.
Typing Comfort and Trackpad Precision
The keyboard on the Spectre x360 14 continues the line's tradition of providing a comfortable typing experience, offering a good amount of key travel and a satisfying tactile click. The keycaps have a slightly soft, rubbery texture, enhancing the typing feel. The layout has been refined, eliminating dedicated function keys on the right side for a more standard arrangement, with secondary functions assigned to the arrow keys. The backlight is well-implemented, and importantly, the silver model now features darker key characters for better visibility in various lighting conditions. Below the keyboard, the haptic trackpad is notably spacious and provides accurate tracking. Utilizing a haptic motor for click feedback, it closely mimics the feel of a traditional mechanical trackpad. However, palm rejection could be improved, as accidental palm contact can occasionally cause the cursor to jump while typing. Despite this, the overall trackpad experience is positive, with smooth gesture recognition.
Connectivity and Expansion
The port selection on the 2024 Spectre x360 14 strikes a balance between modern and legacy connectivity. The left side houses a convenient 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack and a drop-jaw USB Type-A port. On the right side, you'll find two USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, both supporting charging and data transfer, with one strategically placed on the angled, gem-cut corner to keep cables tidier. Notably absent is an SD card reader, a feature present in the previous year's model. For wireless connectivity, the laptop boasts Intel Wi-Fi 7 for potentially faster network speeds and more stable connections, along with Bluetooth 5.4. HP thoughtfully includes both an HDMI to USB Type-C dongle and a USB Type-C hub in the box, providing additional connectivity options for HDMI and USB-A devices.
Audio and Visual Communication
The audio capabilities of the Spectre x360 14 are impressive for a laptop of its size, featuring quad speakers with DTS audio. Two speakers are upward-firing on either side of the keyboard, and two are downward-firing, delivering loud and clear sound suitable for media consumption and video conferencing. While the audio quality is generally excellent and fills a room well, some note that it may lack the deep bass and immersive sound stage of competitors with more speakers. The integrated 9-megapixel IR webcam positioned at the top of the display captures 1440p video, providing good clarity for video calls. It also supports Windows Hello facial recognition for convenient and secure login. A welcome addition for privacy-conscious users is the physical camera shutter, controlled by a dedicated function key. The microphones are adequate for calls and interviews, though not necessarily the best available.
Battery Longevity and Charging
Battery life is a significant strength of the 2024 Spectre x360 14, thanks to the efficiency of the Meteor Lake processor and the 68Wh battery. In PC Mark 10 Modern Office tests, it achieves impressive durations of over 13 hours, and video playback tests reach nearly 15 hours. Real-world productivity tasks typically yield around 6.5 to 7 hours of use at a reasonable brightness level. These figures represent a notable improvement over previous generations. The included 65W USB-C charger supports fast charging, ensuring you can quickly replenish the battery when needed.
Pen Input and 2-in-1 Versatility
The included HP tilt pen enhances the versatility of the Spectre x360 14, offering over 4,000 pressure levels and tilt functionality for a natural writing and drawing experience. It charges conveniently via USB-C and attaches magnetically to the side of the laptop for storage. While suitable for note-taking and sketching, some users have reported palm rejection issues when using the pen directly on the screen, where resting a palm can be misinterpreted as an input. The 360-degree hinges allow seamless transitions between traditional laptop mode, tablet mode for on-the-go use, tent mode for presentations, and stand mode for media consumption. The laptop quickly recognizes changes in operating mode, providing a fluid 2-in-1 experience.
Considerations and Value
While the HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) excels in many areas, there are a few potential drawbacks to consider. The glossy display, while vibrant, can be prone to reflections in bright environments. The RAM is soldered to the motherboard and is not user-upgradeable after purchase. As mentioned, the trackpad's palm rejection could be more refined, and opening the lid with one finger can be surprisingly difficult due to the shallow notch. The lack of an integrated SD card reader might be a limitation for some users.
Starting at a competitive price point, the HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) presents a compelling value proposition for a premium 2-in-1 convertible. Various configurations are available, and HP frequently offers sales and discounts, making it an even more attractive option. When compared to other high-end laptops like the MacBook Pro 14, the Spectre offers similar performance for many tasks, along with the added versatility of a 2-in-1 design, often at a more accessible price point. Against competitors in the Windows space, the Spectre stands out with its premium design, excellent display, and comprehensive feature set.
Conclusion: A Top-Tier 2-in-1 Contender
The 2024 HP Spectre x360 14 solidifies its position as a leading 2-in-1 convertible laptop. It masterfully blends powerful performance, a stunning OLED display, thoughtful design, and a rich set of features, making it an exceptional choice for students, professionals, and anyone seeking a premium and versatile mobile computing experience. While a few minor drawbacks exist, the overall package delivers a refined and highly capable device that truly elevates the 2-in-1 experience. For those in the market for a top-tier convertible, the HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) deserves serious consideration.