HP ENVY 15 x360 Review: A Premium Laptop with a Bright and Vivid Display. HP envy x360 i7

31.05.2023 Buris Reviews

HP ENVY 15 x360 Review: A Premium Laptop with a Bright and Vivid Display

Boasting slick aesthetics, a convertible 360-degree screen, and a radiant display, the HP ENVY x360 has universal appeal. Creatives and business users alike adore this premium 2-in-1 device, which has become a sought-after staple in the HP UK Store. Wondering whether it’s the right option for you?

We’ll dive deep into the nitty-gritty details in this HP ENVY 15 review. From the specs to the screen and the slimline design, here’s everything you need to know about the ENVY x360.

The ENVY build

Constructed from lightweight recycled aluminium, the ENVY’s slimline 15-inch chassis boasts a sleek modern design. Users familiar with HP’s top-tier laptop range, the Spectre, will recognise its rounded corners and smooth accents.

The lid and the lower bezel feature a subtle yet illustrious HP logo. But other than that, there’s minimal branding to distract from its understated style. Sturdy hinges, a firm, rigid lid, and a wobble-free screen reinforce the build quality of this premium device.

The HP ENVY x360 Ryzen 7 and 5 models come in a low-key nightfall black case, while the Intel Core i7 variation sports a natural silver aluminium colour. Whichever you get, you can expect a sandblasted anodised finish.

Bursting with snappy, thoughtfully-placed keys, the full-size backlit keyboard makes long typing days a breeze. Smooth key textures complement the chassis nicely, and there’s an easy-to-access webcam kill switch on the front row. Likewise, a user-friendly microphone mute button lets you avoid sending out embarrassing sounds.

Whether collaborating with colleagues or chatting with friends, the HP True Vision 5MP IR camera offers a high-quality video call experience. Broadcast images in stunning detail thanks to its 2592 x 1944 resolution, and safeguard your privacy with a physical camera shutter.

As visual design pros are the core ENVY x360 consumers, all models come with a rechargeable MPP2.0 Tilt Pen to accompany the 2-in-1 screen.

The ENVY display

For many creatives and everyday professionals, a 15-inch display offers the right balance between portability and screen size. Although this HP ENVY review focuses on the 15-inch model, it’s worth noting the product also comes in 13-inch and 16-inch variations.

Slimline micro-edge bezels straddle the display, affording the ENVY an impressive 89% screen-to-body ratio. Meanwhile, a 16:9 aspect ratio optimises multi-media content creation (and consumption) by facilitating high-resolution images without cropping or compromising picture quality.

The ENVY’s crisp full high-definition (FHD) display is a major drawcard. With 1920 x 1080 pixels at 250 nits of brightness, this vivid display provides crystal-clear images. In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology aligns liquid crystals in parallel to achieve a broad gamut of colour. The screen also has 178-degree wide-viewing angles, so you can enjoy crisp images from anywhere in the room.

Every 15-inch ENVY has touch screen functionality to complement its stylus pen. Edge-to-edge glass further enhances the visual appeal.

The flicker-free screen comes courtesy of DC dimming technology, which automatically adjusts direct current control brightness. The result? A comfortable viewing experience in any lighting condition.

Coupled with its 2-in-1 versatility, this premium screen makes the ENVY a popular option for creatives on the go. However, visual design professionals who yearn for a convertible laptop with an ultra-high-definition (UHD) display should consider the Spectre range instead.

2-in-1 versatility

A convertible (or 2-in-1 laptop) combines the business-orientated efficiency of a traditional clamshell laptop with the user-friendly layout of a tablet. If you want to own both device types without buying two separate units, this versatile option is worth considering.

Convertible functionality is a sought-after feature for multi-media creators and consumers. Fold the screen back over the chassis into tablet mode to read in bed or flick through content on the touch screen display. Or, set up tent mode to see recipes while cooking or put on an impromptu presentation for your peers.

envy, x360, review, premium, laptop, bright

Then, when you’ve got a long work session ahead, switch back to laptop mode to tap away on the full-size keyboard. That kind of versatility isn’t an option on a traditional laptop, and it’s the key reason convertibles have become so popular among consumers.

True to its name, every ENVY x360 has a 360-degree rotatable screen. Illustrators and visual designers will find the convertible 15-inch screen especially handy when creativity strikes.

Lightweight design

The ENVY isn’t an ultrabook. While HP has made commendable efforts to minimize weight, 2-in-1 functionality inevitably adds a few extra pounds. In short, this isn’t the lightest laptop in the HP UK Store.

