Technologies

HP Envy x360 15 Review: A Good 2-in-1 Hampered by an Outdated Display

Why buy a convertible laptop with a 15.6-inch, 16:9 panel when 16-inch, 16:10 models exist?

HP’s Envy line of laptops and two-in-one convertibles is the middle child between the mainstream Pavilion series and the premium Spectre line. The Envy x360 15 is a 15.6-inch two-in-one that delivers the best of both worlds: a premium design that’s closer to that of a Spectre at a price that’s more meat-and-potatoes Pavilion. The Envy x360 15 boasts an attractive, rigid all-metal body, but the design is no different than last year’s model. And while we don’t mind last year’s looks, we are less enthused with HP sticking with a widescreen 16:9 display when the increasingly popular 16:10 panels found in such convertibles as the Dell Inspiron 16 two-in-one and Lenovo Yoga 7i 16 are roomier and more useful, while hardly adding to the system’s overall footprint.

The Envy x360 15’s component lineup is solidly midrange with a Ryzen 7 5825U CPU that’s now a year old and a generation behind AMD’s current 6000 series. It’s paired with 12GB of RAM that’s more than the 8GB you get with typical budget models but less than the 16GB you can usually find at this price. The biggest change from last year’s model is HP having doubled the webcam resolution from a grainy 720p to a crisp 1440p camera. In the era of video conferences, a bump in webcam fidelity is greatly appreciated. Then again, if the webcam is the headliner, it’s not much of an update overall.

7.0

HP Envy x360 15

$750 at Best Buy

Get Price Alerts

You’re receiving price alerts for HP Envy x360 15

Like

Premium looks at mainstream price
1440p webcam
Long battery life

Don’t Like

16:9 display feels cramped and outdated
Dim display

HP offers the Envy x360 15 in a host of configurations with both Intel and AMD CPUs. Our test system is available at Best Buy (model 15-ey0023dx) for $1,050 and is regularly discounted to only $750. Best Buy’s sales constantly fluctuate, so if it’s not on sale there, you can find a similar model at HP with 16GB of RAM that lists for $1,130. It’s currently out of stock, but its price was reduced to $930 recently. In the UK, the Envy x360 15 starts at 750, and in Australia it’s AU$1,999.

With its octa-core Ryzen 7 5825U and 12GB of RAM, the Envy x360 offers strong application performance and some capacity for basic photo editing. Its integrated Radeon GPU isn’t as powerful as Intel’s integrated graphics processor, however, and Intel’s isn’t all that powerful to begin with. Content creators will want to look elsewhere. With the efficient Ryzen 7 U-series chip, the system is able to operate in silence the majority of the time. And when the cooling fans are required, they spin quietly. The efficient CPU also allows for long battery life — nearly 12 hours on our battery drain test.

Envious looks

The Envy x360 15 features an all-metal chassis in what HP calls Nightfall Black. The matte-black finish has a hint of brown to it and lends a luxurious look similar to that of the Spectre x360 16 — minus the gem-cut edges, gold accents and ports located in the back corners. The Envy x360 15 won’t look out of place in the boardroom or executive suite and also offers a contrast to the common sight of silver aluminum laptops in coffee shops and shared workspaces.

At 4.2 pounds (1.9 kilograms), the Envy x360 15 feels heavier than it should, likely a result of the extra layers needed for the touch display found on all two-in-ones. The 3-pound Lenovo Yoga 7i makes a better option for daily commutes with its 14-inch, 16:10 display. A smaller, lighter two-in-one also has a more natural feel in tablet mode. The Envy x360 15 looks comically tall and narrow when held in portrait mode as a tablet. It’s also too heavy to hold with one hand and tap, swipe or sketch with the other hand. One last note on the Envy x360 15 as a tablet: A pen is not included.

The aluminum chassis offers a firm feel with little to no flex — even on the lid protecting the display. The keyboard deck provides a solid foundation on which to type. The keys themselves are widely spaced, firm and flat. They offer snappy feedback and a pleasant typing experience. I was immediately comfortable typing on the Envy x360 15. The touchpad, too, is excellent. It felt roomy and responsive. Both the keys and touchpad click offer the perfect amount of travel and are quiet when engaged. No loud, clacky keys or touchpad clicks to be heard.

