First Impressions
The HP Spectre Fold looks like it could represent a significant step forward in the laptop-like foldable form factor. The design smokes other offerings in the nascent category. An extraordinarily exciting, and extraordinarily expensive device.
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17-inch foldable displayA 17-inch 2.5K OLED screen when unfolded, 12.3-inch in laptop mode -
Wireless charging Bluetooth keyboard and stylusThe keyboard module and stylus will wirelessly charge when attached to the device -
Surprisingly thin and lightWeighing 1.35kg and 85mm thin (unfolded)
Introduction
HP has arrived in the foldable arena, with the Spectre Fold being revealed in September. I’m here at HP’s Imagine event in Palo Alto, California and had the chance to go hands-on with the exciting new folding laptop.
Unlike foldable phones, foldable laptop devices haven’t taken off yet. Lenovo was first on the scene with its ThinkPad X1 Fold, and it was also second with the next generation but that still hasn’t fully arrived despite being announced well over a year ago. Then, Asus got in the game with its 17-inch foldable machine. It’s now HP’s turn.
HP’s new device has the most in common with the Asus, offering a similar footprint. However, on first look, the HP machine appears more refined, with more typical HP looks rather than something that errs on the side of concept. But, you’ll be paying a high price for the privilege. Here are my first impressions.
Price and Availability
The HP Spectre Fold will be available to pre-order in the US now, while it’s coming to the UK in the Autumn. It comes with a starting price of £4,999/$4,999.
The price is notably higher than its closest rival, the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED, which starts at £3,299 ($3,499). However, the HP offers a more, refined fully-fledged product design compared with the more concept-feeling Asus, which I’ll get into below.
Design
- Refined laptop looks
- Smart keyboard and trackpad integration
- Very thin and relatively light
In terms of being a product that you should consider buying today, the HP Spectre Fold is going to be overshadowed by its price. Short of doing all of your work for you, I’m not sure how just below £4,999/$4,999 can be justified. But, after seeing the device in person, I get why it’s so expensive.
Seeing the HP Spectre Fold in images before my time with it at HP Imagine 2023, it looked more like the finished article than the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED… and it’s that and then some. The closest device I can compare it to, in this strange new world of boundary-pushing laptop form factors is the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i. That’s a dual-screen device and unlike its foldable stablemate, the X1 Fold, and the Asus, it has the look and feel of a typical Yoga. Perhaps that’s easier to do when you aren’t dealing with a foldable display.
Well, if it is harder to do it with a foldable, HP has invested the time and resources and done just that. This feels like a typical Slate Blue-coloured Spectre when closed, the brand’s high-end productivity laptop range. And, when opened, it doesn’t have the hugely thick plastic bezels that the Asus offers, which makes it seem more concept than a fully launched product. The HP Spectre Fold is a step forward. A credible, contemporary laptop foldable.
It isn’t just the materials used and the look of the device on the outside that sell the class, HP has nailed the more unassuming touches too. The included pen and keyboard recharge wirelessly when attached to the Spectre Fold, making battery anxiety of these peripherals less of a concern. Then, the different “laptop” modes feel more usable than rival devices.
Fully sitting the keyboard on the bottom of the device offers a 12.3 display, with the keyboard and trackpad combination living up to the standard of a traditional laptop. The keys offer a decent amount of travel, as does the trackpad, if it is a little small. HP also invites you to move the keyboard halfway down the bottom half, giving you small extra display space, reminiscent of the Asus Zenbook Duo range. This is where one of my favourite little touches comes in – the keyboard has a little crease above the trackpad meaning, in this mode, it sits neatly off the edge of the device at an angle.
Like the Zenbook 17 Fold OLED, a big appeal of this machine is its portable All-in-One-like capabilities. You can open up the 17-inch display fully and rest on a desk using the stand on the rear. The keyboard then works through Bluetooth, giving the overall feel of a fully-fledged portable workspace. When you’re done, the keyboard is best stored within the crease of the Spectre Fold, creating a wonderful compact large-screen package. The package is thinner and lighter than the Asus, at 8.5mm thin when folded out and 1.35kg – compared with 8.7mm and 1.5kg respectively. When folded away with the keyboard inside, it feels far more like just carrying a traditional laptop than the Asus, which feels more like a hefty laptop wallet. The ports on offer are extremely limited though, with just two Thunderbolt 4.
I’m glad HP isn’t touting the ability to use touchscreen keyboard and trackpad controls as it’s not something that feels nice to use, as I’ve experienced on the Zenbook 17 Fold OLED and Yoga Book 9i. However, HP is saying this is a 3-in-1. It absolutely has the chops to work as a portable All-in-One and seems capable as a laptop but, the third, to work well as a tablet, I am less convinced. It’s a bit too cumbersome for that and, while the stylus is comfortable and accurate, writing on the display doesn’t feel great, with some resistance that interrupts your flow.
Display
- 17-inch display unfolded, 12.5-inch in laptop mode
- Crease isn’t all that noticeable
- Extremely glossy panel
The display is a glorious 17-inch 2.5K OLED. The results are detailed and lush, making this an ideal device for watching movies, sports or whatever is to your tastes. It should also make for strong multi-tasking in the big screen mode too, with that 1920 x 2560 resolution bringing bags of detail from corner to corner.
It’s a foldable so there’s always one key talking point, and that’s the crease. The crease itself wasn’t all that noticeable upon first impressions, it does largely fade away when you aren’t looking for it. This could be largely down to just how reflective this display is overall, skewing the ability to even see the crease in amongst all the other reflections. As such, its extremely glossy nature is far more offputting than the crease, something that will hopefully be fixed in the coming generations of foldable laptops.
Specs and Performance
- High-end productivity specs
- Large battery
The performance of the HP Spectre Fold certainly isn’t intended to blow you away. In fact, it sports similar specifications to the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED despite launch over a year later and having a higher price tag.
You’ll find an Intel Core i7-1250U CPU, 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD storage. There’s also a 100W charger and a 94.3Wh battery onboard. Those initial specs should get you strong productivity performance but little more than that.
The 94.3Wh battery is pleasingly large and HP is touting up to 14 hours of use. The battery is also interesting as it is two cells, with HP saying this innovation allows for even weight distribution as well as, of course, enabling the high amount of battery.
Latest deals
Final Thoughts
If you’re aghast at the near £5,000/$5,000 price tag of the HP Spectre Fold, I completely get it and I was too. As a realistic proposition for consumers looking for a new laptop today, its price largely takes it out of the running.
However, my first impressions of this device are that HP has arrived later to the party than Lenovo and Asus because it has been refining this wondrous bit of kit. With the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold and Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED, you could tell it was the first attempt from those brands. The HP Spectre Fold feels like a second, or even third, iteration. The practicalities of this device will play out in our full review where we can truly put it through its paces.
For now, given the apparent quality of this initial attempt, it’s looking like HP may very well take the lead when it comes to foldable laptop innovation, and I’m extremely interested to see what comes next. Hopefully, a lower price.
First Impressions
The HP Spectre Fold looks like it could represent a significant step forward in the laptop-like foldable form factor. The design smokes other offerings in the nascent category. An extraordinarily exciting, and extraordinarily expensive device.
-
17-inch foldable displayA 17-inch 2.5K OLED screen when unfolded, 12.3-inch in laptop mode -
Wireless charging Bluetooth keyboard and stylusThe keyboard module and stylus will wirelessly charge when attached to the device -
Surprisingly thin and lightWeighing 1.35kg and 85mm thin (unfolded)
Introduction
HP has arrived in the foldable arena, with the Spectre Fold being revealed in September. I’m here at HP’s Imagine event in Palo Alto, California and had the chance to go hands-on with the exciting new folding laptop.
Unlike foldable phones, foldable laptop devices haven’t taken off yet. Lenovo was first on the scene with its ThinkPad X1 Fold, and it was also second with the next generation but that still hasn’t fully arrived despite being announced well over a year ago. Then, Asus got in the game with its 17-inch foldable machine. It’s now HP’s turn.
HP’s new device has the most in common with the Asus, offering a similar footprint. However, on first look, the HP machine appears more refined, with more typical HP looks rather than something that errs on the side of concept. But, you’ll be paying a high price for the privilege. Here are my first impressions.
Price and Availability
The HP Spectre Fold will be available to pre-order in the US now, while it’s coming to the UK in the Autumn. It comes with a starting price of £4,999/$4,999.
The price is notably higher than its closest rival, the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED, which starts at £3,299 ($3,499). However, the HP offers a more, refined fully-fledged product design compared with the more concept-feeling Asus, which I’ll get into below.
Design
- Refined laptop looks
- Smart keyboard and trackpad integration
- Very thin and relatively light
In terms of being a product that you should consider buying today, the HP Spectre Fold is going to be overshadowed by its price. Short of doing all of your work for you, I’m not sure how just below £4,999/$4,999 can be justified. But, after seeing the device in person, I get why it’s so expensive.
Seeing the HP Spectre Fold in images before my time with it at HP Imagine 2023, it looked more like the finished article than the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED… and it’s that and then some. The closest device I can compare it to, in this strange new world of boundary-pushing laptop form factors is the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i. That’s a dual-screen device and unlike its foldable stablemate, the X1 Fold, and the Asus, it has the look and feel of a typical Yoga. Perhaps that’s easier to do when you aren’t dealing with a foldable display.
Well, if it is harder to do it with a foldable, HP has invested the time and resources and done just that. This feels like a typical Slate Blue-coloured Spectre when closed, the brand’s high-end productivity laptop range. And, when opened, it doesn’t have the hugely thick plastic bezels that the Asus offers, which makes it seem more concept than a fully launched product. The HP Spectre Fold is a step forward. A credible, contemporary laptop foldable.
It isn’t just the materials used and the look of the device on the outside that sell the class, HP has nailed the more unassuming touches too. The included pen and keyboard recharge wirelessly when attached to the Spectre Fold, making battery anxiety of these peripherals less of a concern. Then, the different “laptop” modes feel more usable than rival devices.
Fully sitting the keyboard on the bottom of the device offers a 12.3 display, with the keyboard and trackpad combination living up to the standard of a traditional laptop. The keys offer a decent amount of travel, as does the trackpad, if it is a little small. HP also invites you to move the keyboard halfway down the bottom half, giving you small extra display space, reminiscent of the Asus Zenbook Duo range. This is where one of my favourite little touches comes in – the keyboard has a little crease above the trackpad meaning, in this mode, it sits neatly off the edge of the device at an angle.
Like the Zenbook 17 Fold OLED, a big appeal of this machine is its portable All-in-One-like capabilities. You can open up the 17-inch display fully and rest on a desk using the stand on the rear. The keyboard then works through Bluetooth, giving the overall feel of a fully-fledged portable workspace. When you’re done, the keyboard is best stored within the crease of the Spectre Fold, creating a wonderful compact large-screen package. The package is thinner and lighter than the Asus, at 8.5mm thin when folded out and 1.35kg – compared with 8.7mm and 1.5kg respectively. When folded away with the keyboard inside, it feels far more like just carrying a traditional laptop than the Asus, which feels more like a hefty laptop wallet. The ports on offer are extremely limited though, with just two Thunderbolt 4.
I’m glad HP isn’t touting the ability to use touchscreen keyboard and trackpad controls as it’s not something that feels nice to use, as I’ve experienced on the Zenbook 17 Fold OLED and Yoga Book 9i. However, HP is saying this is a 3-in-1. It absolutely has the chops to work as a portable All-in-One and seems capable as a laptop but, the third, to work well as a tablet, I am less convinced. It’s a bit too cumbersome for that and, while the stylus is comfortable and accurate, writing on the display doesn’t feel great, with some resistance that interrupts your flow.
Display
- 17-inch display unfolded, 12.5-inch in laptop mode
- Crease isn’t all that noticeable
- Extremely glossy panel
The display is a glorious 17-inch 2.5K OLED. The results are detailed and lush, making this an ideal device for watching movies, sports or whatever is to your tastes. It should also make for strong multi-tasking in the big screen mode too, with that 1920 x 2560 resolution bringing bags of detail from corner to corner.
It’s a foldable so there’s always one key talking point, and that’s the crease. The crease itself wasn’t all that noticeable upon first impressions, it does largely fade away when you aren’t looking for it. This could be largely down to just how reflective this display is overall, skewing the ability to even see the crease in amongst all the other reflections. As such, its extremely glossy nature is far more offputting than the crease, something that will hopefully be fixed in the coming generations of foldable laptops.
Specs and Performance
- High-end productivity specs
- Large battery
The performance of the HP Spectre Fold certainly isn’t intended to blow you away. In fact, it sports similar specifications to the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED despite launch over a year later and having a higher price tag.
You’ll find an Intel Core i7-1250U CPU, 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD storage. There’s also a 100W charger and a 94.3Wh battery onboard. Those initial specs should get you strong productivity performance but little more than that.
The 94.3Wh battery is pleasingly large and HP is touting up to 14 hours of use. The battery is also interesting as it is two cells, with HP saying this innovation allows for even weight distribution as well as, of course, enabling the high amount of battery.
Latest deals
Final Thoughts
If you’re aghast at the near £5,000/$5,000 price tag of the HP Spectre Fold, I completely get it and I was too. As a realistic proposition for consumers looking for a new laptop today, its price largely takes it out of the running.
However, my first impressions of this device are that HP has arrived later to the party than Lenovo and Asus because it has been refining this wondrous bit of kit. With the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold and Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED, you could tell it was the first attempt from those brands. The HP Spectre Fold feels like a second, or even third, iteration. The practicalities of this device will play out in our full review where we can truly put it through its paces.
For now, given the apparent quality of this initial attempt, it’s looking like HP may very well take the lead when it comes to foldable laptop innovation, and I’m extremely interested to see what comes next. Hopefully, a lower price.
