HP’s nearly-perfect Spectre x360 (2016) is now available in new configurations that support an active pen and, optionally, a 4K/UHD display.
As you may recall, I described the 2016 version of the HP Spectre x360 as “a nearly-perfect convertible PC”, and a nice improvement over its predecessor, thanks to its thinner, smaller, and lighter form factor, excellent battery life, and more modern specs. “The 2016 HP Spectre x360 is a PC I would buy with my own money, as I did with the previous-generation version,” I wrote in December. “It is therefore highly recommended.”
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However, the original shipping versions of the 2016 Spectre x360 was missing a few features enjoyed by owners of the previous generation versions. It didn’t support an active pen, which could be useful for those wishing to use the device in tablet mode. And it lacked higher resolution screen options, like Quad HD and 4K/UHD.
I knew both would become available sometime in 2017, but that time has arrived more quickly than expected.
As you may know, HP laptops are available from a variety of retailers, but the two best sources are HP directly, from its website, and Best Buy. In fact, HP often makes specific models—and in some cases, even specific products—available specifically for Best Buy. There are a variety of reasons for this, but the short version is that Best Buy doesn’t offer customizable PC builds, but rather specific configurations. So HP works to optimize those configurations for the retailer.
In any event, there are now three new HP Spectre x360 (2016) models available at Best Buy. They are:
It is perhaps curious that the 4K/UHD version of this device—which provides a 3840 x 2160 display and a nicer dark ash silver coloring—is $100 less expensive than the otherwise comparable version with a Full HD (1920 x 1080) display. The latter, certainly, will deliver better battery life.
All three models include HP’s active pen.