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What's next for HP's PCs?
It's been a busy CES for HP, after debuting a gorgeous 65-inch gaming TV, the AMOLED-equipped Spectre x360 and the Omen 15 with a 240 Hz display. And that's coming after a year where the company introduced the world's first leather, the Spectre Folio. To help break down all of its recent news, and to figure out where HP and the PC industry is headed, I sat down with the company's president of personal systems, Alex Cho, to chat on the Engadget stage. We discussed how HP thinks about design, what he's expecting from the next generation of computing and more.
NVIDIA rebrands G-SYNC HDR as 'G-SYNC Ultimate'
At its CES 2019 keynote, NVIDIA revealed that it's essentially rebranding G-SYNC HDR displays as G-SYNC Ultimate. It launched the HDR program last year at CES, promising very high standards like G-SYNC variable frame-rate refresh rates at 144 Hz and higher, 1000 nits of brightness and a 95 percent DCI-P3 color gamut. Only a couple of monitors have been certified, including the ASUS ROG Swift PG27UQ and Acer Predator X27.
Greetings from CES 2019!
It feels like CES only just ended, but we're back in Las Vegas for the 2019 edition and we couldn't be more excited. Just like always, there will be plenty of cars, TVs and smart appliances. But, we're here to separate the wheat from the chaff and bring you only the best (or at least the most interesting) tech from CES 2019. The show floor hasn't even opened yet and already several companies have made a splash -- including Apple, which continues to skip the event in any official capacity. But that hasn't stopped it from grabbing some attention. Of course, you don't want to miss out on all our liveblogs, our three epic days of live stage shows which all culminates with the official Best of CES awards on Thursday at 8pm ET / 5pm PT.
HP's Spectre x360 breaks new ground with a 15-inch AMOLED display
HP has announced that its latest Spectre x360 will be the first 15-inch laptop with an AMOLED display. It's actually been hard to find OLED of any kind on a PC, other than on a handful of models like HP's 13-inch Spectre x360 and the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga. AMOLED has been even rarer, appearing only on a couple of laptops including the Alienware OLED 13 and Samsung's own 12-inch Galaxy TabPro S. This lack of organic displays has been a shame, because the few models we've tested have impressed us a lot, offering much improved image quality.
HP made a massive gaming screen with G-SYNC Ultimate and a soundbar
How big is too big a canvas for your fragging sprees? If you love watching your enemies get destroyed on a giant TV, you might appreciate HP's latest gaming display. The Omen X Emperium 65 is a massive 4K screen born from NVIDIA's BFG Display initiative announced at last year's CES. That means it basically comes with a Shield TV built-in, along with the company's newly rebranded G-SYNC Ultimate to synchronize the display's refresh rate to your game. It maxes out at 144Hz, and also supports HDR.
HP's Omen 15 is the first gaming laptop with a 240Hz display
HP has just upped the refresh rate ante with its latest Omen 15. The company says it's the world's first gaming laptop with a 15.6-inch 1080p 240Hz IPS display, meaning it should stay ahead of even the quickest-shooting gamer. The laptop itself should also be able to keep up with the screen, as it's equipped with NVIDIA's all-new RTX 2070 Max-Q GPU, an 8th-generation Intel Core i7-8750H processor, 16GB of RAM and the latest 802.11ax wireless, aka "WiFi 6."
HP Chromebook 14 hands-on: AMD's first dance with Chrome OS
HP dropped a ton of news late last year -- like a laptop crafted from leather and a slew of updates to its premium Spectre line. So it's no surprise that the company doesn't have much to unveil at CES 2019. But that doesn't mean it has nothing intriguing to share. HP is launching the "world's first AMD Chromebook" with integrated Radeon graphics, and it costs just $269.
The best gadgets of 2018
It's difficult to think of 2018 as a year with anything worth celebrating. But despite all the bad news the year dealt us, there were successes -- if you know where to look. In all corners of tech, we saw wins big and small. There were advances in obvious categories like laptops, smartphones and the connected home, but we also looked outside the mainstream for some of the more surprising gems. Think mini synthesizers for music nerds, retro emulators for nostalgic gamers and e-readers for modern book snobs. Humanity also collectively triumphed, as our space exploration programs broke new frontiers this year and we began to confront the increasingly real question: Should we all just move to Mars? 2018 may have been a stinker of a year, but many of its developments laid the foundation for improvements next year. We're just two weeks away from what is hopefully a much better 12 months, and the Engadget team took some time to commemorate our favorite gadgets and trends in tech.
HP Spectre Folio review: This leather PC means business
Who needs a leather computer? When HP announced the Spectre Folio, the first notebook with a completely leather case, it seemed like a vain attempt at doing something different. But after spending a week with it, the Folio turned out to be much more than a gimmick. With its leather covering and a unique convertible hinge, the Spectre Folio is a step towards a wild new world of computer designs, one where everyone stops trying to recreate the premium unibody style that Apple pioneered.
