HP Envy x360 13 vs. Apple MacBook Air M1

It’s not typically that laptop computer expertise and advertising converge to provide so many glorious worth choices for laptop computer consumers, however now’s a kind of instances. The Apple MacBook Air M1 has been outmoded by the M2 model, and but it stays a wonderful laptop computer with excellent efficiency, a strong construct high quality, and glorious battery life at a comparatively inexpensive $1,000 worth. The HP Envy x360 13 can be well-built and gives strong efficiency with nice battery life (for a Home windows laptop computer), and it may be bought for as little as $700.

You may’t go flawed with both of those laptops, however does Apple provide sufficient worth to offset HP’s unimaginable worth? Learn on to seek out out.

Specs

Worth and configurations

Sure, that’s proper. On the time of writing, the Envy x360 13 may be had for the bona fide finances worth of $700 (on sale from $900). That nets a Core i5-1230U CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 13.3-inch WUXGA show. Essentially the most you’ll spend is $900 (on sale from $1,200) for a Core i7-1250U, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 3.5K OLED show. These are engaging costs even at listing, however on sale, they’re a spectacular worth.

The MacBook Air M1 prices $1,000 for an 8-core CPU/7-core GPU M1 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. As of proper now, that’s the one MacBook Air M1 out there, but it surely’s the least costly MacBook you should purchase and a strong worth of its personal.

Design

The MacBook Air M1 retains a design that stood the take a look at of time for years. Its wedge form is iconic, and for a time spurred a complete trade of comparable machines. Apple went away from it with the MacBook Air M2, however that doesn’t imply the M1 model is not viable. It’s nonetheless engaging and chic, and it’s strong as a rock. It’s additionally skinny and lightweight, though thicker than the M2 mannequin’s class-leading 0.44 inches.

The Envy x360 13 can be solidly constructed and engaging, though it’s a 360-degree convertible 2-in-1 that flips round 4 modes: clamshell, tent, media, and pill. That makes it a extra versatile laptop computer. It’s virtually the identical measurement because the MacBook Air M1, and precisely as skinny and near the identical weight. They’re fairly completely different laptops of their aesthetic, however each are glorious examples of a 13-inch laptop computer design.

The place the MacBook Air M1 claims a strong win is in its Magic Keyboard, which is the very best you’ll discover on a 13-inch laptop computer that’s not a MacBook. It’s a bit shallow however has the snappiest and most exact switches round, with a roomy format and enormous keycaps. The Spectre x360 13 has an excellent keyboard as effectively that ranks up there with the very best on Home windows laptops, but it surely’s not fairly as nice as Apple’s. The MacBook’s Power Contact haptic touchpad can be superior to the Envy’s mechanical model. It’s bigger and helps clicks anyplace on its floor. Apple nailed touchpads years in the past and maintains its benefit at present.

A win for the Envy x360 13 comes with its extra spectacular connectivity. It has as many Thunderbolt 4 ports because the MacBook Air M1, but it surely additionally contains legacy assist with two USB-A ports and a microSD card reader. The HP’s Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity are additionally newer specs than Apple’s Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0.

Lastly, HP included a 5MP webcam that’s a lot larger decision than the 720p webcam that Apple constructed into the MacBook. That makes the Envy x360 13 a a lot better videoconferencing device. The Envy additionally contains an infrared digicam for Home windows 11 Good day password-less login through facial recognition, whereas the MacBook makes use of a Contact ID fingerprint reader embedded within the energy button. Each are affordable safety options, though the Envy x360 13 also can shut off the webcam for enhanced privateness.

Efficiency

We reviewed the Envy x360 13 with the Core i7-1250U, a 9-watt 10-core (two Efficiency and eight Environment friendly), and 12-thread CPU. That’s pitted towards Apple’s 8-core CPU/7-core GPU M1 within the MacBook Air M1.

In our common benchmark suite, the 2 laptops had been intently matched. The Envy x360 13 was barely quicker in our Handbrake take a look at and encodes a 420MB video as H.265 and in Cinebench R23 — however slower in Geekbench 5. The MacBook Air M1 would seemingly rating barely quicker in artistic functions that may make the most of the GPU just like the Adobe Inventive Suite, because of Apple optimizations for varied artistic duties.

However for the everyday productiveness person that each laptops are aimed toward, the Envy x360 13 is a barely quicker laptop computer. Even so, each will present glorious day-to-day efficiency.

Show

The MacBook Air M1 makes use of a 13.3-inch 16:10 Apple Retina IPS show working at 2560 x 1600. That’s sharp sufficient at that measurement, but it surely’s barely much less so than the Envy x360 13’s 13.3-inch 16:10 OLED panel at 2880 x 1800 that we reviewed.

Whereas the Apple’s show is sweet sufficient for productiveness work, the HP’s show is one other degree of high quality totally. Whereas they’re each simply as shiny and provide the identical extensive RGB coloration gamuts, the HP’s show has an extremely extensive Adobe coloration gamut and considerably larger accuracy. And, there’s the standard OLED distinction, leading to actually inky blacks.

The Spectre x360 13 gives a show expertise that’s price much more than the laptop computer’s worth.

Battery life

The Spectre x360 13 achieved robust battery life for a laptop computer geared up with a power-hungry OLED show. However, it was effectively behind the MacBook Air M1, which managed class-leading longevity. Word that the Spectre may be configured with a low-power WUXGA show that’s seemingly so as to add just a few hours to its rating. If you happen to completely want an all-day laptop computer, then the MacBook is the safer selection.

The MacBook Air M1 is superior, however the Envy x360 13 is a greater total worth

Apple’s saved the MacBook Air M1 round, even with the M2’s launch, as a result of it stays a aggressive laptop computer at a wonderful worth. Usually, that’s sufficient to dominate its class on the mid-range. The Envy x360 13, nevertheless, significantly undercuts it on worth whereas providing equal productiveness efficiency, simply as strong a construct, and a spectacular OLED show choice.

The MacBook leads in battery life and has a greater keyboard and touchpad, however the Envy x360 13 can be a extra versatile machine with lively pen assist, and it wins this shootout.

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