Nonetheless, it’s surprisingly agile for a convertible device of this size. The lightweight aluminium chassis combined with a slimline frame enables the ENVY 15 x360 to start at just 17.1 kg. Even the heaviest 15-inch variation weighs 1.8 kg, light enough to slide into a laptop bag and whisk around town.

Whether you’re lugging the laptop between meetings or packing it on holiday, the ENVY 15 x360 offers superior portability to other 2-in-1 devices.

Long-lasting battery life

For users on the move, a respectable battery life makes the difference between all-day productivity and screeching to a complete standstill. Once your battery runs low and there’s no accessible power point in sight (as is often the case), you’ll have to shut the laptop down and twiddle your thumbs.

HP has addressed this crucial consumer concern by fitting its ENVY 360s with a 3-cell, 51 Wh Li-ion polymer. The cutting-edge battery tech gives you enough juice to run a 15-inch ENVY for up to 12 hours (or up to 7 hours for the HP ENVY x360 15-ew0000na).

The HP ENVY 15 has a slew of nifty features to reach these impressive figures. An in-built power saver feature further prolongs battery life by automatically adjusting display brightness. Meanwhile, the ENVY’s Adaptive Battery Optimizer safeguards longevity by monitoring core readings like temperature, charging status and usage time.

And when you put your laptop away at the end of the day, intelligent in-bag detection switches on hibernation mode to prevent overheating and battery drain.

Of course, battery life isn’t the only consideration. The speed at which you can recharge makes a massive difference for users on the move. Thanks to advances in fast-charging technology, the ENVY 15 can recharge approximately 50% in 30 minutes.

The ENVY specs

Unlike other 2-in-1s, the ENVY x360 packs plenty of power under the hood to cruise through demanding workflows. Three unique 15-inch ENVY models are currently available on the HP UK Store, each appealing to distinct user types.

HP ENVY x360 15-ey0000na

At the lower end of the price spectrum, the HP ENVY x360 15-ey0000na gives you a gutful of grunt for an affordable price. An AMD Ryzen 5 processor and 8GB RAM work in unison to blaze through your everyday apps, while the 512GB SSD offers ample space to store large multi-media files.

Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 5625U
RAM: 8GB RAM
Storage: 512GB SSD
GPU: AMD Radeon Graphics
Display: 15.6” FHD touch screen, 250 nits, 45% NTSC

HP ENVY x360 15-ey0001na

For lightning-fast performance, spend a few hundred quid more on the HP ENVY x360 15-ey0001na. This beefy, mid-range model gives you a better processor, more RAM, and extra storage in the same lightweight chassis. This additional power not only optimizes productivity, but it enables faster multi-tasking and the use of more complex apps.

Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5825U
RAM: 16GB RAM
Storage: 1TB SSD
GPU: AMD Radeon Graphics
Display: 15.6” FHD touch screen, 250 nits, 45% NTSC

HP ENVY x360 15-ew0000na

Animators, 3D modellers, and casual gamers should swing for the HP ENVY x360 15-ew0000na instead. Thanks to its NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 (4GB) GPU, this slender unit can render images on the fly. Processing power comes courtesy of a 12th Generation Intel Core i7, while its 16GB of RAM let you multi-task stacks of apps.

Processor: 12th Generation Intel Core i7 processor
RAM: 16GB RAM
Storage: 512GB SSD
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 (4GB)
Display: 15.6” FHD touch screen, 250 nits, 45% NTSC

Value-added apps

All ENVY 15 models come with Microsoft Windows 11 as standard. Chock full of enticing new features, this latest operating system provides new ways to connect with people and apps. But don’t worry. its intuitive user interface feels familiar to anyone who has worked with previous versions.

With HP QuickDrop, you can wirelessly transfer photos, videos, and files between the ENVY and your mobile device. No more rummaging through your drawers to find a spare USB-C.

Summary

While the HP ENVY x360 is particularly popular among creatives, this versatile device also appeals to anyone craving a capable 2-in-1.

If you don’t expect to use tablet or tent mode, you’re better off investing in a traditional clamshell laptop. But if you can see yourself making full use of the swivel screen, the ENVY is hard to beat. Browse the ENVY 15 options available today on the HP UK Store.

About the Author

Harry Stewart is a contributing writer for HP Tech Takes. He’s a freelance writer covering everything from travel to tech.

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HP Envy x360 13 (2022) review: an incredible laptop value

Dell just released its newest XPS 13, a laptop that we added to our list of best laptops given an attractive price that targets Apple’s appealing MacBook Air. HP has clearly taken the same approach with its 2022 Envy x360 13, but takes things a step further.

