HP is bringing the OmniBook laptop series out of retirement and sending it back into the world, this time with a brand new Qualcomm Snapdragon X processor. ARM gives the HP OmniBook X 14 superpowers, but HP is also making some very frustrating decisions.

In 2002, HP buried the OmniBook laptop series, but now the line is back from the dead. The HP OmniBook Unfortunately, the return of the OmniBook is not really good news: HP can’t resist adding some unnecessarily frustrating details to this laptop.

Balanced specifications

The HP OmniBook This ARM processor with twelve cores is supported by 16 GB of RAM. The built-in SSD gives you a generous storage capacity of 1 TB. On the left side we find two USB 4 Type-C ports, on the right side a welcome USB-A port and a 3.5 mm audio port.

For the screen, HP has opted for a somewhat old-fashioned 16:9 screen ratio, which is a bit outdated for productivity laptops. The screen has the perfect proportions for multimedia consumption. You get 2,440 x 1,400 pixels on a beautiful IPS panel, which provides bright colors with nice contrast.

The whole configuration is balanced, as we will see further in a performance analysis. The ARM chip has some limited drawbacks. In very specific cases, compatibility issues may arise. For example, our hardware for testing the screen for color and contrast requires a currently incompatible driver. Some other niche peripherals may cause similar problems.

Why OmniBook?

From the outside, the laptop looks like most reasonably professional HP machines: gray and plain, with a silver logo on the back. When closed, we would mistakenly call this machine an EliteBook. Where does OmniBook come from?

Omni is HP’s new brand name for all devices that are more consumer-oriented. Despite its business appearance, this laptop is not a pure business device. Pavilion, Envy and Dragonfly will eventually disappear as sub-brands and be replaced by Elite in the B2B areas and Omni for the B2C portfolio. In the near future, more and more OmniBooks will be launched on the market.

Copilot+

HP has decided to market its first so-called Copilot+ computers under the brand name OmniBook. This HP OmniBook For the launch of the OmniBook sub-brand, HP has primarily drunk the proverbial Kool-Aid from Microsoft: AI marketing is everywhere.

For example, we find a blue AI logo on the case (not a sticker, so it cannot be removed) and the laptop boots with the silly message Powered by AI experiences. The useless Copilot button is therefore present on the keyboard, and just like Microsoft’s Surface devices themselves, there is little unique behind it.

Hype brand

We’ve previously analyzed in detail what unique AI experiences a Copilot+ computer really offers (spoiler: few), so we won’t go into more detail here. To summarize, you’ll be indoctrinated with Copilot shortcuts everywhere, taking you to Microsoft’s version of ChatGPT. You can also have fun with Paint and create subtitles for videos. Most of the functionality runs through the cloud, so it has nothing to do with OmniBook or Copilot+.

The entire AI/Copilot+ PC is little more than a vendor marketing play that links HP to OmniBook through slogans, buttons, and logos. We’re curious to see if HP will integrate AI branding into the Elite line as aggressively. Hopefully, HP won’t immediately damage this strong corporate brand with Microsoft-imposed branding.

Stupid keyboard

The manufacturer opts for a brand new and very frustrating keyboard layout on the HP OmniBook X 14. Azerty keyboards in Belgium almost always have an ISO layout, which means they have a characteristically large Enter key on the right. HP throws this convention out the window and goes for an ANSI keyboard. This layout is common on querty and replaces the large Enter key with a smaller one with a fairly irrelevant key above it, unless you frequently type µ, £ or `.

Anyone used to ISO certification (almost everyone) will frequently type next to the Enter key, even though that’s the least of your worries. Finally, you won’t find the Delete key on the top right, but the power button. Thankfully, it doesn’t respond immediately to a small tap. This placement is stupid, and HP knows it: on the Elite Dragonfly, for example, DEL and power have been carefully swapped to avoid frustration. Microsoft’s copilot button is still where a fingerprint sensor could have been, so functionality is missing.

HP has taken a few steps back with the keyboard. Visually, we also feel like we’re back in the past: a new font for the characters on the keys and a light gray color for the keys are reminiscent of the 1980s. Fortunately, HP hasn’t forgotten everything: the large touchpad works precisely and quietly and makes a pleasant but quiet click when pressed.

So, on the surface, the HP OmniBook X 14 raises doubts in our minds. We get characteristically high build quality with a nice screen and keys that are comfortable to type on, but the whole thing is marred by AI marketing and an outdated, silly keyboard layout.