Microsoft’s Black Friday deals include discounts on Surface devices
Microsoft already announced its Xbox Black Friday deals -- which include $100 off an Xbox One X -- and now it's previewing the discounts you can expect on its Surface line. You'll be able to save $300 on the Surface Laptop 2 in black and up to $50 on the Surface Go. There are also multiple discounts available for Surface Pro devices. Microsoft is knocking off $260 from its Surface Pro 6 (Intel Core i5/128GB SSD) and platinum Signature Type Cover bundle, as well as $330 from either the i5/256GB SSD or i7/512GB SSD configurations when bundled with a Type Cover keyboard. You can also save $310 on a Surface Pro (5th Gen) Intel Core M and Platinum Type Cover bundle.
HP Envy x2 review: Always-on LTE and an atrocious keyboard
I'll admit it. I'm besotted with the idea of Connected PCs. They're Windows laptops or 2-in-1s that have built-in LTE radios so you can stay online wherever you go. So far, we've only checked out Snapdragon-powered Connected PCs, but now we've finally gotten our hands on an Intel version -- the HP Envy x2. To be clear, HP makes both Snapdragon and Intel versions of this same detachable, but we're looking at the Intel system here.
The new MacBook Air vs. the competition: Retina display and more
It's been a while since we've seen a new MacBook Air, and this year's model has been given some serious attention. It's now packing a Retina Display and a more reliable butterfly keyboard, making it a good choice for those who need something small and powerful. But it's not the only super thin contender vying for a spot in your purse or shoulder bag. In the past year Microsoft, Dell and HP have all put out great laptops that won't drag you down in either weight or performance. We've measured them up in the table below, though for the real scoop you'll need to check out our full review of the MacBook Air when it comes out next month.
HP's latest Spectre x360 laptops boast up to a 22-hour battery
HP is once again tweaking its Spectre x360 convertible laptops, but this time the changes promise to be more tangible. The new Spectre x360 13 and 15 boast common functional upgrades, such as a dual-chamfered design (it's now easier to lift the lid) and a privacy kill switch that electrically disables the webcam. However, the star of the show is undoubtedly the 13-inch model. It now boasts a whopping 22.5-hour peak battery life -- while it's likely to fall short of that figure in the real world, the 37 percent improvement over the previous generation is still huge. There's optional "gigabit-class" LTE on the 13-inch system, too.
HP boosts its ZBooks with Intel Core i9 processors
It wasn't that long ago when HP launched the ZBook x360, but it's already giving the convertible and the other devices in the lineup a hardware refresh. The Studio x360, along with its non-bendy siblings, the ZBook Studio, ZBook 15 and ZBook 17, will now come with eight-gen six-core Intel i9 processors and mirrored SSD storage. HP says the new chip will make the laptops more suited for heavy workloads, such as video editing and 3D rendering.
Lenovo retakes the top spot in PC shipments
Happy days are here again for Lenovo, though not for most of the PC industry. The Chinese tech firm has reclaimed the top spot for PC shipments in both Gartner and IDC market share estimates for the third quarter of the year, pushing past HP to scoop up roughly 24 percent of the market. The analyst groups chalked up the growth to both the addition of Fujitsu, better business PC sales and a smarter North American strategy. For most others, though, the season was a mixed bag.
HP's x360 14 is its thinnest Chromebook convertible yet
HP has announced a new contender in the growing premium Chromebook market, and it's like a bendy MacBook Air with a 360-degree hinge that you can use in four different configurations. The device, officially called the X360 14, is the brand's thinnest convertible Chromebook yet. It's a follow-up to the original x360 released in 2017, except it's 14 inches instead of 11, with a more expensive-looking design and better specs.
Surface Pro 6 vs. the competition: More than just portability
Last year's Surface Pro was a satisfying, if unambitious entry to Microsoft's brand of hybrid laptops. With its sixth iteration, the line is offering a load of refinements like a higher contrast ratio for the screen. However, in a crowded marketplace full of lightweight hybrids and convertibles, what helps the Surface Pro stand apart? We've taken leading machines from Dell, HP and even last year's MacBook Air and laid their key specs out to see exactly what each offers under the hood.
Surface Laptop 2 vs. the competition: Power and price
After years of good hybrid machines Microsoft finally built a regular laptop in 2017, scoring a home run on the first swing. We were excited by the design, screen and battery life, but less thrilled about the limited port selection. Over a year later the sequel is here and looks like it'll continue that string of excellence — though the connection options haven't improved. If you're still on the fence about your next machine, we've lined some of the more outstanding models for your benefit so you can see which one might suit you best as you gear up for the fall.
HP made a laptop out of leather
What's more luxurious than a MacBook-esque metal laptop case? How about one that's made out of leather. That's what HP is betting on with the Spectre Folio, its latest slim convertible. I'm not just talking about a simple leather sleeve, or a bit of cow-hide pasted atop a traditional laptop case. The Spectre Folio is something entirely new. Like the ultra-thin, jewelry-inspired Spectre 13.3 before it, the Folio is HP's latest attempt at pushing notebook designs forward.
HP's voice-controlled Tango printer can be disguised as a book
Printers haven't really kept up with the times. Sure, you can print from your phone, but the devices aren't built for an always-connected world -- and let's be honest, more than a few of them are eyesores that can feel like '90s throwbacks. HP believes it can do better. Its newly unveiled Tango lets you print from wherever you are, and takes smart speaker commands from Alexa, Cortana and Google Assistant. If you'd like to print your calendar, you don't have to fire up an app or walk across the room. An Instant Ink service can automatically order new ink when you run low, too, potentially sparing you an unexpected trip to the office supply store.
