ZDNET Key Takeaways
- THE HP Envy x360 2-in-1 (2024) is available from HP for $1,299.
- It has one of the most gorgeous screens I've seen on a 2-in-1, with a solid suite of hardware.
- Configuration swapping can be buggy, and it is more cumbersome.
A slew of new 2-in-1 laptops have already launched in 2024, as the popularity of this form factor continues to grow. More and more laptop enthusiasts (myself included) who previously weren't willing to commit to a tablet are jumping into convertibles, which give you the best of both worlds.
Also: Microsoft Build is coming next week – here's why I'm excited (and you should be too)
THE HP Envy x360 16″ 2-in-1 comes to the party with all the features consumers actually want in a convertible: a gorgeous screen, beefy speakers, and a suite of hardware to back it up, resulting in solid performance and a satisfying multimedia experience to an average price.
Yes, a 16-inch screen is big when used as a tablet. A little heavy, even. The OLED screen on this laptop is so good that it doesn't matter to me. In fact, it could be bigger, and I would still happily carry it.
The Envy x360 features a 2.8K (2880 x 1800) resolution OLED touchscreen with a variable 120Hz refresh rate and edge-to-edge glass that results in a smooth viewing experience. silk. The 500 nits brightness is more than enough for normal use, and the glossy finish is gorgeous (though maybe not for everyone, since fingerprints are a thing).
Also: This Acer laptop has revolutionary media functionality, and it's priced just as well
Video playback is vibrant, smooth and sharp, with realistic color depth and contrast. HP is also touting the Envy x360 as an “IMAX certified” laptop, one of the first of its kind. It earned this certification for its ability to display IMAX content in its original aspect ratio of 1.43:1 or 1.90:1. Although it's a flashy designation, this is a laptop we're talking about here; it's still a 16-inch screen. But it looks good – I’ll give it that.
The audio is also decent. Although it may appear that the two vents on either side of the keyboard are speakers, the sound actually comes from the dual DTS:X ultra bar-shaped speakers on the back of the device. There's not much bass, but mid-range audio and dialogue sounded clear and crisp and held up well when I played Netflix in a noisy kitchen.
The previously mentioned vents on either side of the keyboard actually serve to expel heat, which is what my colleague said. Cesar Cadenas I will appreciate it, because this is a laptop that you can actually work with on your lap without burning your legs to the first degree.
Hardware-wise, the Envy x360 is positioned just below the HP Specter laptop line to deliver excellent performance that meets the needs of most users. We examined the Spectrum 2024 x360 earlier this year and found out it has truly next-gen hardware with the cutting-edge “Meteor Lake” AI processor, but it will cost you hundreds of dollars more.
The Envy x360, however, comes with an integrated AMD Radeon GPU which, when paired with the AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor, can perform graphics and CPU-intensive tasks well. This fits the target demographic of independent creators and consumers, allowing visual applications like DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Photoshop to work smoothly, keeping an eye on Generative AI abilities.
I found battery life to be better than average – especially for an OLED-equipped laptop – thanks to efficiency gains from the Ryzen 7 8840HS processor. With only intermittent use, the laptop lasted me several days, while sustained activity provided more than 10 hours of battery life, more or less equivalent to what is advertised. Even better is the quick charge feature, which I found even faster than HP's 50% in 45 minutes.
Also: I tested Lenovo's dual-screen laptop and it significantly improved my productivity
The 2-in-1 form factor requires a certain degree of physical strength, and its hinge-style design (which is almost identical to that of the Lenovo 7i 2-in-1) supports a sturdy construction that's up to the task. It has minimal screen wobble, but enough resistance to stay in place like a touchscreen.
That said, it's not a particularly light laptop, weighing in at around four pounds, with most of that weight coming from the 16-inch OLED. Despite its weight, it's very thin – just 0.72 inches – making it a laptop that still feels portable enough.
The port selection on the Envy x360 2024 will also be sufficient for most users, with two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an HDMI port. The keyboard is particularly unique: the keys are large and chunky, matte gray in color, with oversized letters in a distinct sans-serif font. It looks good but lacks a number pad on the right side, which I prefer to have on a laptop, especially one of this size.
Also: HP's new Specter x360 is already one of my favorite laptops of the year. here's why
If you can't already tell, I'm a big fan of the Envy x360, and out of all the 2-in-1 laptops I've tested, I like this one the best. My main criticism of this laptop is the bugs that can occur when switching between different orientations. Switching from a tablet to a laptop may result in delayed or buggy keyboard response, and the screen orientation may stay in one position or another, requiring deliberate repositioning of the laptop to reset the internal gyroscope .
These issues are prevalent across all 2-in-1 laptops I've tested and are (usually) intermittent enough to not cause problems – but at times, dealing with non-working hardware can be frustrating , and you should keep this in mind. .
ZDNET's purchasing advice
THE HP Envy x360 16 (2024) It's well priced for an upper mid-tier device with a gorgeous screen and solid performance. Creators will love this laptop's flexible form factor and impressive battery life. After using it for a few weeks, I can say that it's hands down my favorite big-screen 2-in-1, despite its quirks. This is a laptop for work as well as entertainment, and if you're looking for a 2-in-1 laptop, you should consider the Envy x360.
If you're looking for a smaller option, consider HP Specter x360 2024, which has a 14-inch screen. For something more adventurous, check out the Lenovo Yoga Book 9iwhich has two screens.