Verdict
The HP Spectre Fold is the most refined foldaway laptop yet , and you still should n’t purchase it . With a stunning 17 - in display crammed into a compact form constituent , it ’s a wondrous piece of design . However , the keyboard and pen experience does n’t match up with the high cost ticket . HP has done a enormous job , but foldaway information processing system are still years off the mainstream .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Foldable laptops are still a nascent technology and lag years behind foldable phone . But the HP Spectre Fold feels like the dawn of a 2nd wave of these devices .
HP has sat in wait as Lenovo and Asus made their first whole step into the foldaway laptop grocery . Both those devices total with a in high spirits price while still feeling like a conception . The HP Spectre Fold was revealed and it seemed like it had build on these idea for good and for bad .
The HP Spectre Fold look far more like a traditional laptop than its key rivals but that has also brought about a stunningly gamy £ 5000/$5000 . That price will put it out of the stretch of many and keep it from being up for serious consideration . But , the stone’s throw forward it mark is intriguing nonetheless .
Design and Keyboard
If you ’ve put down your eyes on theLenovo ThinkPad X1 FoldandAsus Zenbook 17 Fold OLEDbefore seeing the fresh HP , its looks will immediately strike you . When close , the HP Spectre Fold bet like your typical high-pitched - oddment productiveness laptop – it ’s just a trivial thick and , when you beak it up , quite a bit heavier . It ’s grievous because HP has manage to pack a 17 - in pen up presentation into this 13 - inch laptop computer form factor . It come in in at a 1.62 kg weight , 8.5 mm ( unfolded ) and 21.4 mm ( close down ) .
This cramming on a big display in a small fashionable design is , by far , the corking accomplishment of the HP Spectre Fold . The design of the Asus and Lenovo made unmortgaged these were first - coevals gadget but the HP can well dissipate you in that respect .
However , it is n’t all rosy for the quality of the HP Spectre Fold , specially at its super high cost point . It may extend less chunky and more modernistic - looking bezels than its contender but , when I used them to hold the gimmick , there was plenty of flex and the rum creaking .
The keyboard accessory bring a similar issue too . Like the Zenbook 17 Fold OLED , it wields a simulated leather shroud on the top and bottom . And , like the Asus , it extends slightly too far over the border of the plastic it sits on top of , invite wear and feeling like it lacks the precision you ’d expect when spending this much money . If folding laptops are go to continue to cost several grand , they are going to have to use quality and rich materials throughout .
My experience using the keyboard and trackpad combo day - to - day was a strong one though . The keys propose a pleasing amount of travelling , if a little empty due to a want of crunchy feedback .
The trackpad is , unfortunately , a lilliputian small but it works well . This add-on offers an extremely chic lineament - of - life-time feature of speech too . Housed in the bottom half of the Spectre Fold is the capability for wireless charging , meaning the machine keeps the keyboard appurtenance appoint up when attached . A handy lineament that gives you one less thing to care about .
There ’s also a stylus , which will be keep charge when attached to the side of the keyboard . Both HP and Lenovo are keen to tout the purpose of a stylus with their foldable offerings but I just do n’t see it . The stylus is perfectly antiphonal and pleasant to wield but writing on a glossy , pliant video display just does n’t feel intuitive . And , even if it might be unjustified , I was always implicated I ’d damage the panel .
The ports on offer with the Spectre Fold are rather dismal , likely owe to its thin chassis . You get twoThunderbolt 4ports and that is your lot . In terms of other buttons though , you do get useful volume buttons and a webcam privateness switch . The webcam itself is a solid 5MP IR offering , mean you get suitable , if underwhelming point , and documentation for Windows Hello grimace login .
On the HP Spectre Fold ware page , the company is not bad to brag its sustainability chops but it does n’t tender the cleanest description of how cloth are used . Here ’s what it says the product features :
“ Approx . 50 % recycled plastics , included in the following personal computer factor : speaker box , bottom binding , bezel and keyboard keycaps . Keyboard keycaps are 50 % water - based paint . 45%PCR+5 % OBP plastic used in speaker enclosure . 90%PIRmetal in keyboard skeletal system and metal covering . 90 % recycle metallic element in flexible joint bar . Packaging tabu box is 100 % made from sustainably source indorse and recycled fibers . ”
A more consumer - friendly display would be welcome but it ’s good to see the product itself contain a grasp of sustainable materials no matter .
