A low-cost hybrid
This is not actually a notebook. Previous year’s HP Pavilion x2 was clearly a 10 inch tablet with a detachable keyboard. In 2015 HP managed to update the design with an even stronger keyboard base, a wider trackpad and Bang & Olufsen audio that sandwiches the screen. There are two models of HP Pavilion x2 (2015) that both come in three colors: red, white, and silver. There is a model with 32GB of storage that HP sells for $299 and comes with a 1-year subscription to Microsoft Office 365 and a 64GB model with the other features included. It’s basically a low-cost hybrid, and it runs about as well as other hybrids and laptops in its category. It has a USB Type C connector which serves as both a charging port and a USB adapter, a full-sized USB port, a micro HDMI port, microSD card slot, and a 10 inch, 1280 x 800 pixel IPS display. Also, HP says that “you can open the laptop to a 135 degree angle without worrying that the computer will tip over”. But, let’s see what’s wrong here..
1. The audio sounds thin and weak
As we all know, HP lost the rights to use Beats audio branding and technology in her products after Apple absorbed the Beats brand. With the new HP’s audio partner, Bang & Olufsen, the company claims it provided sound-tuning feedback based on the specific size and acoustic qualities of different products in HP’s 2015 lineup. It’s good to note that B&O didn’t design or build the speakers on any HP product that this technology is been included. Despite the big speaker grilles and prominent B&O branding, the audio is disappointingly thin and weak-sounding. There are criticisms mentioning that there is a problem of covering up with your thumbs when you hold the HP Pavilion x2 landscape, in tablet mode. Well played HP!
2. Pre-installed Bloatware
There are lots of owners complaining about the bloatware found in their new HP Pavilion x2 (2015) that want to get over it. As it seems, the desktop is littered with advertising links. So, if you are a hater of HP’s bloatware, you should try to uninstall or remove them somehow.
3. Limited Ports
For power, the Pavilion x2 follows the lead of Apple’s 12-inch MacBook and uses a newer USB-C connection. Around the tablet display there is a USB Type-C, a full-size USB2 port and a MicroSD card slot. The keyboard doesn’t have any extra USB ports, so you couldn’t connect a mouse and a USB flash drive at the same time.
4. Frustrating trackpad
Yes, trackpad is wider that the previous model of x2, but it’s not great though. It’s short and your fingers usually point out of the designed box. This is ridiculous. The two-finger scrolling gesture often doesn’t register, forcing you to use the touchscreen to move up and down pages instead. But, scrolling down long websites isn’t as smooth as they could be.
5. Low-quality display
The Pavilion x2 uses a 10.1-inch, 1,280 x 800 touch display with 149 pixel per inch density. In general, there are a bunch problems that you can face with x2’s display, as owners reported. Black levels are not good and the dark areas of pictures looking blue-grey. Other colors look washed out and the bright reds or blues look faded, like photographs in old family albums. It’s also annoying when you are using the x2 outdoors on a sunny day because it’s been made with a weak top brightness setting and a highly-reflective screen.