HPs new Spectre x360 16 laptop is all-in on Intel – The Verge

HP has made a number of minor refreshes across its Spectre and Envy lines. Several of these consumer devices, at a variety of price points, have been updated with new processors — 12th Gen Core chips on the Intel side and Ryzen 5000 chips on the AMD side.

A few devices also have new GPUs, including the Spectre x360 16. This device, the flagship of HP’s gorgeous, pricey, premium Spectre line, was previously powered by Intel’s 11th Gen processors and either Iris Xe integrated graphics or Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3050. This year, the processors are from Intel’s new 12th Gen line, and the discrete GPU option is Intel’s brand new Arc A370M. It’s Intel all the way down.

This is not necessarily the most exciting announcement in the world as far as the Spectre x360 is concerned. We don’t expect the A370M to bring a vast performance difference from the RTX 3050. Intel has estimated that the 3 series will double the power of Intel’s integrated Xe graphics, which does not a particularly heavy-duty GPU make.

Still, Arc GPUs appearing in such a highly regarded mainstream machine is an interesting stamp of approval for Intel’s new Arc line. (We’ve referred to multiple Spectre x360 machines as the very best Windows laptop of their category. Nobody does the premium convertible like HP.) It’s the latest good sign that Intel is, you know, actually making and shipping these graphics chips.

Elsewhere, the Spectre x360 16 can be configured with up to an Intel Core i7-12700H, 32GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage. There are two resolution options: a 3072 x 1920 400-nit touchscreen with optional anti-reflection glass and a 3840 x 2400 OLED anti-reflection touchscreen that also reaches 400 nits. The device is expected to be available today for a starting price of $1,649.99.

Other devices getting refreshes include the Spectre x360 13.5, which is a sequel to both the Spectre x360 13 and Spectre x360 14 models of years past. No discrete GPU in this one, but it is verified through Intel’s Evo platform with its new 12th Gen processors. Several members of the Envy line have also gotten chip bumps, including the Envy x360 13 and Envy x360 15 (available in both AMD and Intel models) as well as the clamshell Envy 16 (also available with an Arc GPU as well as an RTX 3060) and Envy 17.

Across the line, the devices have been equipped with 5MP cameras supporting various AI features like HP’s GlamCam, which attempts to make you look better in real time on video calls. They ship with some new software as well, including HP Palette, “a proprietary digital workspace to help simplify the creative flow,” and HP QuickDrop, which makes it easier to transfer files between devices.

Aspect ratios are all over the place: the Envy x360 15 and Envy 17 are both 16:9 while the Envy x360 13 and Envy 16 are 16:10. The Spectre x360 16 is also 16:10, and the Spectre x360 13 is 3:2 (like its spectacular 14-inch predecessor). All the Intel models have two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and the 15-inch, 16-inch, and 17-inch models all have HDMI 2.1. The Spectres and the Envy x360 13 all have microSD readers, while the rest of the Envys have full-sized SD card slots.

The Spectre x360 13.5 starts at $1,249.99. The Envy x360 13, Envy x360 15, Envy 16, and Envy 17 start at $899, $849, $1,399.99, and $1,099.99, respectively. All models are expected to be available sometime today.