The Envy x360 13 is a highly flexible 360-degree convertible 2-in-1, and it offers a gorgeous OLED display option that costs less than the XPS 13’s high-end IPS models. Generally, I’ve been a fan of HP’s Envy line because it offers great performance for less money than many other premium machines. I’ve rarely seen a device that offers this much laptop for so little money. It’s an astounding value.

Specs

HP Envy x360 13 (2022)
Dimensions	11.75 inches x 8.46 inches x 0.63 inches
Weight	2.95 pounds
Processor	Intel Core i5-1230U Intel Core i5-1250U
Graphics	Intel Iris Xe
RAM	8GB LPDDR4x 16GB LPDDR4x
Display	13.3-inch 16:10 WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200) IPS 13.3-inch 16:10 WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600) IPS 13.3-inch 16:10 2.8K (2,880 x 1,800) OLED
Storage	512GB PCIe SSD 1TB PCIe SSD
Touch	Yes
Ports	2 x USB-C4 with Thunderbolt 4 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 1 x 3.5mm audio jack 1 x microSD card reader
Wireless	Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2
Webcam	5MP with infrared camera for Windows 11 Hello
Operating system	Windows 11
Battery	66 watt-hours
Price	700

Price and configurations

The Envy x360 13 starts at 700 (on sale from 900) for an Intel Core i5-1230U CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 13.3-inch 16:10 WUXGA IPS display. At the high end, which is the configuration that I reviewed, the laptop costs 1,000 (on sale from 1,200) for a Core i7-1250U, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 13.3-inch 16:10 2.8K OLED panel. There’s also a 13.3-inch 16:10 WQXGA IPS display available if you’re looking for higher resolution but want to burn less battery than the OLED option.

These are extremely attractive for a laptop with the Envy x360 13’s features and build quality. The new Dell XPS 13 is 1,000 for the same entry-level configuration, meaning HP undercuts Dell by 300 on sale (100 at list prices). And, the XPS 13 costs 1,549 for the same configuration as the Spectre x360 13’s maxed-out model but with a WUXGA IPS touch display rather than 2.8K OLED. That makes the HP a very well-priced laptop indeed that’s available for less than the Apple MacBook Air M1. And as configured, at 1,000 with a gorgeous OLED display and twice the RAM and storage, the Envy is 400 less than the MacBook Air M2.

It’s important to distinguish between HP’s list and sale when making your purchase. But even at list, the Envy x360 13 is a great value.

A quality laptop you’ll love at a price you can appreciate

I loved the HP Spectre x360 13.5, which enjoys a more elegant design, faster performance, and an equally good display. But the Envy x360 13 is a lot less expensive, and it is, therefore, a more formidable competitor to the MacBook Air M1 and M2 than its sibling.

In fact, I’m not sure that there’s a midrange 13-inch laptop that’s better than the Envy. The Dell XPS 13 is more expensive, and it doesn’t offer the same display quality no matter how much you spend. And at 730, no Apple laptop can touch it.

HP Envy x360 15 (2021) Review

I was picked to write the “20 Most Influential PCs” feature for PCMag’s 40th Anniversary coverage because I remember them all—I started on a TRS-80 magazine in 1982 and served as editor of Computer Shopper when it was a 700-page monthly. I was later the editor in chief of Home Office Computing, a magazine that promoted using tech to work from home two decades before a pandemic made it standard practice. Even in semiretirement in Bradenton, Florida, I can’t stop playing with toys and telling people what gear to buy.

The Bottom Line

If you crave an affordable big-screen convertible, HP’s Ryzen-based Envy x360 15 is a fast and right-priced option, as long as you’re satisfied with the full-HD display (instead of a 4K one) in its AMD incarnation.

PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.

Pros

Speedy eight-core Ryzen 7 CPU
Classy, if bulky, design
Colorful screen
Function-packed keyboard

Cons

No 4K screen option with AMD CPU
Pen not included
Too heavy to hold in tablet mode

HP Envy x360 15 (2021) Specs

If you’re shopping for a 15.6-inch convertible laptop, HP is determined to close the sale. You say the premium Spectre x360 15 is too expensive? Look! There’s the under-800 Pavilion x360 15. Actually, were you thinking of something between those extremes? Then perhaps the Envy x360 15 (starts at 699.99; 999.99 as tested) will hit the sweet spot. It’s heavy and unwieldy in tablet mode, but neither HP nor any of its competitors has been able to make a big-screen 2-in-1 that isn’t, and its AMD Ryzen 7 processor serves up lively multi-threaded performance. We prefer our convertibles a bit smaller and more manageable, but the Envy is a handsome choice if you like your convertible super-sized.