Display and Sound
The HP Spectre Fold shares many specifications with the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED and one of them is the large 17 - inch OLED showing you get when to the full unfolded .
The bad 2.5 potassium presentation is great for watching movies or sports as well as streaming games and more . It also service productivity users well , offering a great canvas for having multiple windows undefendable . It ’d impact the portability but give that 17 - inch , and even 18 - column inch , regular clamshell laptop do exist , I was left craving an even bigger panel . But 17 - inch will be plenty for many , especially those used to a 13 - in design .
HP is smashing to deal the adaptability of this fold up display but I ’m unconvinced by two out of the four way of offering . There ’s the bounteous 17 - column inch mode , where the gadget practice a work up - in stand , and you may use the keyboard accessory – or peripheral gadget of your choosing – in a detached fashion .
That ’s the first utilitarian mode then the 2nd is the laptop - like musical mode , where you put the keyboard on the bottom one-half of the show and get something that execute like a 12.3 - inch traditional clamshell . When turn up out , you’re able to choose to pick it up and utilise it as a humongous tablet too , or lay it vapid on a tabular array , with a touchscreen significance you’re able to sail comfortably with your fingers . Just do n’t bother using the unsatisfying touchscreen keyboard . Both these modes wreak great , with both allowing you to accommodate to your workspace and surround .
But , then , the HP Spectre Fold bid up something the society called a one - and - a - half video display mode . you’re able to move the keyboard down the bottom half of the display a tad , and it smartly has a crease so the trackpad component neatly rests on your open . The additional half of the display you get just is n’t enough to sport anything useful . I assay to use it for a small cubby hole for a video or music player to run while I work but the space is just too hamper .
The quad also is n’t treated as a second display , meaning you ca n’t make YouTube go into full - sieve mode in the area to fully apply the area . The other mode I do n’t think is worth much attention is having the equipment sitting turn up , like a laptop , and bringing your keyboard off the equipment to the front . It offers a tall canvass to play on but the bottom constituent being savorless on your table makes it awkward to use for anything but quick referencing .
Being an OLED , you ’d expect a top performer in terms of colour accuracy and that ’s just what I measure . This control board provides 100%sRGB , 91%AdobeRGBand 100%DCI - P3 . There ’s a slightly cool color temperature 6,500 KiB alongside immense contrast since OLED pixels can be turned off to represent black . It gets suitably bright too , at a level best of 392.1 nits .
HP has n’t shirked on speaker quality on this pricy twist , putting it in the top grade of laptop speakers . It is n’t perfect and lack the bass to take on theMacBookrange but the quad talker scheme is delightfully precise across high and first . It ’s only let down by some torture when you labour the Spectre Fold to its highest loudness .
Performance
Throughout my prison term using the HP Spectre Fold , it performed justly up to what I ’d expect for a laptop handle a twelfth Gen Intel Core i7 U - series chip and 16GBRAM .
It ’s a compounding build for hatful of productiveness and multi - tasking , which it duly provides . I never find retardation , even when having various productivity and medium apps open , include upwards of 25 yellow journalism in Google Chrome . However , the fans were on a regular basis draw to keep the temperature reduction of this political machine in check , so you wo n’t be make a whisper - dumb machine here – even if they never got annoyingly loud .
Given the HP Spectre Fold ’s eminent price , it ’s always going to be arduous to debate that it take a crap upright value for money and how it compares with rival gimmick backs this up . Despite maintain extremely similar specs to the Asus Zenbook Fold 17 organic light-emitting diode , that twist costs half the damage and comfortably performed better across our GeekbenchCPUtesting and PCMark holistic productiveness bench mark .
The SSD carrying out of this folding automobile keeps up with its high - end nature , come in at 6,519.50MB / s show and 4,464.85MB / s write . Though , again , it does light slightly foul of the Asus . Nevertheless , those musical score are unassailable enough to set aside for rapid file transference and installs .
