HP Spectre Folio hands-on: A folio like no other
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HP’s latest convertible style PC was announced at an event in New York City, showing consumers that style and fashion can be blended seamlessly into one product – without sacrificing on the productivity side. The HP Spectre Folio, dubbed as the world’s first leather convertible PC, is unique for the fact that its frame is crafted from genuine leather, as in the material is actually bonded with its aluminum and magnesium frame.
- Intel® Core™ i7-8500Y (1.5 GHz base frequency, up to 4.2 GHz with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology, 4 MB cache, 2 cores)
- Intel® UHD Graphics 615
- 13.3" diagonal FHD IPS micro-edge WLED-backlit touch screen with Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4™ (1920 x 1080)
- 8 GB LPDDR3-1866 SDRAM (onboard)
- 256 GB PCIe® NVMe™ M.2 SSD
- Intel® 802.11b/g/n/ac (2x2) Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® 4.2 Combo; Intel® XMM™ 7560 LTE-Advanced Pro
- 6-cell, 54.28 Wh Li-ion
- 2 Thunderbolt™ 3
- 1 USB 3.1 Type-C™ Gen 1
- 1 USB 3.1 Gen (HP Sleep and Charge)
- 1 headphone/microphone combo
- HP Wide Vision FHD IR Camera with integrated dual array digital microphone
- Bang & Olufsen, quad speakers
- Full-size island-style backlit keyboard
From a design standpoint, the HP Spectre Folio is no doubt impressive, especially how everything is fitted into an incredible svelte body. Sure, the genuine leather differentiates it from the majority of convertibles out there, but we’re eager to know how it’ll handle in the long run. And due to its extreme thinness, HP had help from Intel to create its custom-made motherboard – one that takes up little space as possible, while packing in a large battery. Speaking of that, HP claims that it’ll provide upwards of around 18 hours of battery life. And for those that need constant connectivity, it’ll also will pack in an LTE radio.
Things that are NOT allowed: