Shoppers on a strict budget for a new laptop have another compelling option to choose from, courtesy of HP. The new Pavilion x360 14 is a mid-range laptop with premium features and a flexible chassis.
With a 10th Gen Intel Core i5 CPU, improved display options from the previous model and a fairly lightweight chassis, the Pavilion x360 14 is making its case as the one of the best laptops under $500 or best laptops under $1,000 around. So if you don't need the power or portability offered by HP's own Spectre x360 (the best 2-in-1 laptop today) or pricier options like the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1, then the Pavilion x360 14 might be the right choice.
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To help you decide, we're going to run through all the important specs and features packed within the Pavilion x360 14.
HP Pavilion x360 14 price and availability
The Pavilion x360 14 is available today at Best Buy starting at $499 for the natural silver model and $749 for a more premium warm gold version. HP will sell forest teal and natural silver models starting at $549 in May.
HP Pavilion x360 14 design and display
The Pavilion x360 14 is a fairly lightweight and thin laptop that is available in metal and plastic options. On the low end, the silver model has a brushed pattern on the deck and a monochrome lid.
The keyboard deck on the pricier gold version is made from anodized aluminum for greater durability and a more premium look and feel. We haven't gotten our hands on this 14-inch laptop yet, but images provided by HP reveal a similar aesthetic to HP's Envy or Spectre laptops but with a simpler design and thicker chassis.
That's not to say the Pavilion isn't portable. At 12.8 x 8.7 x 0.7 inches and 3.6 pounds, the Pavilion x360 14 is pretty lightweight for a mid-range 14-inch laptop. Helping keep the size and weight down are three-sided edge-to-edge bezels, which should also provide an immersive viewing experience.
Port selection on the Pavilion x360 14 is solid. You'll get one USB Type-C input, two USB Type-A inputs, an HDMI port, an SD card slot and headphone/mic jack.
HP sent us info on two Pavilion configurations. The base model comes with a lowly 14-inch, 1366 x 768-pixel display with a maximum brightness of 220 nits. If you can spend a bit more, we recommend upgrading to the 1080p option with 250 nits of maximum brightness.
Of course, both are touch displays because the Pavilion x360 14, as the name suggests, is a 2-in-1 laptop. That means you can convert it into tablet or prop it in tent mode by rotating the lid backward.
HP Pavilion x360 14 performance
The base model Pavilion is armed with an Intel Core i3-1005G1 CPU with 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SATA M.2 SSD. The Ice Lake processor combined with a decent amount of memory should provide plenty of performance for basic tasks, like web surfing and video streaming.
If you need a bit more oomph, the top config comes with an Intel Core i5-1035G1 CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Keep in mind that this is an Ice Lake CPU, so the pricier Pavilion has an upgraded Iris Plus GPU.
HP rates the Pavilion x360 14's battery life at 13 hours. That'd be a great result if it holds up to our battery test, which provides a better idea of real-world endurance.
Other things we look forward to testing are the Pavilion x360 14's Bang & Olufsen-tuned dual speakers and its "oversized" Precision touchpad.
Outlook
The price is right on the Pavilion x360 14. At well under $1,000 the Pavilion x360 14 could be a compelling alternative to the flagship models everyone talks about but doesn't want to empty their pockets on.
We're a bit worried about the display options (250 nits isn't very bright) but the Core i3/Core i5 CPUs should deliver great performance and 13 hours of rated battery life has our attention. The Pavilion x360 14 is also thinner and lighter than many other mid-range laptops, especially 2-in-1 devices.
We'll see how the Pavilion x360 14 shakes out once we get in a review unit in the coming weeks.
