'Back to School' Starts Early With New HP Envy, Pavilion Laptops

HP is out of the gate early with an updated set of back-to-school Pavilion x360 convertible laptops, and a more premium model called the Envy x360.

Rounding out the announcements are a trio of new HP Pavilion laptops that have been redesigned to fit students' needs. Maybe the laptop that got them through middle school is cracked in three places, or maybe your not-so-little treasure is going to college this September. Either way, HP has a few portable computers that could fit the bill.

Entertainment is important to HP, so it has partnered Bang and Olufsen for audio tuning and help with acoustic design for future products. This replaces the now-defunct deal between HP and Beats Audio, which is now a division of Apple. New Pavilion and Envy systems feature either B&O Play or Bang and Olufsen premium branding and audio enhancements.

HP's Pavilion x360 started as an 11-inch convertible hybrid laptop with a 360-degree hinge that lets you use the system in four modes: as a traditional clamshell laptop, Stand mode (now called Entertainment mode) for video chatting and movie watching, tent mode for sedentary touch sessions, and tablet mode for mobile touch sessions.

The 11-inch is fully updated with an IPS display, a fanless Pentium or Core M processor, and more color choices. It's joined by a 13-inch, Intel Core i5 model that can be equipped with an optional Full HD (1,920-by-1,080 resolution) IPS display. Claimed battery life is up to 8:15 for the 11-inch and 10:45 for the 13-inch. Both come with the geared hinge seen in the HP Spectre x360, giving the HP x360 line a sturdier rotation than rivals.

The 11- and 13-inch HP Pavilion x360 models will be available May 13 on HP's shopping site and June 21 at selected retailers. The Pavilion x360 11-inch with Pentium processor starts at $409.99, while the Core i3 13-inch model is $529.99.

The HP Envy x360 slots in between the Pavilion and Spectre lines, and features an aluminum top lid and keyboard deck. This 15-inch convertible hybrid laptop has options for HD (1,366 by 768) or full HD IPS touch screens, and can be ordered with a fifth-generation Core i5 or i7 processor. The new Envy x360 features Bang and Olufsen premium audio and discrete graphics for a better entertainment experience. Memory is improved up to 16GB, while buyers can select either a 1TB hard drive or 256GB SSD storage. Battery life should last about 8:45.

Envy x360 will be available June 18 on HP's site, and June 21 on other retail sites. The Envy x360 ranges from $679.99 with a Core i5 processor and HD screen, up to $899.99 with a Core i7 CPU and full HD screen.

A full range of HP Pavilion laptops is next, including new 14-, 15-, and 17-inch models. These traditional clamshell laptops will be available in seven colors, including Blizzard White, Peachy Pink, and Violet Purple.

The Pavilions have a new plastic unibody chassis, reducing seams and increasing durability. There's a new gradient finish to the keyboard deck, and now you'll have the option of a backlit keyboard. Optical drives return, for those users who still need to rip their CD collection. Removable batteries are another welcome old-school feature on laptops that you may hold on to for another five to seven years.

AMD and Intel processors are available, as are optional discrete graphics. Users can configure up to 16GB of memory, and up to 2TB of hard drive space. HD and full-HD touch and non-touch screens are available for all three screen sizes, which gives you the maximum flexibility without having to worry about buying the larger screen size to get touch and/or full HD.

Pavilion laptops will be available on May 13 (HP) and June 21 (retail) for a range of prices. The 17-inch with Pentium processor will start at $479.99, and the 15-inch with AMD A10 processor and touch screen at $629.