If I get my hands on a $5,000 foldable laptop, I have certain expectations for it.
Its got to have power, speed, and portability.
The last thing on my mind is whether or not the thing is easy to open and close.
The HP Spectre Fold allows users to slide the keyboard back for a 1.5-screen experience, but I’ve found it’s mostly useless.Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
The Spectre Fold is HPs attempt to scale the foldable design to a laptop-sized product.
Its an iteration, one that needs further refinement.
While the 3-in-1 is well-designed, there’s more needed to bring foldable laptops into the prime time.
I’ve had issues where there was rough input delay when dragging or expanding windows on tablet mode.Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
HP’s first attempt at a 3-in-1 foldable laptop, tablet, desktop hybrid.
PRICE
$5,000
LIKE
The magnetically attached keyboard and pen are well-designed.
DISLIKE
The tablet is simply too big to use comfortably.
I’ve had issues where there was rough input delay when dragging or expanding windows on tablet mode.Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
The laptop isn’t as powerful as products half its price.
When its not a small laptop, its a somewhat finicky, oversized tablet.
When its not a tablet, its a comparatively low-end desktop PC.
The Spectre comes with a heap of accessories, including a digital pen, a USB and HDMI dongle, a USB-C cord, and a braided cable power adapter.Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
Yet the software cant keep up.
Snapping apps to portions of the screen isnt a smooth experience.
The equipment is also not nearly as powerful as other devices priced $2,000 less than HPs 3-in-1.
Despite HP’s claims this device could replace your laptop, tablet, and desktop, its certainly not powerful enough to eclipse even moderately priced versions of any of those products individually.Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo
It feels like an over-expensive prototype that hopefully may be perfected in time.
Who Needs a 17-inch Tablet?
Theres a lot to like aboutthe Spectre.
It is an issue for people like me who find a deep crease distracting.
To give more props to HP, there are some very strong magnets on the Spectre Fold.
I never felt like anything would easily come loose during use.
Ive stuck it in my backpack for over two weeks and never feared losing the pen or keyboard.
It has a 12.3-inch screen, which isnt enough for most tasks.
Ive never thought Id find a tablet thats simply too big, but the HP Spectre might be it.
Its weighty, too, at nearly 3 pounds without the keyboard.
You cant comfortably lounge in bed and watch Netflix if you have to hold the tablet with two arms.
To put that in perspective, the iPad Pro measures 12.9 inches diagonally.
There are no other color options than the slate gray.
HP is telling customers that this is it, take it or leave it.
What youre not getting for that exorbitant price is hardware power.
The Spectre Fold uses a 12th-gen Intel Core i7-1250U with 16GB of RAM.
Its also running an in-built Intel Iris XE graphics, so this is not a graphics powerhouse.
Running GeekBench 6, the rig performed worse than thebudget-minded Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3.
To compare, the Inspiron is running an AMD Ryzen 5 7530U, another low-power CPU.
And dont even think youll be playing games natively on the HP Spectre Fold.
Baldurs Gate 3 is a slideshow even on the main menu.
But dont think youre doing much else besides usual workplace tasks.
Otherwise, the Spectre relies on the cloud for everything else.
Windows 11 Doesnt Always Agree With HPs UI
Foldables are inherently designed for multitasking.
Trying to multitask on an expanded screen on the Specter Fold can force the rig to chug.
Sometimes, Id boot upthe Spectreand find that it would start in tablet mode instead of laptop mode.
The Spectre Fold isnt designed for gaming or much hardcore use besides work.
Hell, you could get both and have more power to run that and many other graphically intensive programs.
And with any foldable, there may be some things you simply cannot fix.
The machine isnt dust-resistant.
Its something that concerned me the entire time I was using it.
But lets face it, youre probably not buying the Spectre Fold.
Its better to think ofthe Spectreas a stepping stone to what might come next.
Hopefully, the next big iteration comes with a price tag we peasants can even hope to afford.
Want more of Gizmodos consumer electronics picks?
Check out our guides to thebest laptops,best TVs, andbest headphones.
News from the future, delivered to your present.
Get your finest dark clothing and all your creepy things, part one ofWednesdayseason two is dropping in August.
Apple Intelligence No Longer Available Now After False Advertising Inquiry
Apple’s AI debacle keeps getting worse.
