The HP Spectre x2 (starts at $1,149.99; $1,299.99 as tested) is a high-end 2-in-1 detachable-hybrid tablet that has the power and screen quality to challenge similarly outfitted, higher-priced competitors like the Editors' Choice Microsoft Surface Pro. It's no secret that PC makers like Dell, HP, and Lenovo have tried to crib the design of the Surface Pro, and the Spectre x2 comes close to that benchmark. In the end, though, this Spectre is a welcome improvement over the 2015 iteration, rather than a game-changing laptop/tablet combo.
Distinctive Design
A magnetically attached keyboard cover, an active stylus, and an adjustable kickstand are common design elements in the current crop of 2-in-1s. The HP Spectre x2 differentiates itself, compared with its all-silver competition, with a darker charcoal gray side bezel and back panel with copper accents on its kickstand. The 12.3-inch, 3,000-by-2,000-resolution touch screen is housed in a 0.52-by-11.57-by-8.15-inch (HWD) chassis. That's less than an inch larger in each dimension than the Surface Pro, which has a 12.3-inch, 2,736-by-1,824 screen, but noticeable just the same. The tablet weighs 1.7 pounds alone, 2.5 pounds with the keyboard cover, and 2.54 pounds with the keyboard cover and pen. It's just a smidge heavier than the Surface Pro, but both Windows tablets are lighter than the Dell Latitude 5285 2-in-1 ($453.00 at Dell Technologies) .
Made for Creators Update
Microsoft Windows 10 Creators Update is aimed squarely at artists and other multimedia creators who would typically buy Macs. To that end, the Spectre x2 has some improvements addressing the needs of those users, primarily a seventh-generation Intel Core i7 processor with Iris Plus 640 graphics, similar to the Microsoft Surface Pro and the latest iteration of the Apple MacBook Pro. The Spectre x2's kickstand tilts down, but side by side, it's a few degrees short of the almost-horizontal Surface Pro. Even so, fully reclined it has enough tilt to make drawing or handwriting easy. The stand is U-shaped instead of being a solid plate of metal as on the Surface Pro and the Latitude 5285. At least there is one, unlike the Huawei MateBook E or the Samsung Galaxy Book, both of which require their folio keyboard covers to stand upright. It's also notable that the keyboard cover and pen are included; you need to shell out an extra $230 to get them with the Surface Pro.
HP Spectre x2 (2017) Review
Feels Good
Drawing on the screen using the HP Active Pen is easy and responsive, as is any interaction with the touch screen using a fingertip. The Pen doesn't have the shortcut button on its end (where the eraser would be on a pencil), though it has two function buttons on its side and a pocket clip. It works well with Windows Ink apps built into Windows 10, as well as graphics creation and illustration apps like Adobe Creative Cloud. The HP Pen is good, but the Surface Pen feels incrementally better while drawing and navigating in graphics programs. I recommend trying both pens out before making a purchase if you make your living creating art. The Pen can be stored in a fabric loop that is permanently attached to the keyboard cover.
Similar Products
Microsoft Surface Pro
Dell Latitude 5285 2-in-1
Lenovo Miix 510
HP Spectre x360 13 (2017)
Lenovo Yoga 910
Acer Aspire R 14
Asus Transformer Mini (T102HA-D4-GR)
HP EliteBook x360 1030 G2
Lenovo Yoga 710 (11")
Microsoft Surface Book (2016, Intel Core i7)
Asus Chromebook Flip (C302CA-DHM4)
Key travel on the keyboard cover is solid and feels excellent, and the aluminum face and strong magnetic connection help dampen almost all bounce when you're typing. I like it better than the one on the Surface Pro, though both are still less stable on my lap than a traditional clamshell. The one-piece touchpad is wide and located right where you expect it below the space bar. It responds reasonably well to inputs, though the ones on the Surface Pro and the Latitude 5285 seem slightly more responsive.
