HP has taken the wraps off several newly upgraded laptops and hybrids at the Cannes Film Festival, and looks to be appealing to media creators and students with its latest offerings.
Firstly, the company introduced a new version of its tablet hybrid in the form of an upgraded Spectre x2, which now comes in just one model and takes much of its design cues from the high-end Spectre laptops.
The Spectre x2 will go on sale in June for $999 (about £769) and comes with a screen very similar to Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4, featuring a 3000 x 2000 resolution touch display in a 3:2 aspect ratio.
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It’s also been upgraded with the ability to support up to Core i7 chips, and will pack 8GB of RAM along with a 360GB PCIe SSD and Intel Iris Plus 650 graphics.
The upgraded processor shouldn’t impact battery life, either, with HP claiming the x2 will manage to last eight hours on a single charge.
And finally, you’ll be pleased to hear HP has added a new kickstand mechanism that uses magnets and allows users to adjust the angle of the device’s screen by simply pushing the kickstand rather than holding down a latch to unlock it.
Elsewhere, HP also debuted upgraded versions of its 13 and 17-inch Envy laptops, with various design tweaks and new internals provided.
The new laptops both pack a Full HD display, come in a “silk gold” finish, and feature a more angular hinge design.
HP has also designed the laptops with keys that extend to nearly the full width of the keyboard deck, moving the speakers to the top of the keyboard itself and leaving more room for the expanded keyboard space.
You’ll also have the option of adding a separate HP Secure Pad that features an embeded fingerprint sensor in the trackpad.
Those opting for the 13-inch Envy model will benefit from a 128GB M.2 SSD and 8GB of RAM, along with a current generation Intel Core i5 chip.
HP has also thankfully added a couple of USB Type-C ports, along with two USB 3.1 connections on a frame that measures just 5.5mm thick.
The Envy 13 is said to offer up to 14 hours of charge with mixed use and will go on sale in June for $1,049 (about £805).
If you go for the 17-inch model, you’ll be getting multitouch support on the display, along with a 1TB, 7,200 rpm HDD and 16GB of RAM.
The Envy 17 is going for slightly less than its 13-inch counterpart at $999, which works out to about £769, and will also be available in June.
And finally, the new Envy x360 convertible is a 15.6-inch hybrid starting at $899 (about £690) that looks to be aimed at students.
The newly updated x360 comes in a newer “ash silver” finish and comes with an N-Trig stylus for use with the Full HD touch display.
Processor wise, you’ll get a choice between an Intel Core i5 or i7 or an AMD A9, A12, or FX, along with either 12 or 16GB of RAM and a 1TB HDD at 7,200 rpm.
The x360 also arrives in June, and brings with it two USB 3.1 ports, an HDMI port, and an extra USB Type-C port for added future-proofing.
Let us know what you think of the new models in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
