When you think of laptops, a lot has changed in the past couple year. It has become a lot sleeker, faster and some are even convertibles with screens that can be detached or flipped. HP's Spectre Folio is a bit of all this, yet it offers a lot more.

DESIGN

If the world of gadgets had an awards night, then the HP Spectre Folio will surely walk away with the most stylish title. The HP Spectre Folio has been wrapped in real leather, making the device look classy and high maintenance. The leather cannot be removed as this is a sleeve or a cover that has slapped onto to the device, it is, in fact, built-in to the laptop’s frame. The device is pretty sleek and for people like me who like to slip their laptops in their handbags, I could easily carry it around with me. All in all, the design is what makes this laptop a head turner.

MORE THAN JUST A 2-IN-1 LAPTOP

The Folio is also super flexible. The hinge on this device lets you seamless switch positions between laptop mode, a tent-like mode to a completely flat tablet mode.

DISPLAY & ACTIVE PEN

The screen on the Folio is pretty crisp and fairly bright. HP has thrown in a an active pen along with the Folio, that can be fixed on the side of this 13.3-inch display. Much like any other smartpen, this too can be used to write or draw on the screen. On the insides, the Folio packs in an Intel Core i5 or Core i7 Y-series processor, coupled with 8GB or 16GB of RAM.THE PROS The Folio does not pack in a fan so you can work in a silent meeting room without a buzzy sound in the background. And hey, despite long hours of work (read: Binge watching Netflix) the laptop did not heat up during the time I spent with the Folio. Is it leather? Maybe! The battery life is long lasting, the keyboard is perfectly sized with backlighting and there is a 3.5mm headphone jack.

THE CONS

The Folio packs in a glass trackpad, which is smooth to touch and nice to look at but I found to be a little buggy. There was this unsettling lag that one feels like using the laptop. I also found the in-built speakers to be a little underwhelming which is the case with most of the laptops. It’s loud yet sounds tiny, you can use for Skype or video calls but for watching videos, you will have to plug in headphones to experience good quality sound.

TECH TOYZ VERDICT

At Rs. 1,99,990, the HP Spectre is premium yet not absolutely flawless. I will have to credit HP for at least trying to push the envelope & reimagine how laptops should look and feel. The Spectre Folio is designed for those who value form over function. If you are looking for a laptop that stands out from the clutter and screams premium, then look no further.

First Published:May 11, 2019 11:43 AM IST