Sparse but Versatile Connectivity
Port selection is limited, but adequate, with two USB-C ports, one on either side of the tablet. The system comes with a USB-C-to-USB-Type-A adapter, so you can use accessories like USB 3.0 hard drives and mice. That's slightly better connectivity compared with the Surface Pro, which only has a USB 3.0 port and a mini-DisplayPort, lacking USB-C. The Huawei MateBook E only has one USB-C port, putting it at a distinct disadvantage if you want to connect an external SSD and charge the tablet simultaneously. The Dell Latitude 5285 is the most connected of this lot, with a USB 3.0 port and two USB-C ports. The Spectre x2 also has a headset jack on the left, near a microSD slot. Like a SIM card slot, you'll need a pin-shaped ejector to access the microSD card tray, which is a lot less convenient than the open microSD slot behind the Surface Pro's kickstand.
The front-facing Bang & Olufsen speakers fill a medium-sized room with sound. I couldn't detect any distortion when listening to both music and movie trailers, even at top volume. Bluetooth 4.2 and 802.11ac Wi-Fi handle wireless connections. HP offers a one-year warranty with the Spectre x2.
Many Configuration Options
The $1,149 base model comes with an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of memory, and a 128GB SSD. The top $1,969 model comes with a Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. My $1,299 test unit resides right in the middle, with a Core i7-7560U processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 360GB SSD. That's a slightly higher-capacity SSD than the one on the Latitude 5285 (256GB) we reviewed, but less than the Surface Pro (512GB). Both of the latter have 16GB of RAM. The MateBook E we reviewed has 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, putting it to the back of the pack on memory and storage. We consider 8GB of RAM to be sufficient for most day-to-day multitasking, though digital artists will want double that. One nit of note is that the Spectre x2 spun up its fans while running some of our more demanding benchmark tests below, something that rarely happened on the Surface Pro, which is almost as quiet as the fanless Huawei MateBook E and the previous version of the Spectre x2.
Decent Power, Mediocre Battery Life
The Core i7 chip in this configuation comes with Intel Iris Plus 640 integrated graphics. It returned better-than-average scores on the PCMark 8 Work Conventional test (2,865 points) as well as the Handbrake (2:17), Cinebench (343 points), and Photoshop (3:52) tests. These scores are ahead of the 2015 iteration of the Spectre x2 and the Huawei MateBook E, both of which have Y-series processors, which trade multimedia performance for lower power consumption. That said, the slightly more powerful Core i7 processors in the Dell Latitude 5385 and the Surface Pro are the reason the latter two tablets led our performance tests overall. Light to moderate 3D gaming is possible on the Surface Pro, but the Spectre x2 and the other tablets here stop short of our 30 frames per second threshold for smooth gaming.
Battery life was somewhat disappointing, with the Spectre x2 lasting only 8 hours, 45 minutes bwtween charges. While that certainly qualifies as all-day computing, it pales in comparison to the Surface Pro (13:54) and the Samsung Galaxy Book (14:06). Only the Huawei MateBook E (8:26) did worse. That doesn't sound like it's too bad on paper, but anytime you're connected to a charger, 2-in-1s like this become less mobile and more inconvenient.
Not the Best You Can Get, but Worth a Look
The newest iteration of the HP Spectre x2 is certainly an improvement, and it is a relative bargain at its $1,299 price. That's especially true considering its stable keyboard cover and Active Pen are included, helping to avoid that $230 upcharge with the Microsoft Surface Pro. However, as tested, the Dell Latitude 5285 and the Surface Pro are both better-equipped, faster, and have many more hours of battery life than the HP tablet. Though pricier, the Surface Pro is the best choice overall among 2-in-1 detachable-hybrid tablets.
With its subtle design improvements and good value proposition, the HP Spectre x2 is a good, if not revolutionary, update to this line of 2-in-1 detachable-hybrid tablets.
Like What You're Reading?
Sign up for Lab Report to get the latest reviews and top product advice delivered right to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up!
Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!
Sign up for other newsletters
