The most advanced Chromebook in this roundup, the HP Chromebook x2 (I specifically tested the 12-F014DX) stands apart because of its detachable screen, allowing to effectively operate as both a laptop and a tablet, and stellar performance.
Design
The thin base and beefy screen immediately separate the x2 from other Chromebooks. It looks and feels top-heavy, although a chunky hinge, to which the screen attaches, adds a deceptive amount of additional weight to the package and ensures the system stays stable, no matter how you position it. Because of this design, the screen won’t open wide — just past 90 degrees — so if you want to share the screen horizontally, you’ll have to remove it from the keyboard base. The 12.3-inch screen is incredibly bright and non-standard, with a 2,400 by 1,600-pixel resolution that provides a 3:2 aspect ratio instead of the usual 16:9 aspect ratio. This means the screen is taller than you might expect, and while that can feel weird when watching a widescreen movie, it’s a productivity bonus when you’re at work. The high resolution helps here, too. Finally, as with other detachable laptops, the x2 offers dual cameras, as expected.
Features
The keyboard of the x2 isn’t much more impressive than the one you’d find attached to an iPad: a slim, almost flimsy component with unimpressive key travel and response. The touchpad beneath worked fine in testing, though. The keyboard also features a loop into which you can slide the included pen, an active stylus intended for graphic design work, for storage. As with many tablets, the speakers are embedded in the tablet screen, and these units, from Bang & Olufson, are loud, filling the room more effectively than most competitors, perhaps in part because of their higher placement. A total weight of 3.3 pounds and 17 millimeters of thickness are both impressive — and that’s with the keyboard attached. Shed that component, and the x2 drops to a mere 1.6 pounds and 9 millimeters of thickness.
Specs
The Chromebook x2 has the best specs in this roundup, led by its 1 GHz Core M3-7Y30 CPU. The use of a Core brand CPU immediately gives the unit a boost in performance, further discussed below. Beyond that, the 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of flash storage are entry-level standards. The unique design of the x2 doesn’t leave much room for ports, and it offers only two USB-Cs (either can charge the device) and a micro SD card slot. Users who need significant connectivity will likely need to invest in a USB-C hub.
Performance
The Core CPU gives the x2 a huge leg up in performance. It beat the field handily on every benchmark I ran, with a 93 percent improvement over the field on the standard Speedometer 2.0 benchmark (which measures the responsiveness of web applications) and a 67 percent boost and 48 percent boost on the JetStream 1.1 and Kraken 1.1 benchmarks, respectively. (These test higher-end functions such as encryption, audio processing, and image filtering.) If you truly need best-in-class performance for a low price, this is a notebook to consider.
Battery
I expected weak battery life from the x2, but the unit shocked me with a whopping 10 hours and 15 minutes of run time. That’s not just a record for this category but a record score across all Chromebooks I’ve tested to date.
Conclusion
The HP Chromebook x2 had the best performance in my testing, as well as the best screen and the best battery life. It also has the highest price: $600. That’s the maximum for this category — and the unit doesn’t really compete with truly high-end Chromebooks — though if the unique, detachable design appeals to you, it still merits strong consideration.
