HP Pavilion x2 (2015) review: A sharp-looking hybrid PC that overpromises

HP was one of the first PC makers to embrace the idea of a hybrid 2-in-1 laptop. The original x2 systems appeared just after the launch of Windows 8, and combined elements of both a clamshell laptop and a touchscreen tablet.

7.8

HP Pavilion x2 (2015)

The Good

The revamped Pavilion x2 has a modern-looking new design, good keyboard and a strong magnetic hinge to keep its two halves together.

The Bad

Despite a prominent Bang & Olufsen logo and large speaker grilles, the audio sounds thin and weak. The desktop is littered with advertising links and battery life is shorter than some similar systems.

The Bottom Line

Easily the best-looking Atom-powered hybrid in its price range, the HP Pavilion x2 is still a few tweaks away from being a budget standout.

But that original model was not one of our favorites of that era. The clunky plastic switch used to hold the tablet and keyboard halves together was ugly and hard to use, performance from the Intel Atom processor disappointed, and most importantly, Windows 8 was not ready for primetime, despite an emphasis on touch-friendly tablet features.

Since that time, many of the parts that make up a system like the x2 have improved. Low-power Intel chips are faster while offering better battery life, with budget laptops even getting thinner and lighter. Plus Windows 10 finally offers a usable mix of desktop and tablet interface features.

The latest version of HP's mainstream hybrid, still called the Pavilion x2, shows a steady evolution from its predecessors. It has a new design, new audio partnership and a new magnetic hinge. Starting at $299 (£249 in the UK and AU$549 in Australia), it's a sharp-looking 10-inch Windows 10 hybrid, even if it has the same type of low-power processor, low-resolution screen and small amount of solid-state storage as many other budget laptops and hybrids.

Helping it stand out from the crowd is the excellent new design, with large side-mounted speaker grilles adding a high-end look. The keyboard is very usable, and the magnetic hinge makes it easy to pull the screen off into a separate tablet. For power, the Pavilion x2 follows the lead of Apple's 12-inch MacBook and uses a newer USB-C connection.

But one of the system's most promising features ends up being a weakness. HP lost the rights to use Beats audio branding and technology in its PCs after Apple absorbed the Beats brand. HP's new audio partner is Bang & Olufsen. While B&O didn't design or build the speakers in this (or any other) HP system, the company claims it provided sound-tuning feedback based on the specific size and acoustic qualities of different products in HP's 2015 lineup. The problem here is that despite the big speaker grilles and prominent B&O branding, the audio is disappointingly thin and weak-sounding, even for a budget system.

The HP Pavilion x2 sends a mixed message. It looks great for a low-cost hybrid, and it runs about as well as other hybrids and laptops in its category. But it also implies audio promises it can't keep, and comes positively buried with bloatware and adware. At $299, it's decent, but Acer gives you an extra 500GB hard drive in the Switch 10 E for only $50 more. For a big performance boost, consider the $499 Microsoft Surface 3 . For a price cut, ditch the touch screen and hybrid hinge by checking out the $179 HP Stream 11.

Design and features

If the new Pavilion x2 has a single standout feature, it's the sharp-looking design. The screen half tapers slightly towards the top, giving you a thin end and a thicker, squared-off end when holding it in portrait mode. The two parts fit together well as a clamshell laptop, with the rounded back of the hinge rotating down to act as a tiny kickstand, elevating the rear of the system.

The x2 is available in white, red and silver. This test unit is white, and the plastic finish has a subtle pearlized look which rejects fingerprints while looking more upscale than some other sub-$300 laptops.

The display connects to a keyboard base by way of a magnetic hinge, which replaces the clunkier hook-and-latch system on most earlier HP detachable hybrids. The magnetic hinge pulls apart cleanly with two hands, one of which is needed to hold the keyboard base down. It easily reattaches with one hand, thanks to the strong magnetic connection that guides the two halves together as soon as they get close to each other.

With large, island-style keys, the keyboard is easier to type on than similar models from Asus or Acer we've seen recently. HP traditionally does a good job of keeping important keys, such as the Shift, Tab and Ctrl keys, from getting lost on smaller keyboards. The wide but shallow touchpad is less successful, and basic two-finger gestures such as scrolling down long websites aren't as smooth as they could be.

One Windows PC issue we thought had gone the way of the serial port is excessive pre-installed bloatware and adware. Most PC makers ship their systems with few if any needless third-party apps or advertising shortcut links these days, after shoppers rebelled against the practice. HP is bringing it back to a level we haven't seen in some time, with desktop or Start Menu come-ons for WildTangent games, Dropbox, Priceline, HP's own Snapfish and many others. It's unsightly, even if it doesn't eat up too much hard drive space.

The 10.1-inch display has a native resolution of 1,280x800, which is low, even compared to a current-gen smartphone, but fine for everyday surfing and reading. The display uses in-plane switching (IPS) technology, which means it doesn't look washed out when viewing from side angles.

While the screen is up to our expectations for an inexpensive hybrid, the speakers were not. Despite being promoted by HP as part of a new partnership with audio company Bang & Olufsen, these was the thinnest-sounding speakers by far when compared with other budget PCs, including the Acer Switch 10 and HP's own entry-level Stream 11 laptop. Don't expect to use them for even casual music streaming or to share a YouTube clip. This is a prime example of overpromising and under-delivering.

Connections, performance and battery

You probably don't have any USB-C devices lying around yet, but that forward-looking port has an important purpose -- it serves as the system's power connection, much as it does on the 12-inch Apple MacBook and a handful of other systems. The tablet half also includes a full-size USB 2.0 port, a Micro-HDMI port, an audio jack and a microSD card slot. However there are no additional ports on the keyboard base.

With one of Intel's latest Atom chips inside, and just 2GB of RAM, the Pavilion x2 runs about how you'd expect given the low price and basic specs. Like similar low-cost hybrids and laptops, the x2 can surf the Web, play streaming HD video and perform light office tasks, but it can also feel temperamental. Sometimes it runs smoothly and feels like a much more expensive machine. Other times, it can stutter and drag its feet even opening simple windows. This is a general issue with this class of PC, not something specific to the Pavilion x2. You'll generally get smoother performance sticking to optimized Windows apps, such as the new Edge browser.

For a small, highly portable system, battery life is especially important. The Pavilion x2 ran for 7:36 on our video playback battery drain test, which was less than several competing systems, but not by a large margin. If you're doing heavy online work or streaming a lot of video, it won't last all day on a single charge, but it should be fine for a flight or afternoon at the coffee shop.

Conclusion

Points to HP for redesigning the Pavilion x2. It looks great and really stands out from the crowded field of inexpensive Atom-powered laptops and hybrids. Under the skin, however, it offers pretty much the same hands-on experience as the competition.

That would still be a net win for the x2 if not for the weak-sounding speakers, extra bloatware and advertising icons crowding the screen. As it is, the x2 is still recommended for its ergonomics, typing and clear, bright display, but only if you plan on sticking with headphones and can sacrifice a little battery life.