HP OmniBook X Review: The Business Laptop with Impressive Battery Life

HP OmniBook X 14: A Battery Champion with Business-Class Limitations

The freshman class of Windows Copilot Plus PCs introduces the HP OmniBook X 14, a thin and light laptop aimed at productivity tasks, powered by Qualcomm’s Arm-based Snapdragon X Elite processor. With a starting price of $1,150, this laptop offers impressive battery life but falls short in other areas commonly found in higher-end laptops.

Specifications and Pricing

The HP OmniBook X 14 comes equipped with:

• Display: 14-inch (2240 x 1400) 60Hz IPS LCD touchscreen
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100
• GPU: Qualcomm Adreno
• RAM: 16GB LPDDR5X
• Storage: 1TB M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0
• Webcam: 5 megapixels
• Battery: 59Wh
• Price: Starting at $1,200

Performance: Battery Life Takes the Lead

One of the standout features of the OmniBook X is its impressive battery life, lasting up to 15 hours under typical usage. This includes streaming music and handling multiple Chrome tabs without hiccups. Even after a weekend of inactivity, the battery held a 90% charge, easing any "battery anxiety" users might feel. This efficiency mainly derives from the Snapdragon X's specifications combined with the laptop's energy-efficient display.

Display and Build Quality

While the battery life excels, the same cannot be said for the display. The 14-inch screen, while adequate, suffers from limited brightness — maxing out at around 337 nits — rendering it less effective in bright environments compared to competitors like the Surface Laptop. The color accuracy is decent but not outstanding, covering 78 percent of DCI-P3.

Weighing in at 2.97 lbs and measuring just over half an inch thick, the OmniBook X is comparable in size to the 13-inch MacBook Air, designed primarily for portability.

Keyboard, Trackpad, and Audio: A Mixed Bag

The keyboard is functional for long typing sessions, incorporating a dedicated Copilot button. However, the trackpad leaves much to be desired. Its top-hinged clicking mechanism creates an inconsistent clicking experience, which is not user-friendly compared to modern haptic alternatives found on MacBooks.

Audio quality is another area of disappointment. The downward-firing speakers struggle with producing anything resembling satisfactory sound quality, making them only serviceable for video calls but underwhelming for music.

Application Compatibility: A Concern

While Windows on Arm has made great strides thanks to the Snapdragon X, certain crucial applications like Adobe Lightroom Classic are still not supported. This limitation may deter potential buyers who rely on specific software for their tasks.

AI Features: More Marketing than Substance

HP marketed the OmniBook X with an array of AI features centered around the Copilot Plus functionality. However, users found these features to be largely inconsequential and borderline bloatware. The AI Companion app mainly offers basic document summarization capabilities and hardware performance monitoring.

Conclusion: Is the HP OmniBook X 14 Worth its Price Tag?

The HP OmniBook X 14 successfully delivers on battery life, making it appealing for users focused primarily on productivity without frequent recharges. However, the overall user experience falls short due to the screen quality, mediocre trackpad, and underwhelming audio. For those seeking a balance between performance and user experience, alternatives like Microsoft’s Surface Laptop provide a better solution, albeit with shorter battery life.

In summary, while the HP OmniBook X 14 excels in specific productivity metrics, it is best viewed through the lens of an enterprise laptop rather than a personal one. Users willing to overlook its shortcomings might find value in its battery capacity, but for anyone expecting a more enjoyable multitasking experience, investing in a competing model may prove wiser.