HP’s Envy x360 13 is a wonderful convertible 2-in-1 for not some huge cash. It’s extraordinarily versatile, well-built, and it supplies strong productiveness efficiency whereas being priced to undercut a lot of the competitors. That features the Apple MacBook Air M2, a superb laptop computer that’s among the many least costly MacBooks.

Should you’re taking a look at 13-inch machines, then these two laptops ought to be in your shortlist. They’re fairly totally different, although, and so the selection between them isn’t a straightforward one to make. We’ll attempt to make it somewhat simpler.

Specs

  HP Envy x360 13 Apple MacBook Air M2
Dimensions 11.75 inches x 8.46 inches x 0.63 inches 11.97 inches by 8.46 inches by 0.44 inches
Weight 2.95 kilos 2.7 kilos
Processor Intel Core i5-1230U
Intel Core i5-1250U
Apple M2 eight-core CPU, eight-Core GPU
Apple Me eight-core CPU, 10-Core GPU
Graphics Intel Iris Xe Apple M2
RAM 8GB LPDDR4x
16GB LPDDR4x
8GB
16GB
24GB
Show 13.3-inch 16:10 WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS
13.3-inch 16:10 WQXGA (2560 x 1600) IPS
13.3-inch 16:10 2.8K (2880 x 1800) OLED
13.6-inch 16:10 2560 x 1664 Liquid Retina IPS
Storage 512GB PCIe SSD
1TB PCIe SSD
256GB PCIe SSD
512GB PCIe SSD
1TB PCIe SSD
2TB PCIe SSD
Contact Sure No
Ports 2 x USB-C4 with Thunderbolt 4
2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2
1 x 3.5mm audio jack
1 x microSD card reader
2 USB-C with Thunderbolt 4
3.5mm audio jack
Wi-fi Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0
Webcam 5MP with infrared digital camera for Home windows 11 Hey 1080p
Working system Home windows 11 macOS Monterey
Battery 66 watt-hours 52.6 watt-hours
Worth $900+ $1,200+
Ranking 4.5 out of 5 stars 4 out of 5 stars

Worth and configurations

The Envy x360 13 prices $900 for an Intel Core i5-1230U CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB solid-state drive (SSD), and a 13.3-inch 16:10 WUXGA IPS show. Essentially the most you’ll spend is $1,300 for a Core i7-1250U, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 13.3-inch 16:10 2.8K OLED panel.

The MacBook Air M2 is a pricier laptop computer, beginning at $1,200 for an 8-core CPU/8-core GPU M2 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. On the excessive finish, the laptop computer prices $2,500 for an 8-core CPU/10-core GPU M2, 24GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD.

The MacBook prices extra throughout the board, and observe that HP typically places their laptops on sale. Once we reviewed the Envy x360 13, for instance, the entry-level configuration was simply $700, making it a real discount.

Design

It’s onerous to beat Apple’s construct high quality, and the MacBook Air M2 isn’t any exception. Its unibody development is excellent, though the lid does exhibit some uncharacteristic bending due to the laptop computer’s excessive thinness. It is available in at simply 0.44 inches thick, making it one of many thinnest laptops you should buy. The Envy x360 13 additionally enjoys an all-aluminum development, and it’s additionally a strong machine — arguably, it’s extra inflexible than the MacBook. Apple’s hinge is clean and permits opening the lid with one hand, which HP’s hinge also can do, albeit with out the identical refinement. The Envy x360 13’s hinge should help the lid in 4 orientations, although, together with clamshell, media, tent, and pill, so it’s extra advanced and heavier.

Each are enticing machines with minimalist designs. The MacBook Air M2 takes on the identical blocky design because the costlier MacBook Professional fashions, and it now not sports activities the mannequin’s iconic wedge design. It is available in 4 colours, Midnight, Starlight, Area Grey, and silver, with matching MagSafe 3.0 charger cables. The Envy x360 13 has easy traces with a number of angles that lend it some panache, and it’s out there in Pure Silver and Dusk Black shade schemes. The MacBook’s show bezels are barely smaller, giving it a extra trendy look than the Envy, which additionally has a bigger backside chin to accommodate its 2-in-1 hinge.

In relation to inputting data, the MacBook Air M2 is the extra snug laptop computer. Its Magic Keyboard stays among the many greatest out there on laptops at present, with shallow however crisp switches and excellent keycap sizes and spacing. It’s a real pleasure to make use of. The Pressure Contact haptic touchpad can also be the perfect round, being exact and responsive throughout its total floor with digital clicks that really feel higher than the actual factor. The Envy x360 13’s keyboard can also be glorious, if a slight step again from Apple’s, with deeper switches with a really feel that’s simply barely much less exact. Its mechanical touchpad is an effective instance of the perfect Home windows laptops can provide, but it surely’s not as good to make use of because the MacBook’s.

