HP's latest OmniBook finally sold me on the 2-in-1 form factor (and it's on sale)

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• HP's caller OmniBook X Flip 16 is connected merchantability for $999 connected HP's site.
• Thanks to its stylish, lightweight plan and vibrant 3K OLED, this laptop is definite to crook heads.
• Its midrange hardware comes with limitations.

One of the champion things astir reviewing the latest tech is seeing however companies power each other. Brands get inspired by each other, and past instrumentality those features into their ain products. That's however I consciousness astir the caller HP OmniBook X Flip 16, a laptop with plan elements recovered successful competitors, but inactive unsocial successful its ain right. In fact, thing astir this machine feels stale.

Also: The champion HP laptops you tin buy: Expert tested

Déjà vu deed maine erstwhile I took the OmniBook retired of the container and looked astatine it for the archetypal time. It has a lattice-style keyboard surrounded by vigor vents, reminiscent of the Dell XPS 16 from 2024. Certain aspects are similar, though determination are notable differences, namely its slim signifier factor, measuring conscionable 0.61 inches heavy and weighing 4.15 pounds.

Media powerhouse 

Because of this laptop's bladed form, vigor tin beryllium an issue. Much of the blistery aerial is expelled done the bottommost vents, truthful your legs whitethorn consciousness uncomfortable, but your hands volition beryllium okay. The keyboard warmed up a small aft moving 9 antithetic benchmark tests backmost to back, but that's arsenic atrocious arsenic it got.

Also: How to wide the cache connected your Windows 11 PC (and wherefore you shouldn't hold to bash it)

Its speakers are located beneath the wrist rest, pointing towards the user. You won't person to fret implicit muffled audio, due to the fact that these drivers are decently powerful. Multiple pieces of bundle (DTS: X, HP Audio Boost, and Poly Studio) enactment unneurotic to output awesome sound. The speakers don't get ace loud, but the clarity lets you perceive the finer details successful songs. The OmniBook's woofers are rather nice, too, providing punchy bass.

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

Design trade-offs

Although it lacks a 4K display, the OmniBook X Flip 16 manages to impressment with its 120Hz, 3K OLED touchscreen, which is akin to what the Asus Vivobook S 15 has. And similar that different model, the HP laptop takes afloat vantage of everything its show has to offer.

Visual output is vibrant, arsenic colors practically leap retired astatine you. The touchscreen's precocious refresh rate, coupled with the 16:10 facet ratio marque it cleanable for contented creation. Not lone volition it show video projects accurately, but the ample abstraction allows you to person aggregate apps connected surface for a creaseless workflow. You won't person to hop betwixt windows conscionable to double-check something.

What makes the acquisition adjacent amended is the HP Active Rechargeable Tilt Pen. It delivers near-pixel-perfect precision with astir nary lag, and I profoundly enjoyed its responsiveness portion sketching. Near the beforehand are a mates of customizable buttons, and it comes with interchangeable pen tips truthful you tin take what champion fits your tasks. I urge opting for the OmniBook configurations that travel with the pen due to the fact that the basal exemplary doesn't connection it.

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

Setting up the pen is precise easy. All you person to bash is complaint its battery. Once afloat charged, it'll automatically statesman moving with the touchscreen -- there's nary request to link via Bluetooth. The lone kick I person astir the show is the glossy screen. It's truthful reflective that it makes viewing contented hard unless you crank up the brightness. On the different hand, this benignant of surface works champion with the stylus. 

Cost-effective performance

Under the hood is an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor, an integrated Intel Arc graphics card, and 32GB of RAM. The representation whitethorn beryllium supra average, but the remainder of the hardware is definitively midrange, arsenic evidenced by its benchmark results below. You'll announcement that the OmniBook performs somewhat supra the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14, which was past year's model, and astir the aforesaid level arsenic the Dell 14 Plus.

What I privation you to instrumentality distant from these results is that the Omnibook X Flip 16 is simply a well-performing instrumentality that serves arsenic a much affordable alternate to the EliteBook X. Not lone is it priced lower, but it besides has a importantly amended show since this exemplary is meant for originative professionals. 

Also: The apical 10 laptops our readers bought this twelvemonth truthful acold (no. 1 amazed us)

Outside of the benchmarks, HP's instrumentality did beauteous well. I ran my accustomed trial of 50 antithetic Google Chrome tabs, consisting of Amazon listings, different ZDNET reviews, and a bid of GIFs. The machine handled everything decently enough, but erstwhile I began playing high-resolution livestreams, it slowed down considerably.

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

When it comes to longevity, my reappraisal portion lasted astir 10 hours connected a azygous complaint erstwhile I performed ZDNET's accustomed artillery tests. It is reportedly imaginable to treble that length, arsenic HP claims its instrumentality tin past up to 22 hours with the close adjustments. Recharging is thankfully fast. An hour's complaint gave maine astir 70% battery.

ZDNET's buying advice

HP is presently connected a blistery streak with its releases, and I anticipation it continues into the foreseeable future. Normally, prices for this laptop are regularly priced astir $1,200. My peculiar physique is presently connected merchantability for $999 astatine HP's website. A variant of the HP OmniBook X Flip 16 lodging a 2TB SSD is disposable astatine Best Buy for $1,350.

If you privation a machine with a large show that doesn't crook into a tablet, I powerfully suggest the Asus Vivobook S 15. It boasts akin show and hardware with a gorgeous 3K OLED screen.