After Lenovo and Asus, HP is now also venturing into a foldable laptop. The foldable HP Specter PC is said to be the first “3-in-1” PC. The PC will cost you not one but two arms and two legs.

Today HP is launching the foldable Specter PC. As the name suggests, it is a foldable laptop. HP follows in the footsteps of the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold and the Asus Zenbook Fold. The manufacturer doesn’t shy away from big words, as HP claims its latest flagship is a “3-in-1” PC that can easily switch between laptop and tablet, but can also be used as a portable desktop.

In terms of form factor, the HP Specter Folding PC is most similar to the Asus model. HP also includes a 17-inch OLED screen in the case, which you can use as a tablet with the included full-size stylus. If you fold the screen in half and place the keyboard on the bottom half, you’ll have a 12.3-inch laptop. The HP notebook is slimmer with a weight of 1.3 kilograms.

One and a half screens

There are still a few rabbits in HP’s cylinder. The case also includes a fold-out backrest so you can adjust the screen vertically or horizontally. The keyboard can also connect to the display via Bluetooth without the need to make physical contact to mimic the desktop PC experience.

Perhaps the most useful trick is Laptop Mode. You can move the keyboard to the bottom half of the screen to free up extra space, giving you “a screen and a half,” according to HP. HP wants to make the most of Windows 11’s Snap features with this mode. The idea is that you can fit your mailbox or chat windows onto the additional screen that becomes available. This allows you to stay up to date with incoming emails and messages without distracting you from your workflow.

A round of specifications

The innovative folding factor is a nice bonus, but HP ensures that you also get a fully-fledged business laptop with the Specter Folding PC. The OLED screen has a resolution of 1,920 x 2,560 pixels and is advertised as having a brightness of 500 cd/m². HP also includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports with USB-C connectivity and a 5 MP webcam in the case.

The processor is an Intel Core i7 with integrated Iris Xe GPU. Complemented by 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 1TB of PCIe NVMe SSD storage, you shouldn’t lack the computing power for “daily use.” HP claims the battery lasts twelve hours in laptop mode and 11 hours in desktop mode. You can also rely on the software support that HP provides for its business models, such as the Wolf Security Hub.

Two arms and two legs

HP has clearly carefully analyzed what Lenovo and Asus did well and what they didn’t do so well with their foldable laptops. The HP Specter Folding PC seems to have everything it needs to make a big impression and early impressions from Engadget, which has already received an exclusive review sample, sound very enthusiastic. Take a seat now, because one thing is certain: the price.

HP lists a price of $4,999 for the laptop in the USA. That’s almost twice the size of the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Fold and also much larger than the Asus Zenbook Fold. The exorbitant price of foldable models is one of the main reasons why foldable laptops haven’t really taken off yet (although there are visible flaws in the pioneering models too).

HP doesn’t appear to be changing this immediately with the Specter foldable PC. High prices are also a constant when it comes to foldable smartphones, although we’re less surprised when we see them on the street.

Customers in the US can pre-order the laptop starting today. The first deliveries will follow in October. We’ve reached out to HP for pricing and availability for the European market and will update this article when we have more information.