The Envy x360 13 advantages from a contact show that additionally helps an energetic pen for Home windows inking. Because of a taller 16:10 show, the Envy makes for a high quality digital drawing and notetaking platform, one thing the MacBook can’t match.

One other space the place the Envy wins out is in connectivity, due to the identical variety of Thunderbolt 4 ports to go along with higher legacy help due to USB-A, and it has a microSD card reader. It additionally boasts extra up-to-date and sooner wi-fi connectivity.

Lastly, each laptops have high-resolution webcams, and HP provides in an infrared digital camera for Home windows 11 passwordless login through facial recognition. The MacBook Air M2 helps a Contact ID fingerprint reader embedded within the keyboard.

Efficiency

The lid and keyboard of the MacBook Air.

Apple’s M2 ARM-based processor builds on the wonderful efficiency and effectivity of the M1. It options eight CPU cores and both eight or 10 GPU cores, the latter of which embody optimizations for artistic processes in functions like Adobe’s Artistic Suite. The Envy x360 13 we reviewed was geared up with the 15-watt Intel Core i7-1250U, a 10-core/12-thread CPU that’s aimed toward offering glorious productiveness efficiency. The Envy’s built-in Intel Iris Xe graphics aren’t as robust in artistic apps, leaving it behind the MacBook in creativity workflows.

Each laptops are glorious productiveness machines and intently matched in CPU-intensive duties. Should you edit images or movies, although, the MacBook Air M2 stands out.

HP Envy x360 13
(Core i7-1250U)
Apple MacBook Air M2
(Apple M2)
Geekbench 5
(single / multi)
Bal: 1,435 / 7,285
Perf: 1,460 / 7,288
Bal: 1,925 / 8,973
Perf: N/A
Handbrake
(seconds)
Bal: 136
Perf: 138
Bal: 151
Perf: N/A
Cinebench R23
(single / multi)
Bal: 1,504 / 7,436
Perf: 1,504 / 7,441
Bal: 1,600 / 7,938
Perf: N/A

Show and audio

HP Envy x360 13 2022 front view showing display.

The MacBook Air M2 has a superb 13.6-inch Liquid Retina IPS show operating at 16:10 and 2560 x 1664. It’s sharp, brilliant, gives nice colours, and enjoys deep distinction. Any productiveness consumer will love the show, as will all however probably the most demanding creators. The Envy x360 13, although, gives a 13.3-inch 16:10 2880 x 1800 OLED panel that’s sharper, gives even higher colours, has extremely deep distinction with inky blacks, and can delight all customers. Its solely weak spot in comparison with the MacBook’s show is it’s decrease brightness, but it surely’s nonetheless greater than brilliant sufficient.

The Envy x360 13 has two downward-firing audio system which might be high quality for YouTube and system sounds, however the MacBook Air M2’s quad audio system sound quite a bit higher and play significantly louder with out distortion. The MacBook can also be fanless, which means it’s utterly silent and so there’s no fan noise competing with the audio system for consideration.

HP Envy x360 13
(OLED)
Apple MacBook Air M2
(IPS)
Brightness
(nits)
391 486
AdobeRGB gamut 100% 90%
 sRGB gamut 98% 100%
Accuracy
(DeltaE, decrease is healthier)
0.72 1.08
Distinction ratio 29,420:1 1,310:1

Portability

A side of the MacBook Air showing the ports.

As talked about earlier, the MacBook Air M2 is stunningly skinny at simply 0.44 inches, in comparison with the Envy x360 13 at 0.63 inches. The laptops are nearly an identical in width and depth, an accomplishment for the MacBook given its bigger show, and the Envy is a few ounces heavier. However, each are extremely transportable laptops that slip simply right into a backpack.

The extra important distinction is in battery life. Apple’s M2 processor is extremely environment friendly due to its ARM structure, and that confirmed up in our battery benchmarks. The Envy x360 13 did effectively for a Home windows machine with a power-hungry OLED show, however the MacBook lasted significantly longer.

HP Envy x360 13
(Core i7-1250U)
Apple MacBook Air M2
(Apple M2)
Internet looking 9 hours, half-hour 17 hours, 59 minutes
Video 15 hours, 31 minutes 21 hours, 9 minutes

Two nice laptops, however one’s significantly extra reasonably priced

The HP Envy x360 13 is a extra reasonably priced laptop computer, notably as you ramp up its configuration. It’s well-built, supplies glorious productiveness efficiency and strong battery life, and enjoys the flexibleness of a convertible 2-in-1. The MacBook Air M2, then again, is the epitome of at present’s skinny and lightweight laptop computer, offering an equally good construct, nice efficiency and even higher battery life, and Apple’s all-around excellence.

In the long run, we’ve got to offer the nod to the Envy x360 13 given its cheaper price. You merely get extra laptop computer in your cash.

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