HP Envy x360 with IMAX display review: A worthy MacBook Air alternative

By Abhik Sengupta: When we look at productivity and creator-focused laptops in the premium range (Rs 1 lakh and above), Apple's MacBook Air is generally an obvious choice among customers and critics alike. That's primarily because of three main reasons: a stable and reliable processor, good battery life, and its sleek design. Since Apple launched the M1-powered MacBook Air 13 three years ago, the competition has gotten tougher than ever before. Don't get me wrong; several Windows-powered laptops have been launched since then and come close to Apple's offerings, but somehow always miss one of the three aforementioned features.

You will find several notebooks under Rs 1 lakh with Intel Evo certification that promises reliable performance and a sleek design, but somehow the battery performance falls short. Or the laptop may offer great performance and battery life but at the cost of a sleek design.

However, after testing HP's Rs 99,999-worth Envy x360 2-in-1 notebook (15-fe0028TU), my views have changed.

As the name suggests, the HP Envy x360 can double as a tablet. The package includes an HP stylus, which is also good, considering that many tablets skip that in the box. During my two-week-long review, I found the HP Envy x360's battery life better than most competition in the price range. I was pleasantly surprised by the speakers, which offered a clean output and a reasonably good bass.

However, the HP Envy x360 money is on display. It is the first laptop to carry a 15-inch IMAX Enhanced certified display - a feature previously only available on select (and very expensive) TVs and projectors. Moreover, it is relatively sleek for a 15-inch laptop without compromising on the physical ports that are often missing on MacBooks. If you argue that Apple offers an "immersive" ecosystem, but that's rapidly changing with Windows and its close integration with the Apple ecosystem.

Does this mean the refreshed HP Envy x360 is better than Apple's highly-rated MacBook Air? Here's what you need to know.

HP Envy x360 design

The new HP Envy x360 comes in a black shade (nightfall black) with a sandblasted anodized finish. The result is a much smoother texture with the right mix of sheen and matte. That also means that the chassis, especially the lid, attracts a lot of fingerprint marks. Therefore, occasional cleaning is imperative.

The HP Envy x360 weighs 1.77 kg, which may not be considered lightweight in today's laptop world, but it is not the heaviest device either. Surprisingly, the weight distribution feels quite thoughtful, and I didn't experience any discomfort while carrying the laptop to work or other outdoor locations. You can even out the weight by carrying a PD charging brick from OnePlus or Samsung, which could reduce the overall weight of your backpack.

The port selection of the HP Envy x360 is decent, which includes two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C slots, an HDMI, and a USB-A port. There's also an SD card slot since the laptop is also creator-focused. I still feel the placement could be better. The display includes a physical shutter for the webcam -- a good addition for privacy-focused customers. Of course, there's an audio/mic combo as well.

HP's commitment to the environment is also commendable. The packaging includes little-to-no plastic, and the laptop heavily features recycled materials. The keyboard keycaps also contain post-consumer recycled plastic. Somehow, I like the finish and grip on the keys better than most other laptops I have used. The keys also have good travel, making the typing experience much more fun.

HP Envy x360 display

There's a lot to talk about the HP Envy x360's display - after all, it is the first laptop to come with an IMAX Enhanced certification.

The certification primarily aims to provide an immersive viewing experience with rich colours, great details, and deeper blacks -- much like watching a movie at an IMAX-enabled theatre. HP claims that the certification comes from a mix of hardware and software tweaks. The laptop already features an OLED display that boosts the viewing experience compared to its counterparts with LCD screens. I cross-checked the results against MacBook Air 13 and Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360, and to my surprise, the HP Envy x360 emerged as the winner for multimedia consumption.

The HP Envy x360 (15-fe0028TU) features a 15.6-inch Full-HD OLED display, though there's an LCD variant with no IMAX Enhanced certification. The toned-down variant is a lot cheaper at Rs 78,999. It all comes down to your preference and priority.

The OLED variant offers 400 nits brightness and 100 per cent sRGB space. The display has touch support, which can be ideal in some cases, especially if you're a reader.

I thoroughly tested the IMAX Enhanced feature on the HP Envy x360 to see how it fares against competition with a similar display tech. Compared to the expensive Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360's AMOLED, the Envy x360's OLED display offered better colours and contrast. The brightness was also sufficient for indoor settings, but Samsung was the clear winner in that regard. The M1-powered MacBook Air 13 fell short in terms of colours and brightness, though it packs much better speakers.

