Estimated read time: 10 minutes
Envy X360 VS Spectre X360
Within the laptop industry, and technology world in general, there are stages of processing each product. Each company has its own, starting with the cheapest budget products and working its way up to the flagships. In so many cases the higher the money spent, the better the product. However, anytime a laptop like the HP Envy x360 13 comes around, it comes to stomp on the toes of its pricier competitions.
The Envy x360 costs just $800 but offers everything you’d expect from a premium laptop. Naming a few of its features, the Envy x360 sports an amazing 13.3-inch display, gorgeous design, and long battery life. These cool features make us question how relevant the Specter x360 13, a similar notebook with a higher price tag is.
The Specter x360, HP’s flagship portable laptop is also a great device. It has an awesome design and impressive performance but costs hundreds of dollars more than the Envy x360. Anyone who hears this price tag feels the laptop must deliver more than its companion. Well, that is what we are here to find out.
HP Envy x360 13 vs. HP Spectre x360 is a common comparison that many people search about. This is because of their specs being close to each other but with a different price tag.
Hopefully, this article will put an end to your Hp spectre vs Hp envy laptop dilemma. Here we consider key specs of the Envy x360 13 and compare them to that of the Spectre x360 to see which laptop is best suited for consumers.
Price and configurations
What makes this comparison so unique is that we are comparing a traditional laptop, the Envy x360, with its flagship counterpart, the Specter x360. The reason we chose the Envy x360 13 as the best under $ 1,000 laptop on the market and consider it a great alternative to much more expensive notebooks.
Pricewise, the Envy x360 13 starts at $ 649 and packs an AMD Ryzen 3 4300U CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. And cost about $ 799 for the configuration with Ryzen 5 4500U CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. The higher end configuration with a Ryzen 7 4700U CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD cost over $1,049.
The Spectre x360 flagship 13-inch model comes at a higher price tag. The base model packs a 1080p display, an Intel Core i5-1035G4 CPU, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD and goes for $999. With extra cash, this model can be upgraded to a Core i7-1065G7 CPU, 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD. Upgrading the display to a 4k OLED screen is also possible but will result in a total cost of $1,329.
 HP Envy X360 | ||
| HP spectre x360 | ||
 HP Envy X360 | ||
| HP spectre x360 | ||
 HP Envy X360 | ||
| HP spectre x360 |
HP Envy x360 13 vs HP Spectre x360: Design
The Envy x360 13 is unlike any other $ 800 laptop. This is largely due to its aluminum design, giving the Envy a solid, substantial feel not found in other notebooks under $ 1,000.
It has a stylish design, and a modern look with its thin bezels. The stealthy Nightfall Black color on our review unit is a shade more interesting than black and a touch prettier than brown.
The envy x360 would have taken this section over most laptops, but not the Spectre x360. Only a few laptops are as elegant and practical as the Spectre.
Though these two laptops share remarkable similarity in design, it is clear that more thought was put into the design of the Spectre x360. In the Hp spectre vs Hp envy war, a close look at the pricier notebook reveals stunning details. Details ranging from its faceted corners to the chamfered edges and chrome-lined touchpad. A preferred choice of colour for you could be the Poseidon Blue with brass accents or the Nightfall Black with copper.
The Envy x360 and Spectre x360 are both 2-in-1 notebooks. This simply means they can be converted into tablets if necessary. In the war of spectre vs envy, both laptops are of equal sizes but different weights. The Spectre x360 13 is 12.1 x 7.7 x 0.7 inches and weighs 2.7 pounds (1.22 kg). While the Envy x360 is 12.1 x 7.7 x 0.7 inches and weighs 2.9 pounds (1.31 kg).
In this section, the Spectre x360 13 wins against the Envy x360 due to its well-thought-out design and the fact that it feels slightly lighter than the Envy x360.
Ports
The Envy x360 comes with a decent choice of ports aside the absence of the Thunderbolt 3 port which may not be acceptable by some users.
On the left side of the Envy x360 13 is an USB-A port, an USB Type-C input and a headphone/mic jack. While on the right side there is a USB 3.1 Type-A port and a microSD card slot.
However, with the Spectre x360 you get the Thunderbolt ports without sacrificing anything else.
On the right side of the Spectre x360, there are two Thunderbolt 3 ports (one angled on the faceted corner) and a microSD card slot. While on the left side, there is a USB 3.1 Type-A port and a headphone/mic jack.
The Spectre has a webcam kill switch on the side while the Envy x360 uses a keyboard key to cover the camera.
Once again, in the war of Envy x360 vs Spectre x360 the Spectre notebook wins when you consider their choice of ports.
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Envy x360 vs Spectre x360: Display
Both the Envy x360 13 and Spectre x360 13 sports a 13.3-inch, 1080p display. The displays are nearly identical except the OLED panel has been upgraded by the user. However, this upgrade is only available for the pricier Spectre x360 laptop. Both FHD panels are sharp as well as bright. Given the quality of their display, it would not come as a shock to me if HP made use of the same screen on both laptops.
