Review Of The New HP Chromebook x2 : A Strong Contender

The Hp Chromebook x2 is a great laptop with an impressive display and a comfortable keyboard to type on. It also features a fabulous design -- lightweight and thin, responsive to stylus and touch and also perceptive to orientation. Not just that, it also has a keyboard and a stylus which are not packed in most of the premium hybrids.

The Hp Chromebook x2: Accessories

Coming with a price tag of $599 (Rs. 43,000), the Hp x2 is a strong contender to the Pixel Slate of Google, which also runs the Google’s Chrome OS and is priced at $599 for the base variant. But the Google’s Chromebook doesn’t have two essential accessories: Style and keyboard like the Hp ones, instead, Google charges $199 for the keyboard and $99 for the Pixel stylus which will boost the device’s price tag all the way to $899 (Rs. 64,500).

Similar to Google’s Pixel Slate, the $899 Surface Pro 6 of Microsoft and $799 iPad Pro’s 12.9-inch model also have the same problem. Buying the keyboard and stylus can cost you a few hundreds more.

The Hp Chromebook x2: Fast, straightforward, and simple

The specifications of the x2 are not really impressive in comparison with those devices as mentioned above, except for the Pixel Slate’s base variant, which only comes with a Celeron CPU. Meanwhile, the HP device has an Intel Core m3-7Y30 processor along with 4GB RAM and only 32GB storage.

The base variant of the Pixel Slate only sports a Celeron CPU

HP does not offer alternate configurations in the US market, while the UK consumers can buy a higher version with twice the RAM and internal storage at a price of £799 (Rs. 72,400).

Though the x2 still offer a very smooth experience with hardly any lag issues, in laptop or tablet mode, when opening apps or loading up websites. When I install Spotify, it took just a blink to install the app.

Yes, its 32GB storage is pretty horrible, just on par with the storage on budget smartphones. But it’s after all a Chromebook. Some degree of reliance on storage services and internet-connected apps is part of the deal, and when it works, it is fast. But now Chromebooks has been improved, they are no longer limited to only online tools and apps. Most of the devices, including this x2, have the Google Play Store, which you can install and use most of the Android apps, whether you have an Internet connection or not.

The Hp Chromebook x2: Convertibility, uncompromised

Similar to the Pixel Slate and the Surface Pro 6, the HP Chromebook has a touchscreen with 12.3 inches in size. Its display has the lowest resolution of 1,600 x 2,400 pixels among other above devices, it is still enough for reading articles and writing emails, documents. The x2 was accurate and responsive both when I used the stylus or my finger. And

I watched several YouTube videos and Netflix movies, and they all looked vibrant, bright and very crisp. I don't really mind the significant bezel on the x2 as the bezel makes it easier to grip when it is in tablet mode. Its Bang and Olufson stereo speakers are generally better than average: balanced and loud, but it is still weaker on the low-end just like many other tablets and laptops.

The Hp Chromebook x2: Everything else you would need in a laptop or tablet

Its keyboard is slightly mushy, but it is big and also comfortable enough to type on when I rested on a lap or tabletop. The touchpad of the x2 is also a bit undersized and not that great -- but the keyboard on the iPad Pro has none.

Having two USB Type-C ports, a headphone jack and also a microSD card slot, the x2 beats both the Surface Pro and iPad Pro in the connections and ports aspect. It also comes with a 5MP front selfie camera and a 13MP rear sensor. They are not really that good like in a regular iOS or Android tablet, they are still ok for taking photos and recording videos, with an intuitive and simple user interface.

The x2’s battery life is pretty solid. HP claims that the x2 can stay strong for up to 12.5 hours and in our streaming video drain test, the x2 managed to last for over 10 hours which is equal to the Apple’s iPad Pro and better than the Microsoft’s Surface Pro. Moreover, it also took 30 minutes to fully charge the x2.

The Hp Chromebook x2: A standout 2-in-1

It is not as flashy as the more expensive Pixel Slate, iPad Pro or Surface Pro and it also has some limitations in other Chromebooks. But, at a price of hundreds less than other above devices, the HP Chromebook x2 actually delivers most of the things that people will want for productivity and entertainment from a tablet and a laptop.