IMAX movies like Avengers Endgame and Guardians of the Galaxy 3 on Disney Plus Hotstar appeared more vibrant. The same was evident while playing Full-HD videos with high bit rates on YouTube. Even non-IMAX shows, such as Ozark and Mindhunter on Netflix, appeared with better contrast. Since these Netflix shows have a lot of shots in dark environments, the blue tones are automatically boosted to appear sharper and clearer on the HP Envy x360.

However, boosting actual colours also means that the HP Envy x360 does not always offer colour-accurate results, which could be a problem while editing. You can tweak the display settings to get more natural colours. Purely for editing, Apple MacBooks can be a better companion in some cases. Similarly, the touch response is relatively smoother on the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360.

HP Envy x360 performance

The variant I used includes a 13th-Gen Intel Core i5 (1335U) processor, 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and 512 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD. There's also a Core i7 variant, but that's more expensive.

Since HP is positioning the HP Envy x360 as a productivity-focused laptop, gaming on this Rs 1 lakh-worth laptop isn't ideal. However, for everyday work, running multiple tabs on Google Chrome with several apps in the background was a breeze. I did not face any heating issues or abrupt app crashes. For upcoming creators, the Core i5 could be a good choice, but the Core i7 would be a better choice for regular editing work.

I have mentioned in the past that I generally prefer laptops with large displays, and using the HP Envy x360's 15-inch display combined with Windows 11's Snap layout worked well for both my interests. Even using third-party apps from Samsung to access notes and control earbuds wasn't a problem. I also connected my iPhone 14 using the Microsoft Phone Link app without any connectivity issues.

Using Windows laptops is also becoming more enjoyable with AI integration. HP claims that it has improved the webcam to enhance hybrid work. While there are noticeable improvements in camera quality, I believe that the processing work to enhance video and audio still needs some refinement. In simple terms, video calling with AI tweaks is not dramatically different from what certain premium laptops provide.

There are some pre-loaded apps that some customers may not appreciate. However, as I use these apps regularly, I don't mind. These include WhatsApp, Duet, and more.

In terms of benchmarks, the HP Envy x360 scored 4,132 in PC Mark 10's overall test. In 3D Mark's GPU test for Battlefield Field V, it attained 1,313, which is quite underwhelming for this price.

HP Envy x360 battery

The HP Envy x360's also offers good battery backup, though MacBooks with Apple silicone remain unbeatable. With the moderate settings (Full-HD, 60Hz refresh rate, screen saver mode) and roughly 60 per cent brightness, the HP Envy x360 offered around five and a half hours of battery back, which is not at all bad if we look at the competition. But I greatly appreciate HP's optimisation to preserve the battery in sleep mode.

Since the laptop is Evo certified, there are some limitations to adding a bigger battery without compromising on the weight. The HP Envy x360 carries a 4-cell 55 Wh Li-ion battery that takes over an hour to charge with the 65W USB Type-C power adapter. HP has also been thoughtful about adding a braided cable that can help with durability. But overall, the braided cable looks and feels premium.

HP Envy x360 verdict

The HP Envy x360 stands as a solid notebook that boasts an appealing appearance, dependable performance, and the added versatility of a tablet. Compared to the Apple MacBook Air 13 and Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360, its IMAX Enhanced certified display outshines in performance, particularly for watching movies and shows. However, for editing, a few display settings adjustments might be necessary to achieve desired colour accuracy. The laptop also surpasses older HP notebooks under Rs 1 lakh I've tested in terms of battery life, typing experience, and speaker output.

Whether it is a better buy over the highly-rated MacBook Air, I'd say yes, but that depends a lot on your priority. If you're not fully consumed in the Apple ecosystem, the HP Envy x360 presents itself as a worthy choice. It offers a 15-inch touch-enabled display at a more budget-friendly price point, along with a reasonably dependable processor and an array of well-chosen ports.

For professional video editors, the MacBook Air or Pro might be more fitting due to the reliability of Apple's silicon chipsets. For everyday work plus watching movies on the go without compromising on the battery and sleek design, the HP Envy x360 certainly earns its spot as a laptop well worth considering. However, HP must work with partners closely to help users spot IMAX-supported content easily.