7 speed reading review cnet5/26/2023 While HP markets the Envy x360 15 as an option for creators, you don't need to be one to appreciate it. You can also charge it via its USB-C port. It also charges quickly with its included power adapter that uses a barrel connector. Of course, it's going to come down to what you're doing with it, screen brightness, volume, etc., but getting near 8 hours of mixed use is achievable. On our streaming video test it hit 11 hours, 5 minutes, which is in line with what HP claims for the model. You might think with this being a larger, more powerful laptop, battery life might suffer. You can get a similar result by putting a blank Word doc on your display and cranking the brightness, but obviously the app makes it easier and you can adjust the tone from cool to warm. It essentially uses the 400-nit brightness of the display as a ring light to help brighten your face for video chats. Probably the most interesting option is HP's Enhanced Lighting app. Then there's HP's QuickDrop feature, which lets you instantly send files, photos, videos, URLs and other things from your phone or other devices to the Envy x360 15. The same app also lets you direct network bandwidth to specific applications while another app, HP Display Control, gives you calibrated color presets for whatever you're doing, such as photo or video editing. It sort of comes with the territory for thin laptops like this Envy, but pressing the F12 key launches HP's Command Center to help you control cooling depending on if you want top performance or need to keep the fan noise to a minimum. If you are one of the many taking a lot more video calls now, the last thing you want are loud fans whirring away in the background or, worse, fans that are constantly cycling on and off while you chat. The keyboard has a fingerprint reader squeezed into the right side of the bottom row. On the function key row along with media controls and screen and keyboard-backlight brightness, you'll find shortcuts for blocking the webcam and muting the mic. The precision touchpad is smooth and responsive - no issues there at all. The key legends are big and easy to read, too. Like other Envy models, the keyboard is wide and comfortable without feeling too mushy. ( HP even has a mouse to help creators multitask.) Similarly, this configuration would only be good for casual gaming or cloud gaming services. While the Envy x360 15 is no workstation, it's enough for basic content creation tasks. You can also take advantage of the two-in-one design and flip the display into stand mode and give yourself a clean-looking triple-monitor workspace. Plus, with an HDMI port onboard, you can easily connect up to a second external monitor if necessary, or get a USB-C dock for a single-cable desktop setup. You miss out on Thunderbolt 4, but the USB-C port does support a display and high-speed data. The AMD Ryzen 7 gets you better performance for your money, though. The Envy x360 15 is a good option for entertainment, too. There is a higher-end 4K UHD AMOLED panel as well, but you'll have to switch from AMD to Intel for that. The latter covers 100% sRGB color space and has a max brightness of 400 nits, although it tested at 97% sRGB and 45% of Adobe RGB and P3 color spaces and a brightness of 382 nits. There are three different panels and the entry-level option has a smaller color range and lower 250-nit brightness than the middle option I tested. If you are considering this for content creation, you'll want to pay attention to the display used in the configurations. In the UK, the Envy x360 15 starts at £900 and in Australia it's AU$2,999. HP also offers options for a full-HD AMOLED display and a model with a discrete 2GB Nvidia GeForce MX450 graphics chip. It's currently out of stock, but you can get it with 8GB of memory from Best Buy or 12GB from Costco. The HP Envy x360 15 starts at around $650 but the configuration I tested is available directly from HP for a penny under $1,000. The big, widescreen display and 4-pound weight makes it an unruly handheld tablet. HDMI 2.0, USB-C (10Gbps), USB Type-A (x2, 10Gbps), SD card reader, combo audio jack
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