HP Pavilion x360 2-in-1 14 Laptop Review: Following the pandemic, an increase in remote work prompted numerous PC manufacturers to create efficient and competent laptops. HP was one such company, releasing a variety of notebooks to meet the expanding needs of consumers worldwide.
Recently, the company introduced the 2023 Pavilion x360 2-in-1 14 model, which is designed for both casual consumers and professionals. We’ve had the opportunity to review this laptop, so let’s see if its Rs 83,999 price tag is justified and if it can compete with the competition.
Design & Exhibition
Customers who pay a premium price for a laptop would expect it to appear and feel luxurious. The HP Pavilion x360 accomplishes this with a metal chassis with a matte finish and a compact, lightweight design. It is only 1.89 cm thick and weighs approximately 1.51 kilogrammes. This makes it a thin and lightweight notebook with exceptional portability, which remote workers would appreciate. Special mention should be made of the Pale Rose Gold colour, which appeared exquisite in certain illumination.
Review of the HP Pavilion x360 2-in-1 14 Laptop
It has a 360-degree hinge that allows you to convert the laptop into a tablet by reversing the keyboard. The Pavilion x360 lacks a full-sized keyboard (the Numpad is absent), but the compact form factor did not hinder the typing experience. HP ensures that the keys have adequate spacing, and despite the limited key travel, the overall typing experience was quite satisfactory. The trackpad is located directly beneath the keyboard; it is not particularly large, but it is accurate and responsive. In my nearly month-long testing, the biometric scanner never gave a false reading for security purposes.
When it comes to the display, the laptop features a 14-inch IPS LCD panel with narrow bezels on the sides. The upper bezel contains a 5MP HP True Vision webcam with a manual shutter for added privacy and dual microphones. The screen’s maximal brightness is 250 nits. This is a bit disappointing, as its utilisation outdoors on bright days is severely reduced, and the display is highly reflective, as any light source striking the screen directly will diminish the viewing experience.
Aside from these minor flaws, the display provides excellent viewing angles, and watching anything on this laptop was a pleasant experience in general. Touchscreen support was an additional strength of the device. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of touchscreen support on the Windows platform, but the convenience of the touchscreen on HP’s laptop in many situations did sway my opinion. It will not be my primary source of input, but the feature is convenient. This laptop also includes an HP Rechargeable MPP2.0 Tilt Pen that makes editing, writing, and doodling simple. However, there were intermittent input latency issues.
Performance
The 14-inch model of the HP Pavilion x360 2-in-1 that we evaluated was equipped with an Intel i5-1335U processor that was introduced earlier this year. This 10-core mobile CPU from Team Blue has a base frequency of 1.3GHz and a maximum frequency of 4.6GHz. To cut a long tale short, it ensured that my use of the laptop was smooth and uninterrupted, even when we had a dozen tabs open while downloading large files, chatting on Discord, and listening to Spotify. This processor is coupled with 16GB of LPDDR4 RAM and a 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD.
We do not recommend playing games on the Pavilion x360 due to its thin and light design. Although the processor and its Intel Iris Xe iGPU are capable of managing competitive games like Valorant, they are not optimal for such games. This game is not an ideal benchmark, but the laptop was able to achieve between 80 and 100 frames per second at 1080p resolution and moderate settings. There were some hiccups, and prolonged gaming causes the Pavilion to become extremely heated.
For synthetic benchmarks, we ran Cinebench, PCMark 10, and 3DMark on the device. It obtained a score of 5,712 on the multi-core exam and 1,058 on the single-core test. The Time Spy Score on 3DMark was 1,293 points (1,153 for Graphics and 4,197 for CPU). It received a score of 4,249 on PCMark 10. Keep in mind that benchmarks do not provide an accurate depiction of performance, but these are respectable results for a 13th Generation Intel i5 (U series) processor.
Sound and Connectivity
The Bang & Olufsen-optimized bottom-mounted speakers of the HP Pavilion x360 are contained in the device’s base. However, they are not particularly loud, so headphones or external speakers are preferable when viewing your favourite films or television series.
Right-side interfaces include two USB 3.2 Type-A ports, a microSD card slot, and a charging port.
The laptop comes with an abundance of connections. In addition to two USB 3.2 Type-A interfaces, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a microSD card slot, there is a USB Type-C port for power delivery and DisplayPort 1.4 functionality. Additionally, it supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, both of which were stable, and we never experienced any problems with wireless connections.
Battery
We were quite pleased with the 2023 HP Pavilion x360’s battery life. On average, a single charge lasted between 5 and 6 hours. This was with a luminance level of approximately 70% and balanced power mode. While our typical usage was not particularly intensive, we did run a number of Chrome tabs in addition to Spotify and Discord throughout the day. The laptop was propelled by a 65W fast-charging 43Wh battery pack that was included in the box.
So, is it worth purchasing?
In this price range, the level of competition is high, and there are numerous excellent options available. For Rs 83,999, the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED is also a formidable competitor. This model features an OLED screen, a speedier Intel Core i5-13500H processor, and a larger battery. However, this does not indicate that the HP Pavilion x360 2-in-1 14 laptop falls short of expectations.
In this price range, thin and light laptops with a 14-inch display and a touchscreen display are uncommon on the market. Those seeking maximum performance or a color-accurate display should not purchase this laptop. The 2023 HP Pavilion x360 is a simple recommendation if you seek a laptop with a premium design, long battery life, and the convenience of touchscreen functionality.
PriceBaba has an 8.5/10 rating.
Justifications for Buying:
- A luxurious design with a lightweight frame
- Superior battery life
- Overall decent performance
- Touchscreen assistance
- A hearty assortment of port wines
Why one should not buy:
- Creative professionals do not need a stylus.
- The display (resolution, luminance, refresh rate) could be improved.