Flexible Hinge, Flexible Configurations

Besides filling the gap between the flagship Spectre and thrifty Pavilion series, HP says its Envy label targets creative users. You can pick an Envy x360 15 with either Intel or AMD under the hood, but only Core i7-1165G7 models (starting at 1,009.99) are available with discrete Nvidia GeForce MX450 instead of integrated graphics and a 4K AMOLED screen in place of a 1,920-by-1,080-pixel panel.

Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. See how we test. (Opens in a new window)

Sticking with the AMD versions here, the 699.99 base model combines a Ryzen 5 5500U chip with 8GB of memory, a 256GB solid-state drive, and a rather dim 250-nit touch screen. Our 999.99 test unit steps up to the eight-core, 1.8GHz (4.3GHz turbo) Ryzen 7 5700U, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB NVMe SSD, and a brighter 400-nit IPS touch display with the same Full HD resolution backed by AMD Radeon integrated graphics. Custom configurations on HP.com are bundled with a rechargeable stylus, but our model 15-eu0097nr had no pen.

The webcam lacks support for face recognition, but there’s a Windows Hello-compatible fingerprint reader so you needn’t type passwords. The bezels around the Gorilla Glass screen are slim. (HP claims an 89% screen-to-body ratio.) The usual two hinges let you flip and fold the display from laptop to tray-table tent mode, presentation- or kiosk-friendly easel mode, or tablet mode with the screen and keyboard back to back.

Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 (15-Inch)

Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 (7506)

Clad in Nightfall Black aluminum, the Envy measures 0.72 by 14.1 by 9 inches, negligibly smaller than two other 15.6-inch convertibles, the Lenovo Yoga C740 (0.72 by 14.1 by 9.3 inches) and Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 (0.71 by 14 by 9.4 inches). It weighs 4.11 pounds to their 4.2 apiece, but you can’t tell the difference without a butcher’s scale.

The laptop has three USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) ports—a Type-A port on either side (the one on the left always on for charging a smartphone) and a Type-C port on the left. The left edge also holds an HDMI video output and an audio jack, while an SD card slot and the AC adapter connector decorate the right.

Brightly Backlit

I’ve never written an HP laptop review without complaining about the cursor arrow keys, and I’m not about to start here—they’re arranged in an awkward row instead of the proper inverted T, with hard-to-hit, half-size up and down arrows stacked between full-size left and right. Apart from that recurring quibble, the backlit keyboard is pleasant to use, with a snappy typing feel and dedicated Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down keys. The large, buttonless touchpad glides and taps easily, with a slightly stiff click.

The keyboard includes buttons to mute the microphone and disable the webcam, as well as the fingerprint reader (replacing the right Control key) and a special key to launch the HP Command Center software, which lets you prioritize favorite apps’ network bandwidth; activate a Focus Mode that dims the display except for the active window; and choose balanced, quiet, or performance modes depending on your tolerance for cooling-fan noise. (I ran our benchmark tests in performance mode, except for the battery test in balanced mode.)

It’s a shame that AMD customers can’t get an Envy x360 with 4K display resolution as their Intel friends can, but the 1080p screen isn’t bad at all—reasonably bright, with good contrast and wide viewing angles. Fine details and the edges of letters are sharp instead of pixelated. White backgrounds aren’t dazzling, but they are satisfactorily white instead of dingy, and colors are vivid and well saturated even if they don’t pop like poster paints. HP Display Control software applies subtle changes between default (vibrant), native, and photo- and video-optimized color palettes.

The 720p webcam, typical of its kind, captures relatively well-lit and colorful images with just a bit of noise or static. Of note: An unusual add-on, the HP Enhanced Lighting utility, puts white borders around the screen to help illuminate your selfies taken with the webcam. Speakers on either side of the keyboard pump out moderately loud, but slightly hollow or booming, sound. The bass response is missing in action, but you can make out overlapping tracks well enough. Bang Olufsen audio software lets you choose music, movie, or voice presets or try an equalizer to tweak the soundscape.

Other software (besides Windows 10 Home) includes HP QuickDrop (for sharing files with your smartphone), Amazon Alexa, and trials for Adobe, Dropbox, ExpressVPN, LastPass, and McAfee programs and utilities. HP backs the Envy with a one-year warranty.

