Even as global personal computer (PC) shipments continue to decline, in the wake of slowdown in consumer and commercial segments, OEMs are not shying away from innovating and producing good quality laptops. HP is one such company which witnessed a 5 per cent growth in device shipments, in the last quarter (Q4), last year, amind a falling overall PC market. However, HP increased its its device shipments from 13.2 million in Q4 2022 to 13.9 million in Q4 2023. Now, HP is trying to make a mark in the mid-range segment with a new model in its portable and stylish lineup of Pavillion laptops. The HP Pavilion Plus 16 (2023) is an exciting offering in mid-range laptops, which strikes the right balance between design and performance to meet both productivity and creative needs. This model is somewhat "affordable" when compared to premium offerings such as the Apple MacBook Pro 16 and the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360, but is it worth Rs 1,24,999? This is how the laptop fared in real-life.
HP Pavilion Plus 16 Design, Display, Looks And Build
The HP Pavilion Plus 16 is a laptop with no-frills: the form factor of the device is sturdy and it does not folding, with no touch-screen support. At a first glance, the HP Pavilion Plus 16 presents itself as a device made for serious professionals, boasting a tall aspect ratio and a sleek chassis with zero RGB for a sophisticated aesthetic. With a straightforward design, the display tilts up to 110-120 degrees. The build is super sturdy and aluminium finish on the chassis renders a posh look and feel to the laptop. In terms of specs, the device has a 16-inch non-touch IPS display, boasting a WQXGA resolution of 2560×1600 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16:10 and a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz.
Thanks to the 16-inch WQXGA display with a resolution of 2560×1600, and an aspect ratio of 16:10, the display provides ample screen real estate for complex tasks such as spreadsheet work and editing documents and PDFs. The 16:10 IPS micro-edge display has been slapped with a layer of anti-glare coating and achieves a peak brightness of 400 nits. It has a refresh rate of 120Hz, and the panel covers 100 per cent of the sRGB color space. However, the display is not the best in the segment.
Despite its initial appearance of bulkiness, the laptop is surprisingly easy to grip and carry, weighing around 1.8 kgs. The HP Pavilion Plus 16 features a design that skillfully blends subtle charm with a sharp aesthetic. The entirely metallic silver-coloured chassis gives a premium look and feel to the laptop. The dimensions of HP Pavilion Plus 16 are: 357 x 253.5 x 17.7mm. It has a fairly slim profile for a 16-inch laptop, with a harmonious blend of a sizeable screen and portability. This makes the Pavilion Plus 16 an appealing choice for those seeking a generous workspace while looking for easy portability. Additionally, the laptp comes with environmentally conscious design, courtesy of the use of sustainable materials such as post-industry and post-consumer recycled aluminium.
The HP Pavilion Plus 16 comes with a full-size backlit keyboard along with a numeric keypad, which may take some time to get used to. The keyboard feedback strikes just the right balance.
HP Pavilion Plus 16 Battery, Charging And Performance
The Pavilion Plus 16 stands out in terms of overall performance. With Core i7-13700H CPU, the laptop leads in various benchmark assessments, but falls behind Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360. The performance of the HP Pavilion Plus 16 (2023) was notably impressive in handling an array of tasks, and quite effortlessly handling over 18 open Chrome tabs simultaneously. The inclusion of the NVIDIA RTX 3050 variant ensured seamless gaming experiences as well performing daily tasks with ease. Howvever, under intensive usage, the dual fans exhibited an increase in noise levels. It is important to note that the device did not heat up even during intensive usage during my review. The HP Pavilion Plus 16 provides average battery life, though. With average usage, the battery lasted for around 7 hours. The device has a 4-cell, 68Wh Li-ion polymer battery, with support for fast charging. There was a 135W AC power adapter alongside which made sure we could juice up the device pretty quickly.
HP Pavilion Plus 16 Verdict
In terms of performance, there's little to complain about, in the Pavilion Plus 16. The device did not seem to lose power during my review and it stands out with its robust performance and screen real estate. This is a great option for those looking to invest in a large screen laptop that can handle multi-tasking and light gaming without any stutter or heating issues.