HP Reveals New Spectre x360, Envy-Branded Premium Devices

HP announced a plethora of new premium products, including a redesigned Spectre x360 convertible notebook, new Envy-branded laptops, all-in-one (AIO) machines, and a new display.

Spectre x360 13

HP redesigned its Spectre x360 13, and it is now lighter and thinner than the previous model. Weighing it at 2.85 lbs. and sporting a 13.8mm profile, the new device also features the latest 7^th generation (Kaby Lake) Intel Core i5 and i7 U-series processors. It's available with up to 16GB of memory and a 1TB PCIe SSD.

The 13.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS touchscreen display got a thinner micro-edge display bezel, which shaves almost 10mm from each side of the screen (compared to the previous model). HP also redesigned the hinge to reduce the overall size and profile of the device.

The company upgraded the audio with four speakers (up from two in the previous version) tuned by Bang & Olufsen. Battery life for the Spectre x360 13 has also improved, with the new model supporting up to 15 hours of runtime (up from the previous model’s 12.5-hour estimation) with a larger 57.8W battery.

The HP Spectre x360 doesn’t sport any traditional video outputs. It lacks an HDMI, DisplayPort, or even a mini DisplayPort interface. However, the two USB Type-C ports support Thunderbolt 3 data speeds (40 Gb/s) in addition to DisplayPort 1.2 functionality, which allows you to connect an external display using the next-gen interface.

Envy 13 Gets Kaby Lake; Heavier And Thicker

HP refreshed the Envy 13 with the new 7^th Generation (Kaby Lake) Intel Core i5 and i7 processors in addition to a higher memory capacity of up to 16GB (up from the previous version’s 8GB cap). PCIe SSD storage is also available up to a capacity of 1TB. Display options include FHD (1920 x 1080), QHD (2560 x 1440) and UHD (3840 x 2160) panels, with touch optional for QHD versions. Non-touch QHD and UHD displays feature edge-to-edge flush glass.

HP described the Envy 13 laptops that debuted last year as the thinnest and lightest yet, but the company appears to have reversed course on that distinction with a slightly thicker and heavier Envy 13 for 2016. The new version weighs in at 3.15 lbs. and is 14mm thick, up from the predecessor’s 2.81 lbs. and 12.95mm profile. However, the increased size allows for some significant improvements to the battery life, which can now reach up to 14 hours of runtime, compared to the previous version’s 10-hour estimate.

Premium AIO, Respectable GPU Horsepower

HP completely redesigned the new Envy AIO 27 compared to the previous version. The company migrated the motherboard and primary computer components into the base and slimmed the overall footprint with a micro-edge display for a sleeker look. The Envy AIO 27 didn’t receive the Kaby Lake treatment, but instead you can equip it with 6^th generation (Skylake) Intel Core i5 and i7 processors. The system also features up to 16GB of memory and up to a 256GB SSD and 2TB HDD combo.

In addition, the new AIO features an optional Nvidia GeForce GTX 950M 4GB graphics card, giving the device increased GPU horsepower over the stock Intel HD 620 graphics, which comes in handy with the QHD (2560 x 1440) IPS touchscreen display. It’s not intended to be an FPS gaming device, but it can provide some respectable rendering power for photo and video workloads.

The monitor provides audio with a four-speaker sound bar built right into the base, and you control the volume with an easy-to-access dial on top of the base. The Envy AIO 27 has two HDMI ports (one output for an additional display, and one input so that you can use the AIO display with other devices). In addition, it offers a USB Type-C port that supports video output.

A New 4K Display, Too

To top it off, HP also announced a new 4K (3840 x 2160) 60Hz IPS display with AMD FreeSync support and 99 percent sRGB color accuracy. The Envy display also features HDMI 1.4, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2 and USB-C connectivity, and it can power a device via the USB-C interface with up to 60 watts of power.

Pricing And Availability

The new HP Spectre x360 is available today direct from HP or at Best Buy starting at $1,050. The Envy 13 laptop and AIO 27 will turn up sometime later this month starting at $850 and $1,300 respectively, and the HP Envy 27-inch display will arrive on December 4 starting at $500.