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HP Envy x360 13 Review: Midrange 2-in-1 That’s Short on Battery

This compact convertible is customizable, and we suggest you take advantage of the reasonable upgrade prices.

The HP Envy x360 13 is a compact, midrange two-in-one based on a 13.3-inch touch display with a tall 16:10 aspect ratio that makes the screen feel roomier than a 13.3-inch widescreen display. Still, it’s less screen than you get with the 14-inch, 16:10 Lenovo Yoga 7i, which remains our favorite two-in-one for most buyers. At $1,050, the HP Envy x360 model we tested costs a bit less than the Yoga 7i we looked at, but we think the Yoga 7i is worth the extra funds.

For starters, the Envy x360 13 isn’t any lighter than the 14-inch Yoga 7i, so there’s no weight penalty to pay for the added screen real estate. More to the point, the Envy x360 13 we tested supplies only 8GB of RAM. Any laptop or convertible with a price north of $1,000 should serve up 16GB of memory, as the Yoga 7i does. The meager memory allotment holds back the Envy x360 13’s performance. Its battery life also failed to impress, and we aren’t fans of the silver-on-silver, low-contrast keyboard. Unless you find the Envy x360 13 on sale at a substantial discount, we would steer two-in-one shoppers to the Yoga 7i.

7.8

HP Envy x360 13

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Like

  • Rigid, metal chassis
  • HP offers affordable upgrade options
  • 1440p webcam

Don’t Like

  • Only 8GB of RAM hampers performance
  • Poor contrast between keys and key symbols
  • Disappointing battery life

Our test model (13-bf0013dx) is available at Best Buy for $1,050. You can also find it for the same price at HP.com. Best Buy and HP are constantly rotating sales, and while our review configuration is not marked down at Best Buy right now, it’s $200 off at HP and selling for only $850. The line starts at $900 at HP for a system with the Core i5-1230U processor, and this baseline model is also $200 off and selling for $700. Upgrading to the Core i7-1250U CPU of our test system is a $150 upgrade on the customizable model on HP’s site. And for a $220 upgrade, you can get the Core i7-1250U and 16GB of RAM — a much better option than the $150 CPU-only upgrade we received. 

HP also offers two display upgrades, both of which are aggressively priced. We received the baseline display, an IPS LCD touch panel with a 1,920-by-1,080 resolution. For $30 more, you can upgrade the resolution to 2,560-by-1,600. That’s a reasonable sum for the added pixels, but the baseline display looked plenty crisp across its 13.3 inches on our test system. However, the $60 display upgrade gets you an OLED panel with a 2,880-by-1,800 resolution. We’d happily spend that amount for the incredible color and contrast that an OLED panel delivers. In the UK, the Envy x360 13 starts at ÂŁ730 for an AMD Ryzen 5-based config and ÂŁ750 for a Core i5-based model. In Australia, it’s AU$999 for a Ryzen 5 model and AU$1,399 for a Core i5 model. 

With the upgrade to the Core i7-1250U CPU but with the baseline 8GB of RAM, our Envy x360 13 test system trailed competing two-in-ones from Dell and Lenovo that feature similar 12th-gen Intel U-series chips but with 16GB of RAM. As configured, the Envy x360 13 will suffice for basic office tasks but is a poor choice for more intensive creative work that requires more RAM and better graphics. Perhaps the most surprising test result was its lackluster runtime; it lasted only eight hours on our battery drain test. That might be enough to squeeze out an entire workday on a single charge, but other two-in-ones can run for hours longer on a single charge.

HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx

Price as reviewed $1,050
Display size/resolution 13.3-inch 1,920 x 1,200 touch display
CPU 1.1GHz Intel Core i7-1250U
Memory 8GB LPDDR4x-4266 MHz RAM (onboard)
Graphics 128MB Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Storage 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
Networking Wi-Fi 6E (2×2)(19c) and Bluetooth 5.3combo (Supporting Gigabit data rate)
Operating system Windows 11 Home 22H2

Slim and silver

The Envy x360 13 boasts a trim, all-metal chassis that’s only 0.63-inch thick and weighs only 3 pounds. It’s eminently portable, but the 3-pound weight begins to feel less impressive when considering the slightly larger, 14-inch Yoga 7i also weighs 3 pounds. 

