HP at CES: More sleek new laptops and a huge curved all-in-one

With its Thunderbolt 3, sleek good looks, and solid keyboard the, 13-inch HP Spectre x360 was one of our favorite laptops of 2016. If that laptop didn't quite fit your needs, at CES today HP unveiled a couple of new systems that might.

First up we have a new 15-inch Spectre x360. The previous generation 15-inch x360 was simply a larger version of the 13-inch system. We liked it well enough, but felt that it didn't fully take advantage of its larger size. Just as HP reworked the 13-inch system for its Kaby Lake upgrade, it has done the same for the 15-inch version. The processor options still go as high as the dual core, four thread Kaby Lake 7th generation Core i7-7500U used in the 13-inch machine, but this time it's been paired with a discrete GPU: an Nvidia GeForce 940MX chip with 2GB DDR5.

This GPU is driving a 15.6-inch WLED-backlit 3840×2160 touchscreen. 16GB RAM, 256GB NVMe storage, 802.11ac, and a Thunderbolt 3 port round out the 4.4lb package. The battery has also gone up, from 64.5Wh to 79.2Wh. This does make the new system 0.4lb heavier than the old one and a hair thicker at 0.7 inches thick, but overall this looks like a healthy upgrade that takes advantage of the 15-inch form factor to deliver more performance, while still being a thin and light convertible/2-in-1.

Pre-orders start today with prices starting at $1,280/€1,599. Shipping starts in late January.

If you prefer the 13-inch size but want something a little more corporate than the Spectre, there's the EliteBook x360. This takes the same 13-inch convertible form factor but adds a fingerprint reader as well as facial recognition, a range of management features, and HP's self-repairing firmware, and it offers the option of integrated mobile broadband, HP's Sure View integrated privacy screens to discourage shoulder surfing, and an NFC reader. The port selection is a little more corporate/legacy focused, too; as well as a USB Type-C Thunderbolt 3 port and two USB 3.1 generation 1 ports, there's a full-size HDMI 1.4 port.

Processors go as high as the Kaby Lake i7-7600U, with up to 16GB RAM and up to 512GB NVMe storage. Both 1920×1080 and 3840×2160 13.2-inch touch screens are available, and the screen includes stylus support. The EliteBook x360 is ever so slightly thicker than the Spectre x360, at 0.59 inches but is a hair lighter at 2.82lb.

The EliteBook x360 should become available at the end of January with a starting price of €1,099.

The 27-inch Envy 27 All-in-One launched late last year is gaining a bigger brother: the curved screen 34-inch Envy All-in-One. This sports a 3440×1440 curved screen powered by a discrete AMD Radeon RX 460 with 4GB dedicated memory. Atop the screen is a Windows Hello-capable webcam. This system uses one of the new desktop-oriented Kaby Lake parts, offering up to a quad core Kaby Lake i7-7700T with 16GB RAM. Storage options include a 1TB spinning disk and 256GB NVMe SSD. Ports include gigabit Ethernet, an SD reader, HDMI in and out, 4 USB 3.1 generation 1 ports on the rear, and a Thunderbolt 3 USB Type-C port on the side.

The 34-inch Envy All-in-One goes on sale online on January 11, with prices starting at $1,730/€1,999.

If you like the look of the curved screen but don't want the computer to go with it, the Omen X 35 display may be of interest. It's a 3440×1440 curved 35-inch screen with a 100Hz refresh rate, support for Nvidia's proprietary G-Sync variable refresh rates, and a convenient hook to hang your headset on when you're not using it. It has DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 1.4 inputs and includes 3 USB 3.1 generation 1 ports.

The monitor goes on sale in March in the US and April in Europe for $1,300/€1,299.

Finally, HP has a new version of the unusual Sprout PC that it first launched in 2014. When the sprout was first introduced, with its integrated projector, touch mat, and 3D camera, HP didn't seem to have a good sense of how to position it or who to sell it to. Since then, the company has found niches in both the education and engineering spaces that take advantage of its diverse input and output options.

The new Sprout Pro G2 modernizes the system's internals: it has a quad core Kaby Lake i7-7700T, up to 16GB RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce GT 960M with 2GB memory. Storage comes from either a 1TB hybrid drive or a 512GB SATA SSD.

The point of this machine is really its I/O. It has a regular forward-facing 2MP webcam, a 14.6MP downward facing camera for scanning, a 1920×1080 projector that displays onto the 20 touch point touch mat, and a 23.8-inch 1920×1080 touch screen. It includes software to construct 3D scans of objects just by rotating them in your hand.

The system should go on sale in March.

Listing image by HP