On the frame

Fortunately, most of the frustrations disappear during use. HP still knows how to make a computer and makes one of the best ARM laptops available today.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite in the HP Omnibook X 14 delivers the expected performance. HP has installed a Qualcomm Snapdragon X1E-78-100 in the device, which is the lightest variant of the Elite. The chip has a base clock of 3.4 GHz across all cores, with no boost capacity. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x has exactly the same CPU on board, while both Microsoft devices in the graphic below are equipped with the X1E-80-100. This chip can accelerate two cores up to 4 GHz.

The difference between the three regular Snapdragon X Elite laptops is not that big. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 doesn’t do much with the boost capacity and the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 does even worse. This says something about the implementation of the processor in this tablet.

A second test of the CPUs confirms our findings. For comparison, consider the rating of the Asus Expertbook B3404 with Intel Core Ultra 5 on board: Although it is a fast and responsive laptop, the HP OmniBook X 14, like other ARM laptops, performs significantly better.

In everyday use, the speed of the CPU, the RAM and the SSD also play a role. Here we can see that HP’s OmniBook is an above-average device. Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 7 is a bit slower. In practice, we find that the Microsoft device is very fast to use, even for office work.

The HP OmniBook It is noticeable that this laptop activates a louder cooling system more quickly under heavy workloads than the Surface Laptop 7.

No power outlet? No problem

So far, the HP OmniBook X 14 is competitive with the competition, but not better. When you look at the battery, HP stands out. Endurance is the first superpower of this revived Omnibook.

The OmniBook The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x was a strong opponent in the above performance comparisons, but now has to lose. HP installs a slightly larger battery in its notebook than Microsoft, but the weight of both devices is about the same (1.3 kg). Lenovo packs more Wh into its device, but doesn’t buy much.

For office work (surfing, emails, browsing, occasional calls, spreadsheets…) you can easily keep the HP OmniBook without any worries. The battery life is the big advantage of this device. Unfortunately, there is a small disadvantage: charging takes noticeably longer than with other devices.

Poly

HP integrates Poly Studio into the laptop: a result of HP’s acquisition of Poly at the end of 2022. The integration of Poly into the laptop is more than just advertising and immediately represents the only real added value of AI and the NPU of the Qualcomm Snapdragon on this laptop. The camera is undoubtedly the second superpower of this device.

The HP OmniBook Many other premium business laptops from HP now have such a webcam on board. It delivers sharp images with a good dynamic range.

However, the camera comes with the Poly Camera Pro application, and it’s worth it. For example, the app lets you add a watermark to your image, such as your name and contact details. You can also adjust some other settings, such as automatic focus on your face.

The camera zooms and follows your head. This kind of functionality has apparently been available in laptops from many manufacturers for a while, but it only works moderately well. This is different now: the functionality uses the NPU and follows our head flawlessly in real time. From left to right, from front to back: the camera has seen it and continues to capture it perfectly. We think this is an absolute added value for video meetings.

The sound is also great. Even with loud music coming from a nearby speaker, the person you are talking to can hear our voice clearly and without distraction.

HP made a mistake by engraving the AI ​​logo visibly below the keyboard and relegating Poly Studio to the bottom. If visible advertising is necessary, it would be better to swap the places between the logos.

Mixed feelings

The HP OmniBook X leaves us with mixed feelings. First of all, HP shows that it can produce an excellent ARM laptop. The device with its balanced features is a perfect companion for the mobile office worker. HP takes advantage of the strengths of ARM by offering excellent battery life.

The integration of Poly really comes into its own with this OmniBook. Video conferencing is a pleasant experience with this device and that is an absolute added value in the hybrid age. We have never seen a comparable experience on a laptop and even expensive meeting room solutions often perform worse: well done, HP.

As usual, the build quality of the laptop leaves nothing to be desired and the screen is beautiful. However, we are not entirely impressed with the HP OmniBook. The choice of a 16:9 screen ratio is not ideal for a productivity laptop and is actually a bit old-fashioned.

The keyboard is old-fashioned, with HP ignoring the conventions prevalent in Belgium with an annoying ANSI layout. The icing on the cake is that the on/off button is in a very annoying place.

These shortcomings mean we wouldn’t recommend this laptop. Ultimately, these are annoyances that you might not mind, and certainly not fundamental flaws. The phenomenal Poly Studio suite makes up for a lot.

The ANSI layout doesn’t bother you, do you consume a lot of 16:9 multimedia, does battery life matter or can you hardly wait for the Poly webcam? Then you can buy HP’s first Qualcomm Snapdragon X laptop with confidence. Are video calls not one of your frequent tasks and do certain strange decisions from HP put you off? Then Microsoft also offers an interesting overall package with the Surface Laptop 7.

Tested configuration: HP OmniBook (excl. VAT).