Performance Testing: This Big Flip-Top Shows Some Get-Up-and-Go

For our benchmark charts, I matched the Envy x360 15 against its abovementioned 15.6-inch convertible competitors from Lenovo and Dell, as well as HP’s more upscale Spectre x360 15. That left one slot, which I filled with a slightly smaller 2-in-1, the Asus VivoBook Flip 14. That one features a previous-generation (4000 Series) Ryzen processor. (See more about how we test laptops.)

Productivity and Media Tests

PCMark 10 and 8 are holistic performance suites developed by the PC benchmark specialists at UL (formerly Futuremark). The PCMark 10 test we run simulates different real-world productivity and content-creation workflows. We use it to assess overall system performance for office-centric tasks such as word processing, spreadsheet work, web browsing, and videoconferencing. PCMark 8, meanwhile, has a storage subtest that we use to assess the speed of the system’s boot drive. Both yield a proprietary numeric score; higher numbers are better.

All five convertibles easily cleared the 4,000-point score that indicates excellent productivity in PCMark 10, with the Envy well out in front thanks to its eight-core muscle. Microsoft Office and Google Docs are as easy for these machines as PCMark 8’s storage test was for their swift SSDs.

Next is Maxon’s CPU-crunching Cinebench R15 test, which is fully threaded to make use of all available processor cores and threads. Cinebench stresses the CPU rather than the GPU to render a complex image. The result is a proprietary score indicating a PC’s suitability for processor-intensive workloads.

Cinebench is often a good predictor of our Handbrake video editing benchmark, in which we put a stopwatch on systems as they transcode a brief movie from 4K resolution down to 1080p. It, too, is a tough test for multi-core, multi-threaded CPUs; lower times are better.

The Envy’s eight-core Ryzen 7 ran away with both of our CPU benchmarks, showing near-workstation levels of processing performance for programs that are designed to leverage all available cores and threads. The Yoga C740 finished far behind, its 10th Generation Core i7 trailing even the 11th Gen Core i5 of the Dell.

We also run a custom Adobe Photoshop image-editing benchmark. Using an early 2018 release of the Creative Cloud version of Photoshop, we apply a series of 10 complex filters and effects to a standard JPEG test image. We time each operation and add up the total (lower times are better). The Photoshop test stresses the CPU, storage subsystem, and RAM, but it can also take advantage of most GPUs to speed up the process of applying filters.

The tables were turned here as the Lenovo won handily, with the Envy turning in a decent but unexciting time. It’s fine for image touch-ups and managing a photo collection, though serious content creators will probably want a 4K display.

Graphics Tests

We test Windows systems’ relative graphics muscle with two gaming simulations, 3DMark and Superposition. The first has two DirectX 11 subtests, Sky Diver and Fire Strike, suitable for mainstream PCs with integrated graphics and higher-end gaming rigs respectively. The second uses the Unigine engine to render and pan through a detailed 3D scene at two resolution and image quality settings with results measured in frames per second (fps); 30fps is usually considered a fair target for smooth animation while avid gamers prefer 60fps or higher.

The Spectre is the only entrant here with a discrete GPU instead of humble integrated graphics, and it showed—even though its GeForce GTX 1650 Ti is nowhere near the top of Nvidia’s ladder, it’s the only one worth considering if you intend to play games. The other four systems are strictly for casual or browser-based gaming.

Battery Rundown Test

After fully recharging the laptop, we set up the machine in power-save mode (as opposed to balanced or high-performance mode) where available and make a few other battery-conserving tweaks in preparation for our unplugged video rundown test. (We also turn Wi-Fi off, putting the laptop into airplane mode.) In this test, we loop a video—a locally stored 720p file of the Blender Foundation short film Tears of Steel (Opens in a new window) —with screen brightness set at 50% and volume at 100% until the system quits.

The Yoga and Envy finished first and second, landing on either side of the 13-hour mark. That’s impressive stamina for a desktop replacement (even the last-place Spectre did fairly well, though its 4K screen is a battery drain). Getting through a full day of work or school will be no problem.

Large and in Charge

Our recent review found the HP Pavilion x360 15 a solid value, but the Envy x360 15 is a substantially nicer system for only 230 more. Its AMD Ryzen processor goes beyond peppy to downright brisk, its screen is brighter and more colorful, and it offers conveniences like a fingerprint reader and a camera-shutter key.

It’s unfortunate that our test unit didn’t come with a pen and we would have liked to see a 4K screen, but if you’re in the market for a presentation-friendly desktop replacement and can’t afford the Editors’ Choice-award-winning Spectre x360 15, the Envy is a first-class choice.

HP Envy x360 15 (AMD) review: Creative performance for 1,000?