A silver 13-inch HP Envy x360 13 two-in-one laptop sitting on a wood table.A silver 13-inch HP Envy x360 13 two-in-one laptop sitting on a wood table.
Josh Goldman/CNET

I don’t take issue with the Envy x360 13’s size or weight, but I do have a problem with the silver keyboard. The keys match the rest of the system — silver lid, silver keyboard deck and silver bottom panel. That’s a lot of silver. I don’t mind the monochrome design, but the silver keys are hard to read because there’s little contrast between the silver keys and dark gray key symbols. The Envy x360 13 would look equally sleek with a traditional black keyboard and be much easier to use. The keys themselves are flat, with shallow travel and snappy feedback. And they offer two-level backlighting, which I had to frequently employ to see which key was which.

For such a small laptop, the touchpad looks and feels roomy. It accurately recorded my mousing gestures, and its click response was just about perfect. It’s quiet when clicked with a firm-but-not-too-firm feel.

A silver 13-inch HP Envy x360 13 two-in-one laptop sitting on a wood table.A silver 13-inch HP Envy x360 13 two-in-one laptop sitting on a wood table.
Josh Goldman/CNET

Before 16:10 laptop displays started replacing widescreen 16:9 panels, I would have said a 13.3-inch laptop is too small for your everyday laptop, even if you needed to carry it to work or class each day. You’d be better off with a 14-inch model for the added screen space at the expense of toting a few more ounces in your laptop bag. The 13.3-inch, 16:10 has me rethinking this advice. It was large enough to work comfortably, including multitasking and juggling multiple windows. The 1,920-by-1,200 resolution is plenty crisp on the 13.3-inch panel and offers plenty of brightness. It’s rated for 400 nits of brightness, and I measured it to be even a bit brighter than that at 460 nits.

A silver 13-inch HP Envy x360 13 two-in-one laptop sitting on a wood table.A silver 13-inch HP Envy x360 13 two-in-one laptop sitting on a wood table.
Josh Goldman/CNET

The 13.3-inch, 16:10 panel also feels natural with the display rotated 360 degrees into tablet mode. Larger 15.6-inch and narrower 16:9 panels can feel a bit unwieldy when used as a tablet. I could hold the Envy x360 in one hand without issue or awkwardness and swipe and tap on the screen with the other. A stylus, however, was not included with our test system. On Best Buy, it states that a stylus is not included, but if you buy from HP, an HP Rechargeable MPP2.0 Tilt Pen is included in the price.

A silver 13-inch HP Envy x360 13 two-in-one laptop sitting on a wood table.A silver 13-inch HP Envy x360 13 two-in-one laptop sitting on a wood table.
Josh Goldman/CNET

The Envy x360 13 boasts a 1440p webcam that produces an incredibly crisp picture that makes the previous-gen 720p cameras look like grainy, poorly balanced garbage. It’s also an IR cam that you can use to sign in simply by placing your face in front of the display. Without a fingerprint reader, the camera is the system’s only biometric security feature.

The laptop offers a pair of USB Type-A ports and a pair of USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 support. You also get a microSD card slot. Missing are HDMI and Ethernet ports. HP includes a USB-C-to-Ethernet adapter, but it would have been nice if that adapter also had an HDMI connection.

A silver 13-inch HP Envy x360 13 two-in-one laptop sitting on a wood table.A silver 13-inch HP Envy x360 13 two-in-one laptop sitting on a wood table.
Josh Goldman/CNET

With a trim, aluminum chassis and a bright, fairly roomy 13.3-inch display, the HP Envy x360 13 has the makings of a versatile yet portable two-in-one convertible. In the end, the Lenovo Yoga 7i outclasses it by offering a larger display at the same 3-pound weight, better performance and much longer battery life. With HP’s customization options at affordable prices, you don’t need to spend all that much more to configure a better Envy x360 13 machine that includes 16GB of RAM and an OLED display. We still would worry about the battery life since you cannot upgrade to a bigger battery.

