Up close with the 2016 HP Spectre x360 (pictures)

The HP Spectre x360 is one of our favorite lightweight laptops. It's got a few tricks up its sleeve...

...like the ability to bend backward into a touchscreen tablet you can read like a magazine.

Or perhaps for watching movies.

I like to prop up the Spectre x360 vertically, so it rests on my lap, while I use the touchscreen. But that's only one of the tricks in the Spectre x360's repertoire...

The other trick? Just how much value HP crammed into a $1,000 laptop. I really like the spacious keyboard and touchpad, even if they're not quite up to the Apple MacBook Pro standard...

...in fact, I wrote every word of my review on the Spectre x360's keyboard.

Did I mention it's a backlit keyboard, too?

And considering how thin and light this laptop is (around 3.2 pounds), it's got an impressive number of ports. Three USB 3.0, a full-size HDMI, a Mini DisplayPort, and a full-size SD card reader. Oh, and a nice big battery that gave me six hours of real-world use.

But all of that was true last year. What's new for 2016? How about a new 15-inch model to accompany the 13-incher?

The 15-incher costs a little more, and is definitely a bit bulkier, but it's just as good in practically every way save its muddy speakers. The screen is notably larger, and you can opt for a 4K screen instead of 1080p.

As far as connectivity goes, the only difference with ports is that the 15-incher adds a USB-C jack on the right side, in case you've got some USB-C phones or peripherals.

The hinge also seemed a wee bit tighter on the 15-inch model, but that could have just been my review unit.

Both machines have a nice big vent on the left to help keep them cool. Neither got very hot during my weeks using them.

I'm happy that at least one of the USB ports is on the left. The flush power button on the left is a little weird, but it's nice and stiff. I haven't had the laptop accidentally turn on while it's in my bag yet.

The logos differ a bit between the 15- and 13-inchers.

And only the 15-incher comes with this delightfully tiny power adapter. The adapters are interchangeable between the two laptops, though -- I'd probably buy one of these separately if I picked the 13-incher.

If you've got quite a bit more to spend, the highest-end model of the 13-inch Spectre x360 comes in this lovely black finish with copper trim. It's really, really good looking as far as I'm concerned.

Copper on black > silver on silver, in my opinion.

Either way, though, the Spectre x360 is guaranteed to turn heads at your local coffee shop. People have definitely walked up to me and asked which laptop I was using, and they've been surprised when I say HP.

Hey, who's that handsome gentleman?

Do you really want to know what the bottom of the Spectre x360 looks like? Here it is!