Is the new HP Pavilion x360 the best 2-in-1 laptop to consider in 2023? Read our review to find out.
There are probably thousands of Windows laptops out there. Most laptops are designed for a variety of purposes, but there is a shortage of devices designed for specific uses such as office tasks, graphic design, and video editing. HP recently launched the Pavilion 14, Pavilion x360 and Pavilion 14 Plus in India. These are compact touch-enabled Windows 11 laptops.
Is the HP Pavilion x360 the right laptop for the modern workforce looking for portability, performance, and practicality? I’ve been reviewing laptops for the past few weeks, and here are my thoughts on HP’s latest offering and how it compares to its competitors.
It’s a 2-in-1
The HP Pavilion x360 is a touch-enabled 2-in-1 Windows device that can be used as a tablet or laptop. At 1.4kg it’s a bit heavy for a 14″ notebook, but the overall form factor makes it manageable in both laptop and tablet mode. I tested the rose gold version of the HP Pavilion x360. This looks elegant in every way.
This is a very practical notebook and the I/O proves it. The device has two USB-A ports, one USB Type-C port, one HDMI 2.1 port, and one headphone jack. The laptop can be charged via the Type-C port using a USB PD certified charger, but the laptop actually comes with an older but faster barrel-style AC charger.
Touch-enabled display with stylus support
The main thing that sets HP’s latest product apart from its competitors is its touch display. There are many Windows laptops that support touch input, but I particularly liked the HP Pavilion x360 for its compact form factor and the fact that HP also bundled a stylus in the retail package.
However, his FHD IPS display in this laptop has a few quirks, such as being limited to 250 nits of brightness, and only 45% NTSC gamut coverage, so color accuracy is is not good either. So if you’re considering this laptop for tasks like photo and video editing, you should also consider an external display with brighter, more accurate colors.Touch input makes this laptop better than its competitors. It has certain advantages, but it definitely has some drawbacks.
Audio and camera performance
This is the first laptop reviewed in this price range with a 5MP webcam. Capable of 1080/FHD video recording and conferencing, and for privacy-conscious users, the laptop also features a physical camera shutter that enhances security by physically blocking the camera sensor.
Again, the bass is lacking despite the B&O tuning, but the stereo speaker settings are reasonably loud. A dedicated headphone jack and state-of-the-art Bluetooth connectivity let you add conference calls or even watch movies and TV shows on your laptop.
Performance and day-to-usage experience
Having tested the Intel Core i5-1335U variant of this laptop, I am happy to report that this notebook offers excellent performance and battery life at the same time. A hybrid CPU architecture with P-cores and E-cores provides the best performance and switches to stealth mode using a total of 10 CPU cores during normal use. Besides, I didn’t notice any heating or loud fan noise during my testing.
1 TB of storage is more than enough for most users and offers excellent read and write speeds, allowing your laptop to load apps and games quickly. Definitely a cost-saving measure, most laptops in this price range offer DDR5x or DDR5 RAM. It’s faster and more energy efficient, and the 13th Gen Intel chips support both DDR4 and DDR5. Enter RAM.
When it comes to gaming, the integrated Intel Iris Xe is good enough for casual gaming at 720p resolution a low graphics settings. If you are a gamer, it is best to consider a laptop from a Victus lineup instead the Pavilion series.
Battery life and connectivity
This laptop, like most laptops in this price range, has a 43 Wh battery. The company claims the device can provide over 8 hours of backup for him, but in my testing it lasted around 5-6 hours with regular use, which mostly includes web browsing and video streaming. If you’re running an Excel spreadsheet, your usage may differ.
Laptops with Intel network chips also offer WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 wireless connectivity capabilities. Finally, the device has an integrated fingerprint sensor that facilitates fast and accurate authentication.
Verdict: Practical and versatile
Aside from a few shortcomings, such as the boring display and DDR4 RAM, the laptop seems to pack a lot of things into what makes it a well-functioning machine in most situations. Additionally, in this day and age, a high-definition webcam also gives this laptop an edge over its competitors. All in all, if you’re looking for a compact laptop with a touch display and a modern processor, the HP Pavilion x360 (2023) is an excellent package at Rs 78,199.