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This HP OmniBook X laptop will have Apple shaking in its boots. Why? Because it’s packed with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip.
“So what?” you may be thinking. “What’s the big hoopla regarding the Snapdragon X Elite chips?” Well, I’m glad you asked.
For quite some time now, Qualcomm has been insinuating that Snapdragon X Elite-packed laptops are going to leave M3-based MacBooks in the dust. This is a bold claim to make because, let’s be honest, Windows PCs have been struggling to keep up with Apple laptops.
As a reviewer, though rare, I’ve seen some Windows laptops outpace comparable M-series processors, but every single one struggles to beat MacBooks in power efficiency. The M3 MacBook Pro, for example, lasted 16 hours on a charge — and you’d be hard-pressed to find a Windows laptop that can do the same.
The question is, does the HP OmniBook X, featuring the Snapdragon X Elite chip, live up to Qualcomm’s claims? And will it earn a spot on our best laptops page?
HP OmniBook X price and specs
The HP OmniBook X I’ve tested has the following specs:
Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100 processor
Qualcomm Dreno graphics
16GB of RAM
1TB of SSD storage
Windows 11
14-inch, 2240 x 1400-pixel resolution
Touchscreen support
You can purchase this configuration at Best Buy for $1,199. There’s also a cheaper variant, sporting 512GB of storage, that will set you back $1,049.99 via HP.
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HP OmniBook X design
Design-wise, the OmniBook X is a bit of a snoozefest. If I could personify this HP laptop, it’s the boring, safe, cookie-cutter partner that you take home to your parents. With a buttoned-up suit and zero tattoos, it won’t offend anyone, but it fails to excite.
Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable
No, the OmniBook X isn’t a looker, but it’s not designed to be. HP wants this to be the laptop that you bring into the office – and it blends right in with the sterile, clinical vibes.
The only striking feature about the OmniBook X is the light-blue power button on the top-right of the keyboard, which sits next to a row of light-gray keys. Woo-hoo, I guess?
The lid is equally uninspired, with a reflective HP logo in the center of the “Meteor Silver” chassis. The OmniBook also comes in “Ceramic White.”
The OmniBook X, a three-pound laptop, is lighter than the 3.4-pound 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro (a rival of the HP laptop) I reviewed. It’s also thinner than the M3 MacBook Pro with a height of 0.56 inches, beating the Apple laptop’s 0.61-inch height.
HP OmniBook X display
The HP Omnibook X has a 14-inch, 2240 x 1400-pixel resolution touchscreen display. No, this 60Hz IPS panel isn’t a visual stunner that’ll leave you wide-eyed and drooling, but it’s sufficient to satisfy my inner display snob.
Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable
I launched YouTube and played the Venom 3: The Last Dance trailer. What caught my eye the most was the satisfactory color richness. In one scene, an actress is wearing a sparkly, bright-red dress that is so scarlet, it looked as if it was popping out of the screen. Fiery explosions reveal how well the display produces various hues of orange, red and gray.
One downside to consider about the HP OmniBook X, however, is that it has a 300-nit display. In other words, the screen will be difficult to see if you take it outside, particularly during a bright day. If your desk is next to a bright window at work, you may want to reconsider the OmniBook X.
The bezels that surround the HP OmniBook X are so passé. The top bezel and chin could stand to be slimmer, but perhaps I’m being too nitpicky.
Finally, it’s worth noting that the HP OmniBook’s touchscreen capabilities work seamlessly. I personally won’t use it because I don’t like the idea of smudging the screen, but if you want to scroll through long-form articles with broad swipes for quicker reading, this laptop is for you.
HP OmniBook X ports
The OmniBook X isn’t teeming with ports, but at the very least, it has a respectable balance of both legacy and modern I/O options.
Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable
On the right side:
USB Type-A port (3.2 Gen 1)
3.5mm audio jack
On the left side:
Two USB Type-C ports (supporting Power Delivery and DisplayPort 1.4)
I have to applaud HP for including a USB Type-A port, an I/O option that is on the brink of extinction. Many laptop manufacturers claim that they ditch USB Type-A ports because they’re too thick and hinder their thin-and-light ambitions. But thanks to the drop-jaw technique, a mechanism HP used for the slim OmniBook X, users can “stretch” the port to accommodate their older cables.
See? We can have our cake and eat it, too. Legacy ports and thin-and-light laptops can, indeed, co-exist.
HP OmniBook X audio
Audio is an afterthought on the OmniBook X. HP is well aware that OmniBook X consumers aren’t melomaniacs – and it shows.
I fired up Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” on Spotify. (Why is this song so addicting?) The pros? The dual downward-firing speakers get impressively loud. I cranked the volume to the max level, and I’m pretty sure my next-door neighbors could hear me having a mini jam session.
However, the sound quality is mid. The bass is weak and the pop tune sounded too thin on the speakers. But if you aren’t a music producer or an audiophile, it really doesn’t matter much.
HP OmniBook X keyboard and trackpad
Whenever someone asks me, “Which laptop should I buy if I want the best keyboard?”, I tell them that anything from HP is the answer – and the OmniBook X is no different.
Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable
I can’t stop typing on the OmniBook X; it’s an addiction. From the clickiness of the keys to the springiness of the switches, this keyboard is tactile and responsive.
However, the touchpad hasn’t won me over yet. It’s a little too resistant for my tastes – I prefer a smoother feel. On the plus side, it’s quite spacious.
The keyboard features dual-level white backlighting, which can be turned on with the F5 key. Finally, I love the large white letters and symbols on the dark-gray keycaps, which contrast nicely with the light-gray chassis. You won’t be squinting with this laptop – that’s for sure.
HP OmniBook X benchmarks and performance
I could not wait to run Geekbench 6, a benchmark that tests processor performance, on the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip inside the HP OmniBook X. For context, Qualcomm has been boasting that the Snapdragon X Elite is a formidable rival of the M3 chips inside MacBooks.
In other words, Qualcomm has its crosshairs on the most au courant, entry-level Apple laptops. On top of that, HP claims that the OmniBook X is a rival to the M3 MacBook Pro – not the M3 MacBook Air.
Take a look at the multi-core scores of each laptop to see whether HP and Qualcomm’s claims ring true:
15-inch M3 MacBook Air: 12,057
14-inch M3 MacBook Pro: 11,998
HP OmniBook X: 13,388
As it turns out, the OmniBook X does, indeed, beat the M3 MacBooks with a performance jump of about 11%.
It’s also worth pointing out that the Snapdragon X Elite boasts an NPU, which aids with AI processing. (And facilitates some of the AI tasks mentioned in the next section.)
HP OmniBook X Copilot+ PC experience and AI
The HP OmniBook X isn’t just any ol’ PC. It’s a Copilot+ PC. (Insert sparkles emoji.) Like most modern Windows 11 laptops, you can fire up Copilot with the dedicated keyboard key.
However, Copilot+ PCs take it up a notch with some eye-catching, AI-powered features. For example, I had a blast playing around with the new-and-improved Paint. It now has a “Cocreator” feature, which helps me draw masterpieces despite my rudimentary, rough-around-the-edges doodles.
The Photos app has a new Image Creator feature, allowing me to create my own AI-powered photos with any wild prompt that comes to mind. Here’s what it came up with when I typed in, “A bunny reading a book.”
Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable
Honestly? Copilot+ PCs are making Windows fun again – and I’m here for it.
On a more serious note, Microsoft was supposed to debut the controversial Recall feature – a Black Mirror-esque perk that’s like hitting “CTRL + H” on your entire digital life. But it has been delayed for Copilot+ PCs.
Once the Redmond-based tech giant gets it up to snuff after addressing security concerns, Recall is expected to make a return, but only in preview mode for Windows Insiders.
Independently of Copilot lies a pre-installed app from HP called “HP AI Companion.” It’s based on GPT-3.5; you can ask it countless questions like you would any other AI chatbot. However, it’s a bit superfluous with Copilot already within reach with a more powerful GPT-4 Turbo.
HP OmniBook X battery life
Wow. When I ran the 1080p video rundown test on the HP OmniBook X, it refused to die. It finally tapped out at an unbelievable 16 hours and 47 minutes.
Up until this point, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 had the longest battery runtime for a Windows laptop: 14 hours and 21 minutes.
Now, the HP OmniBook X has beaten that record. We also tested the M3 MacBooks’ battery runtimes, but the Pro model was benchmarked with PCMark 10, making it incompatible for comparison. But for what it’s worth, it lasted 16 hours and 23 minutes on a charge.
The M3 MacBook Air, on the other hand, was tested with the same video rundown benchmark; it lasted just 10 hours and 36 minutes on a charge.
HP OmniBook X webcam
The HP OmniBook X has a 5MP webcam (as well as an IR camera for Windows Hello facial-recognition logins).
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
There isn’t much to write home about when it comes to the shooter. You won’t get that crisp sharpness, but I’m OK with that. All that visual noise conceals my flaws.
Plus, thanks to the AI-enhanced Camera app, you can enjoy some cool features via Windows Studio Effects, including automatic framing, background blur, and an eye contact feature that makes it look like you’re staring at the screen at all times.
Is the HP OmniBook X worth it?
The HP OmniBook X is my first experience with a Snapdragon X Elite-based Copilot+ PC machine – and I’m impressed. Qualcomm wasn’t wrong. Its processor does, indeed, beat the M3 MacBooks. Plus, it lasts over 16 hours on a charge, a feat that was completely unheard of for Windows laptops in recent times.
And finally, the Copilot+ PC aspect makes Windows fun again. Do you remember when Windows was a total blast? As a kid, when I’d lose interest in browsing the internet, I’d fall back on pre-installed games like Solitaire, Minesweeper, or 3D Pinball. With the new AI-powered features, you don’t need Google Chrome, or whatever browser you use, to enjoy your laptop. You can simply fire up Paint or the Photos app. It’ll keep your entertained for hours.
The HP OmniBook X is the best Windows laptop I’ve tested this year. It’s fun, fast, and fierce.
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The HP Omnibook X has proven itself to be a serious MacBook competitor.