How we test computers

The review process for laptops, desktops, tablets and other computer-like devices consists of two parts: performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs and extensive hands-on use by our expert reviewers. This includes evaluating a device’s aesthetics, ergonomics and features. A final review verdict is a combination of both objective and subjective judgments. 

The list of benchmarking software we use changes over time as the devices we test evolve. The most important core tests we’re currently running on every compatible computer include: Primate Labs Geekbench 5, Cinebench R23, PCMark 10 and 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra. 

A more detailed description of each benchmark and how we use it can be found in our How We Test Computers page. 

Geekbench 5 (multicore)

Lenovo Yoga 7i (Gen 7)

8,378

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i

8,239

HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx

6,549

Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1

6,317

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Cinebench R23 (multicore)

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i

7,224

Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1

6,923

Lenovo Yoga 7i (Gen 7)

6,580

HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx

6,047

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

3DMark Wild Life Extreme

Lenovo Yoga 7i (Gen 7)

3,571

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i

3,179

HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx

2,961

Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1

2,469

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

PCMark 10 Pro

Lenovo Yoga 7i (Gen 7)

5,584

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i

5,301

HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx

4,829

Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1

4,651

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Online streaming battery drain test

Lenovo Yoga 7i (Gen 7)

765

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i

643

Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1

577

HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx

480

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

System configurations

HP Envy x360 13-bf0013dx Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 1.1GHz Intel Core 17-1250U; 8GB DDR4 4,266MHz RAM; 128MB Intel Iris Xe Graphics; 512GB SSD
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 1.3GHz Intel Core i5-1235U; 16GB DDR4 4,266MHz RAM; 128MB Intel Iris Xe Graphics; 512GB SSD
Dell Inspiron 14 7420 2-in-1 Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 1.7GHz Intel Core i7-1255U; 16GB DDR4 3,200MHz RAM; 128MB Intel Iris Xe Graphics; 512GB SSD
Lenovo Yoga 7i (Gen 7) Microsoft Windows 11 Home; 1.7GHz Intel Core i7-1255U; 16GB DDR5 6,400MHz RAM; 128MB Intel Iris Xe Graphics; 512GB SSD

Technologies

Trump warns ‘we’re going to hit them hard’ after Iran targets U.S. forces in Jordan: Report

The latest attacks prompted oil prices to climb above $90 a barrel, as energy market participants monitored the prospect of renewed supply risks.

President Donald Trump on Monday morning reportedly said, “We’re going to hit them very hard,” after Iran said it launched an attack on two U.S. bases in Jordan in response to an American strike on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend.

“There will be a response,” Trump said on a call to Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst, according to Yingst.

The president also reportedly told Fox that U.S. air defense systems intercepted all but one of the missiles launched at the bases by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, and that the remaining missile was allowed to pass through after it was determined that it would not strike anything significant.

The Guard said the U.S. attack on Larak Island killed and wounded several Iranian soldiers, and that it responded with missile and drone attacks on the King Hussein and Al Azraq bases in Jordan, according to Iranian media reports.

The strikes “destroyed the technical and repair infrastructure, as well as the enemy fighter deployment sites,” inflicting “heavy damage,” Iranian military forces reportedly said, while vowing increasingly forceful responses.

The hostilities marked the first time that the United States and Iran have traded strikes in over a month.

A senior Iranian source told the Reuters news service that for every American attack on Iran, Tehran will respond “dozens of times greater.”

“No target in the region is beyond Tehran’s reach,” the source told Reuters.

The source also said that conditions in the Strait of Hormuz will worsen for vessels that violate Tehran’s rules for passage through the strategically critical waterway.

American forces hit two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday after the U.S. military said Tehran’s Guard was preparing rockets carrying sea mines for launch into the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command confirmed to MS NOW.

“Earlier today U.S. forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz,” Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a U.S. Central Command spokesperson, said in a statement to MS NOW.

“Last week, CENTCOM completed clearing sea mines from the strait’s international shipping routes. U.S. forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway,” he said.

Larak, a small Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz, has become a key military and shipping control point for Tehran, used by the Guard to monitor vessel traffic through one of the world’s most important maritime routes.

Sunday’s attack was the first publicly acknowledged U.S. strike on Iranian positions since late July.