Software
When it do to using foldable devices in different “ modes ” , the computer software has yet to justify them . As I name in the display section , the layout of the HP Spectre Fold does n’t adapt all that well to the way that attempt to depart from just being a traditional display . It ’s scream out for a mode or software package that enables you to use parts of this exhibit as a second screen .
Nevertheless , HP does admit Snap Windows which helps you to arrange your window , whatever fashion you are in . This works well in the two modes I mentioned as being less useful – when the equipment is folded in laptop fashion with the keyboard place halfway down or removed whole . That ’s because , in steady laptop computer way or with the display full unfolded , Windows own Snap features do much of the same line of work . in the other way , HP needs to step in to know what ’s happening . But , that does mean you ’re often presented with HP’sSnap Windowsand Windows own Snap solution – and that ’s a little gawky .
HP is a bit excessively keen when it comes to pre - uninstalled apps . You are slapped with McAfee , which you ’ll have to get rid of if you ’re not a devotee , along with apps dedicated to “ Adobe offers ” and “ Dropbox promotion ” .
Then , there ’s HP Smart for helping to manage your HP printers . The rest of the HP first - company apps let in HP Documentation , HP Support Assistant , the OMEN Gaming Hub and HP PC Hardware Diagnostics . The latter is dainty to have , for easily monitoring your twist ’s health and tweaking some configurations , but the rest should be left for you to install when you need them . And , you certainly won’tneedthe Gaming Hub on this machine .
Battery Life
Battery life is an sphere where the HP Spectre Fold destroys its Zenbook 17 Fold OLED rival . In our battery benchmarking test , it mark an telling result of just under 13 60 minutes . The Asus only managed around 6 hour .
As such , you ’ll comfortably get through a workday with this auto , even when working intensively . If you ’re only using it gently , this could last you well into a second solar day .
The large 94.3Wh battery cell can be speedily top back up to 100 % in around an hour and a half , meaning you’re able to get a substantial hike from a quick charge whenever to do finally get along close to being caught inadequate .
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Should you buy it?
The HP Spectre Fold is so clearly not made for the mainstream and I ’ll be stunned to ever see one out in the state of nature . But , if you ’ve have the cash , only have productivity or media consumption ask as well as really really wanted a large display in a compact design , then it wo n’t let down you .
The HP Spectre Fold just does n’t correspond good note value for money . You could purchase a dear 13 - inch laptop and a full 17 - in laptop for less than the price of this machine .
Final Thoughts
The HP Spectre Fold is a step forward in foldaway laptop design , well outshining theLenovo ThinkPad X1 FoldandAsus Zenbook 17 Fold organic light-emitting diode . It ’s the first foldable laptop that does n’t still feel like a piece of concept hardware .
However , when it come to introduce in terminus of software , there is much to be desired . This does n’t do anything a even laptop ca n’t . The independent rationality to buy this equipment is to be able-bodied to carry a magnanimous 17 - column inch OLED panel around in an unassumingly - sized bag . And , thatwillappeal to many .
Any positives of the HP Spectre Fold are largely wiped out by its stunning £ 5,000/$5,000 price . That price ruins it as a logical suggestion for most laptop computer buyer , peculiarly when it does n’t offer powerful performance . This gimmick is moves folding laptop computer onwards , but they wo n’t go mainstream until they get lean , light-colored , cheaper and offer something more than bog - standard productivity capabilities .
If you ’re looking for a big yet lightweight laptop computer , consider theAcer Swift Edge 16 . Or , if high - end design is your thing , then theMacBook Airrange propose a sleek and brawny choice . For a survival of other cream , check out ourbest laptopsguide .
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Every laptop computer we look back goes through a serial of consistent check mark design to gauge key things including build calibre , performance , screen tone and stamp battery life .
These include formal synthetical bench mark and written test , plus a series of veridical universe checks .
FAQs
A foldable laptop computer is a personal computer that offers a folding grapple form factor but , instead of hold a keyboard and trackpad on its bottom half , has a covert that traverse the whole front of the equipment . Released models thus far have sport a separate Bluetooth keyboard and trackpad solution .
The HP Spectre Fold costs £ 5,000/$5,000 while the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold organic light-emitting diode can now be bought for less than £ 2,500/$2,500 . As such , the cost will probably be the key constituent . But , the HP offer a much more modern and elegant design .
Test Data
Full Specs