HP’s Envy x360 15. powered by AMD Ryzen, is an antidote to that problem. The overall design has been tweaked, and HP now positions the 15-inch 2-in-1 — like other Envy machines, including the Envy 14 and the Envy 15 — as a machine made especially for creators.

I reviewed a 1,000 configuration equipped with the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB PCIe solid-state drive (SSD), and a 15.6-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) display in the increasingly obsolete 16:9 aspect ratio. That’s an attractive price for a powerful laptop — on paper. Does the Envy x360 15 actually live up to its promise of being a creator’s dream machine?

Design

Like other recent Envy machines, the Envy x360 15 was designed with a minimalist aesthetic. Most likely, that’s to differentiate from HP’s Spectre line, which uses a gem-cut chassis and colored chrome edges to make a strong fashion statement. The Envy x360 15 is much simpler, with a uniform Nightfall Black color that, to my eyes, looks brown in certain lighting, rounded edges, and no other accents to any of the chamfered edges. The only splash of color is the gold HP logo on the lid. Like the Envy 14, Envy 15, and Lenovo’s Yoga line, it’s an attractive laptop that won’t announce itself in a crowd.

Also, like the rest of the Envy line, the Envy x360 15 is made of stamped aluminum, another distinguishing feature from the CNC machined aluminum used in the Spectres. Even so, the Envy x360 15 feels robust, with no bending in the lid and just a little keyboard flex. It’s not as solid as the Spectre x360 15 or, say, the Dell XPS 15, but it still feels like a premium laptop. The lid is rather stiff, requiring two hands to open, but it holds the display in place in clamshell, tent, media, and tablet modes.

In terms of its size, the Envy x360 15 benefits from an 88.7% screen-to-body ratio, meaning its bezels are reasonably small around all edges. The chin’s a little large, but that’s to be expected with a 360-degree convertible. It’s not quite as chiseled as the Spectre x360 15 with its 90% screen-to-body ratio, but it’s close enough.

It’s only slightly wider and taller than its more premium sibling, and it’s 0.72 inches thick and weighs 4.11 pounds — quite a bit thinner and lighter than the Spectre’s 0.76 inches and 4.81 pounds. Some of that weight difference is due to the battery capacity, where the Envy x360 15 has just 51 watt-hours compared to the Spectre’s 84 watt-hours. By comparison, the Dell XPS 15 is also 0.71 inches thick and weighs 4.5 pounds with its 97 watt-hour battery. The Envy x360 15 is a reasonably sized 15-inch 2-in-1, but it will still be cumbersome in tablet mode.

There’s plenty of connectivity, with a USB-A 3.1 port, full-size HDMI 2.0 port, USB-C 3.1 port, and audio jack along the left-hand side, and another USB-A 3.1 port and a full-size SD card reader along the right-hand side. Unfortunately, there’s no Thunderbolt 4 support given the AMD chipset, limiting flexibility and performance. Wireless connectivity is Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 via an Intel AX 200 radio.

Performance

AMD’s latest Ryzen CPUs have been top performers in CPU-intensive tasks, and I was looking forward to putting the Ryzen 7 5700U through its paces. I expected solid CPU performance and GPU performance in line with Intel’s Iris Xe, and that’s pretty much what I got. Note that HP’s Command Center utility that offers different performance settings didn’t have much impact on the Envy x360 15 (as compared to the Spectre x360 14, which was much faster in “Performance” mode), and so I’m not mentioning those settings in this review.

Starting with Geekbench 5, the Envy x360 15 scored second-highest in the multi-core test among our comparison group in the table below. Only the MacBook Pro 13 with Apple’s M1 ARM CPU was faster, and none of the Intel-based laptops were even close. As usual, things were a bit different in the single-core test, where Intel’s chips performed better than all but the Ryzen 7 5800U and the Apple M1.

In the PCMark 10 Complete benchmark, the Envy x360 15 came in second again, this time behind the Asus ZenBook 13 OLED running a Ryzen 7 5800U. That’s thanks to a high score in the Content Creation portion of the test, where only Intel 45-watt H-series CPUs have scored better. The Ryzen 7 5700U beat out the entire field of U-series Tiger Lake laptops.

In our more real-world Handbrake test that converts a 420MB video to H.265, the Envy x360 15 was the fastest machine, even beating out the ZenBook 13 OLED with its faster Ryzen 7 chip. It was twice as fast as the HP Spectre x360 14 and almost 80 seconds faster than the Dell XPS 13. And in Cinebench 23, the Envy x360 15 was the fastest laptop we’ve tested, period — including H-series laptops. Simply put, if you’re running a content creation application that relies on the CPU, the Envy x360 15 is a great machine to have at your disposal.

