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Introduction: Spectre x360 Laptop
HP has a somewhat…quiet reputation in the laptop industry. Not that it’s a bad thing, but there’s nothing special about HP’s laptops that separate them from other manufacturers that produce premium, stylish laptops.
However, their new Spectre, the Spectre x360 13, aims to–not reinvent the wheel per se–but to refine the wheel into the perfect circle.
How is HP doing this? Let’s take a look at the new press release and see.
New Features and Refined Upgrades
The new Spectre brings the usual upgrades; you know, new CPU, new GPU, thinner and smaller form factor, etc. But along with these upgrades are some new features that are sure to tempt even the most frugal consumer.
The new 4K screen, for instance, is being upgraded from a normal LCD screen to an OLED screen with HDR. Sure, this option will probably lie near the $2,000 range, but it’s a sweet upgrade that will please any user who loves watching Netflix.
There are plenty of security upgrades as well–perhaps the section with the most upgrades. For example, HP will be offering a built-in privacy screen option for the new Spectre, though you won’t be able to buy this version of the Spectre until January 2020, which is a bit disappointing.
I’m willing to forgive it because of the other security upgrades, though. The microphone will have a dedicated mute button to keep hackers from snooping on you through it. The webcam will operate in the same way, though there will a dedicated on/off switch.
The biggest surprise of the press release was HP’s partnership with ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN will come preinstalled on every new Spectre, and a free 30-day trial will be given to users to try out the VPN.
This may not sound that impressive, but if any group of people needs a VPN, it’s people who use laptops in public places.
Moving on from security, we have the bezels, which have been reduced to an impressive 90% screen-to-body ratio. Again, it may not sound like much, but the fewer bezels around the screen, the better.
I wish I had something good to say about the price, but HP hasn’t revealed the pricing of each model, however, HP did note that the base 1080p model will cost $1,099.
Conclusion
HP’s new Spectre laptop includes a bunch of upgrades, both small and large. If you’re at all interested in learning more about the soon-to-be-released laptop that wasn’t listed here, then you can check out the press release.
Despite all the upgrades, the new Spectre will keep it’s luxurious, minimalist style, which is good news for us who want a laptop that doesn’t scream $$. Better yet, the laptop will be much more secure, wiping away the paranoia I feel whenever connecting to a public network.
While HP refused to reveal a specific release date, the press release notes it being sometime mid-October, so be sure to keep an eye out on HP’s website.
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