HP Spectre x360 16 review: A flipping delight

 The HP Spectre x360 16 aims to continue the success of its lineup of sleek and powerful 2-in-1 laptops — this time in a bigger, bolder way. We’ve adored the elegant form factors of the Spectre x360 14 and the Spectre x360 13.5, but with the x360 16, HP was like, “Hey, what’s stopping us from giving users the big-screen treatment?” And the results are glorious.

Packing a 16-inch, OLED touchscreen on a convertible device, HP extends the beauty of its Spectre lineup to those who need their content to pop. From hungry-for-entertainment viewers to multimedia content editors, the Spectre x360 16 will satisfy their cravings for a giant, crisp display that’s flexible enough to be viewed in all manner of positions.

Fortunately, it isn’t just the panel that delights. With ample battery life for a 16-inch laptop, clear audio (thanks to Bang & Olufsen), a comfortable keyboard, and premium-feeling touchpad that’s all packed into an attractively thin chassis, the x360 16 is a flipping delight.

But it’s the “flipping” that doesn’t suit the 16-inch form factor. Sometimes, a tablet can be too big, and without an included stylus (in this model), HP’s “big boy” is, more often than not, best just staying a laptop. Along with occasional loud fans and the missed opportunity of packing a 12th Gen Intel CPU, it still has a few setbacks. 

HP Spectre x360 16 price and configurations

The HP Spectre x360 16 we received is priced at £1,899 (around $2,000 in the U.S.), but is currently discounted to £1,499 on HP’s listing page (opens in new tab). It comes with an Intel Core i7-11390H CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 with 4GB of video memory, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD. 

Prices start at £1,399 in the U.K. (strangely, for what appears to be the exact same model (opens in new tab)), but can be upgraded to 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, which bumps the price up to £1,999 (discounted to £1,699). In the U.S., prices start from $1,249 with an IPS display 3,072 x 1,920) and Intel Iris Xe graphics, but go up to over $2,000 for the model we’re reviewing.

There’s no doubt that this is a pricey laptop, but comparing it to other 16-inch laptops like the Asus ROG Flow X16 (from $2,000, £2,799 with RTX 3070) and the Huawei MateBook X Pro (£1,799) shows that it isn’t as costly, especially with those discounts. However, these laptops boast the latest Intel and AMD CPUs, while the Spectre x360 16 is stuck with an 11th Gen Intel processor.

As shown on HP’s U.S. page, a new update is coming, sporting a 12th Gen Intel i7 processor, and that’s priced from $1,800 ($1,459 with a discount). That sounds a lot more modern, and for below $1,500, you’re getting the same 16-inch OLED touch display. You may want to wait for that. 

HP Spectre x360 16 design

When it comes to sleek, premium-looking laptops, the Dell XPS 13 Plus or 14-inch MacBook Pro are the cream of the crop. Personally, I think the HP Spectre x360 lineup takes the cake with a design that radiates luxury. 

The Spectre x360 16 comes in a cool Nocturne Blue with elegant cerulean hues outlining (and defining) the laptop. There’s also a Nightfall Black aluminum chassis with “pale brass” trims around the edges of the deck, lid, touchpad and hinges (but let’s be real; those outlines are an alluring gold). I adore the Nightfall color option, which offers the slightest hint of a dark-violet hue as a step up from your classic black.

Throw in the gem-cut edges on the base and lid, a stylish HP logo emblazoned at the centre, and the smooth-feeling rounded edges at the top ends of the notebook, and you have yourself quite the stunner. And that’s not even mentioning the thin-bezel display around that eye-catching screen.

The x360 16, obviously, has more space to play with, meaning it doesn’t look as clean-cut as its smaller siblings like the x360 14. That doesn’t take away from its style though, as its subtle accents of high-quality design can be seen and felt throughout the laptop.

I wouldn’t say its display is quite “edge-to-edge” like the x360 14 or Dell’s XPS 13 lineup, but it’s still thin enough to wow onlookers — especially when it seamlessly transforms into tablet and tent modes. The 360-degree hinge is sturdy as it is sleek, and I had no problems bending it to any angle I needed — no nail-biting wobbling in sight.

As thin and portable as the x360 16 looks, it isn’t the 2-in-1 laptop that can be manipulated to your needs as easily. That’s due to its size and weight. It sports dimensions of 14.09 x 9.6 x 0.7 inches and weight 4.1 pounds. Compared to the Huawei MateBook X Pro (12.2 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches, 2.9 pounds), the x360 16 isn’t a notebook that can be simply thrown into a laptop bag. It has an edge over the Asus ROG Flow X16 (14 x 9.6 x 0.8 inches, 4.63 pounds), but I’d prefer to have this laptop as a device I’d mainly use at home, whether that be working on a desk or streaming content on a kitchen counter while I cook.

All in all, however, HP crafted a striking 16-inch laptop that will turn heads, even if its 2-in-1 design is a little too cumbersome. 

HP Spectre x360 16 ports

HP packed quite a few ports into the Spectre x360 16, and despite being 0.7 inches thin, there’s a high-speed, drop-jaw USB-A port fitted into the side. While some ports, like the 3.5mm headphone jack and Thunderbolt 4 port are seemingly placed strangely at the cut corners of the laptop, it surprisingly all looks great when plugged in. 

On the left, there’s a SuperSpeed USB Type-A port with 10Gbps transfer speeds, an HDMI 2.0b slot, and (thankfully) a 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack at the corner.