The same can’t be said for the PugetBench benchmark that uses Premiere Pro to run through a series of demanding video editing tasks. Here, the Envy x360 15 managed a score of just 185. The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 with a Core i7-1165G7 and Intel Iris Xe graphics scored 241, while the HP Envy 14 with a Core i5-1135G7 and Nvidia GeForce 1650 Ti Max-Q GPU scored a much higher 432.

Clearly, Intel and Adobe have worked together to optimize Premiere Pro for Intel chips, and the test absolutely benefits from a faster GPU. The latter is likely true for any application that can use the GPU to accelerate processes.

Geekbench (single/multi)	Handbrake (seconds)	Cinbench R23 (single/multi)	PCMark 10	3DMark Time Spy
HP Envy x360 15 (Ryzen 7 5700U)	1198/6790	116	1258/8131	5419	1471
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED (Ryzen 7 5800U	1423/6758	124	1171 /7824	6034	1342
Lenovo Yoga 9i (Core i7-10750H)	1285/5551	144	1141/6400	5173	3487
HP Spectre x360 14 (Core i7-1165G7)	1214/ 4117	236	1389 /3941	4728	1457
HP Envy 15 (Core i7-10750H)	1274/5542	139	N/A	N/A	5123
MacBook Pro 13 (M1)	1707/7337	N/A	1487 /7547	N/A	N/A
Dell XPS 13 (Core i7-1185G7)	1549/5431	204	1399/ 4585	N/A	1380

The Ryzen CPUs are also limited in gaming thanks to integrated Radeon Graphics that are about as quick in the 3DMark Time Spy benchmark as Intel Iris Xe. I also ran Fortnite, where the Envy x360 15 managed 25 frames per second (fps) at 1080p and high graphics, and 16 fps with epic graphics selected. That’s within a few fps of Tiger Lake laptops with Intel Iris Xe graphics, meaning the Envy x360 15 isn’t really meant for gaming.

Display

Along with performance, an excellent display with wide and accurate colors would be on any content creator’s wish list. The Envy x360 15, therefore, should offer up just that if it wants to target creative types.

Unfortunately, the 2-in-1’s IPS Full HD display — which I think is too low a resolution for 15-inch displays — falls short. It was the same with the Envy 14 (although that machine benefitted from a 16:10 aspect ratio), which in many other ways was an excellent creator’s workstation. Like that laptop, the Envy x360 15’s display suffered from colors that are plenty wide for premium productivity laptops at 71% of AdobeRGB and 95% of sRGB, but too narrow for anyone doing serious photo or video editing.

The HP Envy 15 with its OLED display, another laptop that HP touts for creatives, hit 97% of AdobeRGB and 100% of sRGB, and Dell’s XPS 15 with its 4K display hits 100% of both gamuts. The Envy x360 did well in color accuracy at 1.06 (where 1.0 or less is considered excellent), compared to the Envy 15 at 0.73 and the XPS 15 at 0.65.

The Envy x360 15’s display also wasn’t very bright, hitting just 270 nits and well under our preferred threshold of 300 nits. The Envy 15 managed 404 nits and the XPS 15 came in at 442 nits. Contrast also wasn’t a strength for the Envy x360 15, which hit 900:1 (under our premium threshold of 1,000:1), where the Envy 15’s OLED panel was at a ridiculous 404,410:1 and the XPS 15 was at 1480:1 (excellent for an IPS display).

The bottom line is that while the Envy x360 15’s display would be fine for productivity users, serious content creators will bemoan the lack of colors. I found the display to be fine for writing this review, albeit the brightness was still too low, but if I were doing any serious work in Photoshop or Premiere Pro, then I would have been disappointed.

The audio was plenty loud with no distortion, and mids and highs were pleasant. However, there was minimal bass, and although it looks like there are speakers on each side of the keyboard, there are just two downward-firing speakers. You’ll want headphones or Bluetooth speakers for music or long Netflix binge sessions.

Keyboard and touchpad

The Envy x360 15 inherited the excellent keyboard from its Spectre siblings, offering up great spacing, large and attractive keycaps, and plenty of travel. The switches offer a nice bounce and a comfortable bottoming action, affording plenty of precision for fast typists. It’s my favorite keyboard behind Apple’s Magic Keyboard on the latest MacBooks. Only Dell’s XPS line comes close. One downside to the laptop’s design as that the power button is on the keyboard, meaning you have to open the lid to power it on.

