The HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7 is one of the best convertibles money can buy if you don't care about its weak UHD graphics

Convertible subnotebooks typically omit a lot of features in order to be as thin and light as possible. The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1, for example, doesn't even come with any ports outside of USB-C which forces users to carry adapters everywhere they go. Of all the convertibles we've tested thus far, the HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7 is perhaps the most balanced option when it comes to weight, performance and features.

Unique to the HP convertible is its optional 1000-nit panel to be over two times brighter than most other models in its 13-inch size class. The Dell Latitude 7410 comes with many similar features including the proximity sensor for hands-free login, HDMI, 4G LTE, Thunderbolt 3 compatibility, and low weight of ~1.4 kg, but it lacks the super-bright display option to be the inferior system for outdoor scenarios.

The key disadvantage of the EliteBook x360 1040 G7 is its outdated UHD 620 graphics which is at least several years behind the current generation of iGPU options. Though it's true that the convertible isn't targeting users demanding high graphics performance, the fact that newer Iris Xe or Radeon Vega GPUs can outperform the UHD 620 by at least 2x or 3x under the same 15 W power envelope shows how behind the UHD 620 has become. Light to moderate graphics editing would run much smoother on alternative convertibles like the XPS 13 2-in-1 or HP Spectre x360 14 as a result.

Luckily, HP has already announced that the upcoming EliteBook x360 1040 G8 will carry Intel Tiger Lake vPro CPUs to directly address the poor graphics performance of previous generation models. If the extra GPU horsepower is important to your daily loads, then it would be best to hold off on the EliteBook x360 series until the G8 refresh becomes available.