HP Pavilion x360 Review: Solid And Dependable 2 In 1 Laptop
High notes: Neat and lightweight design, manual physical shutter button, solid build.Low notes: Lack of Type-C charger in the box, DDR4 RAM, underwhelming speakers.
Two in 1 laptop segment is targeted at both professionals and to cater to personal needs, the segment has become widely accepted in the country. These laptops are being launched in a number of price segments by manufacturers such as HP, Lenovo, Asus and Dell even as global PC shipments continue to decline. The shipments would return to pre-COVID-19 levels only in the second half of the year, says market intelligence firm Counterpoint Research. A 2 in 1 laptop typically includes support for a stylus, a vibrant touchscreen display and a 360-degree hinge. How good is the Intel 13th Gen Core i5-powered HP Pavilion x360 laptop that's available at a starting price of Rs 57,999? Find out in our review.
HP Pavilion x360 Design, Display, Looks And Build
The HP Pavilion x360 is among the good-looking laptops that have been recently launched in India. Moreover, it is lightweight, courtesy of the reclaimed ocean plastic and aluminium, in a bid to do its part to support sustainability. The model launched last year also The laptop is very handy and can easily slide into a decently-sized sling bag or a backpack, thanks to its small build, 14-inch panel and 1.4 kg of weight. When it comes to the design language, it is pretty simple and doesn't scream for attention. However, it gets the job done by opting for a neat look. The silver colour variant has a matte silver hue which looks posh. The 14-inch chassis has a solid build and can withstand a few bumps. The laptop's hinge can move 360 degrees and easily turn the laptop into a tablet. However, the device is best suited to be used as a laptop and not a tab as it features a 14-inch touchscreen display that is stretched in a 16:9 aspect ratio.
Connectivity options on the laptop include a USB Type-C port with support for power delivery, two USB 3.2 Type-A ports, a microSD card slot, a standard 3.5-mm headphone jack and DisplayPort 1.4. There is a fingerprint scanner for easy authentication as well. It is lightning-fast and can unlock the device in a few seconds also provides an additional layer of security.
The keyboard of the laptop needs special mention here as it felt very smooth to type on. The keys do not make a loud clicky sound. The trackpad is also very well and centrally positioned with great precision and therefore, it does not wobble when pressed or one types fast. The keys are highly responsive and also feature lighting that makes it easier to type in dark or low-light scenarios. The panel has 250 nits of brightness with an IPS panel. The colours were a bit washed out for me, but that should not be a problem for most users. The 2 in 1 comes with bottom-firing dual speakers, which sometimes make the sound output muffled and thus, unfit for media consumption.
HP Pavilion x360 Battery And Performance
The HP x360 has a decent battery, but it falls short of the promised backup of more than 8 hours on a single charge. During my usage, the 43Whr battery lasted a little more than 7 hours. This is despite fitting the device with Intel’s U line of processors that lean heavily towards providing long battery backup. The battery can be juiced up with a 65-watt adapter that comes out of the box. The lack of Type-C charger in the box is another disappointment. The 2 in 1 laptop is powered by an Intel 13th Gen Core i5-1335U which is a 10-core chip. The device has 16GB of DDR4 memory and not DDR5. HP is likely to have made a comprise here to keep the price in check. Performance-wise, checking emails, opening a few Google Chrome tabs and multiple Microsoft apps do not lead to any kind of stutter or lag. In terms of software side, the HP Pavilion x360 comes with Windows 11 (Home) operating system (OS) that supports Windows Hello with a fingerprint scanner, as mentioned above. There is a lifetime subscription for Microsoft Office Home and Student 2021 which comes pre-loaded with the laptop.
HP Pavilion x360 Verdict
The HP Pavilion x360 is a very capable 2 in 1 Windows machine with a solid build and decent battery life. The keyboard and trackpad need special mention and both add a lot of value to the device. The slightly underwhelming panel is being compensated by the overall performance and clean and premium design.