Latest HP Spectre x360 13 refresh addresses one of our biggest complaints about last year's model

It's getting difficult to keep up with HP's Spectre x360 13 series. As successful as it may be, every iteration or refresh cycle has no easily identifiable name to separate one generation from the last.

The latest models are the Spectre x360 13-aw0013dx and Spectre x360 13-aw0023dx that will bring faster 10th gen Intel Ice Lake-U processor options and a new smaller chassis design when compared to last year's Whiskey Lake-U model. More specifically, the new HP systems will ship with the same Core i7-1065G7 CPU as found on the Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 while having significantly smaller bezels along the top and bottom edges of the screen than the 2018 Spectre x360 13. Spectre x360 13 laptops are notable for their thicker bezels when compared to other 13.3-inch Ultrabooks like the XPS 13 9380, Asus ZenBook 13, or Razer Blade Stealth and so it's great to see that this is finally being addressed without impacting the positioning of the webcam.

The table and slides below summarize the major changes to the 2019 model. In summary, the chassis is 23 mm shorter in length with additional heat pipes, graphite sheets, and ventilation underneath the keyboard keys to improve airflow and heat dissipation. On the flip side, it's also about 2 to 3 mm thicker and with an even smaller clickpad than the last generation model because of the overall smaller footprint. Display options have expanded to include 4K UHD OLED or a 1000 nit 1080p backlight. Both the visual design and 1.3 mm keyboard key travel are otherwise the same gen-to-gen.

HP is now accepting orders for the new Spectre x360 13 starting at $1100 for the Core i5-1035G1 IPS SKU to $1500 for the Core i7-1065G7 OLED SKU. A WACOM pen is included with every purchase. (HP Spectre x360 13 UHD i7-8565U on sale now at Amazon)