The 15.6-inch, widescreen 16:9 display looks outdated and cramped when you are scrolling through a long document or web page. Microsoft Word, for instance, with its fat menu bar running across the top doesn’t leave as much room as you might like to read the actual document without constantly scrolling. There’s a reason the 16:10 aspect ratio is so popular among laptops. A 16:10 display feels roomier for the simple fact that it is. A 16:9 display may be better for watching movies, but 16:10 is better for everything else.

The other drawback with the display is its dimness. I measured it at 250 nits at maximum brightness. A 250-nit panel is budget territory. I wouldn’t be surprised to see such a display on a lower-end configuration in HP’s mainstream Pavilion line, but I expect better when stepping up to the Envy series. While the matte-black chassis might be worthy of boardroom inclusion, you had better hope your boardroom isn’t drenched in natural sunlight. I had the display dialed up to max brightness in a north-facing room on a cloudy day in winter in northern New England, and there were still times I hit the brightness-up hoping for more.

In contrast to the dim, 16:9 display, the webcam received an upgrade in this year’s model. Gone is the grainy 720p webcam of yore, and in its place is a 5-megapixel camera that can capture 1440p, 30fps video. It produced a crisp, well-balanced picture with accurate color and skin tones. The webcam is also an IR cam, so you can sign in to Windows simply by placing your face in front of the laptop.

The Envy x360 15 offers a strong selection of ports, but you miss out on Thunderbolt 4 support because of the AMD chipset. The two USB-C ports support a display and high-speed data, however, and there’s also an HDMI port for connecting to an external display. With a pair of USB Type-A ports in addition to the USB-C ports, you won’t need to hassle with an adapter to connect your devices. You also get an SD card slot, which is not usually found on a mainstream laptop.

Despite its good looks, stellar webcam and comfortable keyboard, the Envy x360 15 is hard to recommend because of its dim, 16:9 display. If the display isn’t an issue for you, just be sure to wait for a good sale price. Otherwise, a more modern two-in-one with a 16:10 display such as the Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 or Lenovo Yoga 7i 16 provides a larger workspace without adding much to the size and weight of the system.

Technologies

Why Are Switch 2 Games So Expensive? Trump’s Tariffs May Not Be Sole Factor

It still comes down to money.

Wednesday’s reveal of the Switch 2 had a lot of buzz from Nintendo surrounding its successor to the Switch. One shocking bit, though, was the high price of its games. There’s a lot of confusion, especially with news of President Donald Trump’s increased tariffs on many trading partners, including Japan.

After the Switch 2 Direct, Nintendo released the full details of the upcoming console and games on its website. The price of Mario Kart World shocked gamers and led to some disdain, as the $80 MSRP was $10 more than what most new games cost today. This led many to wonder if this would be a new normal for game prices due to Trump’s tariffs or if Nintendo was just being greedy. The answer, however, might be something completely different.

Are Nintendo Switch 2 game prices hiking?

To start, some details need to be cleared up. Some people have posted on social media that the price of Nintendo’s Switch 2 games, at least in the US, will be $90. That is incorrect, as of right now.

One X user posted Switch 2 EU prices for Mario Kart World, which start at 80 euros for a digital version and 90 euros for the physical copy. Typically, US and EU games match in price, which caused some to assume that this pricing would be the case for the US.

Nintendo Switch 2 games will be more expensive physically than digitally.
Mario Kart World will be 90 freaking euros phisically. pic.twitter.com/iXuRwzlFqH

— Centro LEAKS (@CentroLeaks) April 2, 2025

US retailers, however, already posted their Switch 2 game prices, and Nintendo-published games are listed at $80.

Will Trump’s tariffs cause the Switch 2 to cost more?

As for Trump’s tariffs, that is unlikely to be a driver of this price bump. Tariffs are not applied to digital goods, and when the prices were published, there were no tariffs on Japan. Plus, games are similarly expensive in other countries like Canada and the UK.

With that cleared up, why are Nintendo games on the Switch 2 so expensive? One likely reason is game storage.

Read More: All the Nintendo Games You Can Update to Switch 2 for Free

The Switch 2 uses what Nintendo calls game-key cards, which are Switch 2 cartridges that don’t have all the game data on the cartridge itself. This helps save on production costs as storage is expensive. The original Switch cartridges went up to 32GB of storage, which doesn’t seem like a lot these days, with some games taking up 100GB or more of storage, but this is for the original Switch. Only a few games, like The Witcher 3, went above 32GB because the graphics for the Switch weren’t on the high end like with a PC, PS5 or Xbox Series console, where a Witcher 3 install size starts at 50GB.

