HP ENVY X2 first impressions: a Snapdragon 835-fuelled 2-in-1 for road warriors

“The ENVY X2 is a convertible and among the first few laptops to be powered by Snapdragon 835”

A couple of years ago, Microsoft had launched Windows RT for affordable tablets and laptops running on ARM architecture, instead of Intel chipsets. However, due to the limited compatibility, the idea failed to take off. But now, it’s being revived with Qualcomm leading the effort. At the ongoing Snapdragon Tech Summit, the tech major announced always-connected PCs which will be powered by the SD835 platform. Both ASUS and HP took the stage to announce their products utilising the platform, and we managed to get our hands on HP’s ENVY X2. Read on for our initial impressions.

From the outside, the HP ENVY X2 might not seem much different from the norm. It’s a detachable 2-in-1, which allows you to use it as a tablet or a proper laptop. The keyboard acts as a cover, and lets you tilt the laptop at any angle (between 110 and 150-degrees), making it easier to use on a table or your lap. The magnetic hinge ensures that the device remains steady. We also like the fact that you can choose to elevate the keyboard slightly or keep it flat on the surface.

The HP ENVY X2 offers a 12.1-inch display with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,280 pixels, resulting in crisp visuals. The colours also pop out well, and the brightness levels seem decent indoors. The touchscreen is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 4. The laptop even supports a Digital Pen to enable stylus-like functionality with Windows Ink.

The horsepower on the HP ENVY X2 is delivered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, which runs at 2.21GHz. The chipset is paired with up to 8GB of RAM. The device is available in multiple storage variants up to 256GB. Since this is a fanless device, it’s not necessarily meant for powerful tasks. While the usual menu navigation and launching apps worked fine, it remains to be seen how it holds up while running intensive software like Photoshop. HP executives did claim that the performance levels would be at par with Intel’s fanless CPUs.

However, the fanless design of the ENVY X2 does help it in achieving an ultra-sleek design with a frame of 6.9mm. It’s also quite lightweight as it tips the scales at 1.21kg. The device is quite robust as well, as it’s constructed out of machined aluminium. In terms of ports and controls, the right edge of the slate features a 3.5mm audio socket, volume keys and a SIM tray (since the device promises anytime, anywhere connectivity, it comes with a x16 LTE modem, and might even come bundled with a cellular package in some regions). The USB Type-C socket on the left doubles up as an input port too, and you’ll also find a SD card slot on this side.

Coming to the keyboard, it doesn’t offer great tactile feedback. That said, the travel between the keys is good, and once you get used to it, typing is fairly fast and accurate. The trackpad however, didn’t seem as responsive. Using the touchscreen seemed comparatively easier.

Of course, the highlight of these laptops is instant bootup and long-lasting battery. HP claims that the ENVY X2 will last up to 20 hours during video playback, with a standby time of up to 700 hours. It also supports Fast Charge technology, which will charge it from zero to 90 in about an hour and a half.

The HP ENVY X2 will be launched in spring 2018, but its pricing hasn’t been announced yet. There’s no confirmation whether it’ll be coming to India either. We hope it does though, as it seems like a compelling option for those who want all-day battery life on the go, and don’t need to run performance-oriented tasks.

Disclosure: this writer attended the Qualcomm Snapdragon Tech summit on Qualcomm India’s invitation.