The touchpad is 19% larger than the last version, taking up just about all the space available on the keyboard deck. That’s a welcome upgrade, and the Microsoft Precision touchpad was responsive and reliable with the full gamut of Windows 10 multitouch gestures. The touch display also supports MPP 2.0 pen protocol with 4,096 pressure sensitivity and tilt levels. A pen didn’t come bundled with my review unit, and so I didn’t get a chance to test it.

Windows 10 Hello support is provided by a fingerprint reader that’s embedded in the keyboard where the right control button normally goes. That’s a problem for any application that hard codes the right control button, but I found the reader to be fast and accurate.

Finally, you’ll find buttons on the keyboard to mute the microphone and physically shutter the webcam. Those are welcome privacy additions, and it’s easy to see when the webcam is covered thanks to an obvious pattern that’s visible even in poor lighting.

Battery life

HP only packed 51 watt-hours of battery life, which isn’t enough for such a powerful CPU and a large display (even if it is running at just Full HD). As mentioned earlier, the Spectre x360 15 enjoys 83 watt-hours of battery life and even the Spectre x360 14 has 67 watt-hours. I wasn’t expecting much in the way of longevity.

As it turns out, battery life was a mixed bag. In our web browsing test, which runs through a series of popular websites, the Envy x360 15 lasted for 11.25 hours, a solid score that’s slightly better than average. The Envy 14 was stronger at 12.6 hours, while the XPS 15 4K only managed seven hours. The Envy 15 went for under seven hours, due mainly to its power-hungry OLED display. In our video test that loops a Full HD Avengers trailer, the Envy x360 15 made it to 13.5 hours, which around average and not as long as I would have expected — laptops typically do much better in the video test compared to the web browsing test. The Envy 15 lasted for just 7.9 hours, the XPS 15 for 7.4 hours, and the Envy 14 for 14.4 hours.

Switching to PCMark 10, I ran the Gaming test, and the Envy x360 15 died out after 1.5 hours, which is at the low end of the laptops we’ve tested. Push the Ryzen 7 hard and it sucks down battery life. The Envy 14 was also guilty in this test, lasting two minutes less. In the PCMark 10 Application test, the best indication of productivity battery life, the Envy x360 15 lasted for 12.5 hours, which is the third-longest result in our database. Only the LG Gram 16 (17.8 hours) and the Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 (14.8 hours) lasted longer. The Envy 14 would not complete this test.

All in all, the Envy x360 15 is a strong performer when it comes to productivity battery life. It will get you through a full day’s work and then some. It’s not as strong streaming media, and if you push the CPU and GPU, then you’ll want your power brick nearby. But overall, I was impressed that HP managed to squeeze decent battery life out of such a small battery — although one might add that if HP were to be a little less stingy, the Envy x360 15 could be a real world-beater in terms of longevity.

Our take

The Envy x360 15 is an attractive, well-built, and very powerful laptop for 1,000. With its 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage, it’s a real value. But unfortunately, HP didn’t choose a display that lives up to the laptop’s alleged FOCUS on creators. It was the same with the Envy 14 — a great laptop for creative types in all but that one very important aspect.

Choose the Envy x360 15 as a fast (if you’re not worried about the GPU) 2-in-1 with a great keyboard, touchpad, and pen support for all your productivity needs. Just don’t expect too much if excellent colors are on your wish list.

Are there any alternatives?

The Spectre x360 15 is a better alternative if you’re looking to run Adobe apps. Its 45-watt CPU and discrete GPU win the day in this scenario. And you’ll want to choose the OLED display with its excellent colors if you’re a creative type. But it’s also quite a bit more expensive.

The Dell XPS 15 is the best clamshell alternative, with even better build quality, a vastly superior display, and better performance in Adobe apps. As with the Spectre, expect to pay quite a bit more.

Finally, you could choose the Envy 15, which again is more expensive but will provide excellent performance and another awesome OLED display. It’s not as fast in CPU-intensive apps, but its fast GPU will help it burn through processes that can take advantage of it.

How long will it last?

The Envy x360 15 is solidly built and sports modern components (except for the lack of Thunderbolt 4 support). It will last you years of productive service. Too bad the warranty is only the industry-standard one year.

Should you buy it?

Yes. But as with the Envy 14, buy it for its productivity prowess, not if you need a lot of colors for your creative work.

Sources:

https://store.HP.com/ukstore/tech-takes/HP-envy-x360-15-review
https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/HP-envy-x360-13-2022-review/?amp
https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/HP-envy-x360-15-2021
https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/HP-envy-x360-15-ryzen-review/

HP ENVY 15 x360 Review: A Premium Laptop with a Bright and Vivid Display. HP envy x360 i7