HP announced the new OmniBook X 14 as part of an update to its PC catalog, where we also saw the convertible OmniBook Ultra Flip. Its goal is clear: to improve the appeal of Windows on lower-priced ARM laptops.

You already know that Microsoft launched its new PC platform Copilot+ last spring. At the time, only Qualcomm-prepared ARM architecture devices were available. Some interesting for their thinness, autonomy and AI support, but with several limitations in other sections and with another negative character: quite expensive.

There are no exact figures, but we believe very few units were sold for all the marketing behind them. And the situation is now complicated for Qualcomm as new computers with Intel processors are coming and new notebooks with AMD chips will soon be available. They are also part of the Copilot+ PC platform and for many users (myself included) they are more attractive than the ARM ones which we think still have development left in Windows.

OmniBook X 14, cheaper but less capable

In this scenario, Qualcomm has produced a new line of chips that 8-core Snapdragon X Plus processing, which is exactly what HP says for this version. Early performance figures have been rather weak, though the price cut could compensate for that for users looking for entry-level models to the platform.

This version preserves the screen 14 inch IPS and a native resolution of 2240 x 1400 pixels. It has Corning Gorilla Glass NBT protection and certification against annoying blue light. You can equip up to 32 GB of integrated LPDDR5x-8488 memory and up to 2 TB of storage with a PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD.

Other highlights include a 59 Wh battery. (an impressive autonomy of 26 hours)5 MP IR webcam with private shutter, two USB Type-C ports that can be used for charging, video output or data (one port supports data transfer at 40 Gbps, the other supports up to 10 Gbps), 10 Gbps Type A USB port and 3.5 mm audio jack.

The difference from the previous version is the Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100, a new batch with the mentioned 8 cores. It has a maximum operating frequency of 3.4 GHz and the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) is the same for the entire platform with a performance of 45 TOPS.

With Windows 11 pre-installed and white or gray color options, the best of HP’s OmniBook price reduction. If we stick to Qualcomm’s announcement, the new chips will allow access to Copilot+PC (ARM version) from the price 700 dollars.