Complete HP Envy x360 Review

Introduction

Anyone who wishes to review an HP laptop must dedicate a good chunk of their time to interacting with its design. It is the only way to understand what the laptop offers before deciding whether or not to purchase it. Well, the main goal of this article is to help you save your precious time. We have taken the time to conduct an in-depth review of the HP Envy x360 so that you don’t have to.

All you need now is to go through this detailed review to understand the specs of this machine and figure out whether it fits your needs. However, it is important to note that HP understands what it takes to develop the best laptops on the market, and as a matter of fact, the HP Envy x360 is no exception.

HP has a few products in the Envy line. Initially, these products looked more utilitarian compared to their counterpart HP’s Spectre products, which are more high-end. Today, however, there is a huge improvement in the overall build quality of Envy models.

Spectre still stands out with its exciting accents, excellent design, and rounded corners, but when compared to more recent Envy products, the difference is barely noticeable. The two are quite excellent in design, give undeniably good service, and are both fun to use.

It is especially great for Envy, whose product prices start at $629, which is quite a good rate when compared to quality and value. Normally, Spectre is the ultimate choice when going for class, functionality, and even durability. That said, Envy is not considered the perfect laptop, a fact that’s reflected in its price.

HP Envy x360 Price

Are you looking for a 15.6-inch convertible laptop? HP is always right. Besides having the exact laptop you are looking for, they will also offer you a wide range of options for a significantly varied price range.

That’s why HP will close the deal no matter the laptop you want. In the convertible laptop bracket, HP offers the premium Spectre x360 15 and Pavilion x360 15 at prices below $1499 and $800 respectively.

These are great laptops, but the prices could feel too high. If that’s the case, don’t worry, HP still has the Envy x360 15, whose price ranges between $699.99 and $999.99. The HP Envy x360 is available for $799.99. For a laptop that comes with Windows 11, 8 GB RAM, and a 15.6-inch touch screen the price is quite fair.

You also get an AMD Ryzen 5 5500U processor, a 256 GB SSD, and an AMD Radeon Graphics Card. These components are top quality and give you quite an experience while using this laptop.

It is imperative to realize that you can easily request a laptop with higher memory, an upgraded display, OS, or even a processor. The price is flexible depending on the specs you are interested in. This is great as it gives you the ability to get a laptop that most suits your needs. The price can go as high as $1249.99 if you boost your processor to an AMD Ryzen 7 5700U. This is WITH A 400-nit brightness capacity display, 512 GB SSD, and GB RAM.

HP Envy x360 series machines are quite heavy when used as tablets. The large screen size, however, makes it completely understandable. Additionally, no laptop manufacturer has managed to make a lightweight 2-in-1 large-screen laptop.

HP Envy x360 Features

Software

The HP Envy x360 uses the Windows 10 Home Single Language 64 operating system. Although it comes with Windows 10, you don’t need to be alarmed because it meets all the requirements for a free Windows 11 upgrade.

Anyone with the budget to purchase a good quality laptop right now should consider this laptop because they can enjoy the advantage of accessing the new Operating System and the support it has for Android applications.

Although it is quite big and heavy to use as a handheld tablet, it is quite efficient when placed on the table. Besides, you get to appreciate the tablet user interface as well as its flexibility, as it makes it possible to use it in standing and tent modes.

The HP Envy x360 also affords users pen support, and the pen has a magnetic touch that keeps it attached to the body of the laptop. It is important to note that some configurations do not have a pen, so if this is vital for you, remember to ask before making the purchase.

Design

To appreciate the design of this laptop, one must first understand the target market and how it influenced its build. The HP Envy x360 was particularly designed for the professional and more enterprise oriented markets.

As such, the developers did not take any unnecessary risks with its design. Despite this, the design is quite compact, with a very well developed chassis made from very strong aluminum alloy. The laptop weighs around 4.42 pounds, which is quite heavy as per laptop standards.

The top and bottom bezels are engraved with the letters HP and the logo looks extraordinarily smooth and shiny. The attractive, dimmer metal tone, which is in dark gray, gives the laptop a very classy look that makes it appear C-suite ready.

It is also important to note that the chassis is built from recycled aluminum, which is why it has such a smooth finish. The entire laptop has a very sturdy build, which means that it doesn’t wobble as you type. The keyboard and the lid have no flex whatsoever, which is quite remarkable for this touchscreen design 2-in-1 laptop.

One challenge with many touchscreen laptops is the fingerprint marks that are visible all over the screen. This design, however, is exceptional at rejecting the user’s fingerprints; something that ensures that your screen remains clean, tidy, and without any smudges throughout your use.

It would take a lot of effort to try and plant a lasting print or smudge, and even then it would look quite clean in bright light. It is difficult to find any laptop with similar features as the HP Envy x360 that goes at a similarly affordable price.

Ports & Audio

On the upside, the laptop comes with several ports including a SuperSpeed USB port (Type C), 2 SuperSpeed USB ports (Type A), an SD media card reader, and one HDMI output slot (2.0). The machine also provides you with an AC smart pin and a combined port for use either with a microphone or your headphones.

They should have added at least one docked stylus since the laptop can allow one. However, even though the laptop is quite beefy and easy to install a 2-in-1 type port somewhere, they did not do that.

If having a stylus is vital for you, make sure you check the laptop you purchase for one, because it seems that some of the same models have one installed.

Speakers are a major part of any laptop, and the downward-firing speakers of the HP Envy x360 are a constant issue. The laptop only has 3 speakers, and considering the poor positioning, the sound can only be mediocre at best. T is only good for playing music and streaming videos.

And even then, the bass is still quite poor quality. Bang & Olufsen together with HP Audio Boost could have done a better job with the sound system of this particular laptop.

Keyboard and Webcam

The keyboard of the HP Envy x360 is quite a sight to see. It has an incorporated numeric keypad, the entire keyboard is backlit, and it has an integrated fingerprint reader. Amazing, right?

On the right of the keyboard are all the buttons you need to make work easier like the Home, Page Up, Page Down, and End buttons. The ends of the keyboard may feel a bit squeezed because the designers have installed speakers right at the ends, but not to worry because the most used keys remain unaffected.

The position of the speakers doesn’t affect the usability of the keyboard. Only 5 percent of the keys feel squeezed, and these are in most cases, the least used ones. As such, you would still find the HP Envy x360 keyboard quite comfortable to use.

Particularly, it is the Home and Page Up keys that are affected, and the designers moved them a little bit inwards to compensate for the smaller space. However, you will likely appreciate the ease with which you can use the keys whether you are at home or traveling. The challenge is unnoticeable unless you are a very keen person.

The quality of the HP Envy x360 webcam is quite decent. If you get this machine, you would be working with a 720p webcam, which although you won’t get the best picture quality on the market, is still decent enough for the price you will get the laptop at.

You will experience shadowed photos, highlights, and a few other issues relating to picture quality, but this is nothing new in the laptop industry. There are common problems to expect even with the best machines on the market.

Display

The substance model of the HP Envy x360 contains a backlit keypad that’s also multi-touch and a 15.6-inch large FDH screen. It gives you a resolution of 1920 X 1080 and a 250 nits brightness. If you want an upgraded version, you will get the same specs, except for the brightness, which will shoot to 400 nits.

Unfortunately, you cannot get an option for a 4K resolution with this machine. According to professional reviewers, the resolution of the laptop is quite awesome, especially considering the brightness capacity. If you want to use the laptop outdoors on a bright, sunny day, you will have no issues viewing anything you want to check on the screen.

Although there are laptops out there with even higher resolution capacities, you will appreciate the colors that come with this one. The designers have given you a wide range of colors, and considering the price range, the laptop is quite a great option.

