HP Spectre x360 15 (2019): A prettier, more powerful convertible than the last
The 2019 edition of the HP Spectre x360 15 convertible has a hard act to follow. We previously awarded HP’s Spectre x360 15 (2018) an Editor’s Choice award on the merits of its powerful GPU, 4K screen, and solid battery life. This year’s model improves both performance and battery life, with a slightly redesigned aesthetic that appears as functional as it is attractive.
There is a price to be paid for such power, though. While our review model (15-df0xxx) starts at $1,550 from HP.com, the price jumps to just over $2,000 for our review unit configuration—about $300 more than the price HP charged for our fairly similar 2018 review unit. At 4.62 pounds, the Spectre x360 15 weighs more than you’d expect. And in the ongoing flagship war between Dell’s XPS line and and HP’s Spectre line, the Dell XPS 15 9570 again comes out on top in terms of performance—though with a far less detailed display. It’s also significantly cheaper.
BASIC SPECS
As befits a flagship, the HP Spectre x360 15 we tested is stuffed to the grilles with high-end parts. Here are the details.
Display: 15.6-inch ultra-wide viewing angle (UVWA) WLED (3840x2160) (as tested), or FHD (1920x1080p); protected by Corning Gorilla Glass NBT
Processor: 2.2GHz Intel Core i7-8750H (6-core Coffee Lake, as tested) or 1.8GHz Core i7-8565U (4-core Whiskey Lake)
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce 1050Ti MaxQ 4GB (as tested); Nvidia GeForce MX150 2GB
Memory: 16GB DDR4
Storage: 512GB-1TB SSD (1TB as tested)
Ports: 1 USB-A, 2 USB-C (Thunderbolt, fast charging), HDMI, microSD, mic/headphones
Camera: FHD camera (user facing); IR depth camera (user-facing, Windows Hello)
Wireless: 802.11ac (2x2), Bluetooth 5
