Pros:
- Best performance for under $600
- Great battery life
- Great keyboard, and trackpad
- Great small features, like two USB-C ports for charging
Cons:
- Dim display with dull colors
- Heavier than many other devices in this price range
Review Summary:
This Chromebook is fast, built well, has a great battery life, great features, and in my opinion just two minor weaknesses. For this reason, this is my favorite Chromebook under $600!
HP Chromebook x360 14″ Review
I’ve noticed a lot of Chromebook reviews that have missed crucial details. People speak in general terms and make general terms and just don’t keep it honest. I have personally used the Chromebook x360 as my personal computer for about a month now, and I’ve used it against a lot of other tough competition around the same price, so allow me to break down the pros and the cons of the device for you.
Design and Build Quality
The Chromebook x360 is a 14″ Chromebook, so it has one of the larger screens on the market. It does have a decent weight to it (3.7 lbs), but honestly, you should probably expect that for a 14″ device. The device doesn’t seem cheaply made. The bottom of the device is made of plastic, but when would you notice? It is on your lap while you’re using it, so this shouldn’t be a big deal. Most of the device is made of aluminum. The keyboard and trackpad are well made, and while some people have mentioned that the hinges seem a little loose, in my opinion, they seemed to be plenty sturdy. The device has a white lid and a slate body, so that may be a con for some people, but in my opinion, the colors looked well together and I had no issues with them.
When I look at build quality, one of the most important things I look at is complaints. The Asus C434 has been getting rave reviews from tech websites, but if you take a step over to Reddit, you will find that some people are having problems with freezing, and some people have been shipped multiple devices due to minor defects. The HP Chromebook x360 honestly hasn’t had a lot of complaints. My only big gripe has been the screen.
Screen
When I bought this Chromebook, I was excited. I was told that this was a great screen with nearly “300 nits of brightness”, but I was a little disappointed when I brought the Chromebook home to find out that the screen actually only had 220 nits of brightness. It is a 1080P IPS display, which has been pretty standard for most Chromebooks, but despite what some reviews say, this Chromebook isn’t too bright. This was almost a deal-breaker for me, but if I’m honest, this device was too good in every other area, so I personally let the screen slide. The colors are a little dull, and the screen doesn’t get super bright, but in most conditions, I was able to keep the brightness at around 85% and at that brightness level, the screen seemed more than bright enough. If you’re like me, you’re normally used to having your Chromebook at about 50% brightness, so this Chromebook took some getting used to. Let me just say that, even if you have it at a higher brightness level, it does still get bright enough for most situations, and the screen is still a GOOD screen. Just keep in mind that the Samsung Chromebook Plus V2, the HP Chromebook X2, and others in a similar price range will have about 300 nits brightness. But if you are considering getting this Chromebook, remember, I keep it real! This Chromebook checked more boxes for me than any other Chromebook, so only having one flaw in a screen is not bad!
Performance
Performance is really where this Chromebook shines. The Chromebook x360 comes with a i3 processor and 8GB of RAM. Most Chromebooks in this price range like the Asus C434, the Chromebook Plus V2, or the HP Chromebook X2, all have only 4GB of RAM. While some models have upgraded versions with more RAM (the Asus C434 has an 8GB version) all of the comparable devices I listed only have an Intel m3 processor. Simply put, this device is a great bang for your buck on performance. With 8GB of RAM and an i3 processor, this device has plenty of power for your everyday multitasking.
Battery Life
This Chromebook is a solid performer in battery life. Even with extra brightness, I managed to get about 8 hours or so on a charge each day. That may seem small, but I consider myself a pretty heavy user. I was running down the Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 within 5 hours on a charge, so this Chromebook will do well. I think most people could get between 8-10 hours of battery life. In comparison to other devices (from reading several reviews), I think this device will have a similar battery life to the Asus C434, which is also a top contender in the battery category.
Other Features
In a world where more and more laptops are thin, it is hard to find a good keyboard. Luckily, the HP Chromebook x360 has a great keyboard! With devices becoming so portable, I’ve really struggled to like most keyboards. The Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 has a shallow keyboard with little key travel. The Microsoft Surface keyboards that so many people rave about also seem to have shallow key travel. Even the great HP Chromebook X2 has a keyboard that I just can’t really enjoy. The Chromebook x360 is in its own class with keyboards. The keyboard is backlit, which is rare in this price range, and the travel on the keys is good. I would argue that this keyboard is one of my favorite keyboards that I have ever used.
The trackpad is also great, not much to say except it clicks well and it is very responsive. This device also has front-facing speakers across the front of the keyboard which is a nice touch. They are B&O speakers, and while they are good, they aren’t quite as loud as you would expect. They seem to be pretty standard run of the mill speakers, which isn’t a bad thing, but not a great thing either.
Another great feature of this Chromebook is its ports. There are two USB-C ports on the device (one on each side), and both can be used for charging. It also comes with a headphone jack, sd card slot, and a USB-A port. The Chromebook Plus V2, for example, only has one USB-C port, so I am glad to see that this device can not only be charged from both sides, but I’m also happy to see that it includes all of the ports I would expect in a Chromebook for this price.
Good Bang for Your Buck?
If your new to the Chromebook world, you may want to know: Am I getting a good deal? What price can I get this for? In the past few months, I’ve seen the Chromebook x360 14″ go on sale for as low as $399 at Best Buy in the past.
If you look around, most weeks. you should see it on sale for $499 or under, and maybe twice a month you will see it drop to $449 or $399. If you see this Chromebook for these prices, it is a steal and a must-have!
Every single week I see Chromebooks go on sale on Amazon and Best Buy. It seems like they go on sale in a rotation. Some weeks you will see the Asus C434 on sale for $500, other weeks you will see the Chromebook Plus V2 M3 on sale for $449, and some weeks you will see the Chromebook X2 on sale for $449. As of today, the Chromebook x360 is not on sale, but many other devices are.
Due to this environment where devices are going on sale every week, I would simply recommend getting the best deal at the given time. The HP Chromebook x360 14″ is a great device though, and if you find it for under $500, it is definitely worth getting!
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Where to buy this device:
► Amazon (new)
► Amazon: (used/renewed)
► Best Buy: (new)
Click here to view the HP Chromebook x360 14″ on Amazon
*If you get a Chromebook x360 from Amazon, make sure that it is being sold from a reputable seller. Check the buying options and make sure the seller has a feedback percentage of over 95%. If it is available directly from Amazon, that is always a good option.
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