HP OmniBook Ultra 14 Review: The Best Windows Laptop

The exemplary I tested isn't the basal configuration, which lone features a 1920 x 1200 display. While that's perfectly usable, the $60 upgrade to the 2880 x 1800, 120-Hz show is simply a no-brainer. Unfortunately, HP forces you to besides upgrade the CPU to astatine slightest the 12-core Snapdragon X2 Elite to get it. It's a frustrating limitation, arsenic the perfect configuration sits determination successful the middle. This pricing operation is particularly pugnacious to swallow erstwhile HP sells fund laptops similar the OmniBook 5 and OmniBook 3 with OLED displays for fractional the price. In fact, this configuration pushes person successful terms to the basal M5 MacBook Pro, which besides includes doubly the storage.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Plus easy holds its own. Graphics show received a monolithic betterment implicit the erstwhile generation, adjacent matching the M5 MacBook Air successful benchmarks similar 3DMark Steel Nomad Light. While that doesn't ever construe to large real-world gaming, determination is simply a batch much powerfulness present than you mightiness expect. Multicore show outpaces the M5, which is simply a immense positive for dense multitasking. Paired with fantabulous colour accuracy, this CPU powerfulness makes it a imagination for photographers and graphic designers—even if the deficiency of a dedicated GPU keeps hardcore video editors astatine bay.

Battery beingness is impressive, lasting 24 hours connected a azygous complaint with section video playback. This is comparable to some the latest Intel laptops and MacBooks.

The Snapdragon X2 Elite exemplary adds adjacent much multicore show (with up to 18 cores), but it costs a batch much and doesn't adhd much artillery life.

Regardless of the configuration you choose, the laptop comes with 4 built-in speakers and a 5-megapixel webcam. The speakers are amazingly good, delivering a afloat dependable that makes listening to euphony enjoyable—putting them close connected par with the 13-inch MacBook Air. The webcam, however, isn't rather arsenic impressive. While the 5-megapixel sensor ensures a crisp image, it struggles with harsh lighting. When I tested the camera with an unfastened model nearby, it wholly blew retired the highlights and struggled to support overmuch item connected my face.

The MacBook Air remains pugnacious to beat. It's cheaper portion inactive being incredibly good rounded. The surface is sharper than the basal mentation of the OmniBook Ultra, too. If you're ambivalent astir choosing betwixt macOS and Windows, I'd inactive urge the MacBook Air.

However, the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 gets distant with its higher terms due to the fact that of however it compares to comparable machines similar the Dell XPS 14 and Surface Laptop 7th Edition, which are hundreds of dollars more. While I similar each 3 options, the OmniBook Ultra 14 is much versatile, has a little starting price, and is presently the lone 1 to diagnostic Qualcomm's next-gen chips.