Switch 2 games are going to be bigger in size — there is little doubt about it. CD Projekt Red confirmed it would put its Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition on one 64GB cartridge, and there will likely be other games to surpass that 64GB. With the max size of the cartridge doubling in size, it adds to the price of the physical card, as not only does storage have to be bigger, but they will need to transfer data faster. That can get more expensive for physical copies, unlike optical discs, which are still the same price whether it has 20GB or 100GB on the disc.

What does all this mean for gamers?

This leads to a dilemma for publishers: Put the entire game on the physical card and sell it at a loss, increase the price of the physical copy with the full game on it or use the game-key card to have a card with minimal storage, requiring gamers to download the entire game.

Read More: The 17 Best Nintendo Switch Games Right Now

It appears that Nintendo went with door No. 2. This doesn’t come as much of a surprise, knowing the company. Anyone who wants to save money on games knows that Nintendo will seldom bring the price down of its own games. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, for example, is 8 years old and is still full price on Nintendo’s website.

According to an industry analysis from Niko Partners, this new pricing could become the new normal in a couple of years when it comes to physical cartridges.

«While there has been some sticker shock regarding the price of games increasing from $60 to $70 or $80, these price points are set to become industry standard over the next two years, especially so for Nintendo first-party games,» Niko Partners said in a statement Wednesday. «One reason for the higher price is the increased cost of the new and faster Game Cards themselves, with higher capacities being more expensive to manufacture than a PS5 Blu-ray disc.»

Nintendo didn’t respond to a request for comment about the higher price of its games.

That said, this doesn’t explain the lower price of Donkey Kong Bananza, which comes out in July; that’s listed on Nintendo’s site for $70. This could mean the game isn’t using a larger storage card, but that can’t be said for sure until the game comes out. It’s unclear how things will change in the future.

Technologies

Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-orders in US Delayed Due to Trump’s Tariffs

The Switch 2 launch is still happening on June 5, and preorders outside the US seem unchanged.

Nintendo Switch 2 preorders in the US were to start April 9, but it appears those plans have changed due to the new tariffs imposed this week by President Donald Trump. It’s unclear if this means Nintendo will also have to increase the price of the Switch successor, which currently starts at $450.

Nintendo said Friday that it’s delaying Switch 2 preorders in the US, but its June release date is unaffected.

«Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start April 9, 2025 in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions,» the company said in a statement. «Nintendo will update timing at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged.»

Nintendo didn’t indicate if preorder dates outside the US would change, but Eurogamer reports that preorders are live at various retailers in the UK.

A tariff of 24% has been applied by the US to goods from Japan. Were that rate to be applied directly to the Switch 2’s announced price, it would rise to $558, but it would be up to Nintendo how much of the tariff it will pass on to consumers.

This is a developing story.

Technologies

Twelve South’s Foldable Wireless Charger for iPhone and Apple Watch Is Up to 27% Off at Amazon

This handy accessory makes it easier to travel with your Apple gear and stay charged wherever you go.

Whether you’re traveling for business or off on a wonderful family vacation, charging your stuff shouldn’t be something you have to worry about. Taking extra chargers and cables can be a pain, and they all take up space in your bag. But the handy Twelve South Butterfly SE charger is a compact alternative that can wirelessly charge an iPhone and an Apple Watch at the same time. And it’s available with up to 27% off right now at Amazon.

That top line discount applies to the pink version, though the white model is only $7 more and other colors are seeing 15% off the usual $100 price tag if you have a strong preference. It’s not clear how long the discounts will last, though.

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

The charger itself offers a way to wirelessly charge a iPhone and Apple Watch from a single AC outlet, and you can even charge your AirPods when your phone is done, too. And because this is a Qi2 charger you’ll get a full 15 watts of wireless charging for compatible devices — including the best iPhones.

When you’re not using the Butterfly SE, it folds up so it can be slid into a pocket, bag or luggage without taking up too much space. It really is the perfect partner for people who like to travel light.

Unfortunately, this charger doesn’t come with an AC adapter in the box, so you’ll need to provide your own. Make sure it’s rated for 20 watts or more. If you need to buy one, Apple’s 20-watt USB-C charger is just $15 right now.

Why this deal matters

We all carry multiple devices around with us these days. Anything that can make charging them more convenient is a win in our books, especially when you’re traveling. This charger takes up little space when it isn’t being used and charges quickly when it is.