HP Split 13 X2 review

The HP Split x2 marries a giant-sized 13.3in tablet with a chunky keyboard dock and a low-end Haswell CPU. By far its most impressive asset, however, is its price: it’s only £699.

Compared to its costlier rivals, the Split x2 is a lump. The tablet alone weighs 1.1kg, and once slotted home into the keyboard dock, the pair weigh 2.25kg. Build quality isn’t bad for the money, however, and while the keyboard base is plasticky, it’s reasonably solid, and the tablet feels well constructed.

HP has equipped the Split x2 with a capable specification. The Core i3-4010Y is the first Haswell- generation Core i3 CPU we’ve encountered, and while it lacks the Turbo Boost of more upmarket CPUs, it’s powerful enough for most purposes. A result of 0.45 in our Real World Benchmarks doesn’t break any records, but it is perfectly acceptable.

The combination of Haswell and twin batteries does wonders for battery life, though. While the tablet lasted 6hrs 41mins in our light-use battery test, the keyboard dock pushed battery life up to 11hrs 3mins – right up with the longest-lasting hybrids on the market.

The Split x2 takes full advantage of its chunky keyboard dock, cramming both a secondary battery and a 500GB mechanical hard disk inside. Placing an HDD in the dock is an unusual decision, but it’s allowed HP to save money by equipping the tablet with a tiny 64GB SSD. The only downside is that you’ll need to carry the dock with you if you want access to all your data.

The Split x2 also relies entirely on its keyboard dock for connectivity. There’s a 3.5mm headset jack on the tablet itself, and a microSD slot for adding removable storage, but that’s your lot. It’s necessary to dock the tablet to use USB devices or an external monitor. The dock adds one USB 2 port, one USB 3 port, an HDMI output and a full-sized SD card reader.

The keyboard has a good feel to it, and buttonless touchpad work well. However, despite a fine 817:1 contrast ratio, the screen’s low 212cd/m[sup]2[/sup] brightness robs images of life, and the low 1,366 x 768 resolution is nothing to get excited about. Combined with the tablet’s wimpy, anaemic-sounding speakers, the HP is lacking in wow factor.

Despite flashes of inspiration, then, the Split x2 struggles to manage its split personalities. The reliance on its weighty keyboard dock makes for an overweight laptop and a compromised tablet. If you’re looking for a do-it-all device on a budget, the HP Split x2 isn’t it.