The Spectre has a brightness of 369 nits while the Envy landed at 364 nits. For comparison, the average is 318 nits.
In this section, we have a tie. The Spectre display is a little better than the envy in brightness and colour. However, the difference is negligible and not noticeable by eyes.
Keyboard and touchpad
HP seems to be using the same keyboard on these models. It’s a smart move because it has one of the best typing experiences you will find in a thin and light laptop. The key spacing and size are generous even for people with larger hands and there is a satisfying heft you feel when you tap down on a key.
Both keyboards are backlit. However, key travel is limited so an external mechanical keyboard might be worth buying if you type long reports for a living.
The Envy x360 13 and Spectre x360 touchpads are aided by Windows Precision drivers. They responded quickly to taps and swipes. Although, the Spectre has an edge over the Envy when it comes to the texture of the touchpads. The Spectre touchpad is covered in smooth glass while the Envy uses textured mylar plastic.
It is there for ok to conclude that the Spectre x360 13 wins this round in the Envy x360 13 vs Spectre x360 war.
However, some people may like the Envy touchpad better. It all depends on your individual preference.
| HP Envy X360 | ||
| HP spectre x360 | ||
| HP Envy X360 | ||
| HP spectre x360 | ||
| HP Envy X360 | ||
| HP spectre x360 |
Envy x360 vs Spectre x360 Comparison: Performance
AMD swept Intel off the throne it spent years polishing. The Envy x360 13 is further proof that the mobile CPU landscape is changing in a big way. HP smartly chose to use Ryzen 4000 chips in the Envy x360 13, which deliver unprecedented performance at this price.
The Envy flexed its AMD muscles in our Handbrake test, converting a 4K video to 1080p resolution in 13 minutes and 44 seconds. It took the Spectre x360 a pedestrian 21 minutes and 13 seconds to complete the same task.
HP did a decent job of hiding its low price until we clocked the 256GB m.2 PCIe NVMe SSD, which duplicated 4.97GB of multimedia data in 16 seconds for a rate of 318.1 MBps. Unfortunately, the 512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD in the Spectre x360 13 wasn’t any faster, topping out at the same rate as the Envy.
Even Intel’s Ice Lake CPUs, which flaunt upgraded Iris Plus graphics, have some catching up to do when it comes to graphics performance. We expect to see a comeback when Tiger lake CPUs arrive later this year with Xe graphics. Until then, the AMD Radeon Graphics chip in the Envy x360 13 is more capable than any integrated solution from Intel.
Our Dirt 3 benchmark proved as much when the Envy x360 played the racing game at a smooth 78 frames per second, while the Spectre x360 petered out at 47 fps.
Performance wise, the Envy x360 leads in the HP Envy vs HP Spectre war.
Envy x360 vs Spectre x360 Comparison: Battery life
Whether you get the Envy or the Spectre, it is ok to move around without your laptop charger. When it comes to duration, both laptops stack up good.
The Spectre x360 13 has an edge over the Envy x360 13 with its battery lasting an incredible 13 hours and 20 minutes. While the Envy x360 13 can run for about 11 hours and 52 minutes.
Once again, Spectre x360 takes the lead in the comparison of Envy x360 and Spectre x360.
HP Envy x360 13 vs HP Spectre x360: Specs compared
| Envy x360 13 | Spectre x360 13 | |
| Price | $799 | $1,299 |
| Display | 13.3-inch, 1080p | 13.3-inch, 1080p |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 4500U | Intel Core i7-1065G7 CPU |
| GPU | AMD Radeon Graphics | Intel Iris Plus |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 256GB | 512GB SSD |
| Ports | 2 USB 3.1 Type-A, USB-C, microSD, headphone | 2 Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1 Type-A, microSD card, headphone |
| Battery | 11:52 (old Edge); 10:45 (new Edge) | 13:20 |
| Dimensions | 12.1 x 7.7 x 0.7 inches | 12.1 x 7.7 x 0.7 inches |
| Weight | 2.9 pounds (1.31 kg) | 2.7 pounds (1.22 kg) |
HP Envy 13 vs HP Spectre 13: Final Verdict
We normally recommend cheaper laptops to pricier ones, not because they are better, but because they have better value.
However, this is a rear case as the Envy x360 13 is not only cheaper but also have better performance to the Spectre x360. Aside being cheaper, the Envy x360 sports similar excellent screen and keyboard as the spectre x360.
Is the Envy x360 the overall best laptop not considering the price? It’s complicated.
Even though the Spectre x360 13 is not a good value, it is quite a fascinating laptop and compares well to other premium notebooks, like the ThinkPad X1 Carbon and the Dell XPS 13.
Compared with the Envy, the Spectre gets you Thunderbolt 3 ports, a stylish design and a glass touchpad.
Though its performance lags compared to the Envy, the spctre lasts a few hours more on a charge.
Add these advantages together and we wouldn’t blame you at all for spending some extra cash on the Spectre, especially if you want the optional OLED display, which isn’t available on the Envy.
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