The other side boasts two Thunderbolt 4 ports with USB4 Type-C connectivity (that means 40Gbps transfer speeds, Power Delivery, and DisplayPort 1.4 support), a slot for the power adapter, and even a microSD card reader.

Plus, you’re getting Intel Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, although Wi-Fi 6E would have been a better option. I would have also liked to have seen a Gigabit Ethernet port for fast, wired internet connectivity.

There’s plenty to work with, but if you’re after even more ports, check out the best docking stations to expand your connectivity needs. 

HP Spectre x360 16 display

You can’t go wrong with a 16-inch, UHD+ (3840 x 2400) OLED display with a 16:9 aspect ratio. I’m glad it’s a touch screen, too, as the bright, vivid colors and crisp details of the Spectre x360 16’s OLED panel made me reach out a tap on everything I viewed. 

From watching YouTube videos to scrolling through websites, the 91% screen-to-body ratio on the “edge-to-edge” glass display made everything on screen emit clear, super-smooth images. Add the anti-reflection Corning Gorilla Glass, and there’s little chance of anyone squinting to see small text or dark content. That way-too-dark House of the Dragon episode (if you know, you know) pushes the limits of how much you can see, but that’s not the fault of the x360 16.

When watching Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’ bonkers animation in full swing during the final blowout between a Chrome-stuffed David and Night City “boogeyman” Adam Smasher, the first small detail I kept replaying was when David satisfyingly squished Faraday with his gravity-powered mech suit. The pool of blood spilling out of the severed leg in the air showed off the x360 16’s red-rendering prowess as the subtle, ruby-esque hues caught my eye, even on Faraday’s bold, red suit.

David going full cyber-psycho when using the Sandevistan to “delta” out of there really showed off the OLED panel’s capabilities. The spectrum of blue and green spilled through the display with the smooth after-images of David (and then, frighteningly, Adam Smasher) beautifully shown off.

HP’s claimed 100% DCI-P3 color-gamut coverage and 400 nits of brightness are evident in what I watched, and the display is even easy on the eyes with the Low Blue Light support. HP even includes a Display Control for users to switch between different modes based on the content they’re viewing, from web-optimized sRGB to Adobe RGB when editing images in Photoshop or other applications. Plus, there’s an Auto Color option that will do the work for you.

Top marks on the display, HP. 

HP Spectre x360 16 audio

Audio is another highlight on the Spectre x360 16, thanks to support from Bang & Olufsen. Loud, booming, and crisp, the quad-speakers are a step up from the usual stereo speakers manufacturers throw in just to have sound.

As an example, the audio matched the quality on screen when watching Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. The haunting build-up of David’s gravitational powers are a treat, and the melancholic background tune of “I Really Want to Stay At Your House” by Rosa Walton beautifully mixes in with the explosive mayhem happening. 

Turning to more four-on-the-floor House tunes, I cranked up the volume on Fred Again’s “Jungle” and was engulfed with the need to bop along with the beat. The vocalist’s repetitive lyrics were harmonious with the initial four-beat tempo, ramping up to a blast of heavy thumps alongside a resounding techno tune balancing out the clash of different mixes.

While great for both music and shows, there’s also a handy 3.5mm jack so you can keep the sound to yourself. 

HP Spectre x360 16 keyboard and touchpad

Like the Chiclet-style keyboard found on other Spectre laptops, the x360 16’s keyboard is simplicity at its finest; it’s easy to type on and comfortable to use.

The “all-in-one” keyboard offers a bunch of features at your fingertips, including the mute and webcam shutter keys along with the fingerprint scanner key that replaces the right-side “Ctrl” key (not something I ever use, anyway). With the 1.5mm key travel distance and silent, satisfying actuation point, it’s a joy to type away on. Keys are bouncy and snappy. 

Thanks to the small key travel distance, I achieved 75 words per minute on the 10fastfingers.com typing test, which beats my average of 70 wpm (pathetic, I know). Any keyboard that makes me type faster is a win in my book.

As for the touchpad, it’s premium to the touch with each click feeling satisfyingly solid while being easy to glide my finger on. It also supports multi-touch gesture that allows me to whizz through apps with three or four fingers. 

HP Spectre x360 16 performance

It’s tricky to test the performance of this HP Spectre x360 16 as it comes with Intel’s 11th Gen i7-11390H. I say this because HP is about to release a 12th Gen Intel CPU model with an i7-12700H chip or an i7-1260P processor. That’s not to say the 11th Gen CPU can’t hold its own, but the 12th Gen CPU chips are making waves for their improved efficiency and performance. While you’ll see the results for this model, which are just fine, keep in mind that the 12th Gen CPU models are bound to offer greater scores.

Regardless, the Spectre x360 16 we reviewed showed no signs of slowing no matter how much I threw at it in my daily working day. That means easily loading up 50 Google Chrome tabs and five 1080p YouTube videos — no sweat. However, the numbers show a slightly different story. 

On the Geekbench 5 overall performance test, the Spectre x360 16 reached a measly multi-core score of 3,559, which couldn’t keep up with the premium laptop average (5,956). The Huawei MateBook X Pro (11,142, Intel Core i7-1260P) showed off the 12th Gen Intel CPU’s might, while the Asus ROG Flow X16 (9,570, AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS) even gave the Spectre a run for its money. It couldn’t hold a candle to the MacBook Pro 14 (12,477, M1 Pro) either.