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HP’s new Envy x360 14 looks like a killer value for what you get

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HP’s Envy line is an interesting mix of midrange pricing and premium design. It sits between the budget-oriented Pavilion and the ultra-premium Spectre, offering some of the best attributes of both. This year’s upgrades introduced to the Envy x360 convertible 2-in-1 lineup include a very affordable Envy x360 14 and an Envy x360 15.6 that offers the first IMAX-certified multimedia experience.

Starting at just $850, the Envy x360 14 might be the most interesting of the three new machines, which also include the Envy x360 17.3. Its combination of design, components, and likely build quality make it a compelling budget option. And media consumers will appreciate the upgraded experience offered by the Envy x360 15.6.

Envy x360 14

HP Envy x360 14 media mode view showing display and pen.
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Available today, the Envy x360 14 checks some of the right boxes for a modern near-budget laptop, and starts at $850 with a maximum price of $1,110.It offers 13th-gen Intel Core CPUs, including the 15-watt Core i7-1355U and Core i5-1335U with 10 cores (two Performance and eight Efficient) and 12 threads running at different Max Turbo frequencies, up to 16GB of DDR4-3200 RAM, and up to a 1TB PCIe SSD.

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The only display option is a bit disappointing: an old-school 14-inch 16:9 Full HD (1,920 x 1080) IPS panel with an 87.6% screen-to-body ratio. That’s an increase in size, but a drop in quality from the 13.3-inch 2.8K OLED display in the previous generation.

Other notable changes include a 5MP webcam with HP’s 2nd-gen HP Presence 2.0 software, the switch from an electronically controlled physical webcam shutter to a manual slider, and a fingerprint reader replacing the IR camera for Windows 11 Hello support. The laptop has gained more sustainability with the use of additional recycled materials. It retains a stamped all-aluminum chassis and lid for durability. All of the new Envy x360 models incorporate HP’s user-presence technology that will lock the laptop when the user walks away and wake it up and log back in when the user returns.

The laptop is a bit thick at 0.75 inches and reasonably light at 3.3 pounds. Connectivity will include a USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4, USB-A, and HDMI ports with a microSD card reader and 3.5mm audio jack. The Envy x360 14 will pack in a 43 watt-hour battery for up to 12.5 hours of video playback. And all of the machines will include an HP USB-C rechargeable MPP2.0 Tilt Pen for Windows 11 Ink support.

Envy x360 15.6

HP Envy x360 15.6 media mode showing display and pen.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Envy x360 15.6 will start at $950 when it’s introduced later in April 2023. It will offer a choice of Intel and AMD versions, with the Intel models featuring either the Core i5-1335U or Core i7-1355U, up to 16GB of LPDDR5-5200 RAM, up to a 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD, and up to an Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU. Intel model display options will include a 15.6-inch 16:9 Full HD OLED display or one of two IPS displays with either 400 or 250 nits of brightness.

The OLED model will incorporate Imax Enhanced certification, including an exclusive Expanded Aspect Ratio on select movies, a unique version of DTS:X audio, and exclusive, digitally remastered HDR content. HP didn’t explain what exactly this Imax certification means or how it’s tested.

The AMD models will offer a choice between AMD Ryzen 7 7730U 8-core/16-thread and Ryzen 5 7530U 6-core/12-thread CPUs, AMD Radeon graphics, and the same RAM, storage, and display options as with the Intel version.

The Envy x360 15.6 will share the same webcam as the smaller model and also make the switch to a manual webcam shutter. The machine will be reasonably thin at 0.72 inches and weigh 4.13 pounds. A wide variety of ports will be available including USB-C (with Thunderbolt 4 on the Intel models), USB-A, HDMI, and an audio jack. A 55 watt-hour battery will provide up to 17 hours of video playback.

Envy x360 17.3

HP Envy x360 17.3 front view showing display and keyboard.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Envy x360 17.3 will be available in May 2023 at a starting price of $1,150. It will be more powerfully configured, with the choice of either the Core i7-1355U, the 45-watt 12-core/16-thread Core i5-13500H, and the 45-watt 14-core/16-thread Core i7-13700H CPUs. RAM can be configured up to 32GB of DDR4-3200 RAM and up to a 1GB PCIe SSD. Display options include a 17.3-inch 16:9 4K (3,840 x 2,160) IPS and a choice between touch and no-touch Full HD panels.

The battery will be the same size as on the Envy x360 15.6, reducing battery life to just 11.75 hours of video playback. Connectivity will be similar, with USB-C and Thunderbolt 4, USB-A, HDMI, and an audio port. The laptop will be 0.77 inches thick and weigh 5.5 pounds.

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Mark Coppock
Mark Coppock
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