64 PCWorld APRIL 2019REVIEWS HP SPECTRE X360 15 (2019)
confining my wrists to the left part of the
chassis, but it really should make no
difference in day-to-day use.
Though last year’s Spectre x360 placed
the fingerprint reader along the side of the
chassis, the current 2019 model places the
small fingerprint reader near the top of the
palm rest. While the Spectre x360’s
fingerprint reader didn’t seem as responsive
as that within the Huawei Matebook 13, I
didn’t notice any accuracy issues in my time
with the Spectre x360 15. In my experience,
error rates on fingerprint readers can increase
over time, forcing you to recalibrate.
There’s also the previously mentioned
HD-quality user-facing camera, whose IR
component is Windows Hello-capable.
Turning off the camera via the “kill
switch” also disables the Windows
Hello depth camera, though the
fingerprint reader can be used
instead. The redundancy is a
thoughtful touch, allowing a user
to maximize privacy without
sacrificing all the convenience of
Windows Hello.
One area the Spectre x360 15
(2019) doesn’t shirk on is audio
performance. Sound booms from
the four integrated speakers. Even
rarer, I noticed distinct stereo
separation between the right and
left speakers. The Spectre seems
to push the midrange prettystrongly, somewhat overwhelmingly in parts.
On the other hand, one of the test songs I
use, Fleetwood Mac’s Go Your Own Way,
sounded the best I can remember hearing
from laptop speakers.For some reason, the fingerprint reader took
about a second to record my fingerprint. But the
Spectre x360’s “wake on fingerprint” feature is
very convenient.What is it about PC makers’ house-brand audio apps that
makes controls so difficult to find? HP’s Audio Control app is no
different—there’s no link within Windows’ own Settings menu,
so discovering it is almost an exercise in trial and error.