HP Envy x2 review

£800
Price when reviewed

The Intel Atom brand tends to find itself attached to bargain-basement hardware. But HP’s Atom-based Envy x2 is an upmarket convertible. It runs full Windows 8, sports an 11.6in detachable touchscreen, and supports both desktop and tablet-style apps.

In fact, at first glance the Envy x2 looks like a premium Ultrabook. The robust aluminium chassis measures a slender 19mm thick, and inside a solid, spacious MacBook-style keyboard bespeaks the Envy x2’s suitability for serious work. The assembly feels a little heavy in the hand, but that’s a trick of its compact frame: in reality, the keyboard and screen together weigh an eminently portable 1.41kg. In detached mode, the tablet part on its own comes in at only 710g – little more than the iPad’s 652g, despite the distinctly larger display area.

HP Envy x2

It seems quite nippy in use, despite its low-power architecture. Windows 8 is far more responsive than its predecessors on lightweight hardware, and the Atom Z2760 (codenamed Cloverview) is a step up from the netbook CPUs of yore. Full HD videos on YouTube and hi-definition iPlayer shows play without a hitch, and look great on the Envy x2’s 1,366 x 768 IPS panel, with its vibrant 416 cd/m2 brightness and solid 849:1 contrast ratio. The compact speakers set into the bottom of the tablet/display aren’t exactly loud, but they’re clear and balanced enough for music and movies.

To be clear, this still isn’t a system we’d recommend for 3D gaming – or for demanding desktop applications for that matter. An overall benchmark score of 0.21 confirms that the modern Atom remains nowhere near as powerful as even a budget Core i3. But for light media duties, everyday browsing and word processing it’s fine.

HP Envy x2

The upside of the Atom is great battery life. In standalone tablet mode, the Envy x2 achieved 10hrs 19mins hours of full-screen video playback. That compares pretty favourably to the nine hours achieved by the ARM-based Surface RT and the 9hrs 45mins of the fourth-generation iPad 4 – not bad for a full Windows 8 system. In its laptop-style configuration, the Envy x2 does even better, thanks to a second battery tucked away in the keyboard unit: in our standard battery test, the docked system achieved a terrific 20hrs 28mins of light use.

Warranty

Warranty1yr collect and return

Physical specifications

Dimensions303 x 206 x 19mm (WDH)
Weight710.000kg
Travelling weight1.4kg

Processor and memory

ProcessorIntel Atom Z2760
RAM capacity2.00GB
Memory typeDDR2
SODIMM sockets free0
SODIMM sockets total0

Screen and video

Screen size11.6in
Resolution screen horizontal1,366
Resolution screen vertical768
Resolution1366 x 768
HDMI outputs1

Drives

Replacement battery price inc VAT£0

Networking

802.11a supportyes
802.11b supportyes
802.11g supportyes
802.11 draft-n supportyes
Integrated 3G adapterno
Bluetooth supportyes

Other Features

USB ports (downstream)2
3.5mm audio jacks1
SD card readeryes
Pointing device typeTouchpad, touchscreen
Integrated microphone?yes
Integrated webcam?yes
Camera megapixel rating8.0mp

Battery and performance tests

Battery life, light use10hr 21min
Overall Real World Benchmark score0.21
Responsiveness score0.34
Media score0.18
Multitasking score0.12

Operating system and software

Operating systemWindows 8 32-bit
OS familyWindows 8

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