Performance

The HP Envy x360 is quite a remarkable laptop, with quite a smooth and fast performance. You could use it for weeks on end, and you still won’t notice it buffering or slowing down. Particularly, when dealing with downloads, uploads, and transcodes, you will appreciate the value of its AMD Ryzen processor, which ensures speed and exceptional performance.

It is important to note that when you go for this laptop, you will have two processor options: Ryzen 5 5500U or you can still go for the Ryzen 7 5700U. Both of these processors are top-notch and can outperform other machines, including those running the Intel Core I7 processor.

Anyone looking for a gaming machine, however, this is not it. According to professional reviewers, HP Envy x360’s performance in gaming, as well as video editing, is quite poor. The machine was not designed for these particular activities, as such if you are big on gaming or are looking for a great laptop to aid in video editing, the HP Envy x360 is not the option for you.

Acer Nitro 5 and Razer Blade 14 are great gaming and video editing machines. The graphics card and processor can handle video editing and gaming tasks quite well. Generally, however, the laptop is better suited for easier tasks like web surfing and using business applications.

Battery Life

Excellent battery life for this machine. It takes the lead among several other top-notch laptops, lasting a little over 11 hours. With a 51WHr battery, HP Envy x360 is expected to last at least one entire workday without charging.

Comparatively, the HP Spectre x360 lasts 11 hours and 20 minutes less. According to Techradar’s PCMark 10 battery test.

The results differed significantly when tested using Techradar’s HD Movie test. The battery in this test lasted roughly 8 hours and 16 minutes, which is still good battery life for video.

If you are taking a transatlantic flight, you have nothing to worry about. 8 hours is more than enough battery life to get you through your flight and to your destination. Additionally, the battery is fast charging, so it can be charged to 50% in 3 minutes

A few factors to take note of:

• The availability of different features varies depending on the model chosen

• The machine weight will also vary depending on the machine configuration

• Battery life depends on the laptop’s model, configuration, features, wireless capabilities, installed applications, and power management settings. As you continue using your laptop, its battery life will naturally shrink

• Factors like the laptop’s brightness, audio level, wireless connection, headphone connection, and full-screen play can also affect battery life. These are also factors defining configuration

• FHD images require FHD (Full High Definition) content

• Multi-core technology enhances the performance of specific software products. Thus, it is important to remember that the technology was not designed for every customer or every software application. Performance depends on your laptop’s hardware, software, and workload configuration.

• However, how quickly your machine depletes depends on your usage,

HP Envy x360: Pros

• Best-in-class performance
• Exceptional battery life
• Price
• Great display
• Easy-to-use keyboard
• Many usable ports

HP Envy x360: Cons

• Heavy
• Tablet mode is a bit unwieldy
• No docked stylus
• Poor webcam quality

Bonus: HP Envy x360 15

Also a convertible laptop, the HP Envy x360 15. The specs are similar to HP Envy x360. It is a great performer, but it is not multicore.

Its performance falls behind several other 2-in-1 laptops in the same category, such as the Ryzen 7 5500U.

The Radeon graphics in the HP Envy x360 15 are surprisingly good. It has better specs than a few other models on the market, but it’s not the best machine for gaming. You can meet your goals with the HP Envy x360 15 if you have a tight budget and are creative.

Downward-firing speakers are a major problem on the HP Envy x360 15. The laptop has other speakers, which is a saving grace. Your laptop has two top-tier speakers on the keyboard deck. Sound quality is great on the HP Envy x360 15.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a 2-in-1 convertible laptop without spending a fortune, the HP Envy x360 is the perfect choice. It gives you the functionality of both a tablet and a computer.

That means you escape the need to constantly carry both your laptop and tablet, whenever you need both. On the flip side, however, you have to remember that this laptop is quite cumbersome in terms of weight.

As such, if you plan on carrying it around wherever you go, this is something you have to consider. Another option that serves the same purpose and is easier to manage is the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1.

Both a laptop & a tablet, but much lighter and easier to carry around if you need it all the time. This option, however, is a bit pricier.