NOVEMBER 2019 PCWorld 35boasts essentially the same
gem-cut design and
machined CNC aluminum
shell as its predecessor, and it
also carries over some of our
favorite design choices. For
example, the power button
still sits on one of the rear
angled corners, handy for
protecting it from accidental
pushes, while one of the two
Thunderbolt 3 ports sits on
the other angled corner.
Also returning is a side
switch that electrically
disables the IR webcam, while
a new dedicated mic mute
button on the keyboard will
mute not only the HP Spectre
x360’s built-in microphone,
but also the mics on headsets
or any other connected
devices. An embedded LED
indicator lets you know if the
mic mute is activated.
Memory options will include 8GB or
16GB of DDR4 RAM, which should allow for
plenty of multitasking headroom, while
storage options range from a 256GB solid
state drive to a roomy 1TB Intel SSD with
32GB of Optane memory.
On the networking front, the HP Spectre
x360 will have Wi-Fi 6 and optional gigabit
LTE, with 4x4 antennas allowing for
simultaneous gigabit Wi-Fi and LTE streaming
and downloads.
Overall, this latest version of the HP
Spectre x360 13 looks even more promising
than the last one, and I can’t wait to see how
it performs with Ice Lake under the hood.
We’re planning on putting it on our test
bench around the time it goes on sale, so
stay tuned.The latest HP Spectre x360 has the same gem-cut design as its
predecessor, along with one of the two Thunderbolt 3 ports sitting in
the angled right-rear corner; the power button sits in the other corner.A switch on the right edge of the HP Spectre x360 13 electrically
disables its IR camera, while a new mic mute button with an LED
indicator sits on the keyboard.