HP Spectre x360: HP’s latest Spectre x360 laptop uses new Kaby Lake-G processor

CES 2018 is in full swing, and HP has been hard at work making all sorts of big tech announcements. Chief among them – and certainly the most interesting – is the unveiling of the brand new Spectre X360, a convertible laptop that’s very much a first of its kind.

And we’re already big fans of HP’s flagship Spectre lineup, especially its 2-in-1 x360. The firm’s previous attempt, which we reviewed last year, was a five-star product that was only slightly marred by its sluggish GPU.

It’s excellent, then, that HP has just the remedy for this in 2018, in the form of Intel’s latest hybrid processor. Here’s how it works.

HP Spectre x360: Everything you need to know

HP Spectre x360 UK price: How much does it cost?

HP’s Spectre x360 certainly isn’t cheap. With configurations starting at £1,500 in the UK, that’s £250 more than the 13in MacBook Pro and £200 more than our current 15in Windows favourite, the Dell XPS 15.

HP Spectre x360 UK release date: When’s it coming out?

As for the release date, HP’s latest Spectre x360 will show up from February 2018 via the official HP Store, Currys PC World, John Lewis, Amazon, Very and Costco.

HP Spectre X360 specs: What’s inside?

Now to the new Spectre x360’s innards, where it comes generously well-equipped. Inside, you’ll find Intel’s latest quad-core i7-8705G processor, working in tandem with AMD’s Radeon RX Vega M graphics (more on that later). There’s also a 4K, 15.6in touchscreen display protected by Gorilla Glass 4, and an HP Tilt Pen stylus is bundled in the box, too.

As for battery life, HP promises up to 12 hours away from the wall socket and, should battery levels fall flat, the Spectre x360 can reach 50% charge from zero in just 30 minutes.

HP Spectre X360: What is Kaby Lake-G?

Despite its awkward-to-pronounce title, Kaby Lake-G is an interesting prospect for PC users. In short, it’s a marriage of Intel CPUs and AMD’s GPUs in one, exciting package. Strange isn’t it, that these competitors used to be at each other’s throats, but are now working together.

Aimed at gamers, you can expect performance to be much better than old-gen laptops equipped with Intel’s own integrated graphics. While we’re yet to put any device packed with Kaby Lake-G inside to the test, I’m eager to see if they can live up to Intel’s lofty claims

HP Spectre x360 design: What does it look like?

Now to the Spectre x360’s design, which, well, is the same as last year’s effort. Its dark aluminium, angular chassis – complete with copper-gold accents – measures just 19.5mm at its thinnest edge, and weighs a not-so back breaking 2kg.

On the right-hand edge, you’ll find two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C ports, alongside a solitary HDMI port, while the left houses a full-fat USB 3.1 port, SD card reader and 3.5mm headphone jack. Finally, for security there’s a Windows Hello-enabled IR camera situated above the screen for unlocking the device with just your face, along with a fingerprint reader.

HP Spectre x360: Early verdict

While it might not look like much has changed, HP’s updated Spectre x360’s subtle improvements could be enough to catch its predecessor completely off guard. Kaby Lake-G is certainly filled with potential, and I can’t wait to properly put it through its paces.

Sure, It may not be cause for an upgrade just yet, but 2018’s Spectre x360 could be the convertible laptop to beat this year. As always, stay tuned for my full review in the near future.