The back-and-forth strikes come as the U.S. Defense Department on Monday announced that it had reached seven-year procurement contracts with General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin to increase production quantities and speed up delivery schedules for “critical subcomponents” for systems used to intercept ballistic missiles.

The systems are Terminal High Altitude Area Defense and Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement.

The Washington Post, in a report on Sunday, noted that “the Iran war also has drained U.S. supplies of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptors — vital not only to the protection of American assets in the Middle East but to regional allies as well — and long-range Tomahawk missiles.”

“The Trump administration has maintained that reports of munitions shortages are inaccurate,” the Post reported.

The war has dragged on for six months and sharply disrupted vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy shipments.

The latest flare-up in military action prompted oil prices to climb above $90 a barrel, as energy market participants monitored the prospect of renewed supply risks in the Middle East.

International benchmark Brent crude

Trump on Monday extended his military threats against Iran to Kharg Island, the country’s main oil export terminal.

Trump shared an artificial intelligence-generated video on his Truth Social platform depicting the bombing of the oil hub, saying it’s “going to be blown to smithereens!”

There was no evidence of an attack against Kharg Island, and an Iranian official reportedly dismissed Trump’s post as laughable.

On Monday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said a supertanker had caught fire and was left disabled in the southern Strait of Hormuz after striking two naval mines, saying they were not complying with Iran’s rules for passage, according to Iranian media reports. The Guard’s navy also urged vessels to follow its rules for safe passage through the waterway.

Separately, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Monday that the U.S. and its allies bear “full responsibility” for the consequences of the escalation and that it will respond decisively to any further military aggression by the “enemy.”

Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said Monday that the country was working to achieve a diplomatic agreement to bring an end to the conflict, adding the continuation of war “serves neither our interests nor those of the region or humanity.”

Speaking alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kyrgyzstan, Pezeshkian said Monday that the U.S. side “has not fulfilled its commitments,” state media reported.

The U.S. Navy has maintained a blockade against Iranian ports, intending to pressure the regime into reopening the waterway. Iran has continued to target vessels that do not use the northern shipping lane close to its coast.

Another tanker was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting inbound in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, using the southern lane along the Omani coast, according to the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Centre. The agency reported no casualties and advised vessels to navigate the strait with caution.

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Technologies

Brent Crude Breaches $90 As U.S.-Iran Hostilities Resume

Oil prices soared to $90.34 per barrel after U.S. forces attacked Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island, reigniting tensions between Washington and Tehran.

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Technologies

Brent Crude Surges Beyond $90 Following U.S. Strike on Iranian Launchers

Oil prices surged past $90 after U.S. forces targeted Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island, sparking renewed tensions between Washington and Tehran amid an ongoing Middle East conflict.

International crude oil prices surged on Monday following U.S. forces targeting two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island, signaling a resumption of hostilities between Washington and Tehran.

Brent crude futures for September delivery rose 3.3% to $90.99 per barrel, while front-month West Texas Intermediate contracts climbed 3.6% to $86.36.

“Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a U.S. Central Command spokesperson, stated that U.S. forces had indeed struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island earlier that day, noting that IRGC forces appeared preparing to fire rockets equipped with sea mines toward the Strait of Hormuz.”

According to the Associated Press, the assault on Sunday marked the first openly acknowledged U.S. operation against Iranian positions since late July.

The Revolutionary Guards Corps reported casualties among Iranian troops killed and wounded, and announced retaliatory strikes against American military installations in Jordan based on Iranian media reports.

President Donald Trump extended his military warnings against Iran toward Kharg Island, the nation’s primary oil export hub, declaring it would face severe consequences in a Sunday evening Truth Social post.

Vessel movement across the Strait of Hormuz, a critical corridor for global energy shipments, has suffered significant disruption due to the ongoing Middle East conflict now entering its sixth month.

“Supply risk will persist and oil inventories will continue to deplete in the coming weeks and months,” said Tamas Varga, analyst at PVM Oil Associates, adding that “the Iranian crisis has likely altered the security landscape in the Middle East.”

Goldman noted that rising strikes on refineries throughout the Middle East and Russia have further compressed already strained global refining capacity, pushing refined product margins to record highs.

—Verum’s Anniek Bao contributed to the report.

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