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Business News/ Technology / Tech Reviews/  HP Spectre Folio review: Premium leather design but at a premium pricing too
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HP Spectre Folio review: Premium leather design but at a premium pricing too

It’s a regular ultrabook with complete leather exterior and allows you to use the device as a tablet
  • This year’s Spectre Folio is being touted as the “world’s first” leather convertible
  • Image: HPPremium
    Image: HP

    Not everyone looks at a laptop as a fashion accessory, but HP has been capitalizing on just that with its Spectre line. This year’s Spectre Folio is being touted as the “world’s first" leather convertible.

    That means it’s a regular ultrabook that looks like it’s made completely out of leather, and allows you to place the screen in two different positions, or be completely turned around to use the device as a tablet.

    Design: While the Spectre Folio obviously isn’t made of leather only, it has a thick, premium leather exterior.

    That makes it distinct from literally any other laptop on the market, while also giving it a very premium feel.

    When closed, the laptop could easily be mistaken for a folder because of the leather body.

    Unlike most ultrabooks though, the Spectre Folio doesn’t feel ultra light when you first take it out of the box. Instead, it has a certain heft to it that many users may appreciate.

    Simply put, it’s just the right weight for a laptop, but you could easily call it too heavy for the ultrabook category.

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    Performance: Head-to-head, there are ultrabooks that are faster than the Spectre Folio on benchmarks.

    However, that doesn’t really make a difference in the laptop’s day-to-day performance. web browsing, media streaming and even some video editing is all fast. Windows 10 runs smoothly, which is almost a given for laptops in this range.

    Battery life: Another area where the Spectre Folio really excels is in battery life. On a regular day’s usage, with lots of web browsing, emails and some media streaming, the laptop comfortably exceeds 10 hours.

    HP’s claims for the battery are somewhat exorbitant, and though it doesn’t match those claims, this is among the more dependable ultrabooks in terms of battery life.

    Keyboard and Touchpad: Like earlier ultrabooks from HP, the keyboard on this one is on point. Key spacing is done well, so you have almost no learning curve to the keyboard.

    The Touchpad is also responsive and manages all Windows gestures well. A larger touchpad surface would have been better though.

    Verdict: The HP Spectre Folio is certainly one of the most unique laptops out there. But it’s really difficult to recommend a laptop that is priced at 1,99,990 and doesn’t bring the highest possible specifications out there. The Spectre Folio is certainly a dependable machine, but dependable at this price point isn’t good enough.

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    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Prasid Banerjee
    An engineering dropout, Prasid Banerjee has reported on technology in India for various publications. He reports on technology through text and audio, focusing on its core aspects, like consumer impact, policy and the future.
    Catch all the Technology News and Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
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    Published: 15 Feb 